Spit and a Polish

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After the wedding I wandered around Jackson Square. I had an hour to kill before the reception began. Artists were set up all around the square selling their work. A caricature artist waited for his next victim. I was intrigued by one artist who cut canvas into strips and burnt the edges with a blow torch. Some sort of tar or varnish was splashed on. The strips were then woven in and around the canvas stretcher. The work felt aged, ancient. There were plenty of depictions of New Orleans architecture and depictions of musicians playing. One artist drew the same musician over and over again, never deviating in pose or gesture.

I leaned against a pillar wondering which vendor I should sketch. A gentleman in a ball cap and blue jeans approached me. “You’re looking sharp.” he said. “But your shoes need a shine. I do good work.” I looked down at my black leather loafers. They were well worn and there were several spots of blue paint that must have gotten there when I worked on the Sonesta mural. I had to agree with him. I needed a shine. “Six dollars.” he quoted. I sat down and put my foot up on the wooden box. He began by scraping off the drips of paint then applied the boot polish. “Clench yo toes.” he said. I curled up my toes creating a tight bridge across the top of the shoe. “White boy knows how to take orders.” he joked. A black liquid shine was applied all along the sole of the shoe. He spit on the leather and rubbed it in.

A woman dropped off several pairs of shoes and her son stayed to have his shoes shined. I knew I didn’t have much time but I sketched the process. Behind the shoe shine was a hot dog vendor and a psychic. I was tempted by the thought of a hot dog but I was going to a reception where there would be plenty of food. I saw the groomsmen and bridesmaids walk by and I followed them. Guests met in a hotel lobby where a small Dixieland band was playing. A woman holding a white parasol grinned as she danced. Everyone was given blue and gold bead necklaces. A police motorcycle pulled up outside the hotel. The band marched out into the street and soon we were all marching down Bourbon Street. I threw beads to some children. People shouted for beads from balconies.

The reception was amazing with people dancing as it grew dark. Everyone did a modified line dance to “Wobble Baby!” When it came time to wobble we all leaned back and shook our hips skyward, followed by a clap and change in direction. A photo booth was set up for couples to shoot silly photos for the wedding album. Terry and I staged a series of shots where she punched my face in slow motion. The grooms cake looked like a pot of crayfish. Andrew Ranck, the groom got choked up as he thanked everyone for coming. “It has been a long hard road getting to this point.” He turned to his new bride, Shannon. “Can she be any more beautiful?” The father was in tears as he danced with the bride. Satchmo sang, “What a Wonderful World.”

Day of the Dead

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The day of the dead is a 3000 year old celebration that takes place in Mexico on November first and second. Grace Kurth offered a creative workshop in the design and art theory room at Full Sail. Participants were invited to bring…
1. A box: cigar, wine, wooden crate or any wooden or cardboard box.
2. A photograph of a loved one you wish to honor. It could be a family member, friend, special person, or a pet.
3. Mementos: tokens representative of their favorite, hobbies, music, teams, foods, movies, special trinkets, labels of their favorite drinks,
4. Glitter, beads, fabrics, buttons, any type of embellishment you might want to add.
5. Paints, markers, color pencils to paint the skulls. Glues and any hardware you might need.
6. Optional items: candles, marigolds, sunflowers, empty bottle, shawl, cloth, or other items.
I brought my usual bag of art supplies and my curiosity.

The day of the dead is not a dark macabre celebration. In Mexican culture death is considered a transitional phase not horrific or scary. It intends to celebrate the people who came before us. La Katrina born in 1913 drew cartoons which showed skeletons adorned in the trappings of wealth. The image showed that no matter how wealthy you are you will go through the phase of death. Dandy skeletons both male and female are popular images.

Grace took a trip to Janitzio, a small island where the day of the dead is celebrated. As evening fell a long line of people with candles walked up to the highest point on the island. There they built alters called ofrenda which celebrated the life of a loved one. Marigolds which represent regeneration were garlanded and used everywhere as decorations. Skulls of sugar called Calacas were ornately decorated to remind us that life is a delicious sweet indulgence. “Just when the caterpillar thought it was over, it became a butterfly.” Grace quoted.

Tom Buzbee brought in many photos and documents to commemorate his Papa. His father was a diplomat with a long square beard. Bananas were perched on the center rise of the ofrenda. Tom explained that when his father was sick in his final days he took to hoarding fruit in his room. Whenever he left the room there would be a scavenger hunt to find the hidden fruit. A small raisin was found years later that was once an apple. The smell of ripe bananas brought back vivid memories. Two of his daughters helped him make the altar. Libby was hot gluing long white whiskers onto the jaw of a skeleton, a stunning tribute to her grandfather’s whiskers. Avaryl had exotic skeletal tattoos on her chest and arms, a living celebration in the day of the dead tradition. She was busy decorating tiny skulls in bright colors. The room buzzed with creativity and stories of lives worth honoring.

New Orleans Wedding

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On October 22nd, Shannon Marie OBrien and Andrew Julian Ranck were married in the Saint Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Terry and I arrived a bit early so I could start sketching the church interior before the service started. Terry was nervous that I would be asked to move since family usually is in the first two rows. Stubbornly I stood my ground since I knew my view could not be obstructed by someone sitting in front of me.

A lone trumpet player stood in the balcony and his notes echoed joy. The Trumpet Voluntary filled the cathedral and everyone stood and turned to watch the bride walk down the isle. The flower girl and ring bearer followed her. They were just toddlers and there were murmurs of adoring laughter. Andrew beamed as he watched Shannon approach. All the young female attendants filled the row in front of me.

It was a very traditional Catholic wedding with prayers and New Testament readings. Vows were exchanged and the rings blessed. High above, statues of Faith, Hope and Love looked down on the young couple. Saint Peter stood holding a key with his arm reaching out. Saint Paul stood on the right holding his sword. The ceiling was a swirl of activity as the apostles surrounded Jesus who radiated beams of light. As the couple signed their marriage license at a separate altar, Ave Maria wafted up echoing off the vaulted ceiling. The music made the moment truly feel divine. There was one final blessing and then Ode to Joy played as a recessional.

Before I knew it, I was alone again in an empty Cathedral. Marriages seem like such fast paced ceremonies when you are trying to sketch them. This flurry of activity would lead to a lifetime commitment.

A familiar face stood before me admiring the Cathedral’s architecture. It was Kevin Deters who worked at Disney Feature Animation in Florida at the same time I did. Kevin is now working for Disney in LA and he has directed several shorts one being “Prep & Landing” for the Company. He let me know they are working on another Prep & Landing short now. What a wild, small world. I gave him my card and explained the blog and the work I do to pass along the animation tradition at Full Sail. Kevin let me know that he has now worked longer in the LA studio than he did in Florida. I admire what he has accomplished. I wonder if he came to New Orleans when Disney premiered “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” That was an amazing party.

The priest walked up to me as I sat alone finishing my sketch. I was sure I was about to get kicked out. On the contrary, he loved the sketch and joked with me that usually the pencil snaps if someone tries to sketch him. There was another wedding happening in half an hour and he encouraged me to go right on sketching. I was getting close to finishing however, and I decided to leave as the church was emptied for the next wedding

Zombie Apocalypse

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Lindsay arrived at her job as a waitress at Austin’s Coffee. She had been held up in traffic crawling down I-4 and her forehead was pounding with a migraine. Running late, she ran to the bathroom and quickly changed into her uniform. She slipped on her black blouse with its snappy white collar then worked the aqua crinoline skirt up over her hips. She had recently washed a coffee stain out of her white frilly apron. She checked herself in the mirror and brushed a bleached blonde curl away from her face.

No one paid attention to the local news playing in the kitchen. A perky newscaster announced, “Patient zero went viral at 6 p.m.” Lindsay clicked it off and turned the Radio Dial until she found Johnny Cash. Austin’s was packed. Young hipsters sat in booths mesmerized by their computer screens. She took an order for some ice cold coffees not b0thering to look up from her pad. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw someone enter who was different somehow. The girl wore a pair of cut up jeans and a black bra. She looked like a 60’s flower child but she was a bit rough around the edges. She limped in and stiffly sat at a round table in the front of the room. “Great.” Lindsay thought, “This one isn’t going to be a good tipper.” Lindsay approached and pulled the spiral bound note pad out of her waist. She pulled the pencil out from behind her ear, licked the lead and rested the sharp tip on the page. “Well, What’ll you have?” she said with bored contempt.

The customer had a musky dead rat smell. “Don’t hippies take showers anymore?” she thought. Lindsay tried to be polite but she raised her hand up to her nose. She suddenly realized the customer’s left cheek was missing. The teeth were clenched and exposed. Suddenly the customer lunged at Lindsay and quickly grabbed her wrist. She screamed and pulled violently back and she heard the bone in her forearm snap. She looked and saw the bone sticking out. Her shoe slipped off in the struggle. In horrific pain she continued to scream until her wind pipe was slit with a serrated knife. One customer looked up from his computer but lost interest in the struggle and returned to Facebook.

Her head dropped to the table. Blood gushed out ruining her uniform. Her eyes stared blankly forward as painful wet noises came from her open neck. A tear rolled from her terror stricken eye. The hippie zombie tried pulling strips of flesh from Lindsay’s throat using a fork. The strips of flesh just dangled, never staying on the fork, like so much stubborn spaghetti. Frustrated, she threw the utensils to the floor and sank her teeth into Lindsay’s open wound. She hunched over her prey like a lioness.

What she really wanted however was fresh and juicy brain. She smashed a plate on the table and used its sharp jagged edge to cut the curly blonde hair away from the top of her victim’s head. She peeled the scalp away from the skull and let it hang down, dripping blood on the floor. She violently smashed the skull with a plate and once she had chipped a small hole in the skull she pushed her index finger inside and starting pulling chips away like she was digging into a large hard boiled egg. She slipped both hands inside the skull gently squeezing the brain as she lifted it out in one piece. The brain made an audible slurping noise as it was yanked free. She severed the spinal cord with her teeth, then she bit deeply into the soft thought filled mess. Blood oozed all over her face dripping down between her breasts.She ate the whole thing in a few very messy wet bites.

The other customers rose from their seats. Moaning, they approached the limp body now crumpled on the floor. All their hands reached out, hungry for fresh meat. A bit of frontal lobe was lying in a pool of blood in front of Lindsay’s eyes. A customer lifted it up pinching it between his index finger and thumb with his pinkie raised. He slipped it to the back of his throat like a raw oyster. Dozens of hands searched and clawed ripping and tearing away the fresh pulsing flesh. Blood spurted and knees became soaked in the widening pool of blood.

The Sketchy Broads host a monthly sketching session at Austin’s every month. Happy Halloween.

Phantasmagoria

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It would be a fiendish, horrific tragedy if you didn’t get to see Phantasmagoria. Tonight is the final show starting at 8:30pm at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s, Mandell Theater. I arrived early and started blocking in my sketch before the audience arrived. I love these final moments as the actors stretch, warm up and joke to break the tension. The actors gathered in a circle and held hands. Director, John DiDonna said, “Lets build a bridge to next year. Make these final performances fiendishly dangerous. See you on the other side guys.” Brittany Wine shouted out, “Love you all!”

All the actors layed down on the floor and they were covered with black blankets. John warned, “We have a full house tonight with 98 people. Check your extremities, don’t leave anything sticking out.” A female voice boomed over the sound system, “Five minutes to house open.” Members of the cast shot back, “Thank you five.” The room grew deadly quiet and then the audience walked in to find their seats. One actor rose quietly, the blanket still covering him to strike a ringmasters theatrical pose. As the blankets were lifted off, the actors came to life in their costumes of blood red and black. The costumes designed by Jennifer Bonner were lavish and stunning. A scrim behind the actors often acted as a screen for projections of animations and titles.

Each of the acts were built around horrific folklore and poetry. Edgar Allen Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” resulted in the whole cast dancing, celebrating and then succumbing to the pestilence of the red death. No one was spared. Phantasmagoria was a whimsical and horrific poem by Lewis Carol.

“Allow me to remark
That ghosts have just as good a right,
In every way to fear the light,
As men to fear the dark.”

I enjoyed “The Picture of Dorian Grey“. In this act a painter created a stunning portrait of Dorian Grey. When Dorian viewed the painting, he saw it morph, revealing his inner dark self. The picture took on a horrific visage because Dorian was morally bankrupt. In the end Dorian died taking on the horrible appearance in the portrait and the painting returned to its former splendor. A life sized skeletal puppet was used to portray his inner self to great effect.

Music of Eric Satie played during an elegant and beautiful aerial act. Tiny Gina Makarova performed on a suspended hoop while Mila Makarova and Dion Smith performed suspended in silks. Satie’s music expressed the melancholy inner yearning of the creative spirit and the women floated weightless in its ethereal embrace.

The most stunning puppet was the Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland. An actor on stilts acted as the hind legs of the creature and a long silver spine snaked down from head to tail. The head was immense being controlled by a strong puppeteer. A small army was needed to control the beast. I wish I had been fast enough to get a sketch. This show is the perfect Halloween treat.

Second Life

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As part of my required studies at Full Sail, I took a course on how Second Life might be integrated into course studies at Full Sail. Kristopher Newton introduced the course instructors to Second Life which is a virtual online world where people can create their own avatars. Amazingly people are selling virtual merchandise, real estate and art in this environment. Fifty five million dollars were generated last year, making it the fifth fastest growing economy in the world. Apparently pop singers and musicians release their songs in this virtual world to test their market. There are virtual galleries and museums where artists are selling their work. I imagine creating my own avatar that does what I do every day which is to draw. My avatar would enter a club, bar or concert hall, find a seat and sketch. I could become the Analog Artist in a Virtual World.

Kristopher actually created a virtual Full Sail campus modeled on the real life existing campus. When he started, he discovered that the polygon count had sky rocketed overnight. He explored his model and couldn’t figure out what had happened. He finally discovered that someone had built an entire city above his campus and they had painted a sky below the base of the city so it was impossible to see. Kristopher dismantled the city, saving the parts he might be able to use in the future. He remains convinced that Second Life can be used as a teaching tool to get students to interact in new ways with the curriculum.

I decided to give Second Life a chance when I got home that night. I picked an avatar that had a backpack and hiking boots since that seemed the most practical options for exploring a new world. Being a robot or a pussy cat didn’t appeal to me. I walked through the introductory rooms learning how to walk, sit, talk and fly, then I explored my first environment. The place was designed for social interaction among avatars just starting out in Second Life. My computer volume was down but I noticed people kept typing “Welcome Thor.” I walked up to a balcony so I could overlook the club. I sat and imagined myself starting a sketch. Perhaps this was an answer to the conflicts that arise when I find myself sketching in the real world too often. I could be home every night documenting life in a virtual world, forever at my desk, available yet lost in thought.

Unfortunately Second Life is excruciatingly slow. I had to wait for all the other people in the room to materialize and walking around was an awkward process making my Avatar look like he was ice skating through quick sand. I kept flying into walls and falling from insane heights. In the end, I became bored and shut off my computer so I could explore my one and only life.

Yelp Event at the Polasek

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Yelp held an event at the Albin Polasek Museum for active Yelp reviewers. When I pulled in, I noticed cars parked on the grass lawn so I parked beside them. When I walked towards the building I noticed that there was valet parking available. The young woman at the reception table looked up my name and made up my name tag. Inside an artist was painting a portrait. Christine MacPhail, a harpist was playing just outside the back door. The sweet music drifted through the flower garden as the sun set. There was a food station set up with a delicious ravioli and pasta dish from Brio Tuscan Grill.

I needed my book light to sketch since it was soon pitch black outside. I kept layering on washes making my sketch darker and darker. Inside the museum there was a show of Soviet propaganda art. Socialist Realism was established in 1934 and lasted through the Cold War. The artists were required to communicate the ideals of Revolutionary Socialism and social responsibility to the citizens. Artists were able to travel the world and were paid handsomely. Their oraznization was called “The Workers of the Revolutionary Poster.”

One poster that caught my eye was done in 1961, the year I was born. Castro stood heroically in the foreground with excited citizens cheering all around him. The poster read, “The People of Cuba are Undefinable!” 1961 was the year of the Cuban Missile crisis. The world was almost thrown into nuclear war as America and the Soviets faced off. I am amazed my parents were willing to bring a new life into a world on the brink of total annihilation.

iLife

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I found out that I have to take 10 hours of courses at Full Sail before December which is the month I was hired. The list of class offerings was rather limited and since I have to rush to get the credits, I ended up taking a course on iPhoto and iMovie. Course instructors are all given an Apple laptop but I am a lowly Studio Artist so I was never issued an Apple. I showed up for the class with my Motion Computing tablet PC but all the programs discussed were written strictly for the Apple.

Both programs are fairly simple to use. Three other instructors were taking the course with me. I am used to doing video editing using Adobe Premiere Pro. Since I use this comprehensive program, I doubt I will ever see a need to use iMovie. Exporting the movie so it is formatted for uTube is a nice feature however. iPhoto can remove red eye but I have Photoshop which can do so much more. Apple does integrate all the programs nicely so a beginner can organize all their photos and videos easily. Facebook could learn a thing or two about elegant programing from iLife.

The Arts Matter

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Sea World hosted the annual A+ Awards from United Arts. The awards were created by United Arts professional grant recipient, Robin Maria Pedrero. This is the The Arts+ Awards 10th year. When I arrived, Mark Baratelli of the Daily City was being interviewed by Peter Murphy in the entry to Ports of Call where the reception was happening prior to the ceremony. I had to duck and cover to get around the TV camera crew. As patrons of the arts mingled, drank and ate, a huge seal started to bark. Mark posed with the seal who was trained to remain still as photos were shot.

Between awards presentations, there were performances by MicheLee Puppets, the Reps Power Chords, Voci Dance and the Bach Festival Society. Margot Knight will be leaving United Arts of Central Florida to move to a position in California. When she walked to the podium she got a standing ovation. Mark Baratelli was nominated for the Collaborative Partnership award, but he lost to the MicheLee Puppets.

The theme of “The Arts Matter” was reenforced throughout the evening. Patients who are offered to create art while Undergoing chemo-therapy often say they notice pain far less. There is a direct correlation from studies that students who are offered art in schools tend to get better grades. We don’t need students who want to spit back established answers, We need students who think creatively.

It was an entertaining evening which offered new leads as I search for my next sketch able arts organizations.

Divorce Court

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As I write this, I’m in New Orleans in a suit and tie ready to go to a lavish wedding… Ron and Maisy Marrs were seated in the waiting room for courtroom 16E. They had gotten up before the sun rose so they could get through the courthouse security and be ready for their divorce hearing at 8:30am. When I walked in they were already calmly seated together in the crowded waiting room. Maisy was reading the divorce papers. I grabbed the last remaining seat in the room, directly across from them. Then we all waited. Court officers disappeared into the courtroom door beside me.

Finally an officer opened the courtroom door and called in the first couple. They had arrived late and were seated out in the hallway. When they exited the courtroom they looked relieved. I raised my fists in mock celebration and Maisy & Ron laughed. The next couple called in was late as well. I suggested to Ron & Maisy that they should move out into the hallway if they ever wanted to be called into the courtroom.

When they finally were called in, I joined them. The judge asked why I was in her courtroom. Ron blurted out that I was there as a witness. I was blocking in a sketch already but I knew from the preceding couples that the hearing wouldn’t last more than 5 minutes. I was thankful I wouldn’t have to go on the witness stand. Ron was seated at what is traditionally the defendant’s table and Maisy sat at the prosecutor’s table. The judge asked Maisy why they were getting divorced. “Irreconcilable differences.” Maisy said. I was impressed, a very lawyerly response. “That isn’t a reason” the Vulcan judge responded. “Well, we aren’t in love anymore.” Maisy shot back. “That is a feeling not a reason. The court needs a logical reason for your divorce.” I felt bad for Maisy, she hadn’t thought to bring along any solid evidence or proof. It suddenly seemed that this divorce might not be granted. Ron stepped in and saved Maisy. “She is going to move to California and I am staying in Orlando.” he said. “That makes sense, now, was that so hard?” she said. “Have all your finances been arranged?” “Yes.” Ron responded. With that settled, the judge announced that their marriage was dissolved. They still had to do some paperwork, but they were now divorced.