We interrupt today’s blog post to bring an important announcement: Analog TV is ending TODAY. At 3 AM in the morning I sat with Brian Feldman waiting for the end of Analog TV as we know it. There are an estimated 20 million TVs that use rabbit ears to pick up analog TV via the airwaves. Brian joked that the best place to watch this conversion to digital would be in the retirement villages of South Florida. I can imagine the panic caused as hundreds of TVs flicker to static, people are screaming in the streets and TVs being thrown out windows. The Digital conversion is not happening all at once but each station is switching over sometime today. You have been warned. Every station seemed to have a banner scrolling warning viewers about the conversion.
Brian sat eating some tomato soup straight out of the can and texting or tweeting on his iPhone. A police car drove by and a block later turned around to pass by a second time. He stopped rolled down the window and stared. I tensed up waiting for what might happen next. He just watched the TVs for a few minutes and then rolled up beside me to see what I was up to and then drove off without saying a word.
If you wish to watch in horror as TV signals are lost go to Frames Forever and Art Gallery 941 Orange Avenue in Winter Park 407 622-6358. The installation remains in place till midnight tonight.
Live and Let Live
The next day I went to Black Chapel Tattoo to see if I could sketch inside. Quite honestly it is difficult to find as it sits on top of a sandwich shop and the only access is by an unmarked wooden staircase. I went in the early afternoon but business was slow and the receptionist suggested I come back at night. I returned later that night and walked in. I introduced myself and both the artist, Ric DaSilva, and the patron didn’t mind me sitting down and sketching.
This young girl remained calm and motionless for the duration of the work. She tended to stare apathetically at a point in space. I was told by Ric that he would be finished within the hour so I started putting lines down fast. The girls boyfriend was seated just off the page to the right. I guess he was there for moral support. Once and a while he and the girl would talk and laugh. When the tattoo was finished Ric wiped it down and showed it to the girl for the first time. It read: “Live and Let Live” in a decorative banner. She loved it. Then came the bandaging and an explanation of how to take care of it for the next few days. I kept applying watercolor washes to the sketch after the girl and her boyfriend left.
I asked Fish, one of the artists why they did not have the Hearse parked up front of the new shop and I was told that the city of Orlando wanted to charge them extra taxes in order to park the car up front. The city claimed the car was a billboard and thus must be taxed accordingly. Fish said he usually doesn’t mind greasing some palms in order to do business, but these taxes were just to steep. So for now the Hearse sits guard in front of a deserted building in Winter Park.
The Hearse
Anytime I drive down Fairbanks this Funeral Hearse covered with graffiti always catches my eye. I finally decided to stop and do a sketch. The Hearse acts as a sort of billboard for Black Chapel Tattoo in Winter Park.
It was painted by Ken Deft from Pittsburg in about 4 hours. I found out that Black Chapel had moved however to downtown Orlando. The owner of Black Chapel Tattoo, Eli Tobias, accused Winter Park officials of running him out of town. After harassment for nearly a year from Winter Park Police, Tobias decided to move the shop to downtown Orlando.
As I sat doing this sketch a few people wandered by on the sidewalk that I was sitting on. Everyone seemed a bit down and out yet they seemed to appreciate what I was doing. One couple asked “Hey, are you a tattoo artist?” I shouted, “No”over the roar of traffic. A rather disheveled man in a red shirt and a beard who looked homeless, placed his hand on my shoulder, then subtly patted several times and smiled down at me. Without saying a word, he quietly walked away.
Gateway to Hell
I have been to hell and it is a theme park. I had the brilliant plan to spend an day at Disney For Gay Days on Saturday to do some sketching. Terry wanted to come along because she said she could go shopping. When we got to the entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We found out after a cell phone call that we would have to wait an extra hour to get into the park. Terry got annoyed and I took it as an opportunity to sketch.
The line at the guest relations window was always long. Children cried and parents yelled at the kids and each other. “Why are you giving the kids grapes? I told you they were thirsty and all you keep carrying on about is those damn grapes!” “It always has to be about you doesn’t it?” The few that got past guest relations then had to face the turnstiles. Above them storm troopers repeated the same tinny recorded dialogue over and over. The troopers made fun of the parents calling them the children’s servants and questioning their taste in clothes. They brandished their plastic weapons and threatened to shoot if people didn’t move along.
Terry went to Epcot and I followed after I finished this sketch. We were to meet at France. As soon as I got to France it began to pour. I took shelter under the awning to a perfume shop. I sat on my stool and watched an amazing lightning display for the next half hour. I only saw one female couple holding hands and wearing red tee shirts. That was the only hint that it might be gay days at Disney. All the people I saw were anything but gay, they were annoyed, short tempered and wet. That mood quickly soaked into me as well. When Terry met me we decided to get out. As we quickly walked back toward the parking lot, a woman asked me “Would you mind taking our picture?” I shouted out “Yes!” and stormed off. The woman was perplexed.
Orlando Police Department Mounted Unit
Karen Cali is a volunteer for the OPD mounted unit. Volunteers have to pass a horse riding test, a lie detector test, and a background check before being allowed to train the horses. She allowed me to sketch her as she got ready to take Peanut out for a training ride. Security at the barn is tight. Peanut came to Orlando from the police horse breeding program at Angola Prison Farm in Louisiana. Peanut has a brand that reads L267. The police horses are huge. When KC rode out to the dressage area, she showed me an obstacle course which is used to get the horses used to objects in the urban environment. She rode Peanut around newspaper boxes, tires, garbage cans, over mattresses, a narrow foot bridge, and near a 4 foot alligator from a parade float. KC rode him up and over a seesaw, then just like a football lineman Peanut pushed a huge sled forward with his powerful chest. The horses also receive training in tolerating fireworks and gunfire at close proximity.
I sat on a park bench beside the riding area and watched as Karen effortlessly cantered Peanut around the dirt field. I took the time to apply more washes to this sketch and I was surprised when all the horses who had been eating grass became curious and wandered over to look at what I was doing. A small crowd of horses surrounded me. Karen said this was very odd since the horses typically ignore people when working and might be slightly more curious when loose, but they were very interested in me. Even Denise an old time veteran and the units groom in the barn was surprised. He claimed I might be something of a horse whisperer. I think the horses just like to see equestrian art.
KC said that the city of Orlando may be considering selling off the plot of land next to the Citrus Bowl that the Mounted Unit barn is located on. Several plans have been put forth before with no results. With tightening city budgets the entire future of the mounted unit may be at stake.
Meg Kat Studio
Over the weekend I went to sketch the studio of Megan Lee Katauskas. Megan left a comment on my blog stating that she had grown up with many of the landmarks I have been sketching around town and that seeing the sketches has bought back fond memories. I found out she has a fantastic blog called “Imperrfections” which chronicles life here in Orlando. She paints bold images of Hollywood stars that I really like, so I asked if she wouldn’t mind if I sat in and sketch while she worked on one of those paintings. She was working on a commissioned portrait the day I stopped by. Rather than use an easel, she simply sits cross legged on the floor on some puzzle piece foam mats. Megan is in constant motion while she works. She wrestles the canvas turning it constantly. Megan often posts vlogs on her blog and she was shooting video and photos of me as I sketched her. You can see the video camera on a large box by the window. The camera is right at the vanishing point in the drawing.
Two weeks ago Megan and her husband, Mathew, had their identities stolen and every last cent was withdrawn from their bank account with Wachovia. Right now Wachovia or Walk-all-over-you, has been saying there is nothing the bank can do to help the couple. They were left with a balance of negative $170 and this morning Mathew had to sell his Wii video game console to help pay the rent. I dropped my computer off at Mathew’s Radio Shack on Orange Avenue south of downtown and the tech, Don, has been really helpful. Megan has prints of her Hollywood stars for as little as $25. Quite a good buy.
Tess Adamski
I met Tess at a writers workshop being held at the Keouac house. Tess designed the tattoo on her back herself and I found out that her tattoo artist in Toronto was named Thor, which happens to be my nickname. The tattoo consists of the last paragraph from Jack’s novel, “On the Road.” On the wall were photos of Jack writing in this very room. The center photo was the photo she used as reference for her tattoo. The red and green color scheme was far to perfect, there had to be a greater force at work here. There was something surreal about the whole experience. Tess refereed to it as Kerouacendipity.
“Like most people I read On The Road at age 17…and Jack answered and validated a lot of internal questions and thoughts that had me in a teenage turmoil. Growing up in an idyllic childhood in a small town…I always wanted out, feeling I should be somewhere else-so unlike my friends and family and wondering what is wrong with me? Why do I feel so unhappy? Jack let me know I wasn’t crazy and it was alright to see myself on the road out of my hometown. That was the pivotal point in my life.
Then it was a sweet progression into his works and life. With a background in classic literature, I spent my time with London, Fitzgerald etc…then comes Kerouac…whose writing touched me so deeply on a personal level from the honest passion that he created with the same 26 letters offered to everyone. Yet he created such a unique voice…I developed a real familiarity that was very comforting…like finding the perfect lover without all the mortal complications.
The more I delved into his personal life, I found myself becoming very protective of TiJean, sympathizing with the bombardment of misunderstanding that plagued his life and legacy of work. And so now, I am at a point in my life where I can devote my time to constant study of
Kerouac…working on a book to promote a further understanding of his writing genius. His voice is still an important voice to be heard and like hearing a great piece of music…reading Kerouac
once, is not enough. I’ve always thought that Kerouac could give sight to a blind man…the true historian of mankind…no one has documented the minuteness of sights, sounds and feeling of man like Jack… and he makes everyone of those details so poetic and soulfully important that it makes you glad you’re alive and a part of it.
Jack once said…Life is my art. And now I ink myself with his art-his words…. an eternal
canvas of the purest poetry of life….and it’s kinda nice to know that Jack always has my back.”
-Tess Adamski
Orlando Magic Pep Rally
At noon Mayor Buddy Dyer held a pep rally on the steps of City Hall in Downtown Orlando. It was sunny when I arrived and a high school band was playing on the steps for the crowd of perhaps 100 people. Then some kids in blue Orlando Magic shirts ran out and started throwing tee shirts and noise makers out to the crowd. It was hot in the direct sun so I took cover in the entry of a building.
A speaker shouted that Orlando’s time had come, that Orlando deserved to beat Los Angeles in the NBA Finals. For whatever reason the event didn’t leave me feeling inspired. I have seen high school pep rallies with more energy and enthusiasm. It seems like the city is trying to drum up enthusiasm for the insane expense of $480 million dollars being diverted into another sports arena that isn’t really needed, and is now half built. I personally find the Amway Arena to be a fine venue.
When the Mayor got up to speak, the sky suddenly opened up and it began to pour. Everyone ran for cover and that was the end of the pep rally. I was under cover so I continued to work as all the people in the square dispersed. The wind forced some rain onto the pages so once in a while you will see a line bleed out as I drew through a rain drop.
John Pierro Sculpture Studio
Quite some time ago I went to John Pierro’s studio to sketch him as he started a new piece. John is a friend from my old Disney Feature Animation days and in recent years he has developed into an amazing sculptor. When John bought his small Orlando home he had the forethought to insulate his garage and turn it into a spacious studio space. When I arrived, Dunkin his aging yet energetic Terrier greeted me at the door with loud barks. Later when Dunkin was used to me he would stop by once in a while to lick me on the elbow as I was sketching. You can just see his snout in the lower right corner of my sketch.
John set a goal for himself of producing 30 sculptures in 60 days. Because of that goal John produced an amazing body of work. Like my sketch a day goal, it forced him to make quick bold choices and live with them. His art blossomed. In a guest bedroom at the front of the house a huge stockpile of sculptures are perched on industrial strength metal shelves, waiting to be discovered by expectant art collectors.
The sculpture John was working on when I stopped in was based on a sketch he did some time ago. It represents how he and his wife, Jacque have grown together as artists. John met Jacque at Disney. The two figures twist and grow together like trees sharing one head. I have followed John’s work for some time and it is astounding. It reminds me somewhat of the work of one of my favorite artists, Egon Schiele, with twisted expressionistic human figures. Explore John’s portfolio, you will be glad you did.