All over Orlando these makeshift Valentines Uhaul trucks appeared. While I was doing this sketch a TV news crew came by and interviewed the couple sitting in the back of the truck. Every basket, box and bag was filled with roses, huge plush ducks, bears and other stuffed animals. The red Mylar heart shaped balloons were the hottest selling items. I considered getting something, but I have a tradition of always get my wife a live orchid. I used to get my orchids from a lady that sold them out of the back of her SUV, but this year she was gone. I had to drive all over town searching for a shop that carried orchids.
Friday the 13th
This roadside memorial is located just north of the First Baptist Church on John Young Parkway. Since it is close to the where the Caylee Marie Anthony memorial service was held, I began the sketch believing it must have been set up for her. The Mylar balloons were deflated and roses were dead indicating that this memorial had been set up for some time. While I was working, a large Ford Explorer SUV roared up onto the grass median between me and the tree. The African American woman inside was on her cell phone as she asked if I was sketching. I of course said yes and she related the information to whoever was on the phone. I asked her if she knew who the memorial was for and she shouted out a name which I could not hear over the sound of passing traffic. I had to ask two more times and finally approached her car door to catch the name. I would have asked here more questions but the tail end of her SUV was sticking out into the road and when I glanced over my shoulder I saw a line of cars backed up for a quarter mile. No one honked their horns, but she realized she had better get moving, and she drove off. The memorial is for James Marcus Johnson. I searched for information about him but could only find a short obituary that stated that he died on December 22, 2008 at the age of 22.
Caylee Makeshift Memorial
On the day of Caylee’s memorial service at the First Baptist Church, an alternate memorial was being organized by Leonard Padilla, a California bounty hunter, at the site where Caylee’s remains were found. Padilla was banned from attending the service at the church by Cindy and George Anthony. Padilla had posted bond for Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, but later revoked it saying that Casey was not cooperating the the search for her child.
For some reason I felt ill at ease as I approached the site. This huge pile of toys, cards, flowers and signs decorated the area. The woods where Caylee’s body was found were stripped bare and all the refuge was heaved into a compost pile about five feet high. Already a few palmettos were sprouting back up to reclaim the crime scene.
An elementary school is just a half block from where I was sketching. School let out and a large group of about 12 students were walking home on the opposite side of the street. They became curious as to what I was sketching and surrounded me and fired off a barrage of questions. Some of them went up to a board and wrote condolences and thoughts. One of the youngest pointed at my sketch and asked, “Is that Caylee?” Some of the kids wanted to pose for me in front of the toys, but I convinced them that they should get home to there moms. One couple who visited the site informed me that they had driven from Pennsylvania to pay there respects. Several times people getting out of there cars asked me if it was alright to take pictures. It is as if they thought it was my job to guard the site. As one man said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
abc News Truck
This is a small taste of the media circus that set up camp outside the First Baptist Church for the Caylee Marie Anthony Memorial Service. The church set up a barricaded parking lot area specifically for all the media. Reporters could use the church as a backdrop for the live reports but all the footage from inside the service was supplied by the churches 2 TV cameras with a live feed outside to the waiting trucks. I have read that an estimated 1,200 people attended the service, but it seemed to me like far fewer showed up, perhaps 2-3 hundred. The inside of the church is truely cavernous however so this might be a false impression.
Caylee Marie Anthony Memorial Service
I attended the Caylee Marie Anthony Memorial Service this morning at The First Baptist Church. Honestly, I decided to go when I heard on the news last night that there would be no video recording, photography or even cell phones allowed into the service. To get in I had to put my sketchbook , pens and brushes in a bin at the metal detectors. The ushers were pleasant and helpful, making everyone feel welcome. Some families bought there small children to the service. The childrens voices could be heard a varying times adding a subtle tone of playful innocence to the proceedings.
I was unprepared for how emotionally overwhelming the actual service was. It pointed to the Orlando communities strength in times of trouble. The feeling of love and compassion was palpable. Toward the end of the service the lights were dimmed and a video was shown called “Gone too Soon“. It was a masterfully edited tribute to Caylee’s short life. There is something sublime in the final shot as Caylee pulls back, and then is shrouded behind, a cloth window shade.
It was also hard not to be moved by the tearful words from George and Cindy Anthony. Cindy Anthony said “Caylee Marie has taught many to love a child they have never met.” “Let’s stop the negativity and speculation.” “Let’s stand up for our right to live in a world filled with hope and faith and love”. George said he wore a lavender shirt because it was Caylee’s favorite color. He also stated, “Do not form any judgments, because I tell you, you don’t want to be in any of our shoes. Casey deserves prayer, she deserves understanding, she deserves love.” The Anthony’s humble words were greeted by a thunderous standing ovation from a respectful crowd.
I hope the service helps the Anthony family and the community heal.
Recorders
Terry invited Roger and Melissa over to play recorders on Sunday. Terry said her focus was off. My focus was off as well. The performers would change the size of the recorder they were playing for each new piece. Sometimes they would even change instruments in the middle of a piece of music. This was frustrating since I would draw the recorder and hands in one position then look up again to find the instrument bigger or smaller than how I drew it. It seems a bit Freudian that Roger is holding a small recorder while the women hold large recorders.
Manatee Display
This Manatee sculpture stood on the porch of the Thursby house. It was roped off to keep tourists from touching it. The surface was covered with thousands of small mosaic tiles. People would press up against the ropes so they could get a picture taken next to the manatee. I overheard one lady telling her guests that as a child she used to swim with the manatees. She said the manatees would swim right up to you and roll over so you could scratch there tummy’s. A few children started to harass the animals so park rangers had to stop letting people swim in the spring waters.
Thursby House
Louis Thursby and his family were the first white settlers to make Blue Spring a permanent home in 1856. In the early years a steam boat was the only link to the outside world. This home was built in 1872. Originally the home was 2 stories with a cypress shingle roof. Louis’s son John added the third story and the metal roof around 1900. There have been no major changes since. The first story is open to the public. It has been restored to the time period of 1872-1887 to recreate the family life during the steamboat days.
Blue Spring
The past 2 nights have seen temperatures drop below freezing. In Florida this is big news. It means citrus crops get frozen and many plants that are not cold tolerant will burn to the ground. It also means that manatees make the pilgrimage to Blue Springs to enjoy the springs constant water temperature of 72 degrees. I saw on the news several nights ago that over a hundred manatees are now in the springs. I figured the park would be empty on a weekday but oh, was I wrong. There was a half hour backup waiting to get into the park entrance. I almost turned around but decided to tough out the traffic. It was worth the wait. I do not know the official count but there were lots of manatees along with Gar, and Cat fish schools. I did this digital piece on location but when the sun made its way to the screen, I could not see what I was doing. I actually had to lean over to block the sun enough so I could see the screen. A large group of manatees were lounging on the far bank of the spring, and once in a while one would glide by heading up toward the source of the spring.
Full Sail Sketch Class
Kathy was kind enough to let me spend some time next door to test my tablet doing some sketches from a model. A number of students walked up to me between poses to find out what I was drawing with. Even the model was curious about the tablet. He is now considering getting one for his brother in law who he says, “has to have the latest gadgets.” I am finding the ability to add large flat tones behind the initial gestural sketch to be a real advantage. A brush size of 2.5 is about right for how I think the line should feel. I am slowly adjusting to this new way of working, but I still feel a bit retarded scratching away on a computer screen.