Apopka – Analog Artist Digital World

In June, Brendan O’Connor, sent me a Facebook message, “Thomas I’ll be headed out to the Hope Community Center in Apopka (1016 N Park Ave Apopka, FL) on Thursday around 11:30 to work on the mosaic-mural for the afternoon. You’re more than welcome to join!”

Brendan is a project manager for Art Reach Orlando whose mission is to support art projects that foster creativity and hope, develop
self-esteem, and offer children a platform to reflect, re-vision, and
rejoice. By fostering creativity they are encouraging and empowering
children to imagine the positive changes they wish to see in
their own lives, their communities, and the world.

The Hope Community Center is a service and learning community dedicated to the
empowerment of the Central Florida’s immigrant and working poor
communities through Education, Advocacy and Spiritual Growth. Janis Neunez is the artist who designed the mosaic mural that will surround the back entryway to the center. The
story of the area’s migrant workers will be told through through the
placement of tiles and objects donated by migrant worker families and through interactive computer chips
placed in the mosaic. By activating the chips with your smart phone, you can see
images and hear the stories of the men, women, and children who made the
Tree of Life mosaic at the center and make up the real life mosaic of
our Central Florida community.

Brendan had to work from the top of the ladder using acid to clean an area. I was nervous that someone might open the door fast and send him tumbling. A dear friend Melissa Kasper recently fell off a ladder breaking her nose, so the possibility was fresh on my mind. I’m glad to report that no artists were hurt during the creation of this sketch.

I received an invitation to sketch at the Fran Carlton Community Center of Apopka. Art classes are held in the Community Center so the instructor thought the students might like to see several of my sketchbooks and learn about what it is I am doing everyday as I discover the arts in Orlando. Nancy, the instructor this day had a small still life set up on the counter leading to the kitchen. There was an old cowboy’s boot some bright red flowers and yellow drapery. No one in the room seemed interested in the still life however. Each artist was focused on their own projects. Each artist worked at their own level. One woman was working on a drawing of a football star, while another was working on a seascape with lobster pots and fishing nets.
After seeing my work, the one man in the group started documenting the people around him with his sketches.
When I was asked to talk, I kept it short and simple. I explained how this project began as a New Year’s resolution and how my one a day commitment had grown to the point where I don’t know when to put the pen down.