Fisher Fiesta

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Fisher Miga was the little Pomeranian pup who brought joy to so many in his recurring role as the dog behind Dog Powered Robot. I was back stage for the very first performance of that epic show and still remember the wild and boisterous laughter from the crowd. Every artist was given the same 3 minute song to act as the inspiration for their performance and Dog Powered Robot blew the concept wide open. I peeked out from behind the back stage curtains to catch a glimpse of the wild reception.

The Fisher Fiesta was a low key party to celebrate the dog who made so many people smile.

Fisher was diagnosed with cancer, on top of the other health issues he was dealing with, and his humans, Evan and Christie Miga wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to pet his little head before his ailments got worse. He was doing great given his circumstances, Christie and Evan described the last months as bonus time. Every day that Fisher was happy and comfortable was a gift.

He definitely seemed on his game, begging for treats and greeting people as they arrived.  The whose who of the Orlando Theater Community showed up to pet the little guy. I of course struggled with one last sketch. By the end of the party, Fisher retired to Christie’s back room studio where he had a comfy spot under her art table. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan was there discussing big green eggs and smoking meat in the kitchen with Pam. Photo albums were out showing the vast collection of magazine articles and clippings about the famous Pomeranian and Dog Powered Robot. I was proud to see some of my framed prints among the archives.

When Pam and I finally left, people were still arriving. Opera director Eric Pinder was parking as we pulled away. That little puppy lived an operatic life. Evan announced on Facebook on March 31, 2019 that they had to let Fisher go on Saturday morning.
He passed peacefully in a small park in Christie’s arms, looking into Evan’s
eyes, and surrounded by love. The cancer got the best of him over that last week. Fisher was a world traveler, a performer, a therapy dog, and a friend to so many. He is, and forever will be, deeply missed. I am publishing a book about the past 10 years of Orlando Fringe and he appeared so many times in my sketches, being one of Fringe’s biggest stars.

Art Class

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Dog Powered Robot rehearsals were held in this art classroom. Christie Miga taught art classes here and I decided to stop by to see a class in action. This was before I started sketching at Elite Animation Academy and it was while sketching this class in actin that I decided it was inspiring to see kids creating using pencil and paper. One of the instructors actually posed for the students and it was great t see them step up to the challenge and sketch her as she sat in her chair. Kids don’t accept limitations. If you suggest they try creating something, they create something.

It is only when kids get older that they start to feel like they aren’t doing sketches accurately enough. I on the other hand keep striving to get back some of the childhood innocence and directness each time I do a sketch. Inspiring kids to catch the world around them by sketching is a challenge but sometimes it feels so good to see a kid embrace old technology as a way to slow down and truly experience the world.

$1 Sketch Sale.

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When I moved out of North Bay, near the Bay Hill Golf Club, I needed some extra cash to help pay for the moving expenses. I have mountains of figure drawings and decoded to have a sketch sale with each sketch available for $1. I held the sale all day on a Sunday. People arrived all day long to riffle through the sketches piled up on the dining room table.

There were some major deals to be found. Besides the figure studies, there were sketches done for paintings and even a few drawings that had turned into paintings. A pink robot build by Evan and Christie Miga overlooked the scene. Zorro, a white umbrella cockatoo greeted people and screeched for attention.

I raised several hundred dollars which helped a bit as I settled into a new place. Some people just waked in off the streets because I had a sign in the front year. Friends and strangers didn’t know that this was close to the last day that I would be living in this neighborhood. All my sketchbooks had already been moved. When I die, this is my legacy, a mountain of sketches that hopefully will find a home. The sketches are culled down each time I move.

Robots and Rainbows at BART.

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Wednesday November 18th was the opening for Robots and Rainbows at BART, (1205 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL).  This show is a joint effort of the husband and wife team of Evan an Christie Miga  These are the artists who brought the blockbuster Fringe show, Dog Powered Robotto life. When I arrived, Evan was closest to the front door. He explained that he created all the robots, and that Christie art directed his paintings of laughing sun and puckering moon. He also made rocket ships out of simple plastic cups and slinkies. When the slinkies were jostled, they made a sound much like Star Wars sound effects. Later, Christie informed me that this was actually the first time Even had shown his work other than on the stage.

I figured it made sense to sketch robots digitally. Working on a tablet kind of blows my cover. People looked over my shoulder more than usual and I kept having to explain what kind of tablet I was working on. People must be attracted to the glowing screen, or perhaps the ghost in the machine lures them in. I had several pleasant conversations that put the sketch on hold, but in the back of my mind, I was concerned that the tablet battery would die before the sketch was complete. I also experienced several technical issues That I will not go into. But I resolved the problem by saving the sketch and working on it in another program. Pencil and paper never has these types of technical glitches.

Terry arrived and sighed in disgust when s saw the tablet in my lap. She prefers my watercolor sketches and feels I’m going to the dark side ever time I do a digital sketch. She took a look a the show and the shouted to me, “Should I get one!” “Sure Dear.” I yelled back. Christie shouted to me, “Tell her to get a big one!” “Get a big one!’ I shouted to Terry. Terry picked the big pink robot that looks a bit like Lollybot. Its head is a cylinder shaped hat box and its body a simple box. Its eyes have cute round lenses and there are three yellow buttons on her chest. I should really stop calling her “it”, she deserves a name. I’ll name her when she gets home.

The show is up for one month, right up until the week before Christmas. If you want to buy something truly unique for Christmas how about getting your loved one a robot or perhaps a genuine unicorn shoe. You will find one of a kind gifts, perfect for the holidays or just to keep for yourself. Both of the soft donut pillows sold immediately, but Christie says she will consider taking orders. She also has a line of hand made ornaments that will add sparkle to any tree.  Make this a Robots and Rainbows Christmas.

The Maker Faire at the Orlando Science Center showcased innovations and inventions.

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The Orlando Maker Faire was held on September 13th and 14th at the Orlando Science Center (777 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL). I went both days to see and sketch some of the cool stuff being made and showcased. I immediately went to an upper balcony overlooking the show room floor. The first thing to catch my eye was this huge roller coaster. The coaster would slowly rise up the ramp and then scream downward at top speed. It went through two loop-de-loops before returning back to the station. There was always a crowd surrounding the coaster and kids would sit on the floor to watch with rapt attention.

On the upper right of the sketch I caught a few people who were spectators of the Nerdy Derby. A large table was set up so kids and children at heart could build their own derby car. A long ramp was set up so contestants could face off to see who had the fastest car. There were bleachers set up for the screaming fans.

As I sketched, I heard R2D2 clicking and beeping at guests. He was very popular and everyone had to have their picture taken with him. It turned out that there were close to a dozen R2D2’s at the Maker Faire. Some were only partly assembled, so it was possible to see the servos and circuitry that made him run.  Dog Powered Robot and Lollybot were on the show room floor and they were so mobbed with photo requests that I felt it was to crowded and hazardous to sketch. Fisher, the dog who powers the Dog Powered Robot was complacently panting and enjoying the attention. Evan and Christie Miga who created the Dog Powered Robot franchise were a bit overwhelmed but happy about all the attention their blue boxed robot generated.

The Creative Mind Project was the Birthplace of Dog Powered Robot

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At Fringe two years ago, I was invited by Jessica Mariko to be part of the Creative Mind Project. A select group of artists were given the same music and told to create a theatrical presentation based on what they heard. I decided to edit together a series of sketches to create a video montage paced to the music.

On the opening night, I had to be backstage as the Creative Mind project was presented. My only responsibility was to walk out a projector when my piece was to be presented. I also had borrowed a film screen that I had help setting up. From backstage I peeked out from behind the curtains to see the other presentations.

This sketch is of Tisse Mallon and a cross dressing male performer right before they went on stage. I never actually saw their performance. The cardboard buildings they are standing in front of are set pieces for Dog Powered Robot. When it was Dog Powered Robot’s turn, the audience went wild with laughter.

 Evan and Christie Miga had build a simple blue cardboard robot with a square head that rotated with wild abandon. A center chest compartment opened to showcase their adorable Pomeranian dog named Fisher. As the music played, Evan as the narrator waxed poetic about his childhood dreams of living in the city. Then a loud nuclear warning clamored, and Dog Powered Robot walked out into the cardboard cityscape. Like Godzilla in a cheap B grade sci-fi movie he began to destroy the city. The odd sight of this cute dog powering the robot’s rampage was hilarious and people in the audience shouted “Dog Powered Robot!” with delight as they laughed. I only saw glimpses of that first performance from backstage, but the riotous audience was easy to hear.

Dog Powered Robot is still going strong today. They staged their own Fringe show twice and just this week, they made an appearance at the Maker Fair in the Orlando Science Center. I’m convinced that someday the stars will align and Dog Powered Robot will become an international cult sensation. Kids love these cardboard robots but adults can’t get enough. Jessica Mariko is still bringing together creative minds by hosting Local Arts Nights at Drip (8747 International Dr #102, Orlando, FL) every 4th Thursday of the month.

Red Bull presented Hip Art Inspired Water Cooler Conversation

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On July 24th, Red Bull Curates presented the Orlando Canvas Cooler Project in the gorgeous Orchid Room at 122 West Church Street which was once Paris Hilton’s Nightclub. As I arrived, Red Bull girls with backpacks were getting ready to work the venue in their tight shorts and v-neck shirts. They were about to climb a metal fire escape staircase to enter the building. I asked if that was the entrance and she pointed me toward a door around the corner with a Mini Cooper that had a huge Red Bull can on the roof. There were two entrances, one for media and one for everyone else. I decided to walk in the Media door. The volunteer looked for my name on the list and I wasn’t there. I repeated my name several times until she said, “Alright, you must be media.” If you believe you are the media, then you are the media. I had a tablet in my bag because I want to start drawing with it more often. I decided to stick with paper however since the room was so spacious that I felt I needed to work across a large spread in my sketchbook. Digitally, I tend to spend too much time zooming in and out of the program which means I’m not sketching as fast.

20 Orlando artists were picked to decorate Red Bull coolers. Of these artists tow were picked for the possibility of being picked for the chance to have their creation show at this year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach. Judges for the Orlando event included, Sam Flax Owner of Sam Flax Art Supply, Patrick Kahn the founder of Snap! Cultural Events, Inc, Commissioner Patty Sheehan of Orlando District 4 , Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon the curator of Jai Gallery,and Erin Sullivan the Senior editor at the Orlando Weekly.  

Featured artists were, Brandon McLean,
Andrew Spear, Skippy, Adaro Art, Winkstyles, Soco Freire, Peter Van Flores III, DRES13, Holly Tharp, Chris Rodriguez,
Christopher Reason, Swamburger, Peterson, Sean Hartman, Christie Miga, SPEN and Wolfrich. There were a wide variety of colorful styles. I was a bit disappointed that all the coolers were already finished. I had hoped to sketch the artists at work. They had eight hours to complete the work on the Sunday and Monday before the event. Canvas tarps were spread around the venue and tables so the artists wouldn’t make too much of a mess. Christie Miga claimed she was so nervous about the event that she was considering backing out. She did an amazing job however when the ax hit the grindstone.

Sketching the event was a challenge since the crowd was endless and ever shifting. People stopped to say hello every few minutes, and I was happy to say hello but then got right back to work. I didn’t have the luxury of being able to relax when the sketch was still unfinished. Billy Franchey, from Artsfund introduced himself and he was fascinated by what I do, but he didn’t have a business card and neither did I. He is responsible for these events all over the country. Terry explored the room and was able to interact socially with everyone we knew. The winners for the evening were Marcos Cruz and Gregorii.  Both artists are represented by Jai gallery. Their pieces might end up in the scope art Fair in Miami as part of Art Basel but they are up against 10 other who were winners in cities around the country.  There was also a peoples choice award that was given to G. Lemus. A social media contest in November could put him in contention as well to have his creation shown in Miami’s Art Basel. The next Red Bull Curates events will be in Houston on August 14th and in Philadelphia on September 25th.

As I walked Terry back to her car, she told me that Patty Sheehan had told her that the Red Bull marketing people might like me to document future events around the country. It is funny that I was working so hard that no one mentioned this idea to me. I suppose people don’t want to interrupt me when I’m in the middle of the process.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Hits the Orlando Fringe Hard

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By The Way Productions presented Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Based on a book by Alex Timbers and with music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman the show was a pop rock musical that showed the bloody history often overlooked by whitewashed history book in high school. The show was produced by Ashley Willsey and directed by Adam Graham. I went to the show because I bumped into Christie Miga on the lawn of fabulousness and discovered that she created the large flag that hangs on the set. This show got an award for the most aggressive and visual marketing campaign which was designed by Ashley. Live music was provided by Hey Angeline.

This was a huge show staged in the tiny Rep black box theater. I sat in the front row and several times had to pull back my crossed legged drawing stance to keep from tripping dancers. This was an edgy high energy production that portrayed Jackson (Ross Neil) as a rock star hungry for the adoration of the American public. The female cast worshiped Jackson’s populism like crazed Beatles fans. In contrast, the narrator was a nerdy woman in a wheelchair (Anitra Pritchard) with cat eyed glasses and a stuffed pug in her lap. She reminded me of the Dr. Scott from Rocky Horror Picture Show.

While Jackson ordered the slaughter of the Indians, his popularity grew. It is possible that this Indian purge resulted in more deaths than the Nazi concentration camps. Jackson’s wife (Jacqueline Torgas) didn’t want him to go into politics and yet he couldn’t resist the adoration of the American public. The campaign ripped his wife’s reputation to shreds and she died of a heart attack before he took office. She was married to another man when she met Jackson and that fact was used by his opponents in the presidential campaign. Ambition left him loveless yet popular. Two thumbs up for such an ambitious Fringe production.

Cardboard Art Festival

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On Friday January 24th, I went to TheDailyCity.com Cardboard Art Festival at The Orange Studio, (1121 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL.) This was the second year of the Festival and it was bigger and better than ever. The first thing I explored was an interactive wall by Nathan Selikoff. Cardboard tube gutters could be re-arranged on a pegboard to create a gravity maze for colorful wiffle balls. A large cardboard funnel at the top of the wall was always the starting point and it was high enough so you always had to throw the ball up. I missed the shot more than a few times and had to scramble as the ball rolled around on the floor.

Evan and Christie Miga created a huge storybook interactive display that told of an adventure using a series of dioramas and sculptures. There was a large cardboard octopus and a girl riding an immense bird. The wings could be flapped by turning a delicate crank. A moving street scene was depicted in one diorama that had a magnifying lens to amplify the view as you traveled down the street. The illusion was complete when you turned a cardboard tube that represented the street. There was even a Zoetrope that used a cardboard tube with slits in it that when spun, created the illusion of motion from a series of images inside the tube.

Doug Rhodehamel had a large collection of small cardboard robots on display. Nicki Equality Drumb and Rachel Equality Gardner had blue and pink male and female stand up photo ops set up with equality hearts. With supplemental blue mustaches and pink ribbons, everyone wanted their picture taken. Beautiful women wearing couture cardboard dresses strutted through the crowd. John Glassman Gardner was taking pictures of people that he then pasted in the windows of cardboard skyscrapers. Jeff Ferree created four foot tall Gumby like cardboard creatures that were quirky and brightly colored. It was a fun colorful show and once people started drinking and dancing, the place lit up. If you didn’t go, you missed a hell of a good time.

Nostalgiart

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On November 20th, I went to Bart (1205 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, Fl) to see Christie Miga‘s Nostalgiart show opening. As Christie said, “I have created a small, yet completely rad spray paint show based on my favorite things as a child of the 80’s: He-man, Mario Bros., Jem, Garbage Pail Kids, etc. It’s been a few months since my last art show because I needed a little break from the deep thoughts and underlying meanings of my last show. So, I decided to just have fun and create art that simply makes me happy and for no other reason than that.”

Bart is a small bar that has vintage arcade video games from the 80s and 90s. I got there before the place filled up ordered a beer and started sketching. Christie and Evan Miga showed up shortly after and sat on the couch beside me as they finished up the food they had ordered from the food truck outside. Christie had what looked like a cake box but it was full of Christmas ornaments Christie had painted. AS friends and patrons filled the room, the couple mingled. One lady at the bar asked me if she could look inside the box beside me. I guess she thought I was in charge. I said it was fine and she looked through picking out several ornaments she might like to buy. I pointed out Evan to her and she approached him to complete the sale.

Evan has just recently gotten a dream job at Disney Imagineering. When I asked him about it, he sounded just like I did when I first started working at Disney Feature Animation. He is thrilled to be surrounded by so many amazing artists. Red dots started appearing under many of the paintings which were priced to sell. The paintings were fun and colorful with a powdery airbrushed feel. Many referred back to childhood animation shows but what attracted me was the bright patterns and colors achieved with stencils and occasional areas of hand painting. I’d love to see an entire car covered with these powdery abstractions. I mentioned the idea to Terry but she prefers the metallic grey surface that rolled off the showroom floor.

By the time my sketch was done, about half the pieces on the walls were sold and the room was packed and buzzing. Someone explained to me that this is the way you need to sell art in Orlando, by matching your work to the theme of a venue and offering it for cash that people might have in their wallet. Pop, fun and airy work seems to sell best in this theme park town. This show fit the bill and was a home run hit. Mark your calendar! The show is only up till the evening of December 23. Head over and check it out before the Holidays.

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