The Year of the Rat

Posted on by Thor

The 9th Annual Lunar New Year Dragon Parade began om Lake Highland Avenue near Track Shack and the Orange Studio, and made its way down Thornton Avenue finishing at the parking lot just north of Colonial near Spiral Circle Books and More. I parked at a side street about mid way down the route and made my way over to the parade route. The first thing that caught my eye was a pick up truck parked on a lawn. The tail gate was down and a couple sat in lawn chairs to watch the parade.

Then this giant live oak tree caught my eye. It occupied multiple lots in this suburban neighborhood. I had never seen it before and was pleased that it was allowed to thrive. One of the tree limbs arched down to the ground. People were lined up on the curbs all the way down the parade rout waiting for the parade to start. I started the sketch observing the twists and curves of the Live Oak. Than I started focusing on the people sitting cur side. I didn’t catch everyone because soon enough the parade was passing by.

City Commissioner Patty Sheehan passed by seated up in the back of a convertible carrying a small dragon marionette. Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Governor Jerry Demings and Commissioner Emily Bonilla also passed by. Acrobats. drum corps, and sword play streamed by in quick succession. I decided to focus on a dragon which snaked its way by quickly in spirals and circles. Another dragon passes by but this one had a large image of Bernie Sanders face taped over the dragon face. It was a rather funny reminder that elections are right around the corner.

Before my sketch felt complete the parade was over. I continued to work as the crowds dispersed. Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

Election Nightmare.

Posted on by Thor

I had amazing luck finding a short term apartment in Thornton Park after a Boston snowbird terminated me lease two months early. The place is vacant because a divorcee got back together with her husband, so she left early. The god of irony keeps poking me in the ribs. My new place is gorgeous and just a short walk to The Abbey (100 S Eola Dr #100, Orlando, FL 32801), where a Democratic Election Party was being held. Red and blue lights illuminated the crowd. I’ve never seen the Abbey so full. A line of TV news cameras at the back of the room caught my eye for the sketch. News anchors would stand in front of the cameras periodically as election result were announced for different states. When Hillary won Vermont , the room erupted. Hillary also won Orange County in Florida, so I felt that perhaps, my vote counted. 

I had spent all day moving heavy boxes to my new place and then, sweaty and tired, I went to stand in the Winter Park voting line. I pulled my artist stool out of my car, figuring I might sit in line, and do a sketch as I waited to vote at around 5:30pm. The poles closed at 7pm so I figured there might be a rush hour after work crowd. The two volunteers laughed at the entrance. ” You don’t need the chair, you can walk right in.” Inside I showed my drivers license, picked up my ballot, and found an empty screened table to do my civic duty. 

Wendy Wallenberg, has been campaigning for Emily Bonilla as the new Orange County Commissioner beating the Incumbent Ted Edwards. Emily launched her campaign after Edwards backed two
mega-developments in her rural east Orange neighborhood. Sometimes democracy it exciting to witness. Maria Bolton-Joubert, a local artist also won for the soil and water of District 1. It felt so good to vote for someone who I know who is a hurricane when it comes to issues she believes in.

The rest of the night didn’t go so good. After speeches from various democratic elected officials, the room became quieter and quieter as each new result came in. I felt dread. I didn’t want to stay to the bitter end. The worst was about to happen, an I could feel it. The next day there were tears as we read the presidential election results over a cup of Starbucks Coffee.