Later in the evening at the Florida Film Festival Wrap Party the 83 year old Sam Rivers and his band really began to poor on the heated spontaneous Jazz. Each musician would break off and rip into a long rapturous solo, and then the group would join back together and build off of the soloists riff. A group of about 30 or so people crowded around the stage tapping there feet and swaying to the rhythm. Up front 5 photographers kept snapping pictures the whole time. I couldn’t help but think that the photographers were missing the boat. Where was the joy in capturing an image by pressing a button. I was standing there tapping my foot and every line was thrown down to the beat of the music. It was magic, I wasn’t thinking anymore, just doing. No measuring or second guessing just the simply joy of taking a line for a spin. This might not be the best drawing I have ever done but boy was it fun to do. When this last set wrapped up the crowd was cheering for more, but 10pm was quitting time for this wrap party and sadly the event was over.
Wrap Party
I drove up to the Maitland Art Center for the Wrap party. Joining me tonight would be Jana who who would search the crowd for hidden human interest stories while I sketched. I arrived early and went down to the water front to enjoy the sun and watch the water skiers ride the wakes. I pulled out a sketch book and splashed on some watercolor on an unfinished sketch to pass the time. When I heard the music start up I went over to the entrance to wait for Jana so I could get her in. I waited, and waited. I pulled out the sketch again and messed around with the colors while leaning against a light pole but my heart wasn’t in it now, I was getting annoyed. When Jana did show she said she had been writing and lost track of time. As an artist I suppose I should understand that, but right then I didn’t understand anything.
When we got in, there was Travis Blaise an animator from my old Disney Feature Animation Days. Travis and Jana introduced themselves. (I should have done that, but I could not think straight) A photographer swooped in and herded us together for a photo. When Travis and Jana started talking, I took that as my cue to move on and start casing the room looking for a sketch. I was immediately drawn to the music so I sat on a wooden bench and pulled out the sketch book. With the first lines my mood softened. The music slowly charged my lines with rhythm.
With one sketch done, I decided to get some food. With some chili in one hand and a Coke in the other I heard Jana call my name. She introduced me to her friend named Jennifer and since we couldn’t shake hands we did an exaggerated cheek kiss. I assumed I would touch base with Jana after the event was over, but she left with her friend early without saying goodbye, which left me wondering if I had insulted them in some way. I haven’t got time to sort it all out. I am having to much fun sketching to the jazz beat.
Original Cinema
The theme for the Florida Film Festival this year is Original Cinema with Cin underlined. This of course stressing all that is sinful and sexy in film. The animated shorts screening that I attended was a fun romp. My favorite was a short called “Tales of Mere Existence” by Lev Yilmaz. It really isn’t animation, it is more like half finished drawings that are completed while the narrator talks about the simple futility of his relationships. It was non stop laugh out loud funny and the narration read very much like the inner monologue of a blog. My second favorite short was “Horn Dog” by Bill Plimpton. In this short a rather scruffy bug eyes male mutt falls madly in love with an sleek slender dog but in his pursuit of love all goes horribly wrong. Very funny stuff.
Bill Plimpton attended the screening and was going to do a meet and greet afterwards. I had to get to work right after the screening so I actually had to sneak out before the last short was finished. I am glad I did because Bill, (notice we are on a first name basis now!) was in the lobby talking to a few people. I noticed him but I might be late to work, great excuse, so I headed out the door. I stopped myself once I was outside. That was Bill Plimpton, I at least had to shake his hand. So I turned on my heal went back in and marched up the the small group of people he was with and held out my hand. I beamed like an adolescent and told him I was a fan of all his films. He thanked me, and then we swapped stories about our childhoods, simpler times and the joys of creating animation (just kidding, I wish). I rushed off to work but felt great. In the world of animation Bill is a huge celebrity.
Florida Film Festival – Eden Bar
I finally made my way over to the Enzian Theater to enjoy the Florida Film Festival. This event has been going on all week and this was my first chance to stop over. I decided to view the animated shorts #5. I left the studio with the assumption that I would sketch the theater building but the radio on the drive over kept squawking tornado warnings. However when I got to the theater the sun burst threw the clouds. I arrived 2 hours early to give me time to sketch prior to my screening. After I got my tickets I walked around the building trying to find the perfect angle, but the theater is dwarfed by huge Live Oak trees which hide much of the architecture from a distance, so I started walking toward the entrance. I stopped in my tracks when I came across the Eden Bar.
The Eden Bar has murals painted by Oscar nominated animator Bill Plimpton. I sat at a table and ordered a glass of white wine and started to sketch. About midway through the sketch a fellow stumbled up to my left side and stared at what I was doing for a while. He leaned in towards me and wavered a bit then blurted out “Heyyyy!” He continued to watch my hand waving across the page and then he said “Get OUT! He then jerked forward and stomped towards the entrance of the theater swaying from side to side. Later another fellow approached me on my right. I braced myself. He said “Hey, are you that fellow that has a blog?” I said “Yes?” He said “What is it called?” I told him. And he explained that he has been following it for some time. He disappeared and came back later and said “Look, I am the Director of Operations, I have a proposition. I would like you to come to the Revel 18 Party on the final evening of the Festival to cover it in your blog.” He then gave me two complimentary tickets. Jana has agreed to find the human interest story while I sketch. Yet another curve ball that proves the arts are alive in Orlando!
Post Script: I just found out from an anonymous reader that Bill Plimpton is in the sketch I did of the Eden Bar. He is in the foreground with the high rise red socks and a green shirt. Apparently this was the first time Bill had seen his mural since it had been completed. I never even saw his face at the time. Did you hear me! I got to draw the back of Bill Plimpton’s head!!! How wonderful! How amazing! What a small world! Oh god, he must think I was staking him that night.