Port Charlotte Florida: Recovery

Posted on by Thor

After my hernia operation, my sister and her husband drove me back to their place in Port Charlotte Florida. I had pain meds and stool softeners although neither was really needed.

My sister and her husband each have recliners set up in front of a large screen TV and it is often on. I vegetated on the couch taking naps and watching the British antiques competition shows. I wasn’t supposed to eat any heavy food so I mostly drank liquids.

It was a relaxing several days at my sister’s. After being on the couch for so long, I needed to get out for a walk, so Pat and I walked around the block. I had packed some food in a cooler so I wasn’t infringing on Pat and Mike too much. I also treated them to diner and paid for the hotel since they were doing me a favor.

My doctor had warned that there could be complications, but My recovery went smoothly. I felt stabbing pain in my abdomen several times but over the counter aspirin kept that pain manageable. Shortly after this operation I would be moving to downtown Orlando.

All my belongings were in storage except for a backpack and my sketchbook. After the operation I went to Orlando because I was given the opportunity to sketch as many Fringe Shows as I could handle in May. I ended up sketching over 70 shows while jumping from one air B4B to the next. By moving from Air B&B each week, I figured out where I didn’t want to live in Orlando. Several of the places were on the flight paths to the airport and I refuse to listen to planes land in the morning. Each evening I would look at apartment listings in Orlando until I found what seemed like the perfect artist studio to move into.

I looked at 513 East Livingston Street with a group of college students. They were deciding who would move into which bedroom. I was figuring out what the light would be like coming in the studio windows. I opened up every window in the place to get a feel for the views. I tested light switches and the water to be sure things were working. When I got home, I immediately started mapping out where my art supplies would go. I knew I wanted to move in.

Moving would be a real test to see if the incisions would hold up. I decided to hire two movers for the job since lifting large boxes could cause the hernia to return. I loaded up my car several times. One load was all my sketchbooks. I decided that was the most important cargo. All the sketchbooks in their boxes just barely fit into my Prius.

One item disappeared during the move. That was my Hathaspace Hepa Air Filter. I am assuming the movers needed that item for their home. I purchased a new one for several hundred dollars. It was an expensive “tip”. I will of course never hire those movers again.

 

Leesburg Art Festival

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While living in Lake County Florida I was searching for events to sketch and I found the Leesburg Art Festival. Art Festivals are always fun sketch opportunities with artists selling their wares in tents. Tom make a living as an artist in Florida you sometimes have to be a gypsy. I got to the festival with plenty of time to spare to get a sketch. I decided quickly to make sure to get the historic clock in the town square in my sketch.

I was surprised to find that the artists were all packing up their art to break down their tents. There were many hours to go before the art festival was over. I decided to sketch even as the artists were making their escape.

The lady on the left hand side of my sketch had already broken down her tent. She was curious about me and we started to talk. She explained that the organizers of the art festival had seen that a thunder storm was coming so all the artists were breaking down and getting out of Dodge before the heavy rain started. All her tent poles were at the curb and soon her husband drove up and she packed everything into his SUV.

Across From me the guy with the pink had and shirt was selling jewelry. He was much slower to pack up. I decided to sketch him twice. The Leesburg clock kept spinning as I raced to finish the sketch before getting soaked. It turned out that I didn’t need to rush. I finished before a single rain drop fell. I closed the sketch book and decided I wanted to get a scoop of ice cream.

Leesburg has a quaint historic feel and I went into Mystic Ice Cream shop on my walk back to my car. I ordered two scoops of vanilla in a big cone and sat in the ice cream shop front counter to look out and watch for the rain. Old album covers were on all the walls and lava lamps could be found in every corner. I liked the place. I want to return some day to sketch the ice cream shop. Mystic has another ice cream shop  in Fruitland Park that has Karaoke. I went there once with Stella Arbelaez, and we had a fun time sketching the place while listening to some very talented singers along with some questionable clunkers. I loved singing along, but I am not one to get on stage. Only those closest to me get to hear my singing voice. It is so rare to have a friend who loves to experience the world that way I do. I had so much fun that night. I asked the lady serving my ice cream, and Mystic in Leesburg does not host Karaoke nights.

It still hadn’t rained but the sky was now a dark slate grey. Once I got back to my Prius the first big drops hit the wind shield. It rained hard on the entire drive back to my art studio.

Brooklyn’s Pizza Dining room

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After the Disney Feature Animation Reunion and the chaos of a film shoot at the Stella Arbelaéz studio, I settled back into a sketching routine in Lake County Florida.

My refrigerator was largely empty, so I treated myself to a night out at Brooklyn’s Pizza (27405 Us-27 Lake Harris Square, Leesburg, FL). I ordered a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo which is my favorite creamy pasta dish. The waitresses her were familiar with having an artist who would sit, eat and sketch for several hours.

I had gone out to eat early so the dining room only had a few people. A man and woman sat at the corner booth so at least there was some humans to be seen. The corner of the dining room is also where the waitress station was. The barricade made it so I wouldn’t see the waitress until she came to my table.

Meals and memories can be found at Brooklyn’s Pizza . I have strong memories of sketching with a friend in this dining room, and it makes me want to return often. My strongest memories are on paper put down with pencil, ink and watercolor. I have been unpacking my drawings from over the years, and I was truly on fire artistically right before I moved to Orlando. Drawings done with oil paint, and colored pencil were so expressive. I remember loving how luscious the pencil line felt as it melted into the oil paint.

Seeing that work makes me want to regain some of that angst filled energy. I suspect my work will begin to once again evolve after having looked back at my past.  Right now, I am doing a series of drawings of the best Vegetarian Restaurants in Orlando. Drawings of restaurants tend to be more about depicting the perspective of a room and less about the figure. I am feeling the urge to do more figurative work and may begin to hire models to pose in my Eola Heights Studio.

I am also doing a series of 49 paintings of Lake Eola. This series gets me up early at sunrise each day to get some painting under my belt at the start of each day. In the evening I then go out to sketch at some Orlando Event. It is by doing a whole lot of work that I hope to get to the point where the paintings and drawings get more expressive.

I ate maybe half of the Fettuccini Alfredo and took the rest back to the Lake County Studio. Today I would not longer consider ordering such a rich and creamy dish. My new plant-based diet doesn’t allow for dairy product. Eating out has become more of a challenge with the plant-based restrictions but I keep finding some dishes which foot the bill.

Yesterday I ordered a Subway sandwich with a friend and we both wanted only vegetables. Every sandwich description started out with a list of processed meats. The only vegetarian option was to order a sandwich and get the meat on the side. Filling up the sandwich with extra vegetables was then a fun process. I ordered a lemonade instead of a soda and I was instructed that I should water the lemonade down since it had too much sugar. I tasted the lemonade and it tasted delicious in a saccharine sweet way. I did water the drink down but not in a 50 to 50 proportion. I wanted and needed the sugar flavor blast.

I am learning what is good to put in my body a bit at a time. When I slip off the wagon my goal is to get right back on and train myself to eat a more healthy diet.

Disney Feature Animation Reunion

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The Disney Feature Animation Alum held a reunion In Orlando Florida on March 8, 2026. I drove Stella Arbelaéz and James Paris to the hotel in my Prius. It has been 22 years since the Florida Studio closed its doors, ending a long tradition of hand drawn animation. When we entered the hotel, the open lobby area was packed full of familiar faces. Large tables were set up with bites and there was a table for drinks. We had some free drink tickets and I decided to have a Coke so that I was flitting about like a Humming Bird.

Every time I turned around, I saw someone I had not seen in decades. There was a large screen set up which showed photos of life in the animation studio from years ago. I know now that what I really wanted to see was all the art that had been created by these amazing artists since the Disney Feature Animation Studio closed. I didn’t need to look back. I wanted to look forward.

I knew what James Paris had worked on since we had talked extensively at Stella’s studio, but for most folks I met at the reunion, I could only get an abbreviated elevator pitch of what they were working on. Being a visual artist, I wanted to see it all. I had been in talks with the Museum director at the Orange County History Center about having tables set up at the museum so that former Disney artists could showcase and sell their recent art work the day before or after the reunion. That idea fell through when the director got another job in NYC. I had just returned from 3 months in Europe where I had sketched the 70 or so cities that my father’s 75th Infantry Division had helped liberate in WWII so I found myself repeating that story often.

Kevin Deters had flown in from California. He had stayed with Disney and went on to direct Prep and Landing which was an animated short about elves helping Santa land his sleigh. Aaron Blaise has gone on to produce direct and animate his own short film called Snow Bear and he founded Creature Teacher which has taken off as an online an in-person way to encourage the next generation of animation artists. Xiangyuan (Jay) Jie had helped set the style of the gorgeous painterly backgrounds for Brother Bear. I admired his work on that film so much, and I got to paint beside him in the after-hours painting sessions with models. Jie speaks best through paint since he still isn’t fluent in speaking English. He spoke with me and his wife helped translate. He had images on his iPhone he wanted to show me. He had an amazing sketch of me from one of those after-hours paint sessions. I looked so focused in his sketch. He said there were images I should see on the big screen as well but there were so many pictures that I could not wait for the reel to make its way around again. I was quickly drawn into another conversation.

Laurie Ashborne had a cameraman set up in the corner of the venue. She was asking each artist a few questions about their memories of the studio. This is what I decided to sketch quickly. While working on this sketch I was approached and I was amazed that someone was very familiar with my work. There was some honest reverence in the way my work was acknowledged. I don’t experience that very often. It was heartwarming. With the sketch finished I went and stood in line to offer Laurie my quick answers to her questions. It was a fun interview. I hope a sound bite makes it into her documentary about the Florida Feature Animation Studio.

The whole evening was such a whirlwind. It was like trying to digest hundreds of stories of artistic growth in just a few hours. Bill Silvers has made a career of doing large Disney character themed paintings that are sold at Disney Village. Ginger Wolf gave me her card. She has also become a painter. Former animator, Trey Finney lost his wife Christine Lawrence Finney who was my supervisor at Disney. They had both become painters after leaving Disney. She had a warm heart and was delightful to work for. Christine gave me the opportunity to supervise the final clean up on the director’s cut of Pocahontas. Scenes were added which had been left out of the original film. The largest scene was a love song (If I Never Knew You) sung by John Smith when he was being held captive and Pocahontas gently placed her head on his chest while he sang. The camera rotated  around the couple as he sang, making it a mechanically challenging scene to work on. I worked out long timing charts to keep the even timing of the rotation consistent. I was proud of the result. It was so rare to have complete control of both lead characters in a scene.

I was amazed by so many of the artists I got to meet again. The Disney Feature Animation Studio had truly been like catching lightning in a bottle. All that talent spread out across the country after the studio was shuddered in 2004, but I decided to stay and make my mark right here in Orlando.

Stella, James and I met near the hotel reception and made out way out to the parking lot. Good-byes lasted for at least an hour. It was a shame to leave, but we had an exciting ride back sharing stories of who we had caught up with.  The following morning, the main shooting would begin on James Paris’s short film. We all needed our rest. The caffeine had worn off, and I collapsed in my Air B&B and instantly fell asleep. As always I was an outsider looking in, even in my dreams.

Procrasticare Day 1

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The Disney Feature Animation Alum held a reunion In Orlando Florida on March 8, 2026. Former Disney artists from all over the country flew into Orlando for the one-night reunion.

James Paris was working at Disney Feature Animation when I first began doing drawings for the feature film Pocahontas. Animation in those days was done with pencil and paper. I worked in what was known as the “Fishbowl” where a glass wall allowed Hollywood Studio theme park tourists the chance to see the Disney magic firsthand. Little did they know that they had to watch the new kid on the block. My first desk was right against the glass and James had a more private cubicle inside the room, maybe 20 feet from the wall of curious by passers.

My first Feature Animation Clean up drawings were for what is called slow ins. That is where the drawings get closer and closer together until the lines literally touch and overlap. It was grueling line between line work, yet I found it relaxing. The challenge was to keep these in-betweens just as aesthetically pleasing as the Key Drawings which the animator did to show the extremes of an action. James would clean up those Key drawings and then he needed to be sure my drawing matched the line quality and aesthetic of his drawings.

I was assigned to the Powhattan unit and James was put in charge of checking my drawings. Powhattan was the father of Pocahontas, and he had stoic and controlled movements. All that slow movement required 12 to 24 drawings per second which kept me quite busy. At first all the tourists watching me draw was distracting but with so many drawings to do I soon forgot they were there, looking over my shoulder through the thick glass wall.

James was meticulous in checking my drawings, at times completely redrawing an in-between. I adopted the same level of methodical control as I moved up the ladder and began checking the work of other artists. I liked this check in process since it was a chance to get away from the drawing desk and interact with another artist. I probably learned quite a bit watching James rework my drawings.

To justify the expense of flying to Orlando from Las Angeles California, James decided he would shoot a live action short at Stella Arbelaéz’s home studio. He story boarded the whole film in LA and had a shot list prepared so that he knew exactly what needed to be shot each day. Most of the shooting would be done on the day after the Feature Animation Reunion which was March 7, 2026. James arrived at Stella’s on March 7 and had all the movie lighting and equipment delivered to her place in the morning. That night before we all drove to the reunion, he had much of the equipment set up and he just wanted to capture a few shots of Stella’s hand painting on the canvas.

The story of Procristicare is straight forward. Stella is on her couch scrolling and looking at social media posts. She is not creating. Time is being lost. She sees an online add for Procrasticare and is curious. She signed up for the service. Almost immediately a young woman showed up at her front door and announced that she is with Procrasticare. Stella was holding her phone when she opened the door and when the Procrasticare worker saw the phone, she grabbed it and ran. She rode away on a bicycle. I had just tuned up that bicycle, fixing a flat and getting the brakes aligned, and I put a phone holder on the handle bars. I am glad the bike got some screen time.

I drew Stella and James twice in my sketch. James spent a long time getting familiar with the camera and the motion stabilizer set up. While he was working out that tech, Stella was reviewing her student’s classwork on her computer. When the shooting began, Stella stood at the easel and added brush strokes to the canvas. James moved the camera around the room fluidly. It was all very physical.

With that shot done we all got ready for the reunion, and I drove James and Stella in my Prius to the hotel where the reunion was being held. Some Feature Animation artists had met earlier to see a screening of Mulan at a theater down near the hotel, but we were busy shooting a movie, we didn’t have time to play the part of being an audience.

Hernia Repair Waiting Room

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While hiking and sketching in Europe, I developed a bilateral hernia below my belly button at the ridge of the pelvic bone. Because I was traveling in Europe for 3 months my insurance had been canceled. When I got back to the states, my first order of business was to get my insurance renewed since I knew that I would need an operation. My primary care doctor with the renewed Ambetter Insurance sent me to a doctor whose consultation made me believe he was an inexperienced butcher. He looked like he was straight out of high school, and his explanation was blunt and less than reassuring.

My sister from Port Charlotte Florida had a hernia several years ago and she had an operation like the Ambetter Insurance doctor was describing. That operation failed and the hernia returned. Another doctor tried to fix the botched operation and his patchwork also failed. She described the results like having our intestines pressing through chicken wire crudely sewn into the abdomen.

My sister then found Dr. Jonathan Yunis in Sarasota, Florida. He performed an intricate operation that was so complex that he invited medical interns to witness the procedure. This operation was a success and has lasted for many years.

I decided I had to have Dr. Yunis perfume the operation on my abdomen. I sketched the waiting room, hoping others might enter who wanted the same operation. I was the only consultation on that morning. Drawings on the wall showed the abdomen and pelvis.

I had just had an operation to remove my prostate gland, which adds enzymes and citric acid to semen, maintaining its fluidity and supporting sperm viability. I had seen electrocardiograms of my pelvis before that operation, so I was very familiar with what that region looked like from the inside. Having my prostate removed left me feeling asexual. I feel a bit like a dog that has been neutered. Finding friendship has become more important that finding a sexual partner.

Dr. Yunis gave a thorough explanation of what he would be doing, and I felt sure this was the right way to go. He isn’t on Ambetter’s list of doctors, however. He doesn’t want to deal with having to answer to insurance companies. Regardless, I moved forward hoping that the insurance would cover some fraction of the cost. They never did. I filled out multiple forms which were all denied. The operation cost $11,000 out of pocket.

The operation was a success. Yunis used a DaVinci Robot to perform the operation under his control. I was shaved completely free of any hair on my chest and groin. Three small incisions were made in my abdomen. Two were for robotic hands and the third for a camera. I wanted to sketch the DaVinci Robot, but I was put under anesthesia almost immediately.

Though this was an outpatient procedure, I was told I could not drive after the operation. My sister pan and her husband Mike were there to drive me back to their place in Port Charlotte Florida. I was told I might be in a lot of pain for several days but honestly, I was fine. It was a rare chance to sit and relax on ac ouch and just watch TV. I did take some Aleve each day since the incisions could be felt, like sandpaper against my belly. There were no stitches. Instead, glue held the wounds closed. I took off the bandages several days later. The three scars made it look like I had been shot in the stomach 3 times. I healed quickly. Today the scars are almost invisible. Despite the cost, I am glad I used this doctor. My instincts told me it is better to get the job done right the first time by an experienced doctor. Now I am biking and hiking around downtown Orlando and I am sure the abdomen is getting stronger.

Brooklyn’s Pizza

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When I lived up in Lake County Florida I used to frequent Brooklyn’s Pizza (27405 US-27 Leesburg, Florida). When I went on a sketch outing with Stella Arbeláez Tascón to Brooklyn’s, we got to meet our server who was also an artist. She had just finished painting the restaurant front window with holiday themed art and it was darn good.

I went to Brooklyn’s Pizza sometimes for their delicious pizza but also for the occasional Alfredo and spaghetti meal. Besides the large plate of rich pasta there were also garlic knots which I could never finish. Brooklyn’s got my business on days where I didn’t have much available in the pantry and I didn’t feel like cooking. I felt comfortable eating on my own because the staff remembered me as that quirky artist who is always sketching. They were always curious to see what I would sketch next.

I can’t offer a biased review of the food at Brooklyn’s because I have just recently switched my diet to only plant-based foods. On my refrigerator is a note that says, “No Dairy, No Eggs, No Meat, No Oils, No Processed Foods”. I have started to read food labels to be sure I am not buying tons of hidden chemicals, salt and sugar. I now spent plenty of time searching for healthy foods which are a challenge to find in a Publix, with rows and rows of brightly colored junk food.

I am following an online course where I get to try out different recipes that are for delicious plant-based meals. Since I just moved onto my new Eola Heights Studio in a gorgeous old historic home, the timing is good, since I can stock my kitchen pantry with only whole plant-based food supplies.

The Alfredo spaghetti at Brooklyn’s Pizza was delicious but it has so much heavy cream which is no longer in my diet. The pizza which was also delicious is no longer something I would seek out when going out to eat. The cheese and white flour are both items that I am avoiding moving forward.

If you want a great pizza, Brooklyn’s is a great place to go. I think I will need to experiment to find a recipe for a great plant-based pizza. The cheese is the thing that will be most challenging to mimic. A healthy and savory tomato paste should be easy to make. I made my own spaghetti sauce for the first time last week. I know Cashew nuts and nutritional yeast have good cheese flavor. Most commercial baked goods have too much sugar and processed flour. As I learn more, I will find out which flours are nutritional and worth using. I have only dipped my toes in the water and taken my first baby steps towards a healthy plant-based diet. I will likely make mistakes along the way. But if I fall off the bike, I just need to get back on.

I didn’t purge my refrigerator and I had a large frozen pork loin left over. I made the pork loin several weeks ago and discovered that it is absolutely exhausting to digest meat once you have started a plant based diet. I actually had to stay in the studio that night and rest although I had plans to do a sketch at an event. I have shopped several times since that experience and no meat has made it back into the freezer.

The Bug in Mount Dora Florida

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My bike needed a major tune up when I lived up in Lake County Florida. I took it to Adrenaline Bike Works (206 N Highland Street, Mount Dora, FL). They did a great job of fixing a flat and getting the brake pads balanced. It felt like a new ride when I left. A few months prior I had just purchased an inner tube and I replaced it myself. However, I had to drill the hole in the aluminum rim a bit larger to get the valve to fit. I think I must have left a few aluminum shards behind because the next time I went to use the bike the tire was flat.

The time I wanted to use the bike I was going to Stella Arbelaéz’s Graduation. It was a several mile bike ride from the artist studios to the UCF stadium where the graduation was taking place. I was more than disappointing when I got on the bike and found that the tire was flat. It was a moment to shout out and curse the gods. I decided to walk the distance to the graduation ceremony. I was a sweaty mess in my dress shirt and fashionable slacks when I arrived, but I made it in time.

Next to Adrenaline Bike Works was this shell of a VW Beatle which was turned into a menacing metal spider. The sculpture was unveiled in January of 2020. It was built by John Henns who owns the commercial property at Highland Street and 3rd Avenue. The bug is painted an ominous black. Any arachnophobics who happen to drive by might get a fright. The Volkswagen or, translated, the People’s Car was car developed from an idea of Adolf Hitler himself.  To me the VW Beatle symbolized the Nazi ideals which included concentration camps and ethnic cleansing, which makes it all the more frightening.

School must have just let out when I started the sketch, because large groups of school children kept walking past as I worked. One student shouted out, looks great! And I gave him a thumbs up.

Renninger’s Military Show

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While living and working at the Yalaha Florida Studio, I drove over to Mount Dora for the Renninger’s Military Show. When I was married, I used to go to the Renninger’s Antiques Show once a year and stay at the Mount Dora Lakeside Inn after a long day of seeing hundreds of vendors set up on the rolling hills around Renninger’s. I always lived in the hope of finding a working vintage fountain pen that would change the way I draw, but I never did.

The Military show wasn’t quite as large as the Antiques Show but there was an impressive display of military vehicles and collectables inside the vendors booth areas. The next-door neighbor at the Yalaha studio and I shared an interest in the military. We would stand at the fence and talk about WWII often. I therefore shouldn’t have been surprised when I bumped into him at Renninger’s. He was shocked at how the prices had jumped. He asked what I was looking for, and realistically I was just looking for a sketch but if I found an old WWII era watch, that would have made me happy. I didn’t find the watch but later I ordered a 24-hour watch that resembles the watches issued in WWII. I love being able to glance down and see the day of the week and date along with the time in AM and PM and 24-hour military time. Europeans use the 24-hour clock more often than Americans. Having the watch saves me from having to dig for my iPhone to get the date every time I write the date on my sketch.

Walking the aisles I noticed several boys dressed all in WWII era uniforms. Military reenactments were popular in France and Belgium when I was there. The first one I sought out and I was embraced into the American camp. The second reenactment in Belgium I stumbles across by mistake and once again I was embraced since I was the son or an American WWII Vet and I kept sketching the scenes as they unfolded. In Belgium I wasn’t sure there the battlefield was and I ended up getting a ride in an American Jeep to the front lines. It rained lightly at the battlefield, but I managed to get a sketch.

Answers

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I went to the Casselberry Arts Center (137 Quail Pond Circle Casselberry Florida) for a concert by Lost Noised Office Band. Following that performance Answers took the stage. Answers is known for constructing layered sonic environments that move fluidly between abstraction, rhythm, noise and ambient composition. They use experimental electronics, improvisation and evolving textures. The group transforms live performance into an immersive sensory experience that challenges traditional expectations of music and listening.

This was a rare case where I took a front row seat for the performance. I was pleased to share the experience with a friend I bumped into that night. There were other familiar faces in the audience and for once I was feeling at home again after being alone in Europe sketching for so long. Two of the performers, Chris Belt and Béatriz Ramirez were a married couple that I have seen perform in the past. There was a screen set up behind the performers and a guest artist was using it to project experimental wave patterns. The sound waves were influenced by the  music as it was performed.

On the walls there was art from the UCF Masters Program students. One piece by Abby Frazier used red yarn to represent a woman’s menstrual cycle. My friend, who is also an artist, admired the work saying, “I wish I had thought of that.” We walked through the table of audio wires on stage to get close to the art.

I had no expectations going into the concert and I was swept away by the wave of sound. The performance had a mesmerizing and relaxing effect. I know that the sound was a joy to sketch along with. This was my second sketch for the night. After the set I slipped out pretty fast. My friend was catching up with people and it would have been nice to talk some more, but I was ready to slip out. The opportunity to talk will present itself. Life keeps trowing curve balls.