Hall of Fame

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On February 2nd, I explored the Full Sail back lot to see what was set up for the Hall of Fame. The idea behind Hall of Fame is that select graduates are honored for their contributions in the fields of music, film or gaming. A stage was set up in front of the Public Market which is modeled after the market in Seattle. Ruth King was the performer. She sang Soulful Acoustic Blues. Between songs she described her life growing up with a white mom and black father which gave her a unique view of racism in America. She was filmed live and the results went up on a jumbo tron. Of course the big screen projection was overkill since fewer than a dozen students stood in the blazing Florida sun to listen. Half of that dozen were working video and audio equipment.

As a Music Festival this was a pitiful turn out. They would have been better off staging this in a small sound studio. The MC kept offering the carrot of a free iPad if people tweeted friends to get out to listen.  No one actually won an iPad while I sketched. I hadn’t succeeded in finding shade so the second I finished my sketch, I packed away the sketchbook and left. I had finished fast enough, so that I only had a minor sun burn.

Full Sail Back Lot

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For a second day, I returned to the Full Sail back lot to see if the outdoor music festival was generating more interest. It was February 20th and Good Graeff was slated to perform on the outdoor stage. The music festival was part of “Hall of Fame” in which former students, now in the industry were honored. A fake airplane was set up at the base of a water tower. Musicians sold their Cd’s and merchandise on folding tables under the plane’s nose. A mom posed to listen to the music with her child on her hip. Attendance was once again spotty at best.

While doing this sketch, four former students approached me to say hello. They all work for Nickelodeon and were part of an industry panel discussion.  They remembered the 2D Animation class I help teach with affection. They even informed me it was their favorite class. They have started applying the animation principles on the job since they are doing hand drawn animation tests for a Ninja Turtles series they are working on. This was the first time I’ve ever realized that what I’m teaching every day, does make a difference in some students lives.

My Pecha Kucha Presentation

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I love to draw.

On January first of 2009 I set a New Year’s resolution to post one sketch a day online. 

I had wanted to start a blog for over a year. 

It was surprisingly easy to post my first sketch and copy on Analog Artist Digital World.

My wife Terry and I moved from New York City,
and for ten years I worked for Disney Feature Animation here in Orlando.

Perry, shown here, worked in the office next to me.

The studio was shut down in 2004, because Disney executives felt,
that audiences didn’t want to see hand drawn animation anymore.

They only wanted to see computer animation.

I purchased a computer and taught myself CG animation at home.

After years of sitting in a dark room staring at a computer screen, I needed to get out and sketch.

Many early sketches were of buildings downtown, like this sketch of Church Street.

As I sketched, people would often stop to tell me their life story.

I help keep the tradition of hand drawn animation alive at Full Sail University, by teaching the principles of animation using pencils and paper before students start pushing buttons on computers.

When I began doing one sketch a day, I honestly thought Orlando had little to no culture.

I had spent ten years driving to and from Disney, and felt that Orlando must only have the heart of a theme park animatronic.

 I found these drummers in the Creative Engineering warehouse downtown.

I couldn’t imagine much culture happening in this service industry town.

 Yet with every sketch I did, I began to discover artists with talent.

I found people in every field, like Toni Taylor, shown here in her studio,
who are striving to express themselves.

 I seek out artists who love what they do and promote them with a sketch and an article.

By promoting them, I get to share with my readers what I feel is the true heart of Orlando.

I am NOT an extrovert.

 I’m only comfortable when clutching pencil and paper.

When I drive to events, I pump up the music in the car to overcome stage fright.

 I used to walk around the block several times to work up the nerve to start a sketch.

That feeling has slowly subsided, being replaced by stubborn determination.

In a crowded room, I find it impossible to focus on any single conversation,
I hear the overall din.

Small talk is not my strong point.

If I start to sketch however, a sense of calm washes over me.

While focusing on the sketch, nothing else matters.

By going out every day, I began to meet people who frequent the same events.

 They recognize my desire to sketch what is unique, and they include me in amazing sketch opportunities, like this gut wrenching blimp ride over Universal Studios.

Finding interesting stories is an ongoing challenge.

Though I tend to sit quietly observing, I am at times thrust into the limelight.

To get this sketch at the Bob Carr, the director, John DiDonna, suggested I sit onstage with the audience watching at the Red Chair Affair.

The act of sketching became a form of performance art.

I forgot about the audience as I struggled to capture the Cirque du Soleil performer on stage.

Doug Rhodehamel created this Sea of Green florescent fish hanging from the ceiling at Stardust Video and Coffee.

When I am in a room full of creative people, I feel motivated to create.

 Being isolated in a studio makes little sense, when there are so many vibrant events to sketch all around Orlando.

I found Bluesman Maxwell seated among the clutter of a flea market in Mount Dora.

He sang, “Flea Market Blues.”

No one else stopped to listen.

Each sketch usually takes about two hours to complete.

Time stands still.

When you stay in one spot for that long, some drama always unfolds.

At the Enzian Theater during the Florida Film Festival, the projectionist had to splice together the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” reels.

I always remain open to snippets of conversation which I often jot down on the back of the sketch.

Writing helps me to complete the bigger picture.

Benoit Glazer invites people to his home called “The Timucua White House”, once a month to experience live music and art.

It is amazing how often lyrics of a song, or the plot of a play, will seem to mirror what is happening in my everyday life.

The emotional message of some productions often hits home.

Andrew Spear created a mural at the annual Snap Photography Exhibit.

By meeting so many artists, and sharing their stories, my own art grows richer.

 Listening to a theater director talk about the creative process, the conversation could just as well relate to the process of creating a sketch.

I have often been asked to stop sketching by security guards, ushers and police.

In our fast paced world, someone who stands still tends to be suspect.

This accordion player at Earth Day was asked to stop performing by Lake Eola grounds keepers.
Silence can be deafening……

I don’t believe art should be profiled as a deviant behavior.

Jazz still thrives in late night dives.

 The city grows smaller as I meet the same performers again and again.

 I’m starting to feel very much a part of the culture that I document.

Since starting the blog, I have posted over 2000 sketches about Orlando online.

Every art form has uncertainty, and blind searching, followed by revelation.

 I’m never satisfied with any sketch as I am working on it.

Only looking back, can I acknowledge that it isn’t the worst sketch I have ever done.

I love keeping track of all the arts organizations in town, on Analog Artist Digital World.

At times, I feel I have my finger on the pulse that helps keep Orlando alive and vibrant.

Some organizations have had to close, but there are always people who strive to make this city an interesting place to live.

Every time I sketch, I fall in love, be it with a gesture, setting, or people’s stories.

Mary Oliver gave simple instructions for living life, “Pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it.”

By sketching daily, I discover so many people who astonish me, in a city I now call home.

I love my wife, life and Orlando!

Mark Your Calendar! The next PechaKucha V13 will be on Friday June 13th at the Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl. I hope the presenters aren’t superstitious!

Words We Wear

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I bumped into Becky Lane in the Full Sail parking lot and she told me about a show she is working on called Words We Wear. Kevin Barber and Aradhana Tiwari are co-directing and Holly Harris is in charge of choreography. Becky invited me to a rehearsal at Movement Arts Studios.

Words We Wear is a 60 minute original performance piece that includes dance, acting, and mixed media. There is an ensemble of 20 female performers.

The show itself is relatively secular. It is about exchanging negative words for more positive words, but the final call to action is faith based. An organization called Epic Vita contracted Becky and the rest of the creative team and heavily influenced the content of this show. They focus on Christian Women’s Ministry.

At the rehearsal, blue tape marked a grid on the floor. The female cast were walking aggressively as if on the streets of a big city. They wove together in a tight knit pattern. If a performer got in the way then the dancer would stop, turn at a right angle and move in another direction. At one point rows of dancers had to move past one another and the squeeze was so tight they bumped shoulders. A fraction of an inch adjusted the movement and the bumping stopped.

The next sequence rehearsed involved movements related to exercise. They wanted to have a quick beat to the movements and Becky demonstrated an accelerated yoga routine where she did sun salutations and downward facing dog to a quick eight beat. The effect was both funny and awe inspiring. Aradhana chimed in, “These moves will be simplified, you can all thank me later.” Everyone applauded Becky’s performance, thankful they wouldn’t have to repeat it.

As I was finishing my sketch, the women rehearsed a routine involving the drudgery of sorting laundry. The baskets of clothes became part of a delicate angst filled dance. Performers experimented and improvised slowly allowing the routine to find it’s own form. This is what I love about sketching rehearsals, there is an open sense of childlike play that brings a piece to life.

Aradhana explained that the show was built around a quote from Maya Angelou. Aradhana explained that certain events in her own life have made the shows theme particularly relevant at this time in her life. Maya said, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, ““Someday we will be able to measure the power of
words. I think they are things. I think they get on the walls, they get
in your wallpaper, they get in your rugs, in your upholstery, in your
clothes and finally into you.”

The show will be playing at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM.

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.

Campus Vue

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Full Sail requires instructors to take certain courses each year.  On November 8th I attended a course on Campus Vue which is Full Sail’s main database for student records. The students “Permanent Record” as it were. The tools included in the Campus Vue system are used by diverse Full Sail departments including Admissions, Academic Success, Financial Aid, and Education. In this session, attendees were taught how to utilize Campus Vue in order to find and record pertinent student-related information. Basic navigation of the application was covered, as well as how to use the Contact Manager feature which included how to document the Course Director’s Award, Advanced Achievement Nominations and MIA policy/procedure. All the attendees had their laptops open and the program open. As a Studio Artist, I couldn’t access Campus View, so I sketched.

It was intriguing to find out that there have been instances where police have subpoenaed a students records.  It was stressed that any notes about a student should only relate facts. For instance writing that, “The student seemed drunk, and had no interest in completing assignments” would be a bad way to write up an entry. Perhaps, “the student seemed disoriented, with red eyes and he or she didn’t complete the assignment.” Dragnet style “Just the facts mam” is the way to go.

PechaKucka Orlando

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I usually write a commentary about events I sketch. This time I felt that Darren’s entire talk from the Friday September 20th  PechaKucha needed to be shared. 20 slides, 20 seconds a slide, a wide variety of presenters.

Imagining Real

By Darren McDaniel

“Over the past two years, a particular image has played a prominent role
in my life.  It’s the wallpaper on my phone, the art on my kitchen wall,
the sticker on the back of my laptop, and the ten-foot tall mural high
on the wall at 625 E. Central.

I’m
the founding director of Urban ReThink, a community workspace and
programming hub in Orlando’s Thornton Park. When I got the news a few
weeks ago that we’d be losing our space, the thing that hit me the
hardest, of all things, was the thought that I’d no longer have daily
access to this mural that I know as GoogliAnn.

I
teach Digital Storytelling to designers at Full Sail, and I preach the
power of symbols—how a simple icon or graphic could be loaded with
meaning, representing far more than its collection of marks, or—in this
case—scribbles.

In
the 18 months it’s been on the wall, the mural has been a fueling
station for me.  It reminds me of why I do what I do.  The artwork came
from a self-portrait my niece, GraciAnn, had given me on her 5th birthday. 
It’s come to embody my immense affection for my nieces, for our
community, and for all that’s been accomplished under GoogliAnn’s over-lordship.

Here’s
how it happened.  Upon returning to Orlando, I crudely Photoshopped
GraciAnn’s art on the wall and shared it with my sister, asking her to
get GraciAnn’s reaction—a reaction that turned out to be all-too
matter-of-fact: “It’s not real.”  I took this as a challenge.  And I
thought, “Yeah, but imagine if it was…”

And
I shared the notion with Dina, and Pat, and Kitty, and Kim, and Fiona,
and Ryan, and Julia, and Anna, and dang near anyone else who happened
through.  “What if?”  What do you think?”  “Can we do it?”  “Surely, we can do this.”  And thanks to their affirmation, support, and resourcefulness, we made a way.

Karen
Rigsby helped me figure out the eyes.  Anna McCambridge-Thomas said she
knew the perfect artist, and she wasn’t kidding.  Carolyn Schultz was
every bit as impressive as the art she produced. In a day and a half,
she swept in, climbed up, and made the magic happen, one grid-square at a
time.

As
it neared completion, I got giddy and sent a picture to Cris
Phillips-Georg with the caption “the audacity of play,” and she said
that’s what you should call it.   “The Audacity of Play.”  A dedication that marked the first anniversary of Urban ReThink…and a bold new theme for the year ahead.

Months
later, GraciAnn was coming to town, and, much to her surprise, we
staged a grand unveiling.  Kathryn Neel even made the eyes work.  And
Thor was there sketching and my family and friends, and the moment I’d
dreamed about since “It’s not real.”: the big reveal.  From astonishment to head-burying embarrassment on GraciAnn’s end; from triumph to tears on mine.

Then:
discovery.  The mural was complete, and the eyes moved.  Regulars would
jump when they caught a first glance.  When kids would come in, I’d
point up to it and watch their expressions turn from perplexed to
wide-eyed.  I’d tell them “Somebody your age drew that,” and I’d see the
possibility swirl around them.  “Can I put my art on a wall?”

One
of my favorite pastimes became juxtaposing the events and speakers with
the googly-eyed girl.  The PBS Newshour’s nationally-televised debate
panel.  The chief data scientist from bit.ly.  Business meetings.  Coworking. Highfalutin parties. And, of course, Gloria Steinem.

Less
than 2 weeks from now, the doors close on Urban ReThink, and—unless I
can find a way to liberate a ten-by-ten-foot piece of drywall from its
well-secured perch—her always-welcoming arms will be waving goodbye, her
eyes will close, and she’ll forever lurk behind who-knows-what paint.

But you know what, Orlando?  Symbols carry their meanings.  And we’ve still got ours.  And
we’ve got high-res pictures, and we’ve got printers, and the
Transformation Village in Bithlo ready to become GoogliAnn’s next home
in some form or fashion.  Beyond that, we’ve got the legacy we’ve built,
and we’ve got each other.

I
moved back home to Central Florida a dozen years ago and made a feature
film. When it was over, I wanted to do something to give back to this
community that helped make my dream possible—something that could make
many more dreams possible through gathering and cross-pollenating
enterprising creatives from all walks of life.

Forty
months ago, an opportunity finally arose to make that real. The time
since has seen scores of collaborations and hundreds of cultural events.
It’s brought the majority of tonight’s presenters and so many other
treasures into not just my life but each other’s.  It’s inspired
visitors to shift their Mickey-Mouse views of Orlando and even move
here.

At
the surface, there’s something rather ridiculous about a googly-eyed
vision.  Untethered, quixotic, not always on the same page…  But it’s
also a vision with broader perspective and heightened possibility—one
that honors imagination and contributions from even the most unlikely of
sources…

My
mission continues : To gather and showcase Orlando’s
independent-minded, community-spirited doers for economic, community,
and intellectual growth. Why?
Because we have treasure in our midst: from the talent pool of recent
graduates, transplants, and the underemployed on one hand to the
creative, the curious, and the volunteers-to-be on the other. I call
them gappers. I’m one of them.

And
I’m minding the gap because our support structures haven’t kept up with
the societal change that’s creating more gappers by the day.  Yet, it’s
gappers that will ultimately generate our solutions.  After all, we’re
the entrepreneurs, innovators, and enhancers.  It’s in our collisions,
conversations, and collaborations that imaginations become real.

One thing is certain: There’s a need for
an Urban ReThink and for opportunity structures like it.  There’s a
need for a new social institution—something that fuels gappers by
combining elements of work, play, family, school, church, and library.  We’ve pioneered that—right here in Orlando. But we’re not finished.  And I’m not stopping.

As Urban ReThink, we’re losing our space and our scope, but not the
audacity of our play, nor the tenacity of our purpose. GoogliAnn. 
She’s the spirit of our future.  And she’s looking to us to get her
where she needs to go.  People say things happen for a reason.  Let’s
make that reason.  Imagine the possibilities.  They’re real.  And
they’re spectacular.”

Darren’s talk had me in tears. I felt a warm glow knowing so many family and friends who create and inspire change. I hunt for collaborators and creatives, and the resources found in Orlando are unlimited. ReThink was a creative epicenter that fueled my daily sketch habit. I have over 50 sketches that were done there. The bricks and mortar might change ownership but the people who see and bring about change are still here.

Mark Your Calendar! The next PechaKucha is February 7th at 7pm at The Orange Studio, (1121 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl).

The Mudflappers

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At Florida Blog Con the closing keynote by Pat Moore of Marketing Nutz. Nothing she talked about made any practical sense. I glanced around the auditorium and most people seemed to be surfing the web or checking their Facebook status.

There was a Ford after party in Full Sail‘s back Lot. Sysco provided the food, and Pinnacle Vodka provided the drinks. The Mudflappers provided the entertainment. I pulled over a chair and sketched. One woman and her child danced to the music but for the most part the music was something people shouted over. I’m sure I should have mingled but it is just as important that I do what I do. The performers thought that I was writing an extensive review. I last saw the Mudflappers at a Fringe Fundraiser at Hard Rock Live. Their music is lively and fun and I tapped my toe as I sketched. Their music pulls its influences from the outlaw country of Johnny
Cash, the blazing bluegrass of Earl Scruggs,  the roaming melodies of gypsy swing
à la Django Reinhardt, to the prohibitionary jazz of your local
speakeasy. This sonic gumbo is held together by the sultrily celestial
harmonies of leading lady Sarah Elizabeth Patrick the violinist who, as it turns out, is expecting a baby. Her flapper’s dress hid that fact quite well. Soon there will be a little Mudflapper kicking up his or her heels.

 When the band stopped, one performer stopped over to see what I was up to. He knew my work and said one of my sketches was being used as his laptop desktop. I smiled, but groaned inside, there was another use of my work where I wasn’t getting paid. Then all the performers started coming over.

By the time I was done, most people had left. I had some pasta , a coke and some incredible peanut butter cupcakes and then headed home. I learned plenty at the conference and now it was time to implement changes going forward.

The Hub

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On September 18th, I went to the Full Sail building 2 lobby (3300 University Boulevard, Winter Park, Fl) for the return of The HUB (a.k.a. the Digital Arts and Design Gallery). Every other month this space will present a new selection of work by students and faculty. Each showcase will follow a theme. The first exhibition featured art and design inspired by music. All media/styles are welcome. Kim Lomas organized the event and I submitted a sketch of the Brad Catron Quartet. Rather than get the sketch framed, Kim gave me the option of displaying the sketch digitally on a computer screen. I liked the idea of displaying my analog art digitally.

The goal is to showcase projects from every department at Full Sail to demonstrate the rich variety of media, styles, and formats used. A committee of instructors choose the award for the best faculty work, and a committee of students choose the award for the best student work. Thankfully, I missed any award ceremony or speeches.

Faculty had quite a bit of work on display. Hugo Giraud had a painting of “The First Lady of Soul (Ella)” and a painting of “Dizzy G”. Leslie Silvia had one of her black paper cut outs (Scherenschnitte) titled “Sparrows and Nightingales.” Leslie joked with me as I sketched, saying, “We don’t allow sketching in here.” It is an ongoing joke among friends that I am so often kicked out of events for sketching. Tony Philippou had paintings of “Bigge”, “Andre 300”, and “Cee-loo”. A student whose work caught my eye was Tyler Christmas who had a painting done on acetate, of a human ribcage with a blue crab on top called “The Protector”. I noticed Tom Buzbee and his daughter, Avaryl in the reception crowd, but he wasn’t exhibiting any of his large abstract works. I had gotten to the reception late and so, I was still working on the sketch long after everyone had left for home.

Solar Games Open House

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At Taste of the Nation, I met Bradley Bulifant, who is the Executive Producer of  The Solar Games. On August 16th, I went to an open house at 37 N. Orange Ave. Suite #603 Orlando, FL where the game was being presented to Full Sail Masters students and faculty. The idea I imagine was to recruit thesr students to further develop the game. At the open house, I got to meet the creative team behind this project.

The game involves solar powered cars racing in an exotic Haiti landscape. The premise is, that, “The  year
is 2033. Global climate change efforts of the past 20 years have
failed. The environmental apocalypse has arrived and its causing surreal
and comedic events. The global community has one last hope by creating
a race for change, an environmental Olympics…The Solar Games. A
social impact video game that creates renewable energy access solutions.

The Solar Games will work to catalyze a sustainable solar program and
partnership network by using 50% OF GAME PROFITS for a 0% interest fund
for micro finance institutions (MFI) in Haiti. This fund will allow MFI’s
and Haitian installers to supply, install and warranty solar systems
for medical clinics, schools and households with electricity access.

The Solar Games Kickstarter has so far raised $13,305 towards the $346,532 goal. This game is the first in a series of planned social impact video games that will ultimately help areas around the world that need access to electricity. This is the first time I have ever heard of video games being used as a power for good.

StarCraft II

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Red Bull sponsored an event called “Training Grounds II” at Full Sail Live (3300 University Blvd

Winter Park, FL) on June 26th. The huge venue was full of an audience of several hundred people. On the large screen, the video game, StarCraft II was being projected. The two opponents were in a clear sound proof booth facing one another and furiously tapping computer buttons and scrolling with their mice. Two announcers sat behind microphones giving a blow by blow description of what was happening on the big screen. The problem was that nothing they said made any sense. I had stepped into an alien world.

At the side of the venue there was a round table station set up with six computers. This was the place where contestants who were not playing could warm up and train for their battle on the big screen. Ear pieces plugged the players into the game’s audio soundtrack isolating them from the audiences shouts and clapping. As I sketched, the announcers broadcast what was happening…

“What is this going to turn into?”

“The Cyber Core is a tell for TLO.”

“He’s putting up a gateway.”

“He has two queens now and a third on the way!”

“TLO spots the probe!”

“A lot of Circs rely on the queens.”

“The Nexus are going to clean this up now.”

“Succeed is going to try and drone up again.”

“TLO is droning very hard!”

“Unless it is a micro hatch, it isn’t needed.”

“He needs to warp in some centuries.”

“Nexus is going to be hyper fire! Good game!”

The audience clapped wildly. The lengthy match was over. My general impression was that some sort of outpost civilization was constructed by glowing crab like things. There was always an aerial gods eye view of the field of battle. Perhaps there were lasers? I was too far removed from the action to be able to make sense of anything. The audience however gasped and reacted to every skirmish. It was sort of like watching two armies of ants building two mounds then fighting to slow down the opponents progress. I was confused. Perhaps this is the future of entertainment, with virtual battles played out for an audience.