Art Deco Weekend VIP Photo Booth

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At the Art Deco Weekend VIP Reception, I decided to do a second sketch of the Photo Booth which was in an old air stream trailer. Guest in 1920 outfits would stand n line waiting for their photo opportunity. Once inside they would sit at the back of the trailer and have their picture taken.

Charlotte, one of the event organizers stopped by our table to chat. Her father lives in Toulouse France and is trying to get an Urban Sketching group organized. Pam offered advice on ho to get a group off the ground. In the background the art deco buildings were illuminated a bright green and hard to define orange violet color.



Greg Bryla another Orlando Urban Sketcher was documenting the event as well. His focus was on capturing as many people in costumes as he could in one sketch. He complained bout my digital medium because it seemed unfair tat I could see what I was working on since the screen was illuminated. He worked traditionally on paper and had to guess at some points since he could not really see the page in the dark. As e were leaving I used my cell phone flashlight to see what he had created and it was impressive. He was having a conversation with a gentleman in a top hat about art, so we just waived goodbye and headed back to the hotel. It started raining as we walked back and we dashed from awning to awning to try and keep from getting soaked.

Pulse Temporary Memorial Dedication

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The interim memorial design was created by the team of by Kody Smith, Christina Hite, and Greg Bryla, of the landscape architecture firm of Dix.Hite + Partners, and David Stone of Phil Kean Design, all of who worked closely with onePULSE Foundation’s memorial task force. Pam Schwartz of the Orange County Regional History Center worked on supplying the hundreds of photos from the history museum’s collection used on a winding wall that surrounds the club. Many of local photographer J.D. Casto‘s photos cover the wall. He was at the GLBT Center on the morning following the shooting and his photos document the outpouring of love and support that followed this horrible tragedy.

The scene was already crowded when I arrived at the club. Families of victims and survivors were seated. Since I had my own artist stool, I set up in front of one of the new trees on site and started to sketch. I focused on Christina Hite while she spoke at the podium. Greg Bryla is a dedicated Urban Sketcher, so I was pleased to know he had a hand in helping design this temporary memorial. An unexpected aspect of the temporary memorial is that there is a window in the surrounding wall allowing visitors to see the spot where the club was breached by the swat team so that the hostages held in the bathrooms could escape. Bullet holes litter the brickwork around the blast hole. This is where the terrorist was finally killed.

The architect firm of Coldefy and Associés has recently won the deign competition to create a permanent memorial at this site. Their design surrounds the Pulse Nightclub building with a pool and fountain that has 49 colors in concentric circles radiating from the pool’s center. The typical rainbow, (ROYGBIV) only has 7 colors. If you multiply that by 7 you get 49 colors. Another aspect of their design that I like is a circular canopy that supplies shade for anyone visiting the site. They also had elegantly incorporated a wall separating the quiet space from the sound of traffic on Orange Avenue. The most striking feature is that the club is cleaved in half, creating a canyon like space that people can walk through. 49 trees will cover the site creating a garden to celebrate life.

The Pulse Museum design looks a bit like a futuristic reactor. It has a slatted white exterior that is squeezed in the middle with an undulating
roof profile. Glimpses inside show a twisting staircase and plants,
echoing features of the memorial, and a large circular opening that
floods natural light into the space. There are large public areas where the community can gather to learn and have events. It is an exciting design that would immediately become a defining landmark of the SODO area. Green spaces radiate from the club beautifying the district. Only time will tell how much of this amazing design will become reality. The Museum and Memorial are both intended to open in 2022.

Lil Indies

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Lil Indies (1036 Mills Ave N, Orlando, FL 32803) is right next to Wills Pub. I hosted an Orlando Drink and Draw event (ODD) there and when I arrived, Indies was not open yet. I decided to take the time to do a sketch outside and meet any artists as they arrived. Storm clouds loomed a steely blue grey on the horizon. Mills has a constant flow of traffic, and as I did this sketch, a van pulled up to Wills and a band started unloading their instruments and equipment. The sign outside the club says, “no colors and no weapons” which is a good policy in this day and age. I don’t think they actually check for weapons.

The storm clouds blew my way, and it started to rain just before I was finished. I decided the sketch was done when the first big drops hit the page. Greg Bryla arrived just before the deluge and we went inside together.Lil Indies is decorated like I imagine my grandmothers basement would look like. Kitschy paintings adorn the walls, and vintage couches and chairs are scattered around the entry rooms.

The bar itself is built from various colors of hand stained boards and feels hand made. The signature cocktails can be delicious. I found a table in the corner for the artists and set about drawing the stage area. I believe four of us were drawing that night.

On this evening Tod Caviness was hosting a literary event called Loose Lips. Five writers reflect on the news
with their own words, their own frightening words, and the drinks flowed (some of the best cocktails in town are made at Lil’ Indies), and
the world shall continue on as though uninterrupted. It was a good night of drinking, drawing, listening, laughing and reflecting on where we are headed as a nation.


The next loose Lips will be July 3, 2018 at 8 p.m.again at Lil Indies. The event is 21 and over and will return under the terrifying regime of the Functionally Literate crew.

The Imperial at Washburn Imports

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The Imperial at Washburn Imports (1800 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801), is a neighborhood bar housed in a furniture store offers micro-brews and boutique wines, plus patio seating.
I met staff from Dix.Hite and Partners here when they wanted advice on setting up a sketch outing at lake Eola. Greg Bryla in particular  is a very talented Urban Sketcher. The firm designs environmental landscape settings and is now designing a temporary improvement to the Pulse Nightclub setting.

The sketch walk they organized was very well organized. They even catered food after all the sketching was done, although Orlando bike police insisted they take down the table that was set up to serve the food.

An Orlando city ordinance prohibits sharing food with large groups in downtown parks more than twice a year. Members of Food not Bombs were arrested in Lake Eola Park in 2011 for feeding the homeless. A compromise was ultimately found in which they can share vegan
food at Orlando City Hall every Monday morning and Wednesday night.

Our group was maybe 10 artists and landscape architects in all and not homeless but the ordinance still stands. So don’t think you can have a large family picnic in the park, especially with a table, you will be shut down. The food that Dix.Hite served was home made Polynesian fare that was delicious.

Sketch Orlando Workshop at Lake Eola.

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I co-hosted a sketch outing with Greg Bryla, a Senior Landscape Architect at Dix.Hite + Partners. Viviana Castro
and Kristen Koehnemann helped organize the event. Every artist that attended, got a small travel size watercolor palette, sheets of watercolor paper, a pencil and water brush. We all met outside the Eola House (512 E. Washington St, Orlando, FL). The newly formed Orlando Urban Sketcher’s group joined with landscape architects for a morning of sketching a the Lake Eola Farmers Market. We met in the open field next to the Eola House and all the supplies were placed a folding table for artists to pick up. A bicycle cop stopped by and told us the table wasn’t allowed in the park, so it was broken down and supplies went on the ground. Artists are all about breaking rules.

Greg and I gave short talks about how to catch a quick scene in a sketch. Then we all scattered to do a 20 minute sketch. I usually take an hour to two hours to complete my sketches so I really had to pick up the pace. Luckily the sheet of watercolor paper was small allowing for just a quick thumbnail study. I focused on the BBQ guy setting up for the morning. He had to stoke the fire and put out all his wares. I just sketched him over a over again to populate the scene. There was only enough time to throw in a few light washes before heading back to the base camp.

We all placed our sketches on the lawn to see what worked and what might need improvement. It is always wonderful to see how different and unique each sketch is. Variety is who makes sketching so exciting. Two artiss couldn’t draw the same scene the same way if they tried. Each sketch involves millions of decisions that make each sketch unique. Any advice is just a guiding suggestion. I would never want to change the way an artist interprets a scene. Instruction is just a way to help artists truly see. Most of sketching is patience and perseverance.

Then it started to rain, so we all ran to World of Beer (431 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL) where we sipped beers and sketched on the outside patio. I sketched the artists on the couches refining their sketches. The shower was short lived, just long enough to down one beer and pay up. The landscape architects had one more surprise up their sleeve. Across the lake they had a table set up with a delicious Polynesian pulled pork lunch spread.  I must say that landscape architects really know how to organize a sketch outing. Remnants of the Pulse memorial items still surrounded the lake. There were tons of candle holders and dead flowers everywhere. Had it not rained this emotional refuge would have certainly been the topic of my sketch. A bicycle cop once again stopped to inform us that it is illegal to serve food in the park. The table was broken down and the buffet was dropped in the grass. Once again the artist, anarchists were caught trying to picnic in the park. After the mass murder of 49 people I would think the police might have loftier goals.