All about-Race and power near Blue Box 6.

Posted on by Thor

I had arranged to meet Hurricane Maria at Blue Box 8 near the Lynx Bus Station. 27 Blue Boxes are painted on sidewalks in Downtown Orlando. These boxes
are for panhandlers and buskers. Busking is possible only during day
light hours. Although set up for panhandlers, police often insist street
performers must use the blue boxes. Performing outside the boxes can
result in 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

I arrived a little late and didn’t see Maria. I assumed she was running late and started sketching. My darn cell phone was dead because my car charger was broken. There was no way to contact her. I finished as much of the sketch a I could, and assumed that I could place Maria in the sketch when she arrived. She is a caricature artist and she planned to set up shop in the Blue Box. I probably sketched for an hour and a half, completing most of the watercolor with an open space that I left blank. If anyone reading this is interested, I could sketch you into this incomplete sketch in about half an hour. I will not post the sketch until it has a performer utilizing the box. Become part of The Blue Box Initiative.

I packed up an decided to head home. As I approached a huge construction site near the Bob Carr Theater, I saw Maria talking to several construction workers. She had gone to the wrong Blue Box and was deep in conversation about race and power. Blue Box number 6 had been ripped up due to the construction. As the conversation went on, I realized that the blue boxes represent first amendment zones, where freedom of express to is allowed.

The construction worker was explaining how blacks have been marginalized throughout history. The us Census would redefine the race every time there was census. They were redefined as blacks, negros, African Americans and other names. Poor neighborhoods were fractured and split up with redistricting. He asked each of us where our ancestors came from. Regardless of our past, he said we all have Moorish blood in us. Maria responded, “I prefer to just think of us as the human race.”

He spoke of a true and divine knowledge of yourself, historically speaking. People have been calling themselves everything but what they are, and so they are never able to take their proper place
in the national and international
affairs of men all over the world. they have been mentally robbed of their
inherent
and invincible manhood, by being
robbed of their nationhood.
The west African Moorish Empire expanded into Europe conquering Spain in 711 AD. This was the greatest power in Europe at the time and its influence spread resulting in the Renaissance. Apparently Abraham Lincoln was assassinated because he understood this Moorish commonality. The same was true of Dr. Martin Luthar King. One of King’s aid stepped aside to open a pathway for a sniper’s bullet.

The local school the the worker used to go to used to inspire students to greatness. Then teachers were brought in from out of the community and the students were no longer taught civic pride. Drugs ravaged the neighborhood causing further collapse. These drugs were specifically introduce in impoverished neighborhoods. This backfired however because then others could get cheap drugs there and the drug plagues spread could not be stopped.

With my sketch done, I decided to slip away. Free speech was very much alive near Blue Box number 6. I asked Maria if she was willing to set up for a short time in Blue Box number 8, but she had to get over to Audubon Park where she would be doing caricatures at the Monday night farmers market in the Stardust Video and Coffee parking lot.

The Weekly ‘Best of Orlando’ Party

Posted on by Thor

On August 30th The Orlando Weekly came out with its “Best of Orlando” issue. I was invited to the Best of Orlando party at The Beacham, so I knew I was nominated. I flipped through the paper that morning while in the last class of the month with my Full Sail animation students. I found myself listed in the “Best Visual Artist” category taking second place. Andrew Spear, who’s murals can be seen all around the Mills/5o District took first place, and Boy Kong, who is also an Urban Muralist took third place. From doing this blog, I’ve met many amazing artists in this town so I’m humbled by the recognition. I’m pretty sure I was nominated because I celebrate and report about all this amazing talent in town. The Orlando Weekly also came up with a new category of “Best Urban Sketcher” and since I’m the only person who is Urban Sketching in Orlando I got a one paragraph write up.

I have family visiting Orlando from all over the country and Germany, but I had to take the time to sketch this blow out party at The Beacham.  Since I would be sketching, Terry decided to visit my family while I worked. There was a short line to get into the club. A group of people behind a barricade shouting in excitement. One of them rushed up to someone in front of me and asked for his autograph. Then one of the excited fans asked for an autograph from the guy behind me. The fan said, “I loved your last picture!” and then squealed when he got the autograph. My last picture, a sketch of National Dance Day wasn’t half bad. How come no one asked for my autograph? Alright, shake it off, they are only actors adding a red carpet sense of excitement to the event. I was tempted to get out of line and sketch the screaming fans, but then decided my focus should be on the movers and shakers inside.

A bouncer actually had to check my ID to be sure I was of drinking age, as if my grey hair wasn’t ID enough for my age. I immediately decided that I needed a slightly elevated view. There was a giant bouncer in a yellow shirt at the bottom of the staircase. I was told only VIPs could go upstairs. I told him I was the media, but he didn’t buy it. I tried the other staircase and was blocked by another Yellow bouncer. I then found Erin Sullivan the Orlando Weekly senior editor and she told me the password which was something like, “Orlando Life”. I shouted the password in the bouncer’s ear and he let me pass. I had my tablet in the bag, but since this was such an expansive view, I pulled out my largest sketch book. As I started the sketch, Graham Jarrett, the Publisher of the Orlando Weekly was one of the first people to say hello. I was surprised he knew who I was.

I should have had business cards because I met a dozen or so interesting people. One woman knew of another event sketcher and she asked me if I would consider sketching her wedding. Since I’ve done this before, I stopped sketching long enough to give her my information. A few people stopped to watch me work. I become slightly self conscious when someone watches, but then get lost in the process again in no time. I tried talking to several people but the music was too loud. A Weekly intern stopped by several times and took photos as the sketch progressed. I spotted Hurricane Maria at the bar and Wendy Claitor on the floor. Andrew Spear found me and we posed for a photo. As he left, he said, “You keep working, I’m going to get drunk.” Someone else told me, “You already won, you should be drinking and celebrating!” All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Next to me a couple started making out as the music heated up. I was rushing to finish the sketch so I could meet my wife and family later that night. Patrick Kahn, and his wife Holly greeted me warmly as I was finishing the sketch. Patrick opened Snap! Orlando this year and already the new gallery won the ‘Writers Pick Award’ for ‘Best New Art Venue, and Snap won ‘Readers Pick’ awards at #2 for ‘Best Gallery’ and #3 for ‘Best Arts Event/Festival.’ I’m so happy my first solo exhibition was at Snap. They took such good care of me and I feel like I’m part of the Snap family. Devin Dominguez said hello and asked, “Where is Terry?” I shouted back, “She’s with family!” “Aren’t you family?” she said. Jokingly I responded, “I used to be.”

As I walked back to my car, I called Terry to see if I should drive over to the hotel. She said, “Your too late, I’m about to leave.” Why can’t I sketch faster? While lost in the precess, it seemed like time stood still, I was catching a fleeting moment, but actually hours had passed.  On Facebook, Suzannah Gilman remarked, “No category, for ‘Best Wife of an Urban Sketcher’?! What is UP with THAT?” She makes a good point. It takes a saint to put up with my daily sketch obsession.

The Life and Memory of Dorian Gray

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On January 8th there was an art exhibit opening titled, “Our Dandy Cat: The Life and Memory of Dorian Gray” at Dandelion Communitea Cafe, 618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, Fl.  Dorian Grey, was a much beloved gray cat that lived on the Dandelion grounds. Dorian mysteriously died in mid December. The employees and community who loved him honored Dorian through art. The art work will remained up for the Month of January.

I arrived and ordered a banana salad wrap and the house tea. There is a huge selection of teas and I’m always daunted by the choices. Paintings and sketches of Dorian lined the walls. Hurricane Maria stopped in and joined me for a while. She had done the charming sketch of Dorian right above my head. She also did a large 18 by 24 inch framed caricature sketch of the entire Dandelion staff. Dorian made a cameo appearance in that sketch as well. She said it was a nerve wracking task to get each caricature to look like the individuals while having appeal. Push a caricature to far and someone could be insulted, yet the exaggeration is where the fun is.

Maria explained that Dorian might have died by licking a puddle of anti freeze below a car. Cats are renowned for tasting anything they come upon. A researcher mounted cameras on a number of domestic cats to see what they do when they wander through a neighborhood. Cat owners were astounded at how many life threatening incidents a cat will go through every day. Owners were also shocked at how often the cats were killers. A cat will return home with only a fraction of the prey that they hunt.

Ringling Protests

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On Thursday January 9th, I went to the Amway Center to sketch protestors demonstrating against animal abuse at Ringling Brother’s and Barnam Bailey Circus. It rained the whole trip downtown, but my phone radar application showed that the storm system would be passing over leaving a clearing for the duration of a sketch. Protestors gathered under the I-4 overpass at Church Street and South Hughey Avenue. Barricades were set up, but I was told that they were for scalpers who had to remain behind them.

About 30 protesters lined up in front of the barricades and on either side of the street.  A protestor on a bull horn told people taking their children to the circus that they needed to pay attention to see if the animals in the show did the tricks willingly or to see if they were being poked and prodded by the handlers. On a humorous note, he said that the elephants don’t show up on the evening of the performance in a taxi excited to perform. They have to perform or they will be beaten and jabbed.

One sign showed a bull hook which is used to injure elephants in the show. Video on a Ringling Cruelty site show elephants being beaten right before going in front of an audience. Handlers try to keep the bull hooks from the audiences view, but as the guy on the bull horn said, “They might feel they are pulling one over on you, but we feel you are smarter than that.” Hurricane Maria was handing out information fliers. She did the task with a Disney smile and a warm greeting. Some parents however get upset and argue that they will spend their money how they please. As the guy on the bull horn announced, “The elephants are poked and prodded to perform!” A women who over heard him said, “That sounds like how my husband treats me!”

Kelly Medford, a plein air painter from Rome stopped out to sketch the protest as well. She couldn’t find parking and showed up just as I was finishing up my sketch. She was set with an easel and canvas but the protest was almost over. The Ringling show started at 7:30pm and then the protestors packed up. A faint mist settled in as I was putting the final washed on my sketch. I didn’t even notice until my hand smudged the paint. I quickly put the sketchbook away but the damage was done. The sketch glistened and when I closed the book paint smeared everywhere creating a Rorshach pattern. I groaned. I’d have to fix it back at the studio where it was dry. Kelly and I took cover under an awning and chatted for a while. She stayed behind to finish her sketch and I walked back to my car where I touched up the sketch a bit.

Earth Day Endangered Species

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On April 20th there was a huge Earth Day Festival at Lake Eola. For the first time ever, I agreed to put up an artist tent to promote this site. I framed ten sketchbooks printed some business cards and figured I could sell some of the remaining T-Shirts from the Sonesta Hotel mural. The night before, I packed the car and at 7AM the next morning I was ready to head out. I had used the tent extensively when I painted an outdoor mural for the Mennello Museum over the summer. Now painting outside in the summer is insane and I’m sure the tent had saved me from overheating.

Hurricane Maria helped me find the spot to set up my tent. During setup, people helped each other out. For instance the tent next to me shared their sand bags which would help keep the tents from blowing over.  Rain was predicted but it was a bright sunny morning as I erected the tent. The sketchbook frames were hung back to back on electric wires. They spun in the wind like Calder sculptures. Compared to other exotic tents, mine seemed a bit barren, but that is what my art is like, no flash, just substance.

I had put a call out on Facebook for volunteers who could man the tent while I sketched. Janice Böhrk McIntosh and Patti Matchett answered the call. Janice agreed to come bright and early and Patti agreed to come in the afternoon. Janice arrived and I explained that she could sell some T-Shirts and hand out business cards to people that were interested. She was excited to get started and I walked over to the Ibex Puppetry area to sketch the puppets that would be in the Endangered Species Parade. In the background of my sketch you can see a tow truck removing a parked car. Business as usual it the city beautiful.

As I sketched the display, all the puppeteers posed for a photo. Of course it was tempting to try and sketch them all in, but I knew they would all be gone as soon as the camera shutter clicked. April Tennyson mugged for me but she knew I wouldn’t have time to sketch her in. Necole Pynn who was at the Broomstick Pony tent had a kazoo. She asked me for a good kazoo tune and I wracked my brain to come up with “Jack the knife”. She seemed pleased as she hummed the tune through the instrument.

The Endangered Species Parade began and all the puppets came to life. Heather Henson, the founder of Ibex Puppetry, took hold of the Manatee and breathed life into him. Her mother, Jane Henson, had recently died, but today was a celebration of life. To the beat of a drum the parade flowed past me with grace and rhythm. The children followed with paper puppets they had made in the craft tent.

With my sketch done, I went to check on Janice. She had sold every single T-Shirt and most of the business cards had been handed out. I was in shock and delighted. Within the first hour, all my merchandise was sold and she was telling everyone who would listen about my project to document Orlando Culture one sketch at a time. What a godsend. There is no way I could have accomplished that. All hopes and expectations had been exceeded.

Scooters for Hooters

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Scooters for Hooters was a fundraiser for Breast Cancer research in which hundreds of scooters and Vespas rode around downtown Orlando. The scooters were all lined up on Central Boulevard just south of Lake Eola. I had to sketch fast since everyone was revved up and ready to go. When someone gave the word, all the engines roared to life and all the scooters roared off. There were tents set up where the Lake Eola farmers market usually is. One tent was auctioning off artwork by local artists. I remember seeing a painting by Hurricane Maria on the auction block.

This was also the day of the International SketchCrawl and I relaxed in the park sketching and listening to the musicians who took to the stage for the Scooters for Hooters cause. It’s good to know any snacks I bought that day went towards an important cause.