Cemetaries as Museums

Posted on by Thor

Pam Schwartz and I went to the Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum (4155 W Vine St, Kissimmee, Florida 34741)to listen to guest speaker Kevin Gidusko from the Florida Public Archaeology Network as he spoke about the preservation of historic cemeteries.

His talk covered, the archaeological process in cemeteries, the use iconography and headstone styles to date sites, and preservation and dating techniques. Cemeteries are a rather recent phenomenon when compared to the entire history of the world.  Cemeteries have had an important place in our culture since the beginning of recorded time. Taking special care to honor our ancestors and have a proper final resting place for them is one of the things that makes us uniquely human.

Many cemeteries are now being documented online on Find a Grave making finding distant relatives for genealogy increasingly easy. Any cemetery is a  place where we can see the people who helped shape our history. Weathering, vandalism, neglect, and encroachment by development and plant growth threaten the fate of historic cemeteries. Because of this it is important to systematically survey and document these historic sites before they are forever lost.

The intricate carvings on headstones can tell much about the beliefs of the person buried. Common designs in the 19th and early 20 centuries included urns, Latin crosses, willow trees, doves, lambs, hands bibles, flowers and vines. For instance the symbol of a weeping willow reflected the interest in the United States in ancient Greece. The most obvious meaning is the “Weeping” or mourning for the loss of a loved one. A willow is a fast growing tree that is easy to grow from cuttings and often is the first tree to grow on a disturbed site. Thus the tree is known as healing. In many cultures the willow tree is a symbol for immortality.

Kevin let us know that there are many opportunities to volunteer should we want to take part in the preservation of cemeteries.

The event was sponsored in part by Gatorland.

“Violectric Rocks OCSA” Benefit Concert For Osceola County School.

Posted on by Thor

Violectric, the internationally acclaimed electric rock string quintet, plus keys and drums, rocked for a cause and performed a special benefit concert put on by the Thespian Troupe #6640 of the Osceola County School for the Arts in an effort to help them raise funds to be able to attend their annual state conference held in Tampa, FL. I went to the Osceola Performing Arts Center, (3151 N. Orange Blossom Trail, Kissimmee, 34744) to sketch the benefit concert. All proceeds raised from the show went directly to the students for the student trip.

Five years ago, Violectric hosted a workshop and concert at Osceola
County School for the Arts and one of the violin students named Mohammed
took a special interest in the emotions evoked during their
performance. While at the mere age of 11-years-old, Mohammed Kahn had a
fire lit beneath him and he began diligently working towards his goal.
Now, years later, he is using all that he learned during Violectric’s
workshop and his passion for show production to host the benefit show.

Formed in 2008, the accomplished members of Violectric have been
performing in various groups, orchestras and together for over 20 years
across the globe. Led by esteemed musician, violinist,  Michelle Jones, the group is a unique fusion of the passion and beauty of classical
string instruments with the excitement of cutting-edge modern technology
and effects. They are committed
to music education offering programs throughout the United States and
Asia including master classes and performances combining their unique sounds with
student string groups, which they produce in partnership with
the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and School for the Arts as their artists in residence. 

Nude Nite

Posted on by Thor

On Valentines Day, I got to the opening of Nude Nite Orlando at about 10PM, which was a late night out for me. It had been raining all day and it was still drizzling. The event was held at an abandoned warehouse at 639 W. Church St. Orlando, FL. This is several blocks west of the Amway Center in Parramore. Gentrification has pushed its way west but several blocks still had rundown tin roof houses and abandoned properties. I decided it hadn’t been a good idea to park downtown and walk west to the warehouse.

I knew I had arrived when I heard loud music and saw light shining out of cracks in the warehouse foundation. A crude sign outlined in rope was nailed to a tree, it read, “Jesus Saves.” There wasn’t a line to get in. Attendance was surprisingly light. I walked around the perimeter of the warehouse searching for my sketch subject. A nude woman in a gas mask was posing on a pedestal. I considered sketching her but she kept moving in slow motion. She would be a frustrating subject. Wendy Wallenburg and Linda Saracino greeted me. They seemed very excited about a male dancer’s performance.

I started blocking in a second sketch of a woman being body painted near a golden tree. My attention as I sketched however was drawn to a woman seated in a U shaped ottoman in the background. I erased my sketch and moved closer to her to sketch. She was regal, poised and still. Periodically she would raise her arms up to imitate the pose in the photo hung in front of her. I liked when she relaxed, looking off in the distance. The green light gave her an odd glow. When she took a break, a group of girls asked me if it was alright to sit in the ottoman. “I don’t see why not.” was my simple response. They started posing for photos imitating the picture. One girl took her sweater off to pose causing a chorus of giggles and photos.

I heard the performers on the main stage where a crowd of people had gathered. A DJ and his girlfriend introduced themselves. I had just met them at a DRIP Art Night event and I had even sketched the girl as she danced in her polka dot undies. She looked like Halle Berry. Someone else asked me if I was from the Maitland Art Center. Odd question. “I’ve been to the Art Center, but I can’t say they sent me.” I replied. He explained that in past years, there had been artists sketching a model at Nude Nite. I was the only artist he saw creating art.  A woman asked if she could leave her drink next to me as she shot photos. I said, “Sure”. She commented on how small my palette was. I replied, “It’s not how big the palette is, its how you use it.” Of all the art I saw, I made a note of two sketches by artist Ray Richardson from Kissimmee. One was of a nude Cinderella and the other of a nude Snow White munching on a candied apple. Both women were overweight, looking like desperate house wives looking for attention.

I was using a new fountain pen. I discovered a major flaw in its design when I tried to twist the cap off to put the pen away. The twisting motion caused the pen to spit out a huge gush of ink onto the sketch. “Mother F*@$er” I muttered. Just then Kelly Stevens the event organizer walked up. She liked the sketch and I let my frustration and annoyance melt away. The spill was actually a blessing, because I started painting with pure thick pigment which is something I should do more often. As I was getting ready to step back out into the rain, I saw Kelly on a stage posing with patterns of light dancing on her outfit. A computer generated image was being mapped and projected onto her as she posed. Someone held up a mirror so she could see herself. She was laughing and having a great time.

You have one last chance to experience Nude Nite tonight from 6PM to midnight. There is plenty of parking near the warehouse.

Merry Christmas

Posted on by Thor

Ron Lister‘s home at 1642 Sunburst Way, Kissimmee is a true marvel. His home is adorned with more than 50,000 lights synchronized to music, which plays through your car radio. Reader’s Digest magazine named it one of the country’s best holiday displays in 2009. He even has his own website.  Work began to set up the display back in October. Ron has been putting up this display for the past 25 years.

I arrived one hour before sunset to start my sketch. I used the final moments of daylight to block in the sketch with black line work on my tablet. As the sun set, I dimmed the screen and started painting. Mosquitoes buzzed in my ears. Ron came out and added Joseph and Mary to the inflatable manger scene. Then the lights flickered on. What makes this display so unique is the amazing amount of work that went into synchronizing the lights and music. Ron used a computer program that resembles an Excel spread sheet. Each row represented a colored string of lights. The program allowed him to turn on and off each set of lights in time to the music. It was much like the amount of work that goes into editing a movie.

The A frame above the garage had CDs that acted as reflectors for red bulbs. Ron said the center hole is the perfect width for the bulbs. The two palm trees are actually just PVC strung with icicle lights to create the illusion of palm fronds.  The large Christmas tree is a series of hoops suspended from a pole capped with a large star. Periodically, cars would stop in the street and people would pile out to take photos of the display. Ron was there to answer anyone’s questions. Sometimes he would ask a driver to turn off their headlights to avoid blinding others. He pointed out to me that the singer of one of the carols had just performed live in Celebration Florida. She travels the country performing at amazing Christmas displays.  A sign in the driveway asked visitors to vote for this house in the Old Navy Griswold Lightacular Challenge. He got my vote.

2012 Carbon Flow Tour National Championships

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The 2012 Carbon Flow Tour National Championships were held at Fantasy Surf, (5151 Kyngs Health Ave Kissimmee) on August 10th and 11th. The best flow boarders in the world battled it out for a chance at the National Title. Carbon is a company that manufactures the actual flow boards. They had a display in the crowded spectators area. The man working the Carbon table talked to me about possibly transferring one of my sketches to a board. I told him I would be interested and gave him my card. Large bleachers were set up to handle the spectators while the three judges and the announcer sat front and center against the glass.

The FLOW Tour had divisions for
body boarders and flow boarders, men and women, boys and girls, amateur
and professional, young and old. For the past ten years, the FLOW Tour
has traveled to many of the 55+ Flow rider locations throughout the
United States and has inspired an
ever-expanding level of competition among body boarders and flow boarders
around the United States – and it all comes to a head on the FLOW Tour which consisted of 10 stops across 7 different
states. With a prize purse of over $27,000 dollars; it’s no surprise
hundreds of riders from across the country travel with the tour to make
their mark in the flow boarding community.

Competitions required a minimum prize purse of $2500 as well as the
all-important point system. There were 10 events including the National
Championships. Each competitor’s best 6 results, including the
championships, were added together to bestow the 2012 season
champions in their respective divisions.

I found a seat at a table and decided this was to be my best sketch vantage point. Spectators and competitors would often stand obstructing my view of the judges but I would patiently wait for my moment to strike. The Judges were Matti Griffin, Robert Pals and Patrick Boyce. One competitor entered the competition having never been on a flow board. He wiped out again and again much the the amusement of the judges and spectators. Of course most competitors were doing a series of advanced tricks. The air was thick with the sharp smell of chlorine. Since I was nursing a cold, I decided to leave as soon as I finished my sketch to spare my lungs.

Fantasy Surf

Posted on by Thor

Fantasy Surf, (5151 Kyngs Heath Road Kissimmee, FL 34746), has the ultimate indoor wave. Referred to as “flow boarding”, a super strong stream of water rushes up a smooth blue embankment allowing experienced surfers an endless wave. I went to the facility to talk to Adam Mulls about sketching the National Championships. The place was constantly full of participants and spectators. It is located right behind a hotel which supplies many of the younger newbies who crash and burn when they try to stand. Falling, you are pushed up and over the top of the wave by the force of the water flow. Eager parents recorded the carnage on iPads and cell phones.

A blond haired teen mounted a water proof camera to the glass with a suction cup. She stretched like an Olympic swimmer and then took video of herself riding the wave. She was able to flip her board and negotiate every inch of the wave. An even younger boy was doing tricks effortlessly.  They now have trampoline jumping as an Olympic sport. Flow boarding would be an awesome Olympic event to watch. Adam stood at the top of the wave acting as the life guard. He rode the wave once, showing some mad skills.

 Fantasy Surf is hosting the 2012 Carbon US Flow Tour National Championships
during the weekend of August 10-12th. The public is encouraged to take part as spectators
as the best flow boarders in the world battle it out for a chance at the
National Title.  If you are a FLOW Tour competitor or follower, looking for event lodging, please visit fantasyworldresort.com to book reservations for a 2 bed room condo and full amenities and sleep 6 people. When booking online use the PROM CODE: FLOW to receive a special $99.00 per night rate. Click here for the competition entry form and waiver.

Complimentary rider practice begins August 10th from 3:00pm- 9:00pm. Bleachers will be set up for spectators and the lounge will be reserved for contestants only. Outside, tents will be lined up with skateboarding, merchandise and food vendors. The competition should offer an awesome weekend sketch opportunity.