July 4th Fireworks at Lake Eola Park

Posted on by Thor

July 4th was my first day back from a vacation in the Canadian Rockies. It turns out that they celebrate Canada Day on July 1st, the same week as our Independence Day. Terry and I went to watch fireworks in the small mountain town of Jasper Alberta. The whole town must have shown up to see the fireworks display on the soccer field of the local high school. Everyone found a spot on a steep grassy hill. Some people wore the Canada flag as a cape and there were plenty of Canada flag temporary tattoos. At the base of the hill next to the baseball diamond was a fenced in beer garden. People got anxious as it got closer to the start time which was very late. The sun sets much later way up north in the cool mountains.

It was still dusk when the first burst went off and echoed off the mountains. Streaming rockets that looked like comets reached up to the night sky.  There were fireworks I had never seen before like twirling disks and showering curtains of light. I watched the crowd whose faces became illuminated by the bright explosions. Huge bursts went off only a few feet above the ground. A mortar rotated, firing like a machine gun in quick succession. Smoldering embers burned out in the grass. The crowd was constantly muttering oooh and aaah in appreciation. There was a magnificent finale with bursts layered on top of each other in a thunderous roar. People applauded and were surprised by a second even bigger finale. Then there was the crush of the crowd as everyone tried to leave. I took Terry’s hand so we wouldn’t be separated. One family had watched the fireworks from a boat that sat on a trailer next to the park. “Only in Jasper” one local high school student remarked.

Terry wasn’t up to going to Lake Eola to see Orlando’s fireworks. She needed some down time after all our traveling. I ventured out on my own to sketch. People had staked out their viewing spots hours before the fireworks were to start. The family seated in front of me must have been tourists from Eastern Europe. They came prepared with a full picnic and plenty of reading material. All around the lake, the crowds grew thick. The Orlando Concert Band played John Phillips Sousa tunes in the Band Shell. When my sketch was covered with red white and blue, I decided to leave. You can watch fireworks every day of the week in Orlando if you drive towards the theme parks at dusk. A woman was grateful to take my prime viewing real estate. As I walked away from the lake, crowds flowed toward the lake. Robinson was shut down. A mom explained to her daughter, “Look, its a walking and biking street!” I continued upstream like a salmon.

On the drive home, I heard a noise that sounded like something was hitting the inside of my wheel well. I turned off my radio to listen. I finally realized it was the sound of fireworks. In every direction, huge plumes of sparkling spheres exploded. Everywhere I looked the sky was on fire. In my subdivision neighbors competed with each other for the biggest blast. It was a beautiful sight. Back at home I watched Dead White and Blue with my very content Cockatoo cuddling in my lap. I got to experience Independence Day in two different countries this year. I have much to be grateful for.

Earth Day Celebration at Lake Eola

Posted on by Thor

April 19th was Earth Day and Orlandoans celebrated at Lake Eola Park. That day was also the 43rd World Wide Sketch Crawl, so I organized the Orlando Crawl to happen at the Earth Day Celebration. There were artist and vendor tents set up all through the park. I suggested that any artists could meet in the art vendor area, so that is where I set up to sketch. I sat right at the edge of a huge patch of Doug Rhodehamel‘s paper bag mushrooms. The mushrooms are part of his Spore Project which encourages people to be creative with the simplest of materials, a paper bag, stick and a rubber band.

Jon Glassman Gardner was set up in a tent nearby and he explained the mushrooms to people who were curious. Jon had dozens of colored glass magnets that had colorful patterns that resemble topographic maps. He discovered the pattern one day while pressing pigments between two sheets of glass. I’m the proud owner of several of these magnets that hold up sketches in the studio. He was also selling lanterns that featured his unique glass work. Between costumers, he was working on a spray can chandelier. He cut the cans open in a spiral pattern which made them look a bit like Man O War jellyfish. I believe he plans to group these together with lights to create the chandelier.

My plan to have artists meet at this event was flawed. The event was so large and crowded that it became impossible to find any other artists. One art student of Kathy Blackmore‘s introduced himself and I suggested he sketch something in the area. I should have given him my twitter handle or phone number so I could find him again in the crowd.  I assumed no one else showed up, but weeks later I was pleased to see that Plinio Pinto and Matthew Tardiff also sketched the Earth Day festivities that day. Though each artist was sketching on their own, they both found plenty of interesting subject matter to sketch. The next Sketch Crawl is July 12th. I need to get organized and learn how to bring artists together.

Claire and the Potatos Perform at the Earth Day Festival

Posted on by Thor

The Earth Day Festival was held at Lake Eola on April 19th. This was the same day as the World Wide SketchCrawl, so I invited artists to come to Lake Eola for a sketch marathon. The festival was so crowded that I never met any other artists. I did one sketch in the artist vendor’s area which was slated as the meeting place. When that sketch was done, I walked around the festival looking for other artists and scouting out the next sketch opportunity. Of course, when I heard music, I was gravitated towards it.

Claire and the Potatoes performed under a tent right on the eastern shore of Lake Eola. Last year, Claire was bitten by one of Lake Eola’s swans, so she kept an eye out as she sang. I sat on a low brick wall and sketched. Most of the audience stood on the walkway. All of the music was original dealing with misunderstood youth and romance. The group is a sort of pop hipster comfort band, with a soothing retro sound with dark undertones. The band members are Leslie Rising, Guy Larmay, Marc Sirdoreus and Jim Myers.Someone shot a photo of me working on the sketch, so this sketch circulated a bit on Facebook. Because of that, I thought I might have posted this sketch before. I’ve decided to sign each sketch when it goes online to help avoid confusion in the future. With this sketch done, I decided to call it a day and head home. I was discouraged that I didn’t meet any other artists but it turned out they were out there enjoying their day of sketching.

Mark Your Calendar! Tonight, July 12 between 8pm and 1am, Claire and The Potatoes will unleash their new
album, “Have An Okay Time With Claire and The Potatoes!”, and they’re
doing it at The Geek Easy (114 S. Semoran Blvd)!

It’s the first chance to get the new album (three days early, too),
and the first five people to purchase one will also receive one of the
few remaining copies of their first EP gratis!
Opening the show will be
Bucket of Nails (unpredictable spazz-rock from Orlando)
and then Figments (rock and roll from Tampa)
. There is no cover, so get out and soak up some tunes.

Spring Fiesta in the Park

Posted on by Thor

The Spring Fiesta in the Park on April 5th, featured 600 or so Artists and Crafters from all over the United States displaying and selling original works in outdoor tents around Lake Eola Park. There was plenty of outdoor fun and family activities at the largest arts and crafts festival in Orlando. There was also live entertainment and a kids’ area. After walking through much of the festival with Terry, she suggested I get a sketch done.

While shopping, Terry and I bumped into Andy Matchett, his friend Amanda Warren and their children. There is plenty to keep the kids occupied and active at this festival. Amanda let me know what Fringe show she was working on. I’m always looking for inside information about what creative work is happening in the arts scene in Orlando. Andy is now doing the musical direction for Legally Blonde at the Bay Street Theater, 109 N Bay St, Eustis, Fl. The show starts June 27th at 8pm.

This Richard Petty race car was located on the edge of the kids area. Occasionally people were encouraged to climb into the car for a photo opportunity. Getting into the car involved climbing through the oped driver’s door window. The Richard Petty driving experience is located at Disney World giving the average tourist a taste of what it is like to drive on a race track. That is something I’d like to sketch and experience someday. The experience is expensive however.

The Rookie Experience: $449 – $549
(8 laps of driving)

King’s Experience: $849 – $1,299
(18 laps of driving)

Experience of a Lifetime: $1,299 – $2,199
(30 laps of driving)

This was a very quick sketch and when it was done, Terry and I went out for tacos before heading home.

Fountain Facelift

Posted on by Thor

I did this sketch in 2011 when the Lake Eola Fountain was being repaired. Lightning had struck the fountain, melting glass and killing the motor that pumped the water. As the fountain was being repaired, yellow floats surrounded it and docking bumpers were in place for the boat that went out to do the repairs. The overhaul cost $1.6 million dollars. It’s the most expensive update in the fountain’s
history. After the lightning strike, the city received about $300,000
from a private insurer, but the company refused to pay the full cost of
repairs because the fountain was in such poor shape before the storm.

Mayor Buddy Dyer insisted on the repairs since he considers the fountain an Orlando Icon. Most of the money for the renovation , about $1.2 million came from the city’s own self-insurance fund. A downtown taxing district provided about $54,000, and private donations added the remaining $32,716. Public Works Director Alan Oyler said the fountain’s electric bill will show big savings from new energy-efficient pumps and LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs.

Music is piped into the park at night thanks to speakers added to light poles. The music is synchronized  to the fountain’s water display giving a Las Vegas style water show. Some of the sculptures added to the park add to the Vegas and Disney flavored camp that marks Orlando as a tourist destination rather than a cultural hub. I walk around the lake every time I do a sketch downtown and though I’m jaded, I still might hum a tune if the mood strikes me.

Gibson Guitars

Posted on by Thor

Orlando seems to periodically promote the arts by asking artists to decorate fiberglass lizards, busts and or guitars. In 2009  seven foot tall Gibson guitars were put on display at . One of these guitars is still on display inside City Arts factory near the restrooms.

This year busts of the Bride of Frankenstein are being supplied for decoration. The “Its Alive” Project is a non profit charity event benefiting St Jude Children’s Research fund. The last “It’s Alive” project had featured Frankenstein Busts at City Arts Factory in 2001. 

The call for artist submissions is now open for this year’s Bride of Frankenstein. Due to increased interest and returning artists, not all applicants can be accepted. All applications are to be submitted via email to:  itsaliveproject@gmail.com Please put your name in the title of the email.  (Example: Its Alive Project – Artist: (Your Name) A concept of your piece must be submitted for approval. This concept may be used in the exhibition. You are highly encouraged to submit designs that feature structural enhancements. For our protection, once a concept is approved a signed contract must be returned before any castings are shipped out. If you have any further questions, send a direct message through Facebook (not on the timeline) or via email to: itsaliveproject@gmail.com

Violectric Holiday Concert

Posted on by Thor

On December 20th there was a free concert by Violectric at the Walt Disney Amphitheatre at Lake Eola Park Orlando, Fl. The concert was presented by the City of Orlando Department of Families, Parks and Recreation. I arrived early to block the stage in my sketch before the performance began. As I was sketching, a guy walked up to me to see what I was up to. He leaned in close and got his nose right up to the sketch page. He remarked that my sketch reminded him of Max Ernst, who was a German surrealist painter. The obscure artistic reference made me think he must be an academic. As he waited for the concert to start, he bounced a tennis ball impatiently. When he bounced the ball onto the stage off the drum set, I began to think something was a bit off about him.

Patty Sheehan introduced the group. She asked the audience if they liked the new art in the park and reminded everyone that the park wasn’t always this nice. Violectric played Christmas tunes that they intermingled with rock and roll covers.  Their white dresses sparkled as they walked out. Even their eye shadow had sequins. At one point they gave two children tambourines so they could back up a performance of Jingle bells. Violetric is strictly an instrumental group so they encouraged the audience to sing along. The guy with the tennis ball belted out the lyrics a bit off key and danced in the isle.

Behind me a guy began cursing loudly, saying he hated this town and everyone in it. He eventually sat right behind me. His hair was wild and unkempt as was his beard. He looked a bit like a psychotic Santa. His cigarette made me cough a few times but I kept sketching. I felt him looking over my shoulder and luckily he refrained from cursing at what I was doing. For one song, the performers advised the audience that was singing along, that there were children in the audience, so they should watch what they sang for the next piece which was that song “Forget you“, the original lyrics were “F*ck you!” The guy seated close to me shouted out, “You talkin’ to me?” “You’re so beautiful, I want to marry you.” One of the performers shot back, “Get in line!” Despite the heckling, the performers always kept smiling. They were pros.

Lake Eola Sunset

Posted on by Thor

On August 28th I found myself downtown with several hours to spare before going to an artist paint out in front of Loft 55 Gallery and Boutique (55 West Church Street, suite 114, Orlando, Fl). Walking around Lake Eola I was struck by the amazing sunset and decided to do a straight forward landscape sketch. I avoided line much of the time trying to just capture the play of warm and cool colors in the sky and on the buildings. The city has invested in brand new swan peddle boats which must have cost a fortune. Joggers and people walking their dogs circled the lake.

There were several other events I could have been sketching, like an Urban ReThink Town hall meeting and a Social Media Club Meeting.  Sadly, Urban ReThink has had to close its doors, but It will be returning in a new form at the recently refurbished Cameo Theater (1013 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL). I was playing hookie. It felt good to slow down and take in the sunset.

Ting Pagoda

Posted on by Thor

In 1987 Mayor Bill Frederick added the pagoda style gazebo from Shanghai to Lake Eola park. The gazebo is 18 feet acres and 30 feet high, built by Nelson Ying who ran the China pavilion at Epcot. Ying also organized a trip for the mayor to China. Although the structure resembles a pagoda, it isn’t an official pagoda because it doesn’t have a second story. The total cost to add this structure to the park was $100,000. The pagoda hides a pollution control device in the lake.

The pagoda was fenced off when I sketched it because it was being pressure washed and wood was being repaired.  The pagoda was then repainted and new LED lights were installed for night time viewing. All of the storm water in downtown Orlando drains into Lake Eola where it is treated and pollution filtered.

A group of joggers gathered on the benches around me. It should be noted that the benches were designed to be too small for transients to sleep in them. One joggers chronometer showed that he was running 5 minute miles but he had only been jogging at a relaxed pace. The application must have just wanted him to feel good about his performance.

Marriage Equality Rally

Posted on by Thor

On June 27th, members of the LGBT community and supporters came together for the Marriage Equality Rally in Orlando Florida. The “Paint It Red Orlando” event pulled in thousands of supporters, for speeches from community and political figures. There was for food, drinks, music which made for a fun filled night at the band shell at Lake Eola, in Downtown Orlando.

Volunteers helped create the red paper bag luminaries and distribute them around the lake. Each bag had an electric candle and a tag that listed a gay couple that had been married. The wind kept knocking over bags so small sticks were added inside the bags to add weight. It was an impressive sight to see the bags surrounding the whole lake. They symbolically “Painted the Town Red”. It was a visually stunning
moment to celebrate Marriage Equality, the work that has taken place to
get to the Supreme Court, and to reflect on all of the struggles thus
far, as well as the work yet to be done.

 Speakers included representatives from Federal, State, and Local Government, local clergy,
activists, entertainers, a celebrity or two, and community members! Blue Starr was the Master of Ceremonies. This was a pep rally and celebration of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave federal benefits to legally married gays.While praising the decision, celebrants also expressed hope that same-sex marriage will one day be legal in Florida.

There were food trucks, a beer garden and a full bar. Signs on barricades listed “Rules of Conduct.” I didn’t quite understand the need for barricades but I suppose officials felt the need to limit beer consumption to the designated area around the band shell, much like the Fringe green lawn of fabulousness. Several buildings downtown and around the lake had red spotlights. The town was literally illuminated red. I had on my bright red shirt just by luck. I’m seldom one for preplanning when it comes to fashion. The huge crowd was fun and festive, partying late into the night. I walked around the lake reading all the names on the bags that celebrated love and life.