Henry VI Part 2: She Wolf of France: First Pass

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The first sketch for Henry VI featured Margaret of Anjou. My depiction had her head largely covered in a metal mesh with her hair disheveled.

Most elements of this design would progress towards the final painting. However The She Wolf of France needed work. I wanted something more angular and cubist to the armor. I sought inspiration in classic sculptures.

Margaret was known as the she wolf of France because of her fierce and determined nature during the Battle of the Roses.

The play involves a love triangle, a plot to murder, and a rebellion which are all part of this thrilling tale – centered on the Wars of the Roses! In this raw, “Bare Bard / Original Practices” production, Orlando Shakes’ actors will perform the play with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time! Don’t miss this exciting next chapter in Orlando Shakes’ popular Fire & Reign Series. The show runs through January 19, 2025. Tickets are Pay what you will, between $15 and $50.

Henry VI: First Ad seen

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It is always a pleasant surprise to see the first add using my poster art for a new show, in this case Henry V Part 2. I reused the Henry VI hand drawn title for the previous years Henry VI Part 1 since I figured some continuity was needed. I find it funny that the thumbs up symbol for likes fell right on Margaret of Anjou‘s left hand making it look like she were giving a thumbs up rather than clenching her fist.

This is a rare case where we found out who was cast in the part before the poster was complete so I painted the actress for the poster.

I looked at heroic sculptures as inspiration for this scene. Since the play takes place during the war of the roses, it made sense to include a huge red and white rose. The vertical blue background implies a misty forest.

Orlando Shakes continues the exciting saga of Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy! A love triangle, a plot to murder, and a rebellion are all part of this thrilling tale – centered on the Wars of the Roses! In this raw, “Bare Bard / Original Practices” production, Orlando Shakes’ actors will perform the play with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time!

Henry V Part 2: The She Wolf of France ruins January 8 -19, 2025. Tickets are Pay What You Will, between $15 and $50.

A Christmas Carol: Final Poster

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For the final version of A Christmas Carol poster, for the Orlando Shakes,  the title had to be larger. that meant slipping the paint lover thus removing the floor in the scene.

Instead of the detailed room setting I added a shimmering red glow to the background. This was an abstract element to keep visual interest behind the title and credits. The focus of the scene is the torch flame and the background helped make that very clear.

I am surprised the old English cursive credits made it to the final poster. I remember being told at one point that people in this digital age have trouble reading cursive writing. It would be a shame to only use bold block lettering for fear that the digital mind can not comprehend the more flamboyant cursive style. Charles Dickens hand writing was definitely cursive and rather messy. I am a fan of leaving some of the messiness of the creative process. I always feel the need to see the imperfect touch of the human hand.

Merry Christmas one and all.

A Christmas Carol: Poster 2nd Pass

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The second pass at A Christmas Carol poster involved zooming in a bit for a medium close up shot. Two children were removed and I gave Tiny Tim his crutch back. With the crutch raised over his head however it seemed to dominate the scene.

I liked the glowing lights in the background and would have liked adding snow to the street. In general it was working but something was missing. Perhaps it was too dark.

I decided to press on and work on a completely new scene to give options. I could have pushed this forward and resolved anything that was making me uncomfortable. The next rendition however had pure brightness and a sense of glowing celebration. That ultimately is what was needed.

 

 

A Christmas Carol: First Rough Sketch

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This rough sketch was an attempt to create a poster similar to the one I had done the first year but with the actual cast from a Shakespeare Theater production.

It was decided that we really didn’t need to see all the cast from a distance.  Seeing the feet on the ground wasn’t needed. I had neglected to draw Tiny Tim’s crutch which would make him difficult to identify. I had to decided weather to hide it in the lower hand or thrust it up in the air with the raised hand. It was also decided that the two extra siblings were not needed for the poster.

The time I did not put into painting the figures, I had put into refining the title for the poster. The new title treatment was accepted as is. My placement of the Charles Dickens and adopted by credits was a bit sloppy but I would give that placement much more though as I refined the poster image.

This rough sketch was enough to send me in a new direction which I would push much further along. I knew the the illuminated

A Christmas Carol is running at the Shakes through December 22, 2024. General Admission tickets are $25. The show is in the Margeson Theater at the Orlando Shakes, 812 E Rollins St Orlando, FL 32803.

A Christmas Carol: First Ad Seen

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It is always fun to see the first ads that appear for shows that are coming up. When I design the poster I supply all the different elements as separate layers so that different sizes can be accommodated. I design the poster vertical but then do a second version that is horizontal. This square ad lives somewhere between those options. Brianna Bell the web and graphic designer does such a good job making design adjustments for all uses. She even produced cool video animations that help bring the poster and the show to life.

I have designed A Christmas Carol poster each year I have been painting these images. One year the poster from the previous year was reused but I also did several variations that were not used. This poster used elements from previous unused posters to come up wit a new images for the show. A Christmas Carol has plenty of darker imagery which attracts my aesthetic, but it is the images that express some joy of the season which make the grade and get used.

The annual tradition continues at Orlando Shakes with the return of one of Central Florida’s favorite holiday classics! The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a “bah humbug,” until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Come see this classic, heartwarming story at Orlando Shakes – a magical and musical spectacle for the whole family!

A Christmas Carol runs through December 22, 2024. Tickets are between $25 and $47. there are special deals for Military and students.

Macbeth Final

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The final version of the poster had MACBETH surrounded by a cast wearing black stocking masks as they lay their hands on the king. The hands on each side of his head imply that the crown had just been placed. it is a bit akimbo feeling not quite set in place yet.

Since the Shakes is under renovation, very few people drive to the theater and therefor they do not see the large posters hanging in front of the theater. I am not sure when plays will once again be stages in the theater.

This production of Macbeth is being staged at Fringe Art Space in downtown Orlando. The cast are UCF masters degree students.  Tickets.

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2024

Where: Fringe ArtSpace

54 W Church St Suite 201, Orlando, FL 32801

When:

November 1:

  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

November 2:

  • Matinee: 2:00 – 3:20 PM
  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

What the Constitution Means to Me: Final

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The final version of the poster for What the Constitution Means to Me has the actress much larger. There was an earlier version of this that had that looked too much like Heidi Schreck,

Altering the face and making her look much younger was actually quite fun. The paint itself was moved and morphed to fit the new drawing that I created for her face. I was surprised at how fast 20 years could be dropped.

The book cover was designed to match what an actual printed constitution looks like. Audience Members will each get a copy of the constitution to take home at each performance.

This really is a show that you should not miss. It will have you laughing out loud and also rethinking just what the founding fathers had in mind when they crafted this document. Presented by the Orlando Shakes, the show runs from October 2-13, 2024 at the Edyth Bush Theater at Orlando Family Stage, 1001 East Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Get your tickets now.

What the Constitution Means to Me.

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The posters I created for the Orlando Shakes are starting to appear with online variations. What the Constitution Means to Me is a truly inspired one woman show written by Heidi Schreck.

Heidi brings the audience back to when she was 15 years old and gave talks about the constitution at competitions held at American Legion Halls for prize money. She presented the constitution as a hot sweaty document that recognized that the person you are today might not the be person you are in the future. For all its short comings, the Constitution presents hope that it can and will evolve. I teared up every time I watched the play, there is a visceral joy in the hope that we can evolve.

Becky Baird will be playing the lead part. I had no idea what Becky looked like since she was not yet cast for the part when I created the poster, but I must say the smile on my poster is a close match to her smile. Any time I see a new actor taking on such an ambitious role, I feel inspired. It takes bravery just to audition, but to tackle such a large sweeping role is beyond brave. It reminds me that I need to keep putting myself out there. The creative process is a long road and seldom traveled on a straight line.

This poster evolved quite a bit as it was created and faced approvals. I will share those variations over the next few days. I was just so happy to see The Constitution make an appearance online that I had to share. Tickets are on sale now.

Fringe: A Drag is Born

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I loved the opening minutes of A Drag is Born at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. After the usual opening introductions, one of which was by a Fringe volunteer, wearing a pink flamingo hat, who had no idea she would end up on stage. The house grew silent. There was a glorious lengthy instrumental fanfare and then again a long silence.

People in the audience began to clap which would fade and then come back in another enthusiastic wave. I soon realized someone seated in the front row at house right was starting the clapping waves. I was trying to draw the guy in the baseball hat and he kept looking in that direction, so I stopped drawing for a while.

The guy in the front row was indeed the performer, Canarian artist Edu Diaz. I just learned this today, but the Canary islands  belong to Spain but are geographically in the north of Africa. He tried to make a break for the exit but a spotlight caught him. The audience had to encourage him to get up on the stage, which he did reluctantly. He leaned in towards a microphone and was shocked when he sounded like a seasoned female Broadway  musical actress.

What followed was a glittering and glorious performance as he pealed away layers to show off vibrant outfits in various colors of the rainbow. He understood the burlesque art of pealing off a glove with slow deliberateness. He never uttered a word but the audience was 100% behind him and wanted him to succeed. At times there was audio of a crowd muttering which I took as judgement which he learned to ignore. The show was part vaudeville, part clowning and part a celebration of brilliant fashion and individuality. The performer transformed from an awkward guy in a drab hiking outfit, into a diva that gained the love of the audience. At the start his expression was sad, and frightened but by the end his faced beamed with confidence and joy. The audience stood for a long standing ovation.

After the performance, Edu said that this was his first time leaving the creative bubble of New York City and he loves the energy of the Orlando Fringe. You should go, it is a fabulous time. I give the show 5 outfit changes.

The show is in the Pink Venue at the Orlando Shakes. It is rated 13 and up with a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.

The remaining show times are…

  • Thursday May 23, 7:55pm
  • Saturday May 25, 7:10pm
  • Sunday May 26, 10:45pm