Wonderland Tea Party

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Lesley Silvia teaches photography at Full Sail. I first met Lesley and her husband Jared at the Kerouac House. Jared is a writer. Leslie decided to host an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party for her birthday party. The tea party was held in a large pavilion at Secret Lake Park (200 Ivy Road, Casselberry). Terry and I used an iPhone GPS to drive to the Secret Lake. We arrived at a softball field and parking lot. There was only one other car in the parking lot. This couldn’t be it. We decided to drive off and find another road that approached the secret lake. No wonder the lake was secret. Paper bag mushrooms lined the approach to the pavilion. A white rabbit and topiary decorated the tables. It was a lavish affair.

A dozen or so of Lesley’s friends were gathered in the shade of the pavilion. It was a hot humid day. Women were given bright top hats that Lesley had made with paper and hot glue. Men were given newspaper bow ties. Vegan cupcakes were being arranged on the center table and Lesley had jars of raw tea that we could scoop up to make our own tea bags. A coffee machine supplied the hot water. Jared set up several large fans that offered a welcome breeze.  I made iced tea by soaking my tea bag in a half cup of hot water and then putting in ice cubes.

Many of the people gathered were artists and Leslie gave each one of those Russian nesting dolls that stack inside each other. Markers, colored pencils, brushes and paint were supplied so anyone who wanted to could create a masterpiece. Terry created one of her patented smiley face creations. There were some fabulous creations. One had monster’s heads that could be rotated to sit on various monster bodies. After tea, finger sandwiches and cupcakes, a few people braved the sun to play bocce ball on the lawn. Terry and I rushed off to see The Avengers movie.

SketchCrawl

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Terry and I got on the free bus to Blue Spring State Park. At Blue Spring everyone piled off and immediately crowded onto the first wooden platform overlooking the spring. A Manatee was relaxing in the bright green sunshine. A turtle sunned himself on a log. An alligator stealthfully approached the log. The turtle got nervous and slipped into the water. I had never seen Blue Spring State Park so crowded. Terry and I decided to walk up the wooden boardwalk to the source of the spring. There the crystal clear water could be seen gushing up from a fissure. Hundreds of foot long black fish were lying around the fissure all of them facing away, looking from the distance like tad poles. Groups of them would periodically swim to the water’s surface where they would splash their snout out of the water before swimming back to the bottom. It looked like they were rising up to breathe, but fish have gills. I didn’t notice any bugs on the water’s surface. It was a strange ritualistic dance that still has me guessing.I didn’t sketch any manatees at Blue Spring since it was so darn cold and the crowds of people were crushing. We saw maybe ten manatees in all.

When we got back to the festival site, there was a huge line of people waiting to get back on the bus. I am glad we went to the spring early. It was time for some greasy festival food. I was starving. We settled on grilled hot dogs. On the main stage Bubba ” Whoopass “Wilson was performing. As he sang “Southern Girl“, we found a picnic table and sat down. I became fascinated with an older couple sitting arm in arm listening to the music. I got my sketchbook out as soon as I finished eating. Terry read the book she had brought along while I worked. A young family sat opposite me. The boy, maybe 12 years old, became fascinated with what I was doing. When he lost interest, he started dreaming about going on all the rides. He turned to his mom and said, “Are you sure you only have four dollars.” She shook her head. Any hopes he had of getting on the rides faded away from his face.

By the time I finished this sketch, the sun was getting low on the horizon and it was getting colder. Terry and I decided to drive to Deland and walk around the quaint downtown district. I hadn’t noticed another sketch artist all day. This had been a solo SketchCrawl. If others did stop out, I hope they got to fully experience everything this home grown festival had to offer.

Manatee Festival

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For the 30th International SketchCrawl I created an event page on Facebook inviting Orlando Artists to join me on a trip up to Orange City to sketch at the Manatee festival. I had never been to this festival before, so I didn’t know what to expect. Terry and I drove about an hour north to the festival which is right near Blue Spring State Park. We parked my Xterra on a football field next to Valentine Park. I was surprised when we got to the entrance to find out there was a $8 entrance fee. This was the first I had heard about an entrance fee so we paused. We found out that the entrance fee included entrance to Blue Spring as well and I knew that parking in Blue Spring is $6.There was a free shuttle bus from the festival to Blue Spring and back so we decided it was worth it. Besides I had told other artists that this was the first stop on the crawl.

This was your basic cotton candy and corn dog brand of festival. We walked around to see all the tents and then Terry informed me that Frisbee catching dogs were going to perform at 11am. She sat in the bandstands and I sat with a view of a giant inflatable dog with a Frisbee in its mouth. All the dog performers were rescue dogs. The wind picked up and the inflatable dog toppled backwards. People quickly came out and reset stakes to keep it in Place. The crowd grew thick and I only caught the smallest glimpse of the dogs running and catching Frisbees. Mothers knelt down beside their toddlers to share the moment. A man who had been building sandcastles complimented my drawing. He said he had recently taken up painting but he never realized he might have to draw anything before applying paint.

When the dog show was over I realized I had not noticed any other artists sketching. I walked around looking for anyone holding a sketchpad. Belly dancers on the man stage distracted me as the danced the train station scene from “Slumdog Millionaire.” I don’t know if other artists ever did show up. I was enjoying the moment and considering what to sketch next.

Champs Sports Bowl Parade of Bands

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The Parade of Bands took place in Winter Park on the Great Lawn of Central Park. The two bands were from rivaling college football teams that would be playing the next day at the Citrus Bowl. There was a huge crowd of people on hand to see the parade. While walking toward the event I found myself behind a man with a walkie talkie and from his conversation I overheard that the bands were late.

I sat myself down and decided to sketch the waiting crowd. An area of lawn had been staked off with orange tape which I assumed would be he final staging area for the bands. An old man probably in his late 90’s was lying on the ground wrapped in a green blanket. Now this must have been a lifelong die hard fan. Many of the fans were elderly in walkers and wheelchairs. Children were also on hand running around and tossing footballs. In the sketch you can barley see a band as it marched down Park Avenue. I sketched in a hint of the tubas.

By the time the bands got to the staging area, I had finished the sketch and I started walking back to my truck. Throngs of football fans started flocking to the staging area. I had no desire to fight the growing crowd to sketch the bands proper. As I walked away, the battle of the bands was in full swing. I went home to warm up.

Christmas in the Park

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A free concert in Winter Park’s Central Park was the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit. It was a very cold night for Orlando. I arrived maybe half an hour early and already the great lawn was packed with families who had come out with picnic baskets, blankets, wine and even fine china and candles for the occasion. I felt a bit unprepared with just a sketchbook, pen and some watercolors. After I set up my stool on the sidelines, Ken Sperduso walked up and said hello. Ken was a former Disney colleague and a wonderful painter. I hadn’t seen Ken in ages, it was a pleasant surprise. His whole family was camped out not far behind me. Ken said he recognized me from behind because of the sketchbook in my lap.

Large shadow box containers were arranged on stage and around the lawn, housing original Tiffany stained glass windows which were created for a church in NYC in the early 1900’s. At the start of the concert they all were illuminated from behind. The instant they blazed brightly, the crowd burst forth with applause. It is rewarding to hear people applaud for visual art. These amazing works had iridescent colors that only Tiffany could perfect in molten glass. This display was made possible thanks to the Morse Museum which houses the world’s largest collection of Tiffany’s work.

The concert featured the Bach Festival Choir and Brass Ensemble. As I sketched, I pulled my hands up into the sleeves of my sweatshirt to try and keep them warm. Periodically I had to blow into my cupped hands for added warmth. It felt like Christmas time. When I finished the sketch I walked around in the crowd for a while looking for a possible second sketch. I walked under a streetlamp so I could see the colors I had just painted for the first time. Mr. and Mrs. Claus were handing out candy to children. They were dressed in vintage 1900’s red wool and white fur outfits. They looked warm as they calmly posed for family photos. I considered a sketch but my fingers were cold, and the jolly couple were constantly on the move. The Park Avenue store windows glowed warm and inviting. With all the families huddling close together for warmth and the angelic voices of the children on stage singing, I started feeling out of place, alone, with only my obsessive compulsion to sketch as company. As I turned away and walked down Park Avenue towards my truck, I pulled the sweatshirt hood up over my head and felt instantly warmer. The children’s voices were still harmonizing behind me and I let the warmth spread as I walked briskly back toward home.

Theater Tailgate #1

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I arrived at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater to find Brian Feldman, Sultana Ali and my wife Terry relaxing in lawn chairs in the parking lot. Sultana’s Nissan Pathfinder had it’s tailgate open exposing her clutter. I noted the clutter, like her Vasque hiking boots and a dinosaur puzzle, since she asked me to neaten things up in the sketch. Brian offered Terry a non-alcoholic drink since she arrived just moments before I did. Brian initiated this tailgate party for “The 39 Steps” which was having its first matinee performance that day. The truck’s stereo was playing a book on tape reading of the John Buchan book the play is based on. I sat in the shade across the way to sketch. Sultana jogged over and put a pirate head eraser on my pencil. Then Matt Simantov arrived with Amanda Chadwick who was hooting and hollering. “Oh Yea! Time for a theater tailgate party! Wooo!”
This tailgate party had been going on since about nine that morning with the actual play starting at two. I arrived for the last hour figuring the largest number of people would be involved right before the show. This is an inspired idea. I’m usually rushing to get to performances on time. In fact, I missed one Fringe performance by being late. It would be so nice to arrive early, socialize and enjoy great conversations with friends at a relaxed tailgate. I hope arts groups around town adopt and expand on the idea, or I hope Brian expands the premise. This idea has a touch of the Fringe about it and its time has come.

Green Lawn of Fabulousness

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Between shows I relaxed on the “Green Lawn of Fabulousness” and did a sketch of the beer tent and crowd. Someone had a mini TV tuned in to the Magic playoff game which was going on that night at the Amway Arena. She usually attends the playoff games, and she sacrificed going to the game in order to see what Brian Feldman might do for the “Creative Mind Experiment.” Jessica Mariko is the mastermind behind the “The Creative Mind Experiment.” She invited over twenty different artists to all listen to the same clip of music and then build a performance based on what they heard and felt. The music clip is three minutes and thirty-three seconds. I took part in the project during its first performance, playing a video which had several hundred of my drawings edited together to build a sort of storyboard about life in Orlando.

I used an LED book lamp in order to see what I was doing while drawing this sketch. Several people stopped by to see what I was up to. And I am always surprised and delighted when strangers walk up to me and compliment me for the blog. The green lawn is the perfect rest stop between shows. This night there was a nice cool breeze and the sky lit up with stars was crystal clear. Every now and then as I drew, Sultana would shake her fist in the air and shout, “Defense, Defense!” In the end, the Orlando Magic crushed the Celtics.

I did not try and sketch Brian’s performance. I knew I only had three minutes, so I just sat back and enjoyed. Brian walked out on the empty stage and pulled a vegan candy bar out of his pocket. He gently unwrapped it and took a bite. He then took a second bigger bite. Soon the whole bar was in his mouth and he struggled to swallow. Before he had it all down he opened a second candy bar and shoved more in his mouth. The audience could not stop laughing. He then devoured a third candy bar and started to gag. He turned his back to the audience and hunched over. He took a few steps towards the back of the stage and went down on his knees. On his hands and knees he finally swallowed the three bars. He got up, took a bow and walked off stage. The audience was hysterical. When the show was over the audience voted for three acts in three categories. The coveted prize was a candy bar!

Fringe of Nature

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I had camped out with Sultana Fatima Ali at the Orlando Fringe box office in order to get a ticket to go on Brian Feldman’s overnight primitive camping trip, “Fringe of Nature.” Sultana got the first ticket and I managed to get the second ticket. I was going to join Brian and Sultana on the first night, but Terry decided she would like to come along for the camping trip so we changed the date to my birthday, May 22. Only two people are suppose to go out on the hike each night, and only 10 tickets are available to this unique Fringe performance. On the trip to the Shakespeare Theater Terry stopped at a Publix and got a coconut frosted birthday cake. I thought this was a strange item to try and bring on a 3.5 mile hike into the woods. We sat down in the patrons room and waited for Brian to arrive. Terry cut up the cake and set all the pieces out on paper plates. Sultana stopped by with her mom, Mary Beth, who is an artist herself. We kept offering cake to people who walked past our table and soon Dewey Chaffee, Douglas McGeoch, and Anna McCambridge, Sultana, Mary Beth and Terry were all singing “Happy Birthday.” Their voices resonated and echoed in the patrons room and this workaday song suddenly sounded angelic. When I hear this song in a public restaurant I always let out a groan. But when the song has my name in it, the song is suddenly beautiful. At home, the amazing number of Facebook birthday greetings left me humbled wanting to cry.

Outside, Brian drove up in a brand new 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman which had been supplied by Orlando MINI for the project. Matt Simantov joined our group and we soon had everything packed and set off into the wild unknown. I knew the drive was only maybe 45 minutes so I rushed to get the sketch of Brian driving. His hat hid his eyes and he said, “This is the first time I get to look like Beetle Bailey.” I really like the circular flowing lines of the MINI Cooper. Since my Xterra is starting to age less than gracefully, I need to start thinking of a more fuel efficient alternative.

When we all arrived at Wekiwa Springs State Park, we parked the MINI Cooper and Matt’s car in the parking lot. There was a restroom but it was way in the distance, about a quarter mile away. We arrived at about six or so and it was still very hot. A small dirt service road soon branched off into a narrow path through palmettos and shrub. Matt and Terry joked about walking through the deserts of Tatooine from Star Wars. Terry started singing, “I’m happy when I’m hiking, pack upon my back…” This was an old Girl Scouts song and none of the three guys knew it. At one point, a large animal made plenty of noise as it rushed into the palmettos. We shouted and tried to look big, which is advice given if you should startle a bear.

The sun was starting to turn orange and was very low on the horizon when we reached “Camp Cozy.” Brian and I set up the six person tent and Matt and Terry started gathering wood for a campfire. I managed to light the fire using maybe six matches. A large log which had been eaten by termites offered a nice starter. Matt and Brian put headlamps on and I had a cheap one which stopped working after half an hour. We didn’t cook anything but just ate sandwiches we had bought at Publix. Then we roasted square vegan marshmallows.

Matt kept using a huge bowie knife he had strapped to his leg to cut up a log which helped keep the fire burning. I sliced open my left thumb by tugging at a dry palmetto frond. The palmetto stem had jagged edges; thank god I had my Jesus bandages, which had been a gift from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I also bought along a very flat LED light which Brian placed inside the portable marquee which allowed it to illuminate at night since we couldn’t find a darn plug. Brian had a package of square vegan marshmallows and I tried one. It didn’t burn like a regular marshmallow and I took my time waving it in the open flames until it was a perfect golden brown. It actually tasted really good. It was as good as the real thing without the animal by-products.

As I sketched, I heard the high pitched whine of millions of mosquitoes all circling around me and waiting to find an opening in the insect repellent that covered every inch of my body. I was the first to get in the tent for the night. At three in the morning, I ventured out and marveled at the bright half moon with pitch black pine trees sweeping up to meet it. In the distance, a mist made the far trees a subtle blue gray and the stars were bright and clear. I understood why Van Gogh painted Starry Night.

 At sunrise, I convinced Brian to join me for an eight minute run along the trail. The sun was just piercing the verticals of the trees and the path weaved left and right. Huge dew covered spider webs would cross the path forcing us to duck in order to avoid them. Running along a tight path with trees flying by makes it feel like you are running a lot faster than you are. We all agreed to go to the springs when the camp was broken down. On the hike back, Brian lost patience with the slow pace of the person at the end of the hiking column. He named this hiker iPod, since the hiker never went a moment without listening to and sometimes singing along to the songs on their iPod playlist. Brian marched out at a quick pace. I stayed with the slower hiker and suddenly the three of us were faced with a fork in the trail. There were no trail blazes on either trail. I called Brian using my cell and got his answering message. I said simply, “Left or Right?” A few minutes later Brian called back and said, “Left.” The parking lost was less than a quarter mile down that path. A parking lot never looked so enticing. The air conditioning in the MINI was delicious.

On the drive to the springs, a beautiful deer silently strutted across the road in front of the MINI Cooper. Brian stopped to watch her and she tilted her head to the side to look over her shoulder at us. The silent staring contest lasted just a moment before she quietly walked into the woods. At the springs, the water was a refreshing 72 degrees and I was in within minutes. I swam across the springs once and then got out to do a quick sketch. Brian and Matt floated around in the middle of the springs for a long time talking. There are two more chances to experience this unique Fringe show for yourself. Get a ticket before they are all gone.

Thursday May 27, 5:30 PM

Friday May 28, 5:30 PM

The Pollock Project

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I went to the Mennello Museum of American Art to watch and sketch Beth Marshall’s, “The Pollock Project“. This performance was a unique collaboration with drama intertwined with performances by the DRIP dance troupe. The first evening I focused all my attention on the beginning of the performance which took place outside the front steps of the museum. I had seen this DRIP dance routine in rehearsals so I was curious to see the final performance. I had not realized that audience members were encouraged to sit right underneath the Plexiglas canvas as the dancers painted it. As soon as Jessica Mariko told me this I put down my seat and staked out my claim on this prime seating real estate. I started a sketch from this vantage point but ended up erasing it since I felt I would need a much larger sheet of paper to catch the wide angle view. When more people crowded under the Plexiglas “canvas” I decided to pull back and sketch from a short distance to catch the audience. I was still working on the sketch when the audience went inside the museum for the second act. Stubbornly I remained behind to finish my sketch. When the audience returned back outside I was still hard at work.
I returned for the second performance so I could experience the show firsthand as an audience member. This time I remained under the Plexiglas to watch the DRIP dancers as they went through their ritualistic dance and painting routine. A little boy seated behind me said to his mother, “It looks like syrup.”
Inside the museum the drama unfolded as Hans Namuth, a photographer, interviewed Pollock in front of the two original paintings on exhibit in the museum as part of the Auspicious Visions exhibition. The interview gets heated when Hans mentions to Pollock what some critics said about his work, for instance a 1959 headline read, “It’s a bad joke in bad taste.” Pollock goes ballistic, angrily pacing around the room defending his work. He storms out of the room and shouts back that he wants the photographer out of his house. Lee Krasner, his wife, manages to calm him down and in a more levelheaded way he tries to explain himself to Hans. He explains that his pictures do not have a beginning or an end, that style isn’t important. His method is a growth out of a need. Lee explains that Pollock’s painting are numbered rather than named since Jackson doesn’t want people to have a preconceived notion of what they are looking at. Where he to title a painting, “Horse”, then people would find a need to see a horse.
I felt that John DiDonna gave a memorable performance at the temperamental Jackson Pollock and Douglas McGeouch’s quiet demure performance as Hans Namuth stood in stark contrast, offering a calm in the storm. Jennifer Bonner with her thick Brooklyn accent was a believable Lee Krasner, who had her hands full trying to keep Jackson steady through his violent mood swings. The small gallery room was crowded with the audience all standing on the outer walls trying to leave room for the angry Pollock. The tight space added to the claustrophobic feel of the drama.
The third act takes place back outside where Jackson Pollock paints while Nemuth shoots his film footage. It is during this act that the collaboration is in full effect. The DRIP dancers, now free of the ladders are given full reign to express themselves through dance. Jackson dances around the canvas creating his “action painting” as the dancers perform. I was particularly moved when audience members each read a quote about Jackson Pollock. It left me feeling that no matter what critics might say, it is the people viewing the art who will finally decide its worth over time.

Manatee Display

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This Manatee sculpture stood on the porch of the Thursby house. It was roped off to keep tourists from touching it. The surface was covered with thousands of small mosaic tiles. People would press up against the ropes so they could get a picture taken next to the manatee. I overheard one lady telling her guests that as a child she used to swim with the manatees. She said the manatees would swim right up to you and roll over so you could scratch there tummy’s. A few children started to harass the animals so park rangers had to stop letting people swim in the spring waters.