Earth Day Endangered Species

Posted on by Thor

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.

Landmark Forum

Posted on by Thor

While I was sketching in the lobby of the Sonesta Hotel, Kelly Medford, an artist from Florence Italy struck up a conversation. She invited me to return the next day to experience what she called a wisdom workshop which is an offshoot of “Landmark Forum.” Being curious, I returned. When I entered the ballroom, people were gathered in small clusters in animated conversations. There was a point to all the social interactions. On the chalkboard at the front of the room the following questions were written: “What is happening in your life? What do you want to get out of being here?” It was later stated that life is a conversation, that one person can change a conversation and a conversation can change the world. Participants were asked to continue a conversation even when it got uncomfortable. One person said that when the conversation moved beyond the awkward moment, then suddenly the person would offer some insight which he needed. Everyone was asked to get seated. I continued to work on the sketch in the back of the room. People were asked to introduce guests. Kelly stood and gave me such a glowing introduction about being an influential artist who is helping build and strengthen the arts community. I got choked up, and a tear rolled down my cheek. I didn’t bother to wipe it away since no one was close enough to see. I shouted out, “Thank you Kelly” and got right back to work.
On tables around the room, there were scrapbooks which had visual biographies. Each page signified a year. Kelly showed me hers and there were childhood photos and snippets of conversation. Post its with negative thoughts were pasted here and there. These negative comments were things she said at the workshop and they originated years ago in her past. By recognizing the origin of the negative thoughts she could leave them behind. She could complete her past.
Other collages were called Originating Circles. They acknowledged that words that come out of our mouths create our new reality. Images were picked to symbolize those words. I read the back of one,
“Seems like I don’t trust women.”
“Seems like I don’t trust people.”
“Seems like life is a big lie.”
“Seems like everybody but me is crazy.”
None of these statements were true and by visualizing them they can again leave them behind.
The workshop really stressed the idea that we are part of a community. We need to talk to people to find out what they have to offer. If we use the community, anything is possible. Things we create live through other people.
Another important aspect of the workshop was to recognize the importance of play in our adult lives. Life can be play and it is important to bring that to the people in our lives. By playing we bring a flow back into life. As an exercise people sat in circles and had to relate something that they always wanted to do in a group but never had. Kelly pointed out that she had just seen people shouting out hell and brimstone on Church Street at night. She had never shouted out her convictions to a group. She stood on a chair an shouted with her fist raised. I had related that I never express anger. I shouted in anger though I had no one to direct it at. Then the play began. I was recruited as part of a human pyramid. At the front of the room a chorus line formed and then a conga line. A woman related that while she was in the women’s room, she started singing, “If your happy and you know it clap your hands!” Women in the other stalls started to sing along. When it was all over, Carl related that “This never happens in life, only in the movies. In the proper environment there can be play. Thank you.”
To make anything happen, first you must dream it. Perhaps a community that allows for play is possible. The universe rewards action. Nervousness is power and energy. Be big in the moment. Inspire those around you with playful exuberance. Continue to grow every day. Think big, pursuing that dream while being truly alive.

ColORLANDO an Arts Community Mural

Posted on by Thor

During the Sonesta Hotel’s ColORLANDO event benefiting the Downtown Arts District, I didn’t have a single moment to sketch. All night I danced an exhausting ballet trying to keep everyone who wanted to paint busy while also doing enough of the painting myself to give the huge canvas a unified look. I was like an alchemist quickly pouring acrylic paints into plastic cups and searching for the right colors. I had to use a transparent glazing medium to make the paint act like the watercolors I use every day. With so many guests approaching the canvas at once, I couldn’t always advise people, and sometimes paint was glopped on with abandon, hiding and weakening the sketch. Most of my time was devoted to reworking spots which drew attention to themselves. My attention was constantly being pulled in many directions at once.

A friend who offered to show up early and help, didn’t show. Two interns who were going to assist me never showed. Terry offered to watch the prints and T-shirts that were for sale. She ended up abandoning the table to party upstairs. With sunlight streaming through the lobby windows, the canvas was translucent. By the time we were painting, the sun had set. While some friends fell to the wayside, others quickly recognized the need and stepped in to help, sometimes for hours at a time. I am blessed to have such amazing friends. Doug Rhodehamel painted a tree to make it look like a mushroom.

The party going on upstairs offered free drinks and plenty of food. Later in the evening, guests would stop down who had definitely had a few drinks. Keeping their work on task was the greatest challenge of the evening. It is a fine line trying to allow some individual expression as long as it worked with the whole piece. Only once did I have to grab a paint brush to stop someone who seemed to be thickly painting a whole building deep purple. Sultana, the event organizer, groaned and turned to me saying, “Stop her!” I rushed in and made changes before the paint dried.

I hadn’t eaten, and there was no way I could abandon the canvas, but someone finally got me a slice of cake and a beer. I don’t know the brand, but that was the best cup of beer I ever tasted.

After the bar closed upstairs there was a rush of people who wanted to help. Several people were conspiring to put Mickey Mouse ears on the castle and one woman complained that Harry Potter and Universal weren’t displayed. I joked that I had never seen the new attraction. It turns out she works for Universal so I may sketch the new attraction soon. (There is still time f0r me to paint it in, hint.) The mural now on display in the Sonesta Hotel lobby has all the signatures of everyone who helped me that night. Thank you all for this amazing experience similar to Tom Sawyer’s whitewashed fence.

The abandoned merchandise table had two $200 prints mysteriously disappear along with many T-shirts. Three friends who knew me, paid for shirts as I continued to paint. The T-shirt I was wearing was stained with sweat all night.

The next day I had no desire to be around any people. I drove to Cocoa Beach and sat staring at the sandpipers who ran from the oncoming waves then chased the waters edge as the thin film flowed back. Scurry and peck, an active full life. There wasn’t a soul within fifty yards of me all day.

I returned to do this sketch of the mural on display in the lobby the following day. As I sketched, a busload of young models entered the lobby and the place exploded with conversation and girlish laughter. A woman with Kelly written on her name tag asked if I was Thor. She is an artist and she uses the same sketchbook I do. She was in the hotel attending a wisdom seminar and I was invited to sketch the next day’s session. Life and the blog, marches on. Mark Moravec, the hotel’s general manager, saw me sketching and expressed how happy he was with the event. Even with the setbacks, I was proud and satisfied to have been part of such an amazing collaborative experience.