Apartment Hunt: Lake Formosa

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I have been moving from AirBnB to AirBnB in downtown Orlando to get a feel for where I might set up my art studio again. I have been living out of my backpack ever since returning from Europe. I loved Thornton Park. I stayed in two places in Thornton Park, and my favorite was above a barber shop a few blocks from Lake Eola and right across the street from the Falcon Bar.  From the studio window I could look over Lake Eola toward the skyline in the west to see gorgeous sunsets.

Last week I stayed in Azalea Park. I thought Azalea Park was the neighborhood around Dickson Azalea Park which is lovely. I was wrong, Azalea Park is directly under flight path of planes landing at the Orlando Executive airport and the noise is overwhelming. Since that nightmare, I made a map that includes the noise levels from planes.

Today I moved to Livingston Street for several weeks. The place has a back yard with a fire pit and is just a several block walk to Lake Eola. It is so peaceful and quiet here. I am waiting for the shoe to drop, something unsettling is about to transpire. There are some flights that can be hears but they seem to be little prop planes. Honestly if this place had a long-term rental option or was for sale I would consider this a perfect studio location. Unfortunately, it is just an expensive AirBnB and I will need to move out at the end of May.

While sketching today, a woman mentioned that she had a place available in the house right next to the Maitland Art Center. She explained that the place was very small. She didn’t mention square footage. I wonder how small it is? I declined, but now I am thinking I should have at least looked at the place. The location would have been amazing.

Every day I wake up and wonder where I should call home. Should I stay in Orlando where I am familiar with the arts scene, or should I explore some new place? With no roots, I could go anywhere.

The sketch is from a duplex on Lake Formosa that I visited yesterday. It is just 700 square feet with a bedroom and living room which would be my studio. The view out of the sliding glass doors looks out over Lake Formosa. The car port is a plus. I drew a floor plan to see if my studio flat files and Disney desk could fit. It is tight but I can fit in the space. The duplex neighbor has a fiberglass Lizard in the front lawn which I rather like.

Whenever I am serious about a property I tend to sketch after viewing the interior. I find sketching helps me think and consider what it might be like to live in the place. People walked by with their dogs and quite a few bicyclists buzzed past. Several medical helicopters flew over the lake and the train tracks that run along the west bank of the lake are loud. I am trying to decide if the train horn blasts are endearing or annoying.

The location is amazing. A bike path begins right at the end of the street and I could walk to the Fringe, Shakes, OMA and the Mennello. I have been walking up and down Mills Avenue this week and all those restaurant choices and music venues would be walking distance from this spot.

Part of me wants to find a place right in downtown Orlando, but I don’t think those cramped high-rise apartments are for me. I was also walking through Eola Heights each evening and found quite a few homes for sale. I looked online and discovered that every one of them was well over a million dollars (WTF?!)  So, I shifted my gaze to rentals further north. That brought me to Lake Formosa.

I agonized for several days about this property and finally filled out an application form.  My application was denied because someone else snatched up the rental while I was debating. Back to square one.

Boulevard of Bold Dreams Final Poster

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The first pass at the poser for Boulevard of Bold Dreams had issues where the portrait of Actress Hattie McDaniel didn’t quite look like the actress. I have a tendency to paint bold and spontaneously but this assignment required a more photographic look. I tightened up to get the details right in the face and then let my self loosen up a bit with the background and light effects.

I did one version of the title treatment where the Oscar was in the space inside the O in Bold. I abandoned that concept preferring to keep with the light flare effects throughout.

The challenges faced with this poster have been faced for centuries as artists try to get the details of a face correct and also add some warmth and life to the painting. I decided to spare you the early versions of the painting since the details that are are off are so subtle that It might seem Like I was sharing the same image over and over.I had recently done a painting with gem like highlights on the skin and I went for that effect in this poster.

In the end the painting worked out with delicate yellows and violets throughout. I spent much of my time wrestling with the skin tones making sure the darks were dark enough and the lights light enough. The color of the skin doesn’t matter as much as the value of the skin,

Once again I didn’t have enough time to get to the show to sketch an actual production. I had read the script and therefor know it would have been a great show to sketch.

David Plotkin Memorial

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I have been staying in an AirBnB in Thornton Park Orlando Florida for the past week. It has been wonderful to be able to walk to venues each day to sketch. One of the first places I wanted to sketch was at Stardust Video and Coffee. At this coffee house, Doug Rhodehamel has been assembling a magnificent display of brightly colored cardboard fish in honor of a dear friend David Plotkin.

David who was a close friend of Doug’s was a former Orlando Weekly staffer, WPRK DJ, a political activist and a cultural mover. Doug was asked by the Casselberry Arts & Sculpture House to do a solo show and he enlisted the help of David to come up with a concept for the show. Unexpectedly David died on April 1, 2025 from heart failure before the brainstorming session. Doug considered canceling the show, but decided instead to make the show a tribute to David.

Doug wondered what Dave would want to see if he were to go to the show. David was on a pickle kick. He had old drawings that Doug called war pickles. Doug decided he would build the show around pickles but also allow them to become something else. He ultimately decided to create a huge school of pickle fish swimming through the void. The fish are light and vibrant reminding anyone seeing them that there is light and wonder in the world which is often all too dark and drab. Besides the large school of pickle fish, Doug created a green pickle moon and blue corrugated cardboard columns that resembled coral. The opening reception for Flight of the Pickle Fish was on July 18, 2025.

It took Doug close to a year to cut out all the fish out of corrugated cardboard. I am familiar with Doug’s fish because he mails out a fish each year as a Christmas ornament to friends and supporters of his work. I look forward to seeing each unique fish each year. Some time in the future I hope to have a Christmas tree to display all the ornaments.

The David Plotkin Memorial Aquarium was unveiled on March 22, 2026 at Stardust Video and Coffee. Doug plans to keep making changes to the installation over time. The Stardust installation recruits many of the fish that were on display in the Casselberry Pickle Fish show along with new exotic species.

I went to Stardust Video and Coffee first thing in the morning to sketch. The online Stardust website showed photos of delicious looking waffles. At the front counter I asked for a coffee and the waffles. The woman behind the counter apologized. They no longer have waffles although they are listed in chalk on the blackboard above the counter. There was also an item on the blackboard called the Rhodehamel. I asked what the Rhodehamel was. I imagined it must be some kind of delicious sandwich. Maybe it was a pickle fish sandwich? She had no idea. The kitchen also does not open until 11AM. At least I got my coffee and set about doing the sketch. I was fascinated by a woman at the bar who was on a Zoom meeting about wine sales. Her earth toned dress had fish shapes all over it. When the sketch was complete, I went back to downtown Orlando to grab the waffles I craved.

Howie in the Hills Christmas Festival

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I went to Howie in the Hills to sketch a small town Christmas Festival. I fell on love with a home in Howie in the Hills which looked like a 1920s Hollywood hacienda. The home was on the main road where traffic is supposed to travel at 35 miles per hour, but the huge 18 wheelers seem to roar by at 55 miles per hour. The studio would have faced out on that main road.  I returned to the home a second time to see if the noise was an issue. The first time the real estate brokers had been talking constantly. This time I wanted a moment of peace to stop and reflect. There was a tall grouping of bamboo between what would have been the studio windows and the road. I considered planting more bamboo to further muffle the roar of traffic.

On the second floor the real estate broker confided for the first time that there was termite damage to a door frame. The termites had infested the home starting in the kitchen and then migrated through the walls upstairs. The door frame was so hollow that the door higes had nothing to hold onto. The door was resting 0n the floor. I hadn’t tried closing the door on my first walk through of the home. I abandoned the idea of buying that home. It was also too far from the events that I love to sketch each day. I like being able to walk to coffee shops and arts venues to sketch at a moments notice. Howie in the Hills is about an hour and a half drive from any Orlando events.

I am 0n a staycation at an AirBnB in Thornon Park, Orlando Florida. Since staying here, I have been doing several sketches every day. After I teach a virtual class tonight, I will be walking down the street to City Arts Factory to sketch Story Club. If I was still out in the country the hour and a half drive would have made the sketch opportunity a no go. The AirBnB is in a great location, but it has no WiFi, so I have to move again in a couple of days.

I parked across the street from the Howie in the Hills home I had decided was all wrong for me and I walked to the Christmas Festival. There was a stage for performers and I leaned against it to sketch the inflatable bounce houses. One of the staff who were supervising the bounce houses and slides set up beside me to eat lunch. He explained that he had to ask one kid to leave because the kid was bullying other children. By refusing the bully admission, the other kids could play without the harassment. If only politics were so easy.

I enoyed watching the kids trying to scale the rock climbing tower. One boy kept trying and failing at reaching the top. I admired that he never gave up. An older girl managed to get to the top on her second try. She raised her hands in victory and was lowered to the ground swaying on her safety rope. The little boy looked on in wonder and then attempted his climb with renewed determination. He failed again. He was dropped to the ground swinging on his safety rope with his arms dangling. I don’t know if the little boy ever made it to the top of the tower. As I packed up my sketchbook he was in the midst of another attempt.

I walked down the street filled with tents where vendors offered their Christmas knick knacks. I wasn’t tempted to purchases anything. To be honest I kind of skipped Christmas this year. My Christmas highlight this year was a Christmas market in Plettenberg Germany and sipping mulled wine while overlooking Wiesbaden Germany from a mountain top. This small Howie in the Hills estival felt overly commercial and shallow in comparison. There wasn’t much history behind the festivities. Being single and completely unattached, the holidays have less meaning. I might just treat myself to a new sketchbook or some new tubes of paint. I can’t order them online, since I don’t know where my next address will be.

Apartment hunting.

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It has been 10 months since I have been separated from my wife. The sketchbooks were the first thing to leave the house. The first apartment I looked at was one block from Sam Flax. The place had new tile and looked nice. It was only an 800 foot studio space however. With all my art, the place would be cramped. The day I looked at the place I sat on the front porch an waited for the realtor. The tiles on the front porch were being bashed up by a workman.

I was amazed that I was accepted almost immediately. I was also amazed when friend in Winter Park who is a snow bird, offered me a sublet when she moved back up north. I sweetened the deal by offering to replace all the living room carpet, and the tile kitchen and dining area with new Mediterranean tile. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Knocking up old tile using a chisel and hammer was way more work than I imagined. I spent six months living in a construction zone. All that blood sweat and tears saved me $200 a month on rent.

The lease was for 8 months, but the friend decided to return two months early. I explained all the work that remained to be done and the response was, “Just get it the fuck done!” So I rushed the job, completing the floor before the new deadline. There was plenty of touch up and cleaning up that needed to be done but I got it the fuck done. The floor looked amazing. Long story short, for reasons I don’t understand, unrelated to the job, I was told to leave and sighed a lease termination document. I considered that document a friendship termination document. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Within two days I had moved to a gorgeous Thornton Park apartment for a short term stay while I looked for a new place. Several friends offered me roommate situations. My Orlando friends helped me land back on my feet.

Loose Lips at lil indies.

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I hosted a Drink and Draw at lil indies (1036 N. Mills Ave,, Orlando, Florida 32803). As an added bonus, Tod Caviness was hosting a literary reading event called Loose Lips which began later in the evening. Three landscape architects showed up, along with Colin Boyer. We sat at corner table to get a good view of the room which felt like a grand parent’s basement. The room slowly filled with authors. I sketched Tod at the microphone as he introduced the first author. Karen Price read a fiction pie set in Paris France. It was a story about an artist who had to deal with a flooding of the Seine River. Today, no artist could afford to live right on the Seine. When visiting Paris, I sketched the art studio of one of my favorite artists, Daumier. His studio had a gorgeous view over the Seine.

Just yesterday, I moved into a two bedroom apartment in Thornton Park. My lease had been terminated by a snow bird that returned to Winter Park two months early. With my lease terminated, I had to find an apartment fast. I posted my predicament on Facebook and amazingly a friend offered an apartment that is right downtown and the first evening after the move, I walked to the venue I was going to sketch. I think this is the first time in 22 years where I didn’t have to drive to where I wanted. to sketch. I walked through the beautiful downtown neighborhood full of quaint 1940’s restored bungalows with a friend. It was an ideal evening.

Side Show Bar and Restaurant in Downtown Orlando.

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Side Show Bar and Restaurant (15 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL) is a bright splash of color that moved into downtown after The Loaded Hog and One Eyed Jacks vacated. The last time I was here, I was sketching the fun chaos as the Packer Backers cheered on their favorite football team. The space has been opened up and filled with every imaginable form of Side Show kitch. Above the bar looms a huge poster of Alexander the fortune teller. Elaborately framed paintings showcase everything from the Fat Lady to the Swamp Gypsy. Exotic Turkish lamps illuminate the bar.

I stopped in shortly after 5pm and a table was filled with co-workers having an after hours drink. During The course of the sketch, one loner came in, placed his baseball cap on the bar and ordered a beer. e ordered a burger and a beer both of which were decent. A large lever on the back wall spins a gaming wheel above the from door which picks exotic drinks like the Bearded Lady.

On another occasion, Terry and I were meeting friends, Amanda and Matt Simantov from out of town along with Matt Rankin. They were in a bar across from SAK Comedy Club, but the place was packed and way too noisy for any form of shouted conversation. A Magic game had just let out of the Amway Arena which explained the crowd. I suggested we go up to Side Show but instead ever one agreed to go all the way to Thornton Park for a quieter spot. The women went off to get their car and the guys walked up Orange Avenue. We passed Side Show which was surprisingly empty. Just a block away the bars were crowded to overflowing and yet Side Show was vacant. Perhaps the large open space isn’t conducive to draw in the crowds. It would have been a perfect place to stop, but we were already commit to the long hike to Thornton Park, where we ended up going to Graffiti Junction.

Thornton 2nd Thursday Wine & Art Walk

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On the 2nd Thursday of every month, Washington Street just two blocks East of Lake Eola burst alive with color for the Thornton 2nd Thursday Wine Walk.

$10 cash gets you a wine glass and a map of all the locations where you will be greeted with a complimentary pour of wine. Glass pick up is at Mother Falcon (819 E. Washington Street). The walk proceeds go to the Thornton Park District Non-Profit. Many Thornton Park restaurants and bars, artist vendors are set-up throughout Thornton Park.

When I arrived in June, artists were just getting settled in their sidewalk spots. Electricity was available for when it got dark. I liked this wall of abstract art that artist Nick Seyler had set up next to Dexter’s Restaurant.  His tiki totems added a bit of tropical flair. The second tier of paintings was set up on tripods on a table. Several bursts of wind from looming storm clouds toppled paintings over, but there were pedestrians who caught the work and helped him lean it back again.

Dresden Kincaid of Earth Culture had her intricate handmade jewelry set up on a table. Her pieces are “natural expressions of art and positivity.” She uses natural minerals and gem stones woven together by thin wire to create intricate jewelry. I liked that she spent much of her time focused on creating a piece. There were always women stopped at her table trying things on. Dresden showed Nick some of the crystals she had with her. They were stored in tiny one inch clear plastic boxes. I used to collect minerals and I have a bunch of those boxes full of crystals above my desk. Intrigued, I walked over. Nick was holding a cluster of clear quartz crystals with cubes of pyrite or “fools gold.” It wasn’t for sale. She handed me one of her rings and it really was amazing how she used thin wire to weave together various natural stones.

Clouds and a bit of thunder had artist nervous that it might rain. I sketched faster. Nick said to Dresden,that “You will have to duck under your table if it starts raining.” She replied, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a rainbow appeared.” Fifteen minutes later a huge rainbow arched to the East over Washington Street. I’ve never before met someone who could predict a rainbow. As I was adding color to Nick’s paintings on my sketch, the sun burst through the tree leaves above his work mimicking the bright colors in his work. The whole sky to the west turned yellow then orange.

Jason L. Lee and Brad Biggs, the Arts Hub founders both stopped by to say hello. Brad had exciting news about some future Arts Hub shows and Jason showed me a ring that Dresden had created for him. As dusk settled in, my sketch was done. I walked West and spoke to several artists. This Wine Walk used to be held on Third Thursday but it conflicted with all the people viewing gallery openings downtown. Melissa Felcman of Mother Falcon moved it to the 2nd Thursday of each month and now The Arts Hub Florida organizes all the artists. When the street lights came on and the artists turned on spot lights to illuminate their work, the scene became a magical nocturne with art glowing warm as the evening cooled. I think I need to return to try and catch that light.

If you want a relaxing event on Thursday July 11th, then mark your calendar and head to Thornton Park to sip and stroll. The Thornton Park Parking Garage has entrances on North Eola Drive and East Washington Street. Street parking is available if you patiently look for it.

Thursday T&A

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I went to Graffiti Junction (900 E Washington Street, Orlando) for Thursday T&A (Trivia and Arts). I arrived a bit early right after work. T&A happens each Thursday from 7 to 9PM. I decided to sketch the ornate fountain that slows traffic through the Thornton Park District. I wonder how many drunk drivers ran into the fountain before they decided to put all those steal barricades around it. I leaned back against the new Mother Falcon Bar. Tables were being set up outside anticipating the evening crowd. Melissa Felcman who is an amazing supporter of the arts, came out and shot a photo of my sketch in progress. For once I didn’t feel like I was in the way. I heard the announcer across the street and when I finished the sketch, I went inside Graffiti Junction for a burger and Trivia.

They were just starting the second round of T&A when I arrived. Here are some of the questions. If you know the answers, you can leave them in the comment section. People were instructed to close laptops and put away cell phones to avoid cheating. The Mission Impossible theme kicked in.

What character smoked a hookah pipe in Alice in Wonderland?

What gives the Red Sea its red tint?

What is the Indian Religious concept called in which a soul returns to a new body?

What is the hormone responsible for male sex characteristics?

Word Jumble! NAIGLCABN

Snoop Dogg changed his name to what?

True of False. Wimbledon games are played on a grass surface.

What is the State capital of Washington?

What makes women more creative? Flowers, loose shoes, or chocolate chip cookies?

What comes after the turn in Texas Hold em Poker?

True or False. The Grey Wolf is also known as the Timber Wolf.

Snap Mothers Day Reception

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The main photography exhibit for Snap was on the 5th floor of the GIA Building (618 East South Street.) I parked in Thornton Park and walked to the building. The exhibit took up the entirety of the 5th floor which was still under construction. Overhead, air ducts and beams were exposed. The walls had exposed insulation and raw metal studs. It was a wide open industrial loft. Surreal fanciful photos were everywhere. One large area was separated from the rest with a long black curtain. I stepped inside the ominous space. Large three foot high black and white photos shot by Barry Kirsch hung from the ceiling one after the other in two rows. Every photo was of a murder scene with one element, a gold watch, appearing in each shot. Most of the shots felt staged but as a whole the effect was disturbing and desensitizing.

After seeing everything I decided to focus by sketching the Dan Eldon exhibit. Mothers slowly began to arrive, and it was heart warming to watch them share the art with their children. This was an opportunity to spend quality time away from the distractions of TV and video games. They could share wild creative thoughts with abandon. Dan Eldon’s mom, Kathy, came to the exhibit and she offered a guided tour of her son’s photo journals.Dan was born in 1970 in England. When he was seven years old the family moved to Nairobi Kenya. This began his lifelong infatuation with Africa. His mom was a journalist and he accompanied her on interviews. His father worked with local community leaders. From his parents he learned how to transfer ideas into positive life affirming actions. A creative activist is someone who uses thought or imagination to catalyze positive change in our world.

He returned to Africa when he was 22 and photographed the horrible effects of famine in Somalia. His images helped spearhead a large international relief effort. He used his art to affect a positive change. Throughout his life he kept journals in which he would create expressive collages. The exhibit consisted of large screens on which large prints were made of pages from his journals. These pages offered a personal glimpse into his adventurous life. I jotted down a few of the quotes from his pages, “The most important part of vehicle maintenance is clean windows, so if you are stranded you will enjoy the view.” “Death is just a horizon and the horizon is only the extent of your view.”

On July 12, 1997 Dan Eldon was stoned and beaten to death while covering the conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was just 22 years old. His mother, though devastated, had to find a positive way to deal with her grief. She formed an organization called Creative Visions and published Dan’s journals in a book called, “The Journey is the Destination.” She is intent to share his creative vision with the world. This mothers Day I got to meet an extraordinary mom. A mother’s love is eternal.