Denna and Travis Update their Relationship Status

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Denna Beena and Travis Fillmen were married Saturday August 4th in the Winter Garden Theatre. It was pouring rain as I drove straight from work. Terry let me know that she saved me a seat. The Winter Garden Theater has been the home to some amazing theatrical productions such as “The Diviners“, and “Driving Miss Daisy“. This wedding had a flair of the theatrical and plenty of Pink. Denna’s hair has always had a shock of pink, orange and purple. Her brides maids each had a pink dress of their choosing and long streaks of pink in their hair. Groomsmen and the ring bearer, manikin Hans Hausboi, all had pink bow ties and flowers. Groomsman, Mark Baratelli had a crazy, day filled with drama leading up to the ceremony. But that is a story for another day. Bridesmaid, Amanda Chadwick, with a bright pink coil of hair on her forehead, had flown from Seattle to be in the ceremony.

Before the actual ceremony, the theater curtains opened and friendly trivia was projected on the movie screen. Denna and Travis’s first date lasted ten hours. They met thanks to OKCupid.com. Denna kept getting Travis’s bio and she ignored it five times. She finally decided that the guys she usually dated were all wrong for her, so she took a chance. They might be bipolar opposites politically but deep down the found happiness and creative unconditional love. There was a small canvas center stage and as part of the ceremony, the couple painted a heart together. Young Chloe and Naomi Borchers recited the lyrics to “Personal Penguin.” Mike Carr explained, “Why Love is Like Owning a Dog.”

It was a ceremony in which laughter was a fine compliment love. The officiant, Mike Carr, earned his ability to unite this couple from the internet. When the knot was tied, Denna and Travis took out their cell phones on stage and updated their Facebook status to “Married“. The audience cheered. As everyone filed upstairs for the reception, I rushed to throw color on the sketch. A black and White film flickered onto the movie screen as the projectionist got ready for that evenings showing. As the colors dried on the page, I went upstairs for plenty of awkward yet enthusiastic dancing.

Jordan & Jared’s Wedding Reception

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Outside the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel on Lake Destiny Drive up in Maitland the plaque read, Jordan Martin and Jared Clark Wedding reception. I entered and scouted the room for a spot where I could sketch. Rachel McCurdy, a wedding designer at An Affair to Remember, was quick to introduce herself. She helped me pick a spot, making sure I wasn’t in the way of the wedding cake or bar. I had been commissioned by the brides aunt, Linda Sheftel, to do a large 18 by 24 inch sketch of the occasion. I was a bit nervous about trying to complete such a large sketch in the duration of a reception so I had arrived several hours early to get the stage set lightly in pencil first.

The room was a constant flurry of activity. Tables were set and glasses filled with water. I would sketch the table setting then someone would come along and move all the cups. Rachel and her assistants were unpacking lanterns and a nautical cork float that would be draped in front of the bar. The wedding cake or perhaps the grooms cake was a mountain of donuts. The DJ arrived and began setting up his sound equipment. He was pleased that there was such a large dance floor. The videographer introduced himself and asked me a few questions about my work.

I could hear the reception crowd growing larger in the hallway where hor dourves and drinks were being served. Staff positioned themselves around the room and stood at attention. The DJ shouted, “It’s showtime!” and the doors were opened. As people seated themselves, I sketched frantically getting them in the composition. Throughout the night people walked up to see what I was up to. I would crack a joke or acknowledge any praise while keeping my hands moving. Color was quickly blocked in with a one inch brush.

The wedding party was introduced and groom’s men and brides maids entered with unexpected drama. One groom’s man waddled in like Toulouse Lautrec while a brides maid “wheeled in” her groom’s man like a wheel barrel. Another couple walked in backwards then vogued for photos like Charlies Angels. I knew that the newly married couples first dance was the focus of my sketch. They danced slowly as people crowded around the edge of the dance floor. I focused on Jordan and Jared. They danced slowly, kissing and smiling at each other. Jordan’s sister gave a toast in which she kept getting choked up and crying. She related an incident where Jordan seriously injured her back and Jared stayed with her in the hospital, never leaving her side. The best man’s toast unearthed the groom’s wild side.

After diner the dance floor got packed as everyone did the electric slide. The bouquet was tossed and the garter cinched up. The bride got a special treat when all the groomsmen danced around her doing a strip tease. They piled all their dress shirts on her and one groomsman gave her a lap dance. The women in the room screamed! With the dance floor packed, and the music getting louder, I realized that my sketch was done. I packed up my supplies and left as the bass vibrated the walls.

Spit and a Polish

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After the wedding I wandered around Jackson Square. I had an hour to kill before the reception began. Artists were set up all around the square selling their work. A caricature artist waited for his next victim. I was intrigued by one artist who cut canvas into strips and burnt the edges with a blow torch. Some sort of tar or varnish was splashed on. The strips were then woven in and around the canvas stretcher. The work felt aged, ancient. There were plenty of depictions of New Orleans architecture and depictions of musicians playing. One artist drew the same musician over and over again, never deviating in pose or gesture.

I leaned against a pillar wondering which vendor I should sketch. A gentleman in a ball cap and blue jeans approached me. “You’re looking sharp.” he said. “But your shoes need a shine. I do good work.” I looked down at my black leather loafers. They were well worn and there were several spots of blue paint that must have gotten there when I worked on the Sonesta mural. I had to agree with him. I needed a shine. “Six dollars.” he quoted. I sat down and put my foot up on the wooden box. He began by scraping off the drips of paint then applied the boot polish. “Clench yo toes.” he said. I curled up my toes creating a tight bridge across the top of the shoe. “White boy knows how to take orders.” he joked. A black liquid shine was applied all along the sole of the shoe. He spit on the leather and rubbed it in.

A woman dropped off several pairs of shoes and her son stayed to have his shoes shined. I knew I didn’t have much time but I sketched the process. Behind the shoe shine was a hot dog vendor and a psychic. I was tempted by the thought of a hot dog but I was going to a reception where there would be plenty of food. I saw the groomsmen and bridesmaids walk by and I followed them. Guests met in a hotel lobby where a small Dixieland band was playing. A woman holding a white parasol grinned as she danced. Everyone was given blue and gold bead necklaces. A police motorcycle pulled up outside the hotel. The band marched out into the street and soon we were all marching down Bourbon Street. I threw beads to some children. People shouted for beads from balconies.

The reception was amazing with people dancing as it grew dark. Everyone did a modified line dance to “Wobble Baby!” When it came time to wobble we all leaned back and shook our hips skyward, followed by a clap and change in direction. A photo booth was set up for couples to shoot silly photos for the wedding album. Terry and I staged a series of shots where she punched my face in slow motion. The grooms cake looked like a pot of crayfish. Andrew Ranck, the groom got choked up as he thanked everyone for coming. “It has been a long hard road getting to this point.” He turned to his new bride, Shannon. “Can she be any more beautiful?” The father was in tears as he danced with the bride. Satchmo sang, “What a Wonderful World.”

New Orleans Wedding

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On October 22nd, Shannon Marie OBrien and Andrew Julian Ranck were married in the Saint Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Terry and I arrived a bit early so I could start sketching the church interior before the service started. Terry was nervous that I would be asked to move since family usually is in the first two rows. Stubbornly I stood my ground since I knew my view could not be obstructed by someone sitting in front of me.

A lone trumpet player stood in the balcony and his notes echoed joy. The Trumpet Voluntary filled the cathedral and everyone stood and turned to watch the bride walk down the isle. The flower girl and ring bearer followed her. They were just toddlers and there were murmurs of adoring laughter. Andrew beamed as he watched Shannon approach. All the young female attendants filled the row in front of me.

It was a very traditional Catholic wedding with prayers and New Testament readings. Vows were exchanged and the rings blessed. High above, statues of Faith, Hope and Love looked down on the young couple. Saint Peter stood holding a key with his arm reaching out. Saint Paul stood on the right holding his sword. The ceiling was a swirl of activity as the apostles surrounded Jesus who radiated beams of light. As the couple signed their marriage license at a separate altar, Ave Maria wafted up echoing off the vaulted ceiling. The music made the moment truly feel divine. There was one final blessing and then Ode to Joy played as a recessional.

Before I knew it, I was alone again in an empty Cathedral. Marriages seem like such fast paced ceremonies when you are trying to sketch them. This flurry of activity would lead to a lifetime commitment.

A familiar face stood before me admiring the Cathedral’s architecture. It was Kevin Deters who worked at Disney Feature Animation in Florida at the same time I did. Kevin is now working for Disney in LA and he has directed several shorts one being “Prep & Landing” for the Company. He let me know they are working on another Prep & Landing short now. What a wild, small world. I gave him my card and explained the blog and the work I do to pass along the animation tradition at Full Sail. Kevin let me know that he has now worked longer in the LA studio than he did in Florida. I admire what he has accomplished. I wonder if he came to New Orleans when Disney premiered “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” That was an amazing party.

The priest walked up to me as I sat alone finishing my sketch. I was sure I was about to get kicked out. On the contrary, he loved the sketch and joked with me that usually the pencil snaps if someone tries to sketch him. There was another wedding happening in half an hour and he encouraged me to go right on sketching. I was getting close to finishing however, and I decided to leave as the church was emptied for the next wedding

Wedding of Miriam and Chris

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Chris and Miriam were married in Greensboro, North Carolina by Rabbi Eliezer Havivi. Miriam Dolan is a cousin of my wife Terry. We took a long car drive up to attend the wedding. The wedding day is considered the happiest day of one’s life. It is a personal Yom Kippur for the groom and for the bride. On this day all their past mistakes are forgiven as they merge into a new, complete soul. The veil conveys modesty for the bride and stresses that no matter how physically attractive she may be, it is the soul and character that are most important. The couple stood under a chuppah or marriage canopy which is a symbol of the home to be built and shared by the couple. It is open on all sides to convey that the couple should welcome people in unconditional hospitality. Miraim circled Chris seven times, which symbolized that the world was built in seven days. Two cups of wine were used in the ceremony. The first cup was sipped when the rabbi recited the betrothal blessings. Wine is a symbol of joy in Jewish tradition. The wedding is a sanctification of a man and woman. After the ceremony, the groom placed a glass on the floor and shattered it with his foot by stomping on it. This tradition stresses that even at the height of one’s personal joy, we must remember the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. After the ceremony the couple was escorted to a private room and left alone for a few minutes. This time of seclusion signified their new status of living together as husband and wife.

All of these traditions are somewhat new to me since I was raised christian, so I sketched with fascination. I was still adding watercolor washes when the ceremony was over and people began to file out to go to the reception. Terry lost patience when the synagogue was empty since she wanted to get to the reception to see the newly married couple arrive. I got my sketch done.