The Artlando main stage hosted amazing talents.

I only sketched at the Artlando main stage in Lock Haven Park once. The Orlando Concert Band kicked off the event in the morning. There was a small group of people right in front of the stage while most of the artists were still setting up their tents or chatting. John Phillips Sousa marches and patriotic orchestrations got the day started. I was seated in a patch of shadow created by the stages canopy. As the sun rose, I had to keep scooting forward to stay in the shade. The small audience around me was doing the same.

As the day progressed, clouds rolled in and it rained. That didn’t stop performers from showcasing their talents on the stage. Phantasmagoria and Emotions Dance performed and I watched them without sketching. Sometimes it is nice to put the pen down and just let a performance sweep over you.  When the sun went down, a DJ took to the stage and the lawn became a dance party.

Taking down my tent was more of a challenge than setting it up. As I lowered the telescoping legs, it leaned against my neighbors tent a bit. They seemed quite annoyed with me but no damage was done. I rolled my stuff up and stored it curbside. I then hiked the half mile or so to my car and drove back to pick everything up. It turned out that award money was given to the artist picked by all the artists that day. G. Lemus was awarded $1000 and he also won a contest for painting a lion, which is the symbol of Orlando’s new soccer team. I made about $18 to $20 in card sales and finished 3 sketches, so the day wasn’t a total bust.