I pass this place just about every day on my drive downtown. Every time I go by it seems like there is something new in the yard. The house is located on Peel Street, just north of East Michigan Street. I started this sketch before the sun set, and then started painting when the home owner drove into the driveway and turned on the lights. She wandered the yard setting things up that had fallen over during the day. A snowman’s head was put back on his shoulders and a small Christmas tree was righted.
A gentleman on a bike asked about the sketch and explained that he was an artist himself. He said that the home had recently been featured on TV News as one of Orlando’s best Christmas light displays. This neighborhood is ripe with outlandish Christmas displays. With the advent of inflatables, many lawns are covered with giant Santas and snowmen. This lawn had an inflatable Yoda and Santa. The igloo was made of sheer fabric stretched over a dome-shaped frame. There were other items just out of frame like a fireplace with stockings hung with care.
After the sun set, the temperature dropped and I painted faster so I could drive home for some warmth. A hot cocoa and soup thawed me out. The next night I drove by, the lighting display was off, the yard dark. Perhaps they saw the power bill and decided to ration the Christmas joy.