Grounded: The Art of Looking Down (Part 4)

This photo was taken during a tour of my friend Matt's apartment. I was climbing down from the attic when I took this photo. The view extends into Matt's bedroom looking at the piano he received as a gift and a chair that had previously been in the attic.

Cool blue toes in the jade pool at Wekiva Springs. 

Sitting on the dock at my aunt and uncle's house at Thanksgiving. 

At some point I was taking out the trash at my apartment when I looked down and noticed how colorful my feet were compared to the dead fall leaves on the ground. It my have been cool outside but my feet were still in summer. 

Ankle deep in some delightfully messy DRIP photo shoot materials. Coincidentally, my toenail polish happen to match the dye we were using. 

These feet actually belong to my friend Freddy. He swears by his toe shoes and wears them all the time. He is usually in the wilderness off on some adventure, but on this particular occasion we were shopping downtown for a Christmas gift for a friend. After we left the store I remarked at how funny his feet looked. I love the juxtaposition of his shoes, still covered in burs, on the pavement of downtown Orlando. 

DRIP Backstage (2009-2011)

I got involved with DRIP during their 2008 show WET at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. I feel in love instantly and have been honored to be part of the company for so long. With a new permanent show on the horizon I went back through my photos and picked my favorite backstage shots from the past few years.

Our musical director David with videographer Josh after one of our performances at Blank Space in Downtown Orlando 2009. 

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Samantha performing in the water box piece at Blank Space in 2009. 

Creative engineer Evan at our Winter Fundraiser in 2009 with ice from one of our installations. 

Performers Darci and Nikki applying makeup in our warehouse. Shortly after we moved our supplies into the warehouse we began rehearsing for our FRESH show. Being the creative people that we are; we set up a mirror in the bathroom and doodled over it with a dry erase marker. I got a kick out of watching the girls applying makeup between all the art work. 

Darci rehearsing for our FRESH show in 2010. 

Evan constructing some of the FRESH set in the workshop.

Performers Ashka and TinTin waiting outside during FRESH in 2010. They were covered in dirt for one of our installations but had to wait outside the backdoor at one point during the show. It was cold outside so I brought them a towel. They were excellent sports and remained in good spirits until their cue. 

David refilling ice for our fountain in our white room during FRESH. 

Performer Michael after a FRESH show. 

Micheal, Darci, and Steven at out Rock Out With Your Cocktails Out fundraiser in 2010. As part of the fundraiser patrons could participate in a live human body paint by number. 

Creative engineer Ben working on one of our installations for a private performance at the Isleworth Country Club in 2011.

Looking back over the years I can't believe how much working with DRIP has influenced my life. I feel much more in tune with my own creativity and the arts community of Orlando. I can't wait to experience all of the new adventures that our next show will bring. 

Driving While Inspired

I was taking I4 to get home when it began to rain. The storm was behind me and catching up fast. I was fascinated by the two different view of the same sky. Speeding down the highway with on hand on the wheel and the other on my camera I was able to capture this moment.

The atmosphere behind me was dark and muddy. People were racing away from the downpour with there lights on; searching for clearer skies. As I steadied my hand to take the shot I thought about how powerful the metaphor was. 

You may not be out of the rain yet, but as long as you're moving you will get there. 

Fishing on Thanksgiving

These photos were taken on my trip home to visit family. I spent Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's house in St. Petersburg. They have a beautiful home with a fantastic backyard.

The view from the living room complete with Christmas ornaments.

A close up shot of my uncle's bait box loaded with shrimp.

Ben, one of my little cousins, trying to wait patiently for his fist bite. 

Charlotte, another little relative, wants to explore all the excitement on the dock. 

Ben catches his first fish!

Ben proudly showing off his catch. 

A photograph of my grandparents from 1975 at my parent's wedding. 

Little Charlotte making faces. 

I went out on the dock one last time before I left and found this Blue Heron waiting for me.

Light My Way Home

An unexpectedly beautiful moment captured during a walk. 

Jenny and Amber

This is one of my favorite photographs

My sister Jenny on the left and my best friend/roommate Amber on the right. We were sitting at Bagel King waiting for our food and light was hitting them perfectly from the window. This is the reason I take lots of random photos - because I love catching gems like this one.

Happy Housewarming

A short while after my friend Matt moved into his new apartment we met up so I could get the tour. Our first stop was an adorable little restaurant called Spooky's Black Cat Cafe.

This image was taken behind Spooky's. I was simultaniously trying to capture the beautiful haze in the sky and Matt's child-like resistance to being photographed.

Matt playing the piano he received as a gift from one of our Starbucks customers. I love the way his head blocks lamp making it look as though he wears a halo. It reminds me of those medieval manuscripts elaborately depicting monks busy at their desks, surrounded by the books they are meticulously working to reproduce.

I was having a hard time getting the color to come out right on this shot. I don't do black and white photos that often but I fell in love with this one. 

And so our tour ends in the attic. Sleep well Starbucks Prince.

The Demon and the Demigod

This is a short story I wrote based on a dream that I had.

Trapped in a small cave-like room I pulled frantically at the large rusted metal clamp that had been placed around my left wrist. Every time I moved the clunky chain would drag across the arm of the wooden chair I was anchored in. On the other side of the table in front of me sat a Demon. He had placed the chain on me in an effort to claim me for himself. But despite all of his attempts to gain control, he was a rather weak creature. He was struggling with an illness that he was trying to hide from me. I could see from his thin arms and his fragile frame that this once fearsome beast was losing his own personal battle.

The chain around my wrist was meant to keep me seated but the table between us was meant to maintain distance. For all of his attempts to control, it was actually the Demon who was afraid of me. In my right hand I held a large steel spike; and he knew that if he got any closer I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it through his neck. So he felt confident in his distance while I held my spike close and began to search the room.

It was empty and dark, nothing much to look at. I could hear the sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance. Then I noticed the Demigod seated at a few feet away to my left. Unlike the Demon and I in our wooden chairs, he was seated in a modest throne covered in dusty crushed velvet. It looked more like something you would find in an antique store than a throne. It was hardly fit for a ruler but you could tell the Demigod prized his modest throne by the way he arranged his body to take up as much space as possible.

The Demigod was strong and confident, much more powerful than the Demon. The Demigod wanted me to come to him. I pulled and twisted my arm to try and get free but I remained stuck. After several minutes of struggling my wrist became scraped and swollen. I raised my bleeding arm to show the Demigod and to ask for his help. To my surprise he looked down on me with eyes full of contempt. He could see the blood and he could chain but he thought my struggle was easy. And this Demigod, with all of his power, forgot his human nature. He sat unmoved and angry on his dusty throne.

If I am no damsel in distress, then he is no hero. We sit locked in our stalemate. The Demon smirks in my direction and casts possessive eyes upon me. The Demigod still looks upon me with disdain. I don’t care to be viewed upon by either set of eyes and so I turned away in defiance to face the wall. In all my time spent captive I never felt afraid, only held back.

And so I wait.

It doesn’t take long for the Demon and the Demigod to fall asleep in their chairs. By now the blood on my wrist has dried and the swelling has gone down. I slowly and steadily work the chain over my hand until it slides past my fingertips. Silent and weightless, I grab the spike and move like a breeze to the door behind me. I turned around to take one last look. The room is much darker now. I realized that it was my energy that was giving light to the cave. I think that was the reason they valued me. The same way the moon can only reflect the light given from the sun.

As I stand at the other end of the room the light I radiate flickers over their faces like candlelight nearing the end of a wick. I clench the spike in my fist. It would be easy to finish off the Demon, but in his sleep I can see that he is struggling to breathe. I take the spike and place it gently on the ground next to my feet. His illness will take him soon and I leave him to fight his last battle alone.

The Demigod sleeps comfortably curled in his throne. He seems to thrive on the embrace of that dusty chair. He sleeps soundly and I dare not wake him. I cannot trade being the prisoner of one for being a slave to the other. And so I turn and slip out the door, taking only the light with me as I go.

The Burning Bush

I happened to catch this beautiful image while I was in the Collage park area. I'm so glad I decided to walk instead of drive.

Big Tree Park and Wekiva Springs

Freddy and I spontaneously planned to visit some local parks while we were stuck working the early morning shift at Starbucks. Later that same day I had a camera full of great photos. I love it when a plan falls together.

Our first stop was Big Tree Park. I was on the boardwalk and I looked over the side to see a shallow pool of water. It captured the reflection of the trees above it and became this shimmering natural tapestry.

This is The Senator - a 3,500 year old Cyprus tree. It is one of the oldest trees on the planet. Up until now I had no idea that I was living so close to it. I wasn't even able to stand far enough away to get the top of the tree in the shot. 

This is the top of the tree - 118 feet in the air.

Freddy and his friend Elena. 

We were lucky enough to spot a wild king snake. 

On the way out of the park I couldn't help but notice this wooden railing. It looks like a monkey sticking its tongue out at me. 

Marya, Freddy's girlfriend, was able to join us at Wekiva Springs.

At one point I looked up to see a banana spider so large that it created a five foot web between two trees. 

A beautiful display in the clouds as the sun sets over Wekiva Springs.

Power Lines

I was sitting with John at this warehouse downtown trying to come up with ideas for dying fabric. He went to go grab some bottles and I happened to gaze up at the sky as a flock of crows flew overhead.

I was interested in how the power lines created the frame work of the composition and I focused on them as the subject matter. I came up with a very modern shot set against the sleepy purples of a dusk sky. An elegantly simple representation of civilization and communication. 

Salt

When it comes to working with DRIP we love to experiment with unusual materials. One such material is salt. We dyed it for a pervious show and decided to play with it during a recent rehearsal. The object was to discover how many unique ways we could use it while having as much fun as possible.