Panda Bear Bell

Panda Bear Hand Bell

Using warmth and humor, sculptor Todd Warner is trying to bridge the gap between man and animals. His unconventional clay sculptures from bears to Brahmans and from donkeys to ducks, breathe life into their dormant surroundings.

This is precisely why the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority hired Warner to create an imaginative identification program originally for its two six-story parking garages and later for the hotel parking ramp at the busy Orlando International Airport.

The organization didn't want an ordinary ID system. It was eager to have the passengers entertained and thus help them remember what animal they had parked near. Also, the look and feel of the animals blend beautifully with the airport's harmony with the environment.

Warner`s whimsical animal system works well: the back level of the parking garage features native Florida species of tropical fish, bird or mammal - called Florida Critters, all in their natural settings. For example, parking garage A features obese raccoons raiding a picnic scene. A family of bears poses curiously as bees buzz around a nearby hive. Garage B has such delights as frogs snapping elongated tongues at pesky insects, and a panther strutting through the wilderness with babies in tow. The hotel ramp is all birds: eagles soaring, owls peering, parrots chatting. In all, just under 400 individual pieces of Todd Warner art are now in residence at The Orlando International Airport.