I had an hour to kill before getting to The Venue to sketch a rehearsal, so I decided to stop at Santiago’s Bodega (802 Virginia Drive Orlando FL) to try their tapas. Right after the collapse of Disney Feature Animation, Kathy Schoeppner a feature animation artist decided to rent this space as a gallery. For a while this space exhibited the art from some of the most talented artists from the studio. Kathy would suggest a different theme each month and artists would create work inspired by that theme. I was proud to exhibit my work being surrounded by so much talent. Unfortunately an art gallery on Virginia drive wasn’t a profitable business venture at the time, and Kathy had to let the gallery go. She moved to Los Angeles following the talent and money that flooded out of Orlando at the time.
Anyway, back to the Bodega. The art on the walls was less than inspired. A sad theatrical mask painting behind the maîtra d’ station greeted people as the entered. I ordered a beer and some tapas all of which tasted great. I’m not much of a foodie, so I didn’t take note of the delicate tastes. I just wanted a quick munch before heading out to sketch. I can say that I’d gladly go back and this place is within walking distance from the Fringe so I will be doing just that quite soon. The entry area had a few chairs where people could sit while waiting for their significant other, or a table.
The waiter at my table took quite an interest in the sketch and he kept inviting more staff over to take a look. A commotion broke out at the table next to me. A bee had flown through the open entry door and it was buzzing and accosting the women. The braver of the two was swatting the bee with her menu while the other woman screamed and laughed. The bee just wouldn’t die. She finally trapped it in her napkin and handed it to the waiter who had run over to help. She warned him that the bee was still squirming inside the napkin. He walked away with the trapped bee and I choose to believe he set it free.