Pulse Stairway Mural.

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Michael Pilato and Yoriy Karbash have been working on a large multi panel Pulse Mural in a second floor walk up studio above Anthony’s Pizza on the corner of Mills Avenue and Colonial Drive. The mural will be on display at Pulse at 2am on June 12 and then Lake Eola near the band shell later that day.

Artist Susan Gromala Crary volunteered to help home schooled Kids paint the mural leading up the steps. The kids small sketches on the first day of possible ideas, and Susan all those ideas to build a cohesive concept. Strips blue painter’s marked the upper reaches of the mural. Using ochre paint, Susan sketched in the biggest elements of the mural which consisted of flowers with heart shaped pedals. There were to be 49 shaped pedals in all. stood at the base of the staircase count and view The overall design. Once some students arrived, Susan assigned one the important task of double checking her numbers.

A single desk clipped to a board acted as the of illumination, along with the open door. Some pedestrians saw Susan staring up the staircase, and they had to look for themselves. I was impressed with how fast the design took shape. Once all the kids started adding color, the process really accelerated.

Homeschoolers learn about the Inspiration Project.

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Michael Pilato came to Orlando shortly after the horrific shooting that killed 49 people who were celebrating life. Michael is a muralist and his murals colorfully show family of victims, survivors and first responders who were affected by the tragedy. This coming June 12th will mark one year since that fatal night. The mural panels are nearing completion and a second mural for UCF is about to begin.

The home schoolers visited The studio which is above Anthony’s Pizza on the corner of Colonial Drive and Mills Avenue. The students lead by Susan Gromala Crary, were about to paint murals up the stairways to the studio. Michael showed samples of past murals to inspire the students and then they gathered in a group and sketched out possible concepts to the stairway. Hearts were a recurring theme and also many words of hope. The students text often and words are their primary means of expressing their feelings. Susan took the sketches ant thoughts back to her studio and helped tie them all together into a cohesive whole. The day was good for collaboration and seeing how individuals can come together and creative something that any one of them might not have conceived. It was inspiring to see Susan interact with the kids and they all pulled together to create something unexpected.

Susan has an opening coming up April 29th called  Pedestrian: Moments in Blue at The Gatlin Creative, 4940 Orange Ave S, Orlando, Florida 32806. Music Preformance by: Old School Misfits.

The show is a study of the artistic experience that
can not be mass produced. The series celebrates the moments when an
artist is in their element. The paintings are a tribute to the passion
and creative drive of the artist that some might consider pedestrian; or
art happenings that sometimes may be discarded or overlooked as art.
Ms. Gromala journeyed throughout the central Florida
region to paint live at each art event with usually two hours to
capture moments as it occurred. The process of live painting creates the
sketchy loose and energetic feel which allows the viewer to be a part
of each event through Susan’s perspective of the artist. Her preference
to utilize the color blue is a symbolic nod to the “blue collar”
element. It also stems from her passion for monochromatic imagery and
the color of Prussian Blue. A highlight of Susan’s style is the manner
in which she celebrates each drip and errant brush stroke that can occur
in a live painting. These marks are purposefully included as part of
each piece to enable a connection to the action and energy present
during the happening as it was being captured on canvas. Therefore,
creating a painting style emoting a sense of honest reaction to each of
these unique artist moment

The Central Florida Fingerstyle Guitar Circle

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I used to live in Winter Park. The city used to mail out a community bulletin along with the water bill. In that bulletin I found the Winter Park Guitar Circle which meets at the Winter Park Public Library, (460 E New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789). I arrived pretty early to a room with a circle of chairs. Gradually, musicians arrived, and I placed them in the sketch as they sat down. The seats directly in front of me eventually did fill up, but I left the seats empty for the sake of opening up the staging.

Each guitarist in turn would perform and if the mood was right others would join in. One performer had a harmonica while another had a small head microphone since he felt his voice didn’t carry. Others joked that he might electrocute himself as he got ready to perform. The folk songs and music was relaxing and heart felt. It was a great free concert. There were varying levels of talent and experience but anyone who came and performed found a supportive and safe place to play. Similar song circles sprout up all around Central Florida and they are always a great sketch opportunity.

The Central Florida Fingerstyle Guitar Group meets on the third Wednesday
of each month at 6:00 P.M. til 8:30 P.M. in the community room of the
Winter Park Public Library. It is open to the public and free. Any
person interested in acoustic fingerstyle guitar is welcome and please
do come if you wish to listen and bring any friends with you. This is
always recommended to all levels of players because you will be exposed
to many styles and levels of skills. Bring your guitar if you wish.
The circle is very casual. We sit in a circle and share one at a time.

Monthly Artist Critique

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I always enjoy going to the Monthly Artist Critique at The Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803). Artists get a chance to share their work in front of an audience of their peers. It is a chance to learn about other artists work and a chance to find out how the work was created and the artists goals in creating the piece.

It doesn’t matter what kind of art you do, artists include oil painters, paper makers, glass artists, found object sculptors, video artists, watercolor painters, ceramicists, artists who draw and collage, jewelry artists, print makers, etc. It also doesn’t matter how much experience you have. Some artists have never shown and others are nationally recognized competition winners. The point is to get people from many different styles, backgrounds, and experience levels together to talk about everyone’s work!

The discussions have included pricing, finding materials, technique, framing, exhibition opportunities, and, yes, traditional critique. We are trying to mix different artists and get them talking about art! Everyone’s art is shown individually, and talked about for about 10 minutes. The idea is not only to get other people to talk about your art, but to spend the evening talking about everyone’s art!

The critique is about showing brand new art, the newest art that you have. And if more than one piece is shown, it should be part of a series. Or if they aren’t part of a series, make sure that you are prepared to talk about the art as a group.

49 Globes.

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The City of Winter Park responded to the Pulse nightclub shooting but hanging 49 globes in Central Park around the Albin Polasek, “Emily Fountain.” These illuminated globes usually are hunk up and down Park Avenue during the Christmas holidays. This mini memorial garnered plenty of attention. During the course of doing this sketch people kept dropping at the fountain to take cell phone photos. Every color of the rainbow was used. It was a small visual hint of hope in the face of tragedy. Despite the cities over controlling and unconstitutional ordinances that limit free speech, they do know how to honor and cherish the memory of lives lost.

When walking home from a quick sketch competition in Central Park, I saw a chalk outline of a human body on the sidewalk. On October 15, 2016  Roger Thomé Trindade a Brazilian transfer student at a Winter Park school was beaten to death by 3 youths. One of the three bragged about delivering the fatal knockout punch.  Two of the youths, Simon Hall, 15, and Jesse Sutherland, 15, were released on bail in February 2017 pending the trial. They were under house arrest. Authorities say Simon Hall threw the first punch and spit on Roger when he was down. The State attorney did report that Jaggar Guorda, 14, one of the three youths accused in the homicide, will receive his sentence on June 12, 2017. Gourda is accused of initiating the sequence of events that lead to the attack by spraying teens with spunk spray. He is also accused of threatening a middle school girl, saying if she mentioned the fight, she would pay. As of April 6th, 2017 there still was no sentencing in the trial of the three youths.

Quick Draw Competition

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Artists in the competition had only two hours to complete their work. During this time, all registered participants set up their supplies and painted or drew in downtown Winter Park. Blank canvases were be stamped the morning of the event to ensure that all paintings are created during the limited time frame.

I decided to sketch Renee Lammers who painted the Albin Polasek “Emily Fountain“. Prior to the whistle announcing the start of the competition, she did a thumbnail drawing in a small tin which just held tiny sheets of paper and a pencil. She saw me starting to sketch and came over. She was concerned that I was sketching Emily’s butt. She suggested I come over to her bench which had a better view of Emily and her harp in profile. the second the whistle sounded she stood and used the thumbnail sketch to block in her painting. A Winter Park resident looked over Renee’s shoulder watching every brush stroke. I almost sketched the resident and then thought better of it.

I walked the park counting the artists and watching their progress. About 19 artists competed with most remaining in Central Park. Several artists ventured to the farmers market which is usually illegal to paint. Another artist ventured as far as Casa Feliz. The air horn used to start and stop the competition was eco-friendly being just a soda bottle with 80 pounds of air pressure.

After the paintings were completed, they were displayed on the artists’ easels in Central Park for an Art Stroll from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The public voted for their favorite piece to win the People’s Choice Award. Prizes were awarded in the following categories: First Prize – $250 went to Mike Pintar; Second Prize – $150 went to Matthew Cornell; Third Prize – $75 went to Arielle Study; People’s Choice – $100, sponsored by the City of Winter Park went to John Nadeau.

 The
Earth Day Quick Draw Competition is a lead-up event to the Albin
Polasek Museum’s signature annual event, the Winter Park Paint Out plein
air festival. The 9th Annual Winter Park Paint out will be held from
April 23 to 29, 2017, with an entire week of free programming and
events. Visit winterparkpaintout.org for more information and a schedule of events.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for April 15th and 16th.

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Saturday April 15, 2017

9am to 1pm. Free. Trump Tax March/Protest Orlando. Lake Eola Park, Downtown Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida 32801. “During the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to release his returns. However, White House senior adviser Kelly Anne Conway said on Sunday that he no longer planned to do so because “people don’t care.”

That inspired the calls for a protest on April 15, which would normally be tax day, but because it falls on a Saturday ― and since Emancipation Day follows ― taxes will actually be due on April 18 this year.”

Gather to spread love and prove that Orlando does not tolerate hate!

Donate so we can afford permits, and police presence/road barricades/etc to make sure this is a safe event!

2pm to 3:30pm Free. From the Queen of Plastics to the King of Rock. Orlando Public Library, 101 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801. Join us at the Orlando Public Library to hear Bob Kealing discuss his fascinating book projects. Kealing’s research and writing has inspired Orlando’s Jack Kerouac Project, restored the legacy of Tupperware pioneer Brownie Wise, and revealed pioneering country rocker Gram Parsons’ Winter Haven roots. Now, in Kealing’s new book, Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida, he uncovers the Sunshine State’s crucial role in Elvis Presley’s life and musical career. Join us for a fascinating first-hand look at how a skilled and dedicated journalist discovered little-known but important stories from Central Florida’s pop-culture past.

Bob Kealing is an Edward R. Murrow and four-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist at WESH-TV who is also a historian of Florida’s popular culture. He has appeared on national programs such as Dateline NBC, the Today Show, and CBS This Morning and published articles in magazines and newspapers across the country.

8pm to Midnight. Free. Bungalower Bazaar powered by Cooper’s Craft. 514 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803.  Bungalower and Cooper’s Craft have joined forces to bring you a night filled with Orlando’s best makers, in a new event space in Ivanhoe Village, run by our friends at FACTUR.

Sip on fancy cocktails, shop for local wares, and eat too many tamales at this fun event.

Sunday April 16, 2017 (Easter Sunday)

10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. South East corner of Lake Eola, Lake Eola Park, East Washington Street, Orlando, FL.

Noon to 1pm. Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, East Washington Street, Orlando, FL. Near Red Pagoda.

7pm to 9pm Free. Orlando Director’s Forum. Valencia College East Campus 701 N Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, Florida 32825. A group of Orlando’s most stylistically diverse stage directors will participate in a free and open forum at Valencia College’s East Campus. This event will be a great opportunity to hear unique perspectives on inspiration, casting, rehearsal process, trouble-shooting, and overall creative process of directing. Seth Kubersky will host a moderated discussion followed by a Q and A with attendees.

Featuring (in alphabetical order)

Rob Winn Anderson: Consulting Artistic Director – Garden Theatre

Mike Carr: Artistic Director – SAK Comedy Lab

John DiDonna: Program Chair of Theater – Valencia College, Director/Creator – Phantasmagoria

Pam Harbaugh: Director – Theater on the Edge

Beth Marshall: Producing Artistic Director/Theatre Artist – Beth Marshall Presents

Eric Pinder: Director In Residence – Opera Orlando

Donald Rupe: Director of Theatre – Central Florida Community Arts

Jeremy Seghers: Independent Producer and Director

Hearts at the Science Center

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After the horrible loss of life at Pulse, the Orlando Science Center started a community art project in which guests created origami hearts in each of the colors of the rainbow. These hearts were then assembled an hung on strings. There had to be thousands of hearts. The plan was to hang all these hearts in the glass encased walkway between the garage and the Science Center. The strings of hearts were arranged and hung from pvc which was then hung in the walkway rafters. The final result was a spectacular rainbow of hearts leading to the Science Center entrance.

On this day museum staff were taping hearts to strings on their lunch break. Many hands made for small work with plenty of socializing. Clearly this break room is also used for birthday celebrations. I believe it is one of the science classrooms.

First Thursdays at the Orlando Museum of Art.

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Every first Thursday of each month the Associates of the Orlando Museum of Art host “Orlando’s original art party” from 6-9 pm. The event gives patrons an opportunity to discover local artists, listen to live music and mingle with an eclectic mix of people. There are cash bars serving wine, beer, soft drinks and water, and café offerings from area restaurants.

 On this evening, a beautiful 19 year old ballerina was posing for s sculptor and several sketch artists. s8nce I carry my own chair, I sat down and joined in. I arrived as the model was resting. Bernie Martin beside me was putting finishing touches on a spontaneous watercolor. Bob Hague was seated across from me using a camera tripod as an easel. It is a compact solution that I would like to emulate.

The sculptor, Steve Pi specializes in nude dancers. You can always see his work on the bar at White Wolf Cafe  (1829 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804).

La Maschera Goes Parisian Ooh La La!

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La Maschera was presented by Goose Island: Madame Rose, Sofie, Matilda and Pere Jacques. Guests enjoyed a journey back to Paris in the 1890s, when impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created his most famous works of art. How could I resist the temptation to sketch in the Abbey, turned into the Moulin Rouge, the birthplace of the modern Can-Can dance? The Montmartre neighborhood is the symbol of creativity, pleasure, beauty, and celebration.

People dressed up for an evening of live entertainment, dancing,
a silent auction,
gourmet food, beer
and wine.
Proceeds from this event benefited the Downtown Arts District. I wanted to play the part of Toulouse, but I’m just too tall. My only option to dress a bit French was to wear a striped shirt. During the course of the evening, however, I found out that the stripes were in the wrong direction. French stripes are horizontal, but mine were vertical.

I sketched the band and the lovers seated together. Rather than do a third sketch, I sat with friends and sipped a glass of wine. The dance floor was full. Maxine Earhart was a hurricane of social activity and I was swept up and seated strategically. The evening’s laughter cemented the start of a new friendship. The promise of a complimentary bottle of wine and dinner was interrupted by Hurricane Matthew, which blew apart my social plans by shutting down Orlando, yet creating a common bond in the face of danger. Lawn furniture was secured and every imaginable lawn missile was placed in the garage. We were told not to sleep, so the TV announced the storm’s progress while we watched the animated swirling storm maps. I finally went to bed the next morning knowing the worst of the winds had passed. There was no damage, but returning life to normal would take time.