Up Beat

Posted on by Thor

For Cinco de Mayo, Terry and I went to the courtyard outside Cantina Laredo. A stage was set up for “Up Beat“. The performer out front played saxophone, flute and some sort of clarinet. Oddly he seldom face the audience, preferring to face the piano player. Terry said that he must be shy. I waited the longest time before I could work him into the sketch, I never knew what he would be playing. I finally gave up and just had him singing into the microphone. When he played sax, he would get off the stage and saunter up to the tables. The orange tent across the way served tacos and there was a tent for margaritas.

The guitar player looked like Jimmy Buffet and he sang “Margarita ville.” The piano player noticed me sketching and he said, “Be sure you get my good side.” He then turned around and shook his rump. I’m not sure if he meant I should ketch that. The drummer’s girlfriend was seated behind Terry and I. She would shoot photos each time the band started a new set. The drummer, Antone Affronti, owns a frame and mat shop called Custom Framing. I got his card since I haven’t used a framing shop for a while. If I ever put on a gallery show, I’ll need lots of frames made. The frames I have made myself are getting quite beat up. He had quite a collection of drum sticks and I wondered if he would break a few, but he never did.

Some women danced to the music and I’m sure as if got later that the place would be hopping. It was a sunny yet cool day, perfect to relax and sketch in the shade. After the performance, we went to see Iron Man 3.

Cinco de Mayo

Posted on by Thor

Terry wanted to go to Cantina Laredo for their Pico de Gallo. It is located in a new knot of strip mall restaurants on Sand Lake Road. This huge fiberglass replica fountain was actually spewing water. It is the first time I’ve actually seen it work. It is hard to describe how cheesy and repulsive the fountain is. If you have ever been to Italy and seen true sculpted fountains then you will find this holds no comparison. It is sort of like the Lego Land of sculpted fountains. No, I take that back, a Lego version would have far more class.

It was a beautiful crisp and cool day however and it was nice to sketch while Terry read her magazine. The chicken flour Tacos were rather tasteless but spicy hot. I had a few of Terry’s chips to try her Pico de Gallo and it was yummy.

A woman wanted me to do a portrait of her dad but there wasn’t time.

Josette Urso

Posted on by Thor

Josette Urso is a Brooklyn based artist who has been invited to come down for a residency at the Maitland Art Center.  Her residency runs from April 28 through June 2nd. This residency program has been resurrected after about a 30 year hiatus. lt was part of J. Andre Smith‘s vision to bring accomplished artists to Florida where they could recharge their creative batteries. Past artists of national prominence,  who were residents here included Milton Avery, Ralston Crawford, Doris Lee, Boris Margo and Teng Chiu.

Josette offered a presentation of her work in the Germaine Marvel Building on the Maitland Art Center Campus. I was one of the first people to arrive. I had been in contact with Josette because I hoped to sketch her at work and learn about her process. This talk was a perfect way to truly meet the artist. She talks with passion and excitement about her art which is accomplished and branches in multiple directions. What was most exciting was that her work has a sense of play as she experiments in various mediums.

Some of the earliest work was collage arranged in circles. Intricate images inhabited tiny squares within the over all design. They were like Madella’s or kaleidoscopes with vibrant color. She collects UPC codes and these linear patterns adorned one of the circular motifs. The image she was working on was huge and she ran out of UPC codes. Most people go to their neighbors perhaps for a cup of sugar but she turned to her neighbors for codes.

When she showed her Urban drawings, I was inspired. One sketch was of a Bushwick building rooftop with a flock of pigeons moving as a dark mass above the building. She thought the pigeons would always be there but the coup was closed down. The drawing was done with a child’s pen she had purchased in Taiwan. The ink is beginning to fade along with the inspiring memory of the flock. She would visit other artist’s studios and sketch the amazing views.

Her paintings border on the abstract yet are grounded in direct observation. She likes to get lost in the process moving around the page and is surprised when it all lines up. One action always leads to another. Her paintings pose questions not offering just answers. Different tools inspire different images. An ink sketch can’t be erased yet an oil painting can be kept in a constant state of flux. Here in Maitland she is working plein air getting her inspirations from the gardens around the museum. She admitted that the Florida sun had tapped her energy. Someone needs to bring this woman a big straw wide brimmed hat.

On Saturday, May 11, from 10 AM to 1 PM,the Art and History Museum will hold an official Plein Air Paint Day with Josette Urso. Painters from around Central Florida are encouraged to come and create alongside Urso. Guests will discover the tools and techniques Urso uses to create her widely-collected paintings, as they enjoy the beauty of the A&H’s Maitland Art Center campus. This program is FREE and the public is encouraged to attend.

RAW Artists Orlando Presents…Marvel

Posted on by Thor

On April 4th, I went to The Abbey (100 South Eola Drive, Orlando, Fl) to check out the talent at RAW Artists Orlando presents…Marvel. There was a line to get in that snaked around the corner into a parking garage.

A recording of Britt Daley‘s “One and Only” was pulsing through the room. “Awesome!” I thought. “They really are showcasing the best local talent.” However, Britt wasn’t on stage that night. Musical acts included Live Hart, Cure for Caska, and Judy Tribune. One performer who sang while I was sketching was so far off key that I cringed.

The artist that caught my eye was this body painter named Nix Herrera. He used stencils and an airbrush to create intricate lettering and designs.  It was really stunning work. The model, Sierra Missed, had a proud and regal expression the whole time. She was enjoying the attention.

Artist, Jean-Claude Rasch introduced himself.  I had met him before at one of Parker Sketch’s art critiques. I remember Jean worked on Plexiglas and the paintings would have different coloring if lit from behind. He was set up in the same spot where Parker Sketch had been set up the month before. Jean’s work had more than a passing resemblance to Parker’s work incorporating splashes and pop culture imagery.

Last time I went to a RAW event I was dressed a bit grungy, walking in with a baseball cap the bouncer reminded me to take off. This time, knowing cocktail attire was required, I wore a suit and tie. I just had to keep the tie from flopping down onto the palette. You have to be over 21 to get in and tickets were $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Seed

Posted on by Thor

Hannah Miller let me know that she would be directing a 15-minute play called “Seed” written by Danny Kessler. She invited me to a dress rehearsal at Valencia Community College – East Campus (701 N Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, Fl). The rehearsal was on the East Campus, in Building 1 on the 3rd floor in classroom 368. I was searching for the room number when I bumped into Sarah Lockhard in a clowns outfit. She guided me to the rehearsal space which was an empty classroom with some boxes, a bag of seed and some recycled paper bags.

“Seed” is an existential play about the end of the world, filled with Skittles, clowns, and fantastic performances from students Jasmine Lesser, Jennifer Hurless  and local actress Sarah Lockard. Sarah stepped in when a student was unable to fill the commitment. Jasmine had been rehearsing from the start. Jasmine played the seed in bunny ears and a frilly pink dress while Jennifer played a mother earth type character. Sarah narrated the play’s opening scene and later came out in a hazmat suit to clean up the stage.

This was Hannah’s first experience directing.  As she said, “I took on the challenge to learn a little bit
about a director’s perspective on text so I’d be a better playwright.
I’ve learned a lot, I think.” Hannah and Sarah talked for quite a while about Sarah’s motivations and actions in the play. She had just stepped into a roll that had been established by another student actress and she hoped to put more of herself into the part yet the performance was only days away.

In this final week of rehearsals, Jane Henson passed away. Hannah works for IBEX Puppetry run by Heather Henson, Jane’s Daughter. Besides Hannah’s own grief, her boss’s enormous
grief, and the grief of everyone she works with, she had to handle the
overwhelming outpouring of communication on IBEX Puppetry’s behalf. To say Hannah had a lot on her plate would be an understatement, but as always, the show must go on. From my perspective seeing the run through for the first time, the play flowed effortlessly. The actual performance was during a school showcase in midday of Weds., April 10th.

The Memory Room

Posted on by Thor

It was back in August of 2009 when I first met Mary Hill and later, her mother Margaret Hill. Mary moved from California to take care of her mom here in Orlando. For five years she was responsible for her mother’s care. Margret’s pulmonary fibrosis and other conditions grew worse until she couldn’t get out of bed. It was around this time that I did several sketches of Margaret and interviewed her about her life. She died on December 28th of 2011.

It was a bit strange returning to Margaret’s old bedroom. The room seemed immense and empty. An old Teddy Bear sat on top of some shelves. This was won at a state fair by Duane Hill, her future husband, and it was the first present he ever gave her. In a box tied with twine and labeled “Junk”, were all the letters Duane and Margaret wrote each other when they were dating. A photo of Mary’s parents was on the wall behind her along with paintings of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. This was always a religious family. Mary’s aunt was a nun.

Mary was busy trying to sort all the family photos into cardboard bins. She was trying to decide which relatives should get which photos. It seems that Margaret took more photos of grandchildren than she did of her own children. Each of Mary’s brothers had a shelf where their stiff collared High School photos were stored. So much of the family’s true story remained hidden from the staged and posed family photos. Yet each snapshot could bring back a flood of memories, clear reminders of what truly happened.

Jett Backpack Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

On April 29th, I went to Dancer’s Edge Studio (7351 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL) to sketch a rehearsal for Jett Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe, which will appear at the upcoming Fringe Theater Festival in May. It was raining like a banshee  on the drive to the theater, but the cast trickled into the dance studio lobby one at a time at first and then in a deluge. The dance studio had mirrors on three walls and the actors performed towards the fourth wall.

Much of the action took place on an intergalactic space craft with John Bateman playing a cocky and somewhat incompetent captain with Jennifer Guhl playing his salty number 1.  The play was written by Josh Geohagen and he sat on the floor pouring over the script. At this rehearsal just two scenes were blocked with Kevin G. Becker directing. Before getting to work, the cast assembled in a circle and switched places with a point and command. Another exercise involved everyone walking the room and reciting the alphabet. If two actors said the same letter at the same time, they had to begin again at A. I’m always amazed at how a cast can pull together and become keenly aware of each other working almost like a flock.

Often the crew of the star ship would be looking at an imaginary view screen which they decided was the blue cork paneling on the wall. They all would crane their heads to look up at it. Several clones perished in gruesome ways and where whisked off to air locks. Dorothy Massey played a sultry Princess Positronic who was attracted to the captain. Trenell Mooring is sort of the face of Fringe this year since she is pictured on the Fringe poster along with her son. Her eyes are set apart wide on her face giving her an exotic chiseled look. She plays the part of an alien helmsman on the ship speaking an alien dialect. This tongue in cheek comedy was consistently hilarious. I can’t wait to see the cast in costume. Since only two scenes were rehearsed, I’m left wondering how the adventure will play out.

Where: The show will be in the yellow venue which is the Mandell Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center.

How much: You need a Fringe button plus tickets are $10.

Show times:

Thu 5/16 7:30PM

Sat 5/18 9:45PM

Sun 5/19 11:15PM

Tue 5/21 7:15PM

Thurs 5/23 5:45PM

Fri 5/24 6:30PM

Sat 5/25 1:00PM

Cameo Theater

Posted on by Thor

On March 22nd, I went to the Cameo Theater for a display of garbage as art. The Cameo had been closed for well over a year due to fire code violations so I was curious to see it open it’s doors again. UCF
architecture student, Jorge Boone, who recently purchased the Cameo, Wes Featherston and James Cornetet of Process Architecture, LLC hosted the art installation.

Two amazing
installations created by ten talented UCF architecture students in the alley beside the Cameo. The
students were tasked with studying post-consumer waste and developing
innovative new techniques for transforming these materials into building
systems.

One group re-purposed plastic grocery bags using tribal basket weaving techniques
to create a structural 40’x10’ canopy that sores over the Cameo’s
courtyard. The bag canopy was tied to a ladder above my head and various window bars and metal stairs. It started raining as I sketched and unfortunately the canopy didn’t protect from the rain because of it’s open weave.

The other group of students examined the structural nature of
paper mache egg cartons to create a pair of 12’x20’ wall panels that
will create the only ‘quiet’ zone in the district due to the natural
acoustic qualities of the cartons.

Several new designs for the theater were lying on tables inside the Theater. Then both seemed to focus on sprucing up the Theater’s facade. The interior was gutted clean. One student was sweeping the dusty floor. A talent agency is still upstairs as well as John Hurst’s animation storyboard artist studio.

Hopefully the new owner will resurrect the Cameo since it was one of my favorite venues to sketch. The place was raw and uncluttered making it ideal for large installations and cutting edge experimental shows. Perhaps the Phoenix can rise again from the fire codes ashes.

Toyota Service

Posted on by Thor

My Toyota Prius was due for it’s complimentary 10,000 mile service. The dashboard display reminded me of this everyday with a “Service Required” sign on the display. Pulling into the service carport, I was fourth in line for service. An attendant put a small plastic cone with the number 4 on the car’s roof.  Every time a car was driven into the service garage, he scrambled to update the cones like a shell game.

Tony Ferrando was my service consultant. He pointed out the indoor deli and suggested I take a seat in the lounge. Most of the costumers seated around the waiting area amused themselves with their phones. One woman was knitting and the gentleman seated right in front of me was reading a real paper to get his news. There was a mother with her daughter seated next to me. She had been
sitting in exactly the same spot last time I was in for service. I
considered mentioning this to her but though it might come off as
creepy.

Just as I finished the sketch, Tony called my name. He pointed out that everything checked out and they even cleaned the car besides changing the oil. All of this was complimentary which is unheard of in this age of hidden fees. He said he would still need my credit card although there was no charge. I handed it over cautiously. He laughed saying “Got ya! I actually asked a guy to start filling out a check once and he had it half filled out before I stopped him.”

The service check up was much quicker than I expected. This new dealership is state of the art, I actually don’t dread returning.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Posted on by Thor

I went to an open rehearsal for William Shakespeare‘s Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center on April 26th. The only performance would be the next day and it was completely sold out. I was surprised at how crowded it was getting into the theater. It turned out $10 tickets were sold to see the rehearsal. I usually sit right up front but the front rows were blocked with yellow caution tape.

I did this sketch with a fountain pen Larry Lauria had lent me. It wasn’t until I started adding watercolor washes, that I realized that the ink wasn’t waterproof. Every wash that touched a line would explode black as the ink spread. I wanted to abandon the sketch and start another, but there wasn’t enough time. I pushed forward hoping the whole page wouldn’t turn black by the end of the show.

The orchestra performed music by Felix Mendelsohn which perfectly complimented the play. There were love potions that caused mortals to fall helplessly in love with the wrong person. All the lovers were bewildered and lost. The wost case was when Titania fell in love with an actor who had been transformed into an ass. My favorite moment was the play staged within the play. Brandon Roberts as a carpenter announced the play while standing on a column. The actors staged a farcical tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby. The female Thisby  was played by a man and there must have been basketballs on his chest swinging under the Greek toga. Philip Nolan as Pyramus had a hilarious death scene in which he kept poking his sword at his impenetrable chest plate. He apologized to the assembled audience on stage and said “Well, this is actually more of a dress rehearsal.” He finally shoved the sword inside the armor and had a long winded agonizing death scene that he milked at least three times. Even members of the orchestra couldn’t stop laughing.

It was a delightful evening and I hope the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center continue to collaborate.