Parking Lot Blues

Posted on by Thor

On February 5th after getting off work at 9pm, I decided to go downtown to One Eyed Jacks to sketch Korndog’s Rock Band Karaoke. The Orlando Weekly listed the event as free so I figure it was a fine spot for a late night sketch and a drink. As I walked to the bar, I noticed these two musicians jamming at the entrance to a parking lot. “Darn”, I thought, “Those guys would make a great sketch”. I decided to keep on task and kept walking to One Eyed Jacks.

At the entrance to the bar I was carded even though my salt and pepper hair is a dead give away that I’m over 21. My ancient beat up license, which was probably issued before the bouncer was born, caused him to do a double take.  He called over another bouncer to take a look. I was finally given clearance and as I was walking in he said, “That will be two dollars.” I turned and said, “Your kidding, right?” Well, the Weekly was wrong. I wasn’t about to pay a cover for bad Karaoke, so I left.

I made a bee line back to the parking lot which is right behind the Greek Orthodox Church near Lake Eola (150 East Washington Street). Cole was teaching Kenny new riffs on the guitar. I leaned against a light pole and sketched them. Cole told me that he had been an artist once. He went to Hawaii with a portfolio and left it in a hotel room by mistake. He turned to his second love which is music. Kenny sang a solo at one point and he had a great voice. It in amazing where talent crops up in Orlando. Kenny helps organize the homeless feedings behind the church where there is often music.

Some lady was walking her toy sized dog and it took a crap on the wood chips while Cole and Kenny and myself watched. When she realized she was being watched the women said, “You wouldn’t happen to have a plastic bag would you?” She and her dog slipped away to her luxury condo. Cole and Kenny laughed at her expression afterward. “She never planned to clean up after her dog.” Was their conclusion.

Whitney Broadway

Posted on by Thor

I decided to learn what I could about the Maitland Art Center‘s Artist’s in Action program. The program reflects the spirit of founder André Smith’s Research Studio and the current mission of the institution. This program provides non-residential studio space to  established or emerging artists for the professional practice and research of fine art. This program is an exciting opportunity to interact with Center’s community of artists and art enthusiasts while working in this uniquely rich and historic environment.

A fixture at the institution for many years, the acclaimed Artist-in-Action program takes place at the historic Maitland Art Center (originally André Smith’s Research Studio). In Smith’s day, famous artists were invited to live and work at the Research Studio in the winter months, including luminaries Milton Avery and Ralston Crawford.

Whitney Broadaway grew up in Sebring, Florida and received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts
with a focus in Printmaking from the University of Central Florida in
2010. During her degree, Broadaway studied printmaking, ceramics, and
the book arts extensively. She has interned with the Museum of Florida
Art and Culture as well as Flying Horse Press. Whitney is currently
the Book Conservator for the Special Collections & University
Archives department of the UCF Libraries. There she is in charge of
conserving and repairing material, as well as coordinating and judging
the annual Book Arts Competition.

Whitney‘s studio at the Arts Center was bright and light filled. Whitney’s recent prints integrate elaborate floral patters similar to work done at the turn of the century. One plate had delicate line work where she had to carve away the areas around the lines which takes amazing patience. As she worked on carving lino plates, she sang along with the tunes on her laptop. I began singing along as well. Pink Floyd began playing and Whitney told me about a video that had the Dark Side of the Moon dubbed over The Wizard of Oz and the music synced perfectly. A huge steel print press stood in the corner of the studio. It once belonged to André Smith so it is a historical relic. It has sat unused for years and Whitney is trying to let the Arts Center committee realize that the press needs to be used so all the working parts are active and lubricated. I felt like a bit of a dinosaur working next to this young artist, so I can identify with the idea that no matter how old you might be you should stay active every day.  I hope the press wheel once again turns to create a new generation of prints.

African American Art Opening

Posted on by Thor

On February 1st, I went to the opening of African American Art at the Mennello Museum of American Art, (900 East Princeton Street Orlando, Fl). The exhibit, on loan from the Smithsonian Institute is titled, “African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era and Beyond“. The exhibit
presents one hundred
works dating from the 1920s through the 1990s by forty-three
black artists who participated in dialogues about art,
identity, and the rights of the individual that engaged American society
throughout the twentieth century.

As I sketched, I heard a brief explanation about the installation in the middle of the room.  The chair and cabinet were supposed to belong to a world traveler. Objects in the cabinet come from exotic places around the world. A map shows three isolated islands where the traveler stayed. Everything was fictitious. It was a way for the artist to escape everyday life and imagine a life of travel and leisure.

New York City artist Joseph Delaney had a 1941 painting of Penn Station at war time. The painting was bisected horizontally down the middle with the upper half showing the architecture and the bottom half depicting the crowds in motion. Joe Biggers had a large painting called, “Shotgun Third Ward” painted in 1965. A church stood burnt as people gathered in the street. The sun was setting behind the charred rafters. The painting was mostly monochrome except for hints of violent red throughout. It is the most haunting image I have ever seen of the burning of African American Churches during the civil rights era. This happened within my lifetime, so the dark souls capable of that act could very well still be alive.

The show is on exhibit now through April 28th. The museum is open,  Tuesday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m and Sunday Noon to 4:30 p.m. If you go to the Museum website, there is a coupon you can print for free admission to the exhibit.

Florida Film Festival Kick Off Party

Posted on by Thor

On January 30th, the Enzian Theater, (1300 South Orlando Avenue  Maitland, FL), hosted a Kick Off Party for the Florida Film Festival. Press was on hand as CEO, Henry Maldonado, welcomed everyone to the Kick Off for the 22nd annual Florida Film Festival. The Festival is a fabulous celebration of films and filmmakers, indulgent experiences in food and wine, and a wonderful mix of parties and special events. This years Festival begins April 5th and continues for ten glorious days.

A large gust of wind caused the inflatable movie screen he was standing in front of to warp and topple backwards. He didn’t notice at first but the reaction of the audience caused him to turn and look. “That thing can’t fall on me can it?”  Staff rushed to secure more guy wires. Henry checked with Elizabeth Tiedtke to be sure he covered everything. There was a short preview film but none of the films that will be in this years Florida Film Festival were unveiled.

After the press preview, the lawn outside the Enzian filled with more people to watch “Cannibal The Musical”  on the inflatable screen. I hadn’t seen this film which was made by Nick Parks one of the South Park writers. I did see a Fringe play last year based on the film so I knew to expect a very odd and funny movie. I was seated leaning back against a handrail to the back steps to the theater. Half way into the film one of the chefs almost tripped over me as he went out for a smoke.

Fight Like a Girl

Posted on by Thor

About six years ago, Carla Young got the phone call that nobody wants to get…

“The tests came back, and you have cancer.”

As Carla explained, “I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer that had already metastasized to my bones. I was devastated to say the least. After calling my parents to break the news, the next thing I knew I had to do was go to theatre downtown. We were in the middle of rehearsals after all, and I couldn’t just not show up. Plus they were my second family. I needed their support. To me, theatre is not only a place to watch people perform but also a place to let you forget about your troubles if only for a few hours. During the next few years, I came to realize it was also a place of healing. No matter how bad I was feeling, it would magically disappear the second I walked into the theatre.”

Denna Beena of Pink Hair Productions suggested I go to Theatre Downtown, (2113 N Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida ), to sketch the fundraiser for Carla’s medical bills. The fundraiser was a musical cabaret featuring songs from shows Carla had stage managed such as “Annie”, “The Wiz”, “Chicago”, “Altar Boyz” and “Avenue Q” along with some of her favorite shows such as “Wicked”, “Seussical The Musical”, and “Rent”.

I got to Theatre Downtown about an hour late since I was working a late shift at Full Sail. Everyone was in the spacious lobby area relaxing on couches and mingling. I found Denna and she let me know that the second half of the show would be in the theatre itself. I went in and found a seat close to the piano and I started sketching the empty stage. I heard a raffle going on in the lobby and then the young actors started getting themselves seated. It turned out I was seated where the singers sat before they went up to the mic. I felt self conscious, but I couldn’t stop the sketch now. An actress leaned over and told me she appreciated my work and I relaxed. Staci Stout, who was seated right next to me, got up and sang “Don’t Rain On My Parade.” Many of the performers were teens yet they belted out the songs like pros. The entire Company rose and began singing “Seasons of Love” from Rent. They asked Carla to stand and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The room radiated love.

Carla Young Continues to fight for her life with the support of family, friends and a loving theater community. You can follow Carla’s progress on the Fight Like a Girl page. Should you want to help, go to Carla’s fundraising site where to date, $5,606 has been raised towards the $20,000 goal. Even as her medical bills escalate, Carla dreams of paying it forward. If the goal amount is reached, she
will donate $2000 of that to Compassionate Hands and Hearts which is a local
organization designed specifically to help breast cancer patients and their
families.  They helped her a while
back, and she would love to be able to help somebody else in need.

P.S. On April  13th, I heard that Carla Young passed away.

“The
world is a slightly lesser place tonight. R.I.P. Carla Young. You were
truly one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, inside and out.
The mark you made on so many lives will never be forgotten.” – Paul Castaneda

Sunday Afternoon Improv

Posted on by Thor

Sunday January 27th I went to Urban ReThink,(625 East Central Blvd, Orlando FL) for Sunday Afternoon Improv. I didn’t check the invite closely and I thought I was going to sketch some comedians. Patrick Greene and Jim Ivy introduced the event which will be happening quarterly. Jim explained that the theme of the show was, “Of the Earth”. Musical sounds would be created with natural objects like stone, wood, water or metal. Jim was the first to perform. He sat on stage in the retro 60’s chair and opened his laptop. The laptop generated sounds and then he began to play what looked like a Frankenstein altered clarinet that had a long PVC body. Perhaps it was a flute played with a reed mouth piece.

All of the performances were improvised and experimented with found objects. At one point a pizza pan was amplified. Dan Reaves performed second followed by Christopher Flavo and A.J. Haring. Just about everyone in the audience was a musician.

Daniel Gruda experimented with pots and pans and a tea kettle. The whole time he adjusted an electronically generated tone using a foot pedal and tons of wires. A skull decorated his microphone. With a second sketch finished, I decided I should get home. As I left, more speakers were being loaded out of a car. In all the improv went on for a good four hours.

Nude Nite

Posted on by Thor

On Valentines Day, I got to the opening of Nude Nite Orlando at about 10PM, which was a late night out for me. It had been raining all day and it was still drizzling. The event was held at an abandoned warehouse at 639 W. Church St. Orlando, FL. This is several blocks west of the Amway Center in Parramore. Gentrification has pushed its way west but several blocks still had rundown tin roof houses and abandoned properties. I decided it hadn’t been a good idea to park downtown and walk west to the warehouse.

I knew I had arrived when I heard loud music and saw light shining out of cracks in the warehouse foundation. A crude sign outlined in rope was nailed to a tree, it read, “Jesus Saves.” There wasn’t a line to get in. Attendance was surprisingly light. I walked around the perimeter of the warehouse searching for my sketch subject. A nude woman in a gas mask was posing on a pedestal. I considered sketching her but she kept moving in slow motion. She would be a frustrating subject. Wendy Wallenburg and Linda Saracino greeted me. They seemed very excited about a male dancer’s performance.

I started blocking in a second sketch of a woman being body painted near a golden tree. My attention as I sketched however was drawn to a woman seated in a U shaped ottoman in the background. I erased my sketch and moved closer to her to sketch. She was regal, poised and still. Periodically she would raise her arms up to imitate the pose in the photo hung in front of her. I liked when she relaxed, looking off in the distance. The green light gave her an odd glow. When she took a break, a group of girls asked me if it was alright to sit in the ottoman. “I don’t see why not.” was my simple response. They started posing for photos imitating the picture. One girl took her sweater off to pose causing a chorus of giggles and photos.

I heard the performers on the main stage where a crowd of people had gathered. A DJ and his girlfriend introduced themselves. I had just met them at a DRIP Art Night event and I had even sketched the girl as she danced in her polka dot undies. She looked like Halle Berry. Someone else asked me if I was from the Maitland Art Center. Odd question. “I’ve been to the Art Center, but I can’t say they sent me.” I replied. He explained that in past years, there had been artists sketching a model at Nude Nite. I was the only artist he saw creating art.  A woman asked if she could leave her drink next to me as she shot photos. I said, “Sure”. She commented on how small my palette was. I replied, “It’s not how big the palette is, its how you use it.” Of all the art I saw, I made a note of two sketches by artist Ray Richardson from Kissimmee. One was of a nude Cinderella and the other of a nude Snow White munching on a candied apple. Both women were overweight, looking like desperate house wives looking for attention.

I was using a new fountain pen. I discovered a major flaw in its design when I tried to twist the cap off to put the pen away. The twisting motion caused the pen to spit out a huge gush of ink onto the sketch. “Mother F*@$er” I muttered. Just then Kelly Stevens the event organizer walked up. She liked the sketch and I let my frustration and annoyance melt away. The spill was actually a blessing, because I started painting with pure thick pigment which is something I should do more often. As I was getting ready to step back out into the rain, I saw Kelly on a stage posing with patterns of light dancing on her outfit. A computer generated image was being mapped and projected onto her as she posed. Someone held up a mirror so she could see herself. She was laughing and having a great time.

You have one last chance to experience Nude Nite tonight from 6PM to midnight. There is plenty of parking near the warehouse.

Taste Jazz

Posted on by Thor

Since I have been working till 9PM at Full Sail, I have been searching for late evening sketch opportunities. Monday Night Jazz at Taste (717 W. Smith Street in College Park) has become a standard Monday Night ritual. They have an early set from 7PM to 9PM and then a later set from 9:30PM to 11:30PM. My sketch is usually finished before the evening of music wraps. All sorts of musicians gather in the bar area and different musicians rotate in for each jam session.

I order a Blue Moon beer and some tater tots to munch on as I sketch.  The young couple at the table in front of me were obviously on a date just getting to know each other. As always the music was lively and spontaneous. My goal at these late night sketch outings is to get a quick sketch done then get home before Terry goes to sleep.

Elite Animation Academy

Posted on by Thor

Elite Animation Academy  (The Shoppes at Windermere 8933 Conroy-Windermere Road

Orlando, Fl above Costello’s Pizza ) is
an art and animation program designed for animation students. The
Academy is instructed by former Walt Disney Studios Florida  Animator
Paulo Alvarado, a graduate of the prestigious Ringling College of Art
and Design located in Sarasota, FL.  At  Elite Animation Academy we are “Developing Young Minds through the Art of Animation.“

Elite promises to 
provide young students the education and the tools necessary to create a portfolio
to enhance  animation skills and take it to the next level, should the student want to pursue a career in animation, graphic or game design.  Classes are after school, with convenient afternoon hours for parents
and students.  We focus on basic to intermediate levels with an emphasis
on history, theory, and sketch along with Animation exercises each week
after the topic.

The Elite Animation Academy classroom used to be The Art Room, which has moved to a new location. Elite Academy was founded in July of 2012 with the first classes taking place in the Ascension Church (4950 South Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando FL). The interest and demand grew so fast that they realized they had to find a permanent home.

I found out about the opening day of the Academy when I bumped into Paulo and his wife while shopping at Publix Supermarket. Dominic Carola and his wife Love were at the opening along with many other former Disney Animation Artists. It was like a small reunion. A line of computers were under constant use by the kids who were there. They were using a basic drawing program and playing video games. One game was controlled with hand gestures. The computer’s camera must have sensed the hand movements. It was odd seeing kids swatting the air with their hands. Several former Disney Artists couldn’t resist doing a digital drawing of their own. One wife seemed quite enamored watching her husband sketch on the computer.

One artist told me about an animated short he is working on called “Crackerland” it is meant as a spoof of the old Florida down home attractions before the big theme parks took root. There was punch and cookies in the hall. Dominic’s children were middle school aged which immediately made me feel old. The last time I saw them they were babies.