Art Critique Group

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Once a month Parker Sketch invites 16 artists to gather to talk about art. Each artist is allowed 10 minutes to discuss their art or process. Then the other artists offer their opinions. For the August gathering the event was fully booked within a day. We all met at Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Drive). There were deserts and drinks on a folding table and the room was filled with folding chairs.

As artists filtered in they were invited to place their work in a back room. Names were written on Parker Sketch business cards and then placed in a bowl. Cards were picked at random to decide who showed their work first. Les Jarvela introduced everyone as they arrived. He must have a photographic memory. I sketched Chauncey Nelson who displayed a round painting which had a variety of different sized white balls arranged on it. The piece reminded me of Urban planning. It envisioned to me a city of the future. Chauncy had shown a realistic painting at the last art critique I had attended so this seemed like a departure for him into new territory. He did the piece with the idea of exhibiting the round painting in a square show. He used tapioca for the smallest spheres. Ping pong balls and a few larger balls completed the piece. Everything was white. He was considering painting one small ball red and titling the piece, “Why me?” He pulled a small Christmas light crown out of his pocket and put it on one of the balls. He considered another title, “Balls cried the Queen!” Everyone laughed.

Patti Ballard showed several of her multi media paintings of wide eyed children. She incorporated collage elements in exciting and unexpected ways. For instance a beach scene had a grid pattern hidden under the ocean. The girl’s dress was an intricate fabric pattern. Seen up close this layering of elements really worked. The world she created had a solemn colorful sadness.

I showed some of my studies for the Mennello Museum mural and asked for advice on how to reproduce a watercolor sketch look to the large scale of the wall. There was a lively discussion on mediums and methods I could use to execute the work. I kept taking notes. Getting so much feedback this early in the process was exhilarating. I love that there is such a wide variety of work shown. Abstract artists offer new insight to representational artists and visa versa. Parker Sketch’s paintings were already on the walls and he brought in a couple of new pieces. He asked how he should market his work. A long lively discussion followed but ultimately everyone agreed that in the end the work should speak for itself.

It was late when the last artist showed their work. Parker invited the remaining artists to continue the discussion at a bar across the street. I decided I should get home. Terry was already asleep. I crawled into bed and she didn’t stir.

Spring Awakening Auditions

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Jeremy Seghers invited me to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater a while back to sketch young actors as they gathered to audition for “Spring Awakening“. A woman at a folding table had the actors and actresses fill out a form. Then they waited nervously in the hall. When actors gather for an audition it is like a reunion. The hallway filled with exited conversation. I had seen one production of Spring Awakening produced by Jeremy Seghers that stayed true to the original script. The play followed the lives of students in a turn of the century German University as they discovered their sexuality. A mother stumbled awkwardly as she tried to relate the facts of life to her daughter. She was unsuccessful. The daughter then ends up getting pregnant. Serious issues of rape and homosexuality are dealt with. I’m curious to see how music of Duncan Sheik and the lyrics of Steven Sater might ignite this story.

Since this production was based on the Broadway musical, each actor and actress came prepared to sing. The accompanist was late, so actors who came with a music CD to sing to got to go first. An actress went into the women’s room where she started singing. When she was called into the Goldman, she turned to her friends and said, “Wish me luck”. Behind the closed doors of the Goldman Theater I could hear her muffled singing. Actors who impressed the director, Paul Castaneda, would be called back another day for another audition.

Spring Awakening runs through September 4th at the Shakespeare Theater. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 7:30pm. Tickets are $18 and $15 for students and seniors. Call 407-872-8451.

Marilyn Wattman-Feldman

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Marilyn is a metastatic breast cancer survivor. I joined her when she went to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for ongoing treatments. She was diagnosed as HER-2 Positive. S This means that there is the possibility that the cancer could return. he returns to the hospital every three weeks for treatments. On this trip she was getting an IV of the targeted drug Herceptin. A nurse explained how the drug works. Hormones are what make tumors grow. Herceptin binds to receptors thus blocking them from triggering tumor growth. Yolanda took Marilyn’s vitals. Marilyn has been to M.D. Anderson many times before. She has already lived through the rigors of chemotherapy. The Herceptin treatments have been working.

There is a small subdural port permanently inserted in Marilyn’s upper chest. This allows for the insertion of the IV tube without any pain. She pulled open the neck in her T shirt so the nurse could hook up the IV. Marilyn outlined the many subtle changes in hospital policy she has seen over the years. The newest policy is that every patient must wear identification bracelets. She feels that the nursing staff at M.D. Anderson are the best. The nurses are skilled and do their work with compassion. Volunteers at the center are cancer survivors themselves and volunteering is their way to give back.

Marilyn’s relaxed demeanor made it obvious that this is part of a regular routine. She was offered a box lunch and gladly accepted. “You should see the bills, of course I’m going to have lunch”, she joked. Having sat through so many treatments over the years, she can quickly see when someone is new to the process. She makes sure to talk to them offering hope and reassurance. Besides the treatments, Marilyn exercises. Exercise is the one thing she can do to personally improve her health, the one thing she can control. She takes Zumba Latin dance classes, aqua aerobics and Tai Chi. She now has a blog that chronicles her fight against breast cancer. As she said, “Everyday in every way I am getting better and stronger.” These are strong and inspiring words to live by.

Sunday Art Market

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Every Sunday, Blank Space (201 East Central Blvd) hosts an Art Market. The market is open between noon and 5pm. The Lake Eola Farmers Market is happening at the same time so I believe they hope to attract the resulting foot traffic. When I stopped in, 11 artists, most of them women, had their work on display. After inspecting all the art I finally decided to focus on the dark quirky work of Kassandra Kharis for my sketch. She had two circular tables shoved together with a deep red tablecloth draped over as a unifying backdrop. She had shadow boxes filled with found objects with blood red hearts being the unifying theme. Time pieces, springs, stilettos, money and spattered blood set the mood in these Goth images. The lost and found hearts were all punctured, broken, ripped apart and scared. The work had the intimacy of doll house miniatures with bold splashes of the grotesque.

Tracy Lulu Brown seated next to Kassandra had a landscape painting on her easel. She had a box full of painting supplies and a Jack Skelington bag. I kept hoping she would work on the canvas but she didn’t. I sketched her quickly as she opened a paper bag. The walls were covered with delicate photos of flowers and intricate calligraphy. There was a constant stream of people who would stop and talk to the artists.

Joe David Bellamy Talk and Book Signing.

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Author and writing your life instructor, Patricia Charpentier, hosted an evening with Joe David Bellamy at the Marks Street Recreational Complex (99 E. Marks Street in Downtown Orlando.) discusses the motivation behind writing, “Kindred Spirits: 400 Years of an American Family“, his approach and how he accomplished this labor of love. Joe is very intrigued by family history and he became a dedicated researcher when he realized that much of what had been written about his family’s history was wrong. He pointed out that we are living in a revolutionary time with the Internet making information easily available and DNA testing making genetic family ties irrefutable. Ninety two percent of the people who lived and died on this planet left no trace of their life.

When he spoke about the actual process of writing, he became animated. He said, “Writing should feel like play. Spontaneity is part of the pleasure of writing.” He stressed that “finding your voice” is the most important part of becoming a writer. He told us the story of how his father met his mother. His father moved to another state and began selling vacuum cleaners to make a living. When he entered one home he was taken with a picture of a young woman on a mantle. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he said so. He sold the vacuum. Several weeks later he returned to see if the vacuum was working. The woman was in the next room on the phone setting up a date. He walked in and said, “It’s a shame you have a date because I was going to ask you out.” She broke her date. Lightning struck them both.

Joe pointed out that statistically speaking, cousins often end up marrying cousins. He found the same thing happened in his family. Two sisters moved to separate states and each had children. When the children met, not knowing they were related, they were instantly attracted. Just like the mom was attracted to her own son in “Back to the Future.” Joe’s parents were kindred spirits and they never knew it.

There Will Be Words

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There will be words featured local authors reading excerpts from prose they had written. The event happens on the second Tuesday of every month at Urban ReThink. When I arrived I spotted Darlyn and Brad Kuhn who had recently been married. I congratulated them and hope to attend a celebration in their honor at the end of the month. I then sat next to Leslie Silvia to talk visual art as the stage was set. Lesly did the cover and all the headers for the “Best of Orlando” issue of the Orlando Weekly. She executed the assignment using silhouetted paper cut outs.

When the authors were ready to read, I went upstairs for a birds eye view. Jana Waring was introduced as being the “Best Local Author” as voted by Orlando Weekly readers. She read a short story in which the protagonist didn’t like pets. She described manic and unpredictable pets from her childhood. With plenty of tongue in cheek humor, she indeed convinced me that owning pets is insane.

Jared Silvia read a hilarious piece about Lobster Fest. I laughed the whole time realizing I’m just as much of a misguided geek at heart. Darlyn Finch read a touching story about a present she had brought for her ill brother. Knowing he had recently lost the battle, often forgetting those who loved him before he died. Darlyn has a way of writing from the gut that I admire. Small collectible books called “chapbooks”, were hand bound of each of the author’s stories. The evenings host, J. Bradley, announced that we should buy them now before the authors died and the value of their words escalated. There is something very rewarding about being in a room of people sharing their stories. Events like this remind me that Orlando has a thriving literary community.

Drinks at Taps

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A friend of Amanda Chadwick’s named Matt Rankin was in town visiting from Washington D.C. Amanda arranged for a group of friends to get together to meet Matt. First we were to meet at Mitchell’s Fish Market (460 North Orlando Avenue Winter Park). Terry was there when I arrived. It was raining. Amanda and Matt arrived soon after my Martini. I had met Matt a few times around Orlando before he went to D.C. to apartment sit. He and Terry started telling jokes. Outside there was a musician playing guitar and singing cover songs. He was pretty good. Terry and I ended up ordering the same dinner. It was a delicious cod with a crab stuffing over asparagus shoots all baked in a light butter sauce. Everyone else was running late and they planned to meet us later at a bar called Taps. When we finished dinner we went to search for Taps. Google maps on Terry’s iPhone indicated it was within walking distance. We walked out the door and it was directly across the street.

We sat at a table outside and soon Wendy Wallenburg, Nikki Mier and Sarah Austin arrived. When I wasn’t sketching, I spent most of my time talking to Nikki. She had some wonderful suggestions about places and people I should sketch. Wendy kept asking for the darkest beer in the bar. She claimed there was a beer so dark and thick that it was impossible to see light through the glass. Several servers tried to find this dark beer for her. Samples littered the table. Terry, Nikki and I all ordered hard ciders. Mine was sharp and a little bitter like green apples. Nikki’s cider had a buttery after taste that was nice.

Nikki showed me an adorable picture of her as a child and some really sweet pictures of her dog. One photo of the dog eying a treat on a table was hilarious. Only his eyes and ears were visible and the treat was located where his nose would have been. Another photo showed the pup asleep with his nose tucked into a corner. The black oval spots on his coat receded as if in perspective. She called it her Escher shot. We were all finished with our drinks before I could finish my sketch. I ended up adding watercolor washes at home.

The Help

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Terry sent me a text message Friday saying she would like to see a movie at the Cinemark Theater at Festival Bay. Festival Bay is a mall that was built a few years ago at the head of International Drive near all the outlet malls. It was built at the height of the real estate boom. Walking through the mall most of the store fronts are shut with giant posters making it look like it will one day be a great place to shop. It has been that way for years as more stores shut. The only reason Terry and I ever go there is for the Cinemark. I arrived early to sketch.

We went to see “The Help” based on a book Terry had read in book club. She joked with me saying it might be a chick flick. In the theater she did a head count and found 5 other men in the half full theater. The row directly in front of us was full of women. The movie was fantastic. A young 23 year old woman decided she wanted to write a book from the vantage point of the black maids in Jackson Mississippi. This was a dangerous proposition for the maids since segregation was the law and the civil rights movement had just begun. The maids raised white babies with love and compassion but they were required to use a separate bathroom. A maid was arrested and beaten when she was accused of stealing a ring. Violence against blacks was the norm. Just talking to a young white journalist was dangerous and against the law.

The movie celebrates the courage required to speak the truth in an age of oppression and prejudice. A scene of people watching the John F. Kennedy funeral on TV sparked one of my earliest memories, reminding me that segregation existed within my lifetime. The story was told with warmth, sincerity and showed the hard truth of bitter prejudice which happened at quaint tea parties as white house wives jockeyed for the power of oppression.

We all have a voice, a story that needs to be told. We can’t drift through life, invisible, following the path of least resistance. The movie left me feeling good knowing that a journalist willing to uncover the truth can help bring about change. Change always comes at a cost and it never happens quickly. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I highly encourage you to see “The Help.”

The Abbey

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The Orlando theater community gathered for a pot luck dinner at the Abbey (100 S. Eola Ave.) The space offers a bar, cabaret and a small stage for intimate downtown productions. Small tables filled the floor space reminding me a bit of Casablanca. A digital fireplace flickered near the bar and a large circular stained glass window decorated the ceiling. Terry and I made our way through the long line for food and then we sat near the stage.

I did this quick sketch when we finished eating. People networked and went table to table. I thought their might be some sort of presentation or announcement but that never happened. This was just a chance for the theater community to eat, drink, and be merry. Britt Daley and Scott Wilkins joined us at our table. Britt described all the work going into a music video she is producing for her recently recorded song, “One and Only.” Scott will be shooting and editing all the video. The video will be shot at the Orlando Repertory Theater. Britt is recruiting the help of many actors, dancers and other talented artists for the shoot. I of course asked to sketch on the set.

Our table at the Abbey was right in front of a huge speaker and the music got loud making it impossible to talk. We all moved to a table closer to the bar, behind a wrought iron railing overlooking the open seating area. Actors kept strolling across the stage inspecting the space. They might stop center stage and look out at the room squinting into the bright lights. No one performed. Finally Britt and Terry went on stage and they danced to the sixties retro pop that was playing. Red and green lights flashed and spiraled on the walls and floor. Scott shot video on his iPhone as they danced. I clapped loudly for their impromptu go-go dance.

David & Buster’s

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After reading a review of David & Buster’s by Kelly Fitzpatrick, I decided I had to venture out to International Drive to see this adult million dollar midway for myself. The large building just south of Sand Lake Road has been fully renovated. What really appealed to me was the free parking which is rare in this town. An employee in a tailored white shirt opened the glass door for me. As I ascended up a large staircase I started to hear the chimes, rings and commotion of all the arcade games. Entering the large open space is overwhelming and exhilarating. Lights flashed everywhere as hundreds of games shouted for attention.

I circled the huge space several times constantly looking for a place to sketch. The Wheels of Fortune were always crowded so I stood at a table across the way and got to work. The machine behind me chirped and buzzed for my attention like R2D2. People carried long strings of tickets which sometimes flickered to the floor and had to be folded back up. Buckets sat on tables to be used when people hit the jackpot. A game beside me involved dropping a rubber ball onto a rotating circular disk. Holes along the edge were there to catch the ball. The guy playing hit the jackpot and he raised his arms in victory as the lights flashed. Couples and families kept playing the Wheel of Fortune but there were no big winners that I noticed.

I went to David & Buster’s in the afternoon of an average workday and the place was bustling. I truly felt like Vegas. A large restaurant was to the right of the entrance. Next time I come I plan to enjoy the full, “Eat, Drink, Play” experience.