Kevin Maines

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The headlining act at Back Booth was the Kevin Maines band. The place was now crowded and smokey. Kristen Lippens was kind enough to order me an Orange Blossom Beer and sipped as I drew. The sketch was executed quickly, straight to ink with no planning. The room was dark so I had no clue if the color washes were working. People started sitting in front of me, but I didn’t mind, I just leaned to the side to pick out details on stage as I needed them. The music was fabulous to draw to. I seldom got a good view of the drummer since Kevin was usually blocking my view of him. I finished the sketch before they finished playing their set, so I packed the sketchbook in my haversack and then stood to stretch out and start moving to the music. People were dancing all around me and I lost myself in the beat swaying in time. The fluid riffs lasted for an inspired eternity.

When the band finished, I texted Terry and she responded that she missed me. I said goodbye to Dina Peterson who has become my guide and mentor to the best of Orlando’s music scene. I must say she has never steered me wrong. If heaven is a smoke and music filled bar, I had arrived!

Diocious – Back Booth

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Dina Peterson had gotten tickets to Back Booth (37 West Pine Street) for Terry and myself. Terry decided not to go because she can’t stand cigarette smoke. When I arrived I handed over my ticket and was given a smokey gray wristband. I started to walk in, when I heard Dina say, “Hey!” She was seated right next to the ticket lady and I was so focused on the ticket process that I hadn’t noticed her. It turns out we were both on time which for a club, is too early. Inside Diocious was finishing up its sound check. Even Kevin Maines, the headlining act was waiting outside where it was actually a bit cold. I was anxious to start my sketch and we all headed in. I imediately loved the vintage look of the stage with raw wood, billowing drapes of red curtains and a circular stage that jutted out onto the dance floor. Wires snaked all over the stage in apparent chaos.

Dina introduced me to a dozen or so friends and the members of the band. Alex Robertson was on Guitar and Vocals, Josh Hoffman played Bass and Vocals and Partin Whitaker played Drums and Vocals. Diocious described themselves as a psychedelic Funk / Rock band. I found it unique that Partin on the drums often performed as the lead vocalist. They played for well over an hour giving me time to finish the sketch. The room was so dark that I really didn’t see what colors I was using. A flash photo let me see the finished sketch for just an instant. The place became packed. The music had a driving forward momentum with plenty of percussion. I let the music affect how the lines were put down. For me it had a jazz like improvisational feel with occasional sound effects thrown in. It was a great time. Next up was the Kevin Maines Band.

Face Forward

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On the first Thursday of November, the Orlando Museum of Art hosted a group exhibition called Face Forward. Every first Thursday the small gallery next to the lobby is opened to a themed group show. The work in Face Forward was predictably mostly portraits. I arrived early so I could case the space and decide where I wanted to sketch. In one corner, Paul Austin Sanders began playing guitar. The opposite corner is what finally caught my eye. Ashli Szymanski and Sarah Okun from CSStudios, were arranging makeup and foam latex masks. They had to duck tape down some plastic to protect the museum carpeting. Ashli cut off lengths of tape and handed them to Sarah who crawled under the table to tape the edge of the plastic. Facetiously Sarah said, “You are getting better at that Sarah.” Sarah replied, “Thank you, I went to school for it.” A custom blood red mask was glaring out with his face chiseled and skeletal. The model for the night, Jess D.P., arrived with a large backpack full of dresses. After much discussion, the black dress with purple trim and lapels was chosen. Black boots with plenty of buckles completed the ensemble.

As soon as the latex mask was placed on the models face, I began to sketch. They were planning to turn her into a very creepy porcelain doll. The model was beautiful but with the mask her features became swollen and strange. A long time was spent getting the edge of the mask to flow seamlessly into her skin. The model held the small dish of latex or glue that held the mask in place. A young girl complimented my sketch and then sat and watched the makeup transformation transfixed. After she finished her plate of food from Cafe Tu Tu Tango, she started to squirm.

As I was putting the last of the watercolor washes down, they started spreading white make up all over the model’s face, neck, chest and arms. The transformation was almost complete. By now the museum was packed. Allison Stevens was offering Shipyard beer in the main gallery and we spoke for a while about the new brewery coming to town. I am hoping to do sketches as the brewery takes shape. I spoke to Pam Treadwell who had several pieces in the show. She explained that one image had been achieved by pouring chocolate on her son’s girlfriend’s face and watching how it dripped over her features. In the painting the girl looked like she didn’t enjoy the process. Anna McCambridge announced she is now engaged to Marabou Thomas. So much to celebrate!

EDC BBQ

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The Economic Development Corporation has its offices at 301 East Pine Street which is the same building that Broadway Across America has it’s offices. The ground floor lobby was packed and I walked past every one out the back doors where Pine street had been blocked off for the event. I walked around searching for Terry, who had invited me. I was distinctly under dressed in my blue jeans and polo shirt. I was in a crowd of black suits. I decided this bull was a good focal point so I texted Terry and let her know I would be sketching the bull. I had just started the sketch when a police officer approached me from behind. He said, “Are you an invited guest?” I told him, “Yes.” The then told me, “You will have to go back to the lobby where they will check your name off the list and give you a wrist band.” Just then Terry walked up and explained that I was with her. She offered to get the wrist band while I continued to work.

I was introduced to several people who said they would like to help me get more exposure for the work I am doing. When I was introduced to one member of the EDC she knew me since I had sketched a flash mob event at Lake Eola and she had been there. Such a small world. We laughed about the insane events of that day. When I finally got a pulled pork sandwich everyone else had already eaten so there was no wait. All of the BBQ joints in town were here and it was a great opportunity to taste and compare. Suddenly it began to pour. Everyone huddled under the huge tent and the din of conversations grew loud. I was ready to try a second sandwich when I realized all the food tents were isolated away from the big tent. I would have to make a run for it. I decided it wasn’t worth getting soaked to get another bite to eat. Cupcakes on the other hand were in the main tent so I tried a couple.

A colleague of Terry’s sat at our table and the two of them counted business cards. They talked about business and its inherent back stabbing. Then the rain died down to a drizzle. He offered us a ride back to Terry’s car. Terry and I drove off to a surprise birthday party at Redlight Redlight.

College Park Jazz Fest.

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Terry and I drove to College Park where about five blocks of Edgewater Drive were blocked off to make way for two stages for Jazz Fest. Restaurants had tables set out on the street and walkways. Some large tables had been purchased by corporate sponsors. We walked south down the length of the festival. Lawn chairs picnic baskets and bottles of wine were everywhere. Every block people would try and sell orange arm bands. The event was free, but I guess they hoped to get donations with pier pressure and guilt. I planned to meet Summer Rodman at some point since she wanted me to donate a print of a sketch I did at a Kerouac event for a book being printed about Jack’s life in Orlando.

My first order of business was to find some food. A street vendor was offering potato salad and two hot dogs for $5. We found a spot to sit on some steps close to the stage. As soon as I finished eating, I started looking for a vantage point to sketch from. As we wandered in the ever thickening crowd, we bumped into Summer. She didn’t have the release forms we had talked about, but she pointed to an empty corporate table and said she had bought the table and no one was using it. She suggested we sit there. That is when I started this sketch. Terry wandered to look in a ( few stores and when she came back she read a magazine. The music acts were, Miss Jacqueline Jones, The Roadblock Blues Band and The Les Be More Band. Shak Nasty played at the stage at the opposite end of the festival but we never saw his set.

It was a nice cool night with a crisp full moon. The whole event reminded me a bit of the free concerts Terry and I used to attend in New York City’s Central Park. I missed these kind of events which really make me feel like I am part of a thriving community.

VegFest

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Terry and I went to Lock Haven Park to explore VegFest on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We took a look at all the vendors tents and then I picked a shady spot under a tree as my sketching vantage point. I had hoped to sketch Doug Rhodehamel’s paper bag mushrooms. Last year there was a large colorful installation of them. Unfortunately they were nowhere to be found. There were two stages where local musicians performed. It was a family friendly event with a kids zone. People constantly strolled the lawn pausing just long enough to read brochures and shop. Frankie Messina stopped by to say hello.

As I sketched, Terry shopped. I texted her when I was finished and then we looked for some vegan food. I got a heaping plate of rice and vegan egg rolls from Loving Hut. Delicious. We were constantly being given fliers for this cause and that. Terry got annoyed, saying they should save some trees since many of the fliers went straight into the garbage. I kept them all thinking they might offer sketch opportunities.

Poetry in Motion

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Emotions Dance Company held two performances of Poetry in Motion at the Winter Park Playhouse (711-C Orange Avenue, Winter Park). Local poets recited their work as the dancers bought the words to life with expressive dance. I asked Larissa Humiston the dance company’s choriographer and founder if I could sketch in the sound and lighting booth. She agreed and escorted me back through the dressing rooms and up a crude ladder made from nailed together two by fours. I knew it would be dark up there so I got out my book light. The entire show was dimly illuminated with simple spot lights on the poets and the main stage.

Tod Caviness recited a fabulous poem about a Punch and Judy puppet show in a park. “Everyone went home happy. Even the kids with swollen knuckles like wedding rings.” When ever Dion Smith performed, I had to stop sketching and just watch. She has the delicate features of a ballerina but fully embraced the modern dance she performed. Curtis X Meyer’s poem about a disfigured photographer was amazing when accompanied by dance. I had watched this piece in rehearsals and knew that Larissa had to step in to dance the part of the photographer since the male dancer kept missing rehearsals. She had an amazing ability to get completely lost in the music and she immediately made the role hers.

The whole cast did an amazing job. I am so happy I live in a town where such cutting edge, collaborative, expressive work is being created and performed.

Mona Washington – Playwright

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Mona Washington is the present resident writer at the Kerouac House. We met at a reading she did at Infusion Tea. She saw the sketch I did and invited me over to the Kerouac House to do a sketch of her as she worked. I have always approached each resident author with the idea of sketching them and this was the first time the stars lined up. As I was sketching Mona at the kitchen table, she was doing online research for the play she was working on. The play is about freed slaves after the Civil War who are not entirely free. She was researching how female slaves were often used sexually by their owners. After years of this kind of treatment, a slaves body is not entirely her own. A male slave who was trained as a blacksmith had a relationship with this female slave and he was shocked by her promiscuity. She just wanted to feel good.

Mona had on her lucky Police tee shirt. This was the shirt she was wearing last time I sketched her. The Gato Negro red wine we were drinking was sweet and delicious. Mona read aloud from some of the sites she found using the Google search engine. She read to me from a KKK website and I told her about a KKK demonstration that I had witnessed in Maitland. Jack Kerouac glanced over at us from his framed in place of honor in the kitchen. Mona started offering suggestions for residencies that I should apply for. As we talked she was firing off e-mails to my home computer. She is an incredibly giving person and that evening she opened my eyes to creative opportunities that I didn’t know existed.

On November 12th at 8pm Mona is going to read from her work in progress at the Kerouac House (on the corner of Shady Lane and Clouser in College Park.) Mona’s work is insightful and deeply moving, you don’t want to miss it.

Masquerade at the Bohemian

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Terry got a private invitation in the mail for a Masquerade party the day before Halloween on the sixth floor of the Grand Bohemian downtown. The invitation said the party started at 6pm and since I had just finished another sketch assignment, I was in the area. I arrived at the same time as the Peroni girls. They wore tight red tops and skin sight white bell bottoms with high heels. Only bartenders, chefs and event planners were scurrying around getting ready. Most of the space was taken up by a white billowing tent right out of Arabian Nights. A cool gust of wind sent black napkins flying. The other half of the space was a swimming pool with a DJ set up and two go go dancers on either side of him. I settled on a white leather couch and started blocking in the space.

An event planner asked if I was there for the Masquerade. He pulled out a list and asked me for my name. I thought to myself, “Great the second I start sketching, I will be politely asked to leave.” I had to repeat my name several times and even spell it out, all the while continuing to draw. He finally left me in peace, I’m not sure if he ever saw my name. People slowly began to arrive ordering their martini’s and Peroni beers. By the time I finished this sketch, the place was packed with people in masks. I of course wanted to sketch each and every gown and mask but there just wasn’t time. Terry arrived dressed as Zorro and she bought some viking horns for me.

For the second sketch I got up and stood at the empty table seen in the middle of the first sketch. People quickly crowded in around me to eat their lobster tails and bisque. I started by drawing the man standing at the table opposite me. He was at the same table with his girlfriend and I had drawn her but left him out since I had already drawn a Peroni girl and wine barrel where he stood. He joked with me when he saw the sketch, saying, “Look he drew the beautiful woman but not me!”

Just as I was putting finishing touches on the second sketch, an event planner came up to me and asked if I would like to be in introduced to Richard Kessler, the owner of the hotel. Richard and his wife Martha were in an exclusive velvet roped off area next to the pool. Richard looked like a cattle rancher and his wife looked exotic in an all black gown and mask. When I showed him the sketchbook I was working on, I could tell he honestly appreciated the work. He asked if I worked larger and I mentioned the eighteen foot mural at the Sonesta Hotel.

From here, Terry and I decided to go to the Enzian to see what costumes were there. The Eden Bar was packed but honestly there were more costumes at the Grand Bohemian. We called it a night and headed home.

Scrubbed

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Thanks to Dina Mack and Chip Weston, tw0 artists at McRae studios, I managed to get approved for a press pass to sketch the second to last shuttle launch from the press site which is supposed to be very close to the launch pad. The launch was postponed again and again for a solid week until Friday when it looked like a crisp cool beautiful day for a launch. That morning I checked twitter and NASA announced that the fuel tanks were being filled. Everything was go for launch and a tweetup participant announced that the countdown clock was running. I was up at 7am and drove over to Chips house were we would car pool in his SUV. When I was just about to his house, I heard on the radio that the fuel tanks were leaking and the launch would be once again postponed. I called Dina and she suggested I stop over Chips house anyway. She heard the planned launch on Sunday was likely to also get scrubbed. When I met Chip I told him I wanted to head out to the Kennedy Space Center anyway to hopefully get a sketch of the shuttle as it waited.

When I crossed over the Indian River and onto the space center property, my first order of business was to pick up my STS-133 Mission Badge. When I finally found the media Accreditation building, it looked deserted. There were no cars in the parking lot. I felt like I was in a Twilight Zone episode. Weeds sprouted up from cracks in the pavement. The doors were locked. A sign on one of the doors announced that there was a general warning of possible hostile activity. Had the space center been evacuated? I decided to drive up to gate two and find out why the office was deserted. The buff soldier in camouflage uniform gave me the number of the woman in charge of NASA Media and P.R. I called and left a message.

Now I was stuck, waiting for her to return my call. Things didn’t look promising. I decided to drive up to the visitor’s center and do a sketch there while I waited. I approached the entrance which looked like an entrance to Disney World. Patriotic music was piped in over the loudspeakers. I looked at the admission prices, $45 for adults and $35 for children. That was too expensive for one sketch, so I found a nice palm tree to lean against and I started drawing the entrance and rocket garden in the background. I was wearing a sweater but still started shivering. I had to walk back to my truck and get a windbreaker.

After I finished the first sketch I called the woman in charge of media again. She informed me that a press conference was happening at that moment and that it would be announced that the launch would be scrubbed until November 30th. I was right to come out but there would be no getting close to the launch pad.

I noticed a bunch of STS-133 Mission Badges on vehicle dash boards they were doing the same as me, killing time at the tourist spots. At least the tweetup attendees had a chance to see the robonaut that will be sent up when the shuttle finally does launch. I drove back west to a building that had a retired shuttle in front of it acting as a billboard for the Astronaut Hall of Fame. To discourage tourists from standing around and taking pictures of it, an orange plastic fence was erected. This just meant tourists stood in the street taking pictures. A Fox news crew was parked in front of me. They probably used the shuttle as a backdrop in their talking head news footage. I heard them complaining that they couldn’t even get in the gift shop at the visitors center without paying $45.