Food Not Bombs

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Today is International Peace Day so I thought I would do a sketch about “Food not Bombs”. This is a group that supplies food to Orlando’s homeless around the picnic area of Lake Eola Park every Wednesday. This group has faced arrests and police harassment since they began serving food in 2005. In July of 2006 the city passed an ordinance that severely limited the ability of groups to share food in 36 different parks around Orlando. The ordinance stated that any group that shares food with more than 25 people, including servers, must be limited to 2 food servings per 12 month period. Violation of this ordinance could carry a 60 day jail sentence and a $500 fine. The city claimed that food scraps left on the ground could be harmful to birds and squirrels, Garbage could affect public health, and that public safety would be threatened by the homeless attracted to the food. From my observations of this event, Food not Bombs did a great job of cleaning up after the feeding. As I sketched I certainly didn’t feel threatened in any way. I felt more threatened drawing at Neiman Marcus last week.

In April of 2007 Eric Montanez was arrested for violating the ordinance. 8 police officers were on hand to arrest him for serving stew. Police even took a sample of the vegan stew as evidence. Montanez was acquitted at his jury trial.

On September 26th 2008 Food Not Bombs won a victory against the city when federal judge Gregory Presnell rules that the City Ordinance violated Food Not Bombs right to free speech under the first amendment since the food sharings are expressive conduct carried out to convey a political message. As he stated “Not withstanding their diffuse political views, all Orlando Food Not Bombs members share in OFNB’s core belief: that food is a right which society has a responsibility to provide all of its members.”

Lesley Silvia working at Stardust

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I met Lesley Silvia and her husband Jared at a Kerouac House event. As I have been sketching more and more in Orlando’s more artsy cafes, like Infusion Tea, Dandelion, Seven Sisters, and Stardust, I have become curious about all the people who sit and use their laptops for extended periods of time. Lesley works on her photos and graphic design work using a laptop and Photoshop or Illustrator, InDesign and on rare occasions Painter. She had arrived at Stardust before me and had just finished a dinner of nachos. She and her husband who is a writer, usually work together. Silvia enjoys working in Stardust because it has free WI FI and she feels Dandelion and Infusion have a more mature crowd. Stardust is a more comfortable fit for a young edgy artist. She also likes to work in Winter Park’s Central Park sitting on a bench in the shade, or she goes to Borders and looks through a few magazines for inspiration before she gets to work on the laptop.
As I sketched, Silvia was working on a series of photos called Pinatas. This series resembles crime scene photos where people are shown injured or dead with candy in place of blood. It is a unique and somewhat unnerving series of photos. Her graphic design work is inspired by the Swiss, it is clean neat and tidy.
Silvia was just 10 years old when she took her first photography class. She and her brother learned to make the pinhole cameras at one of the art camps they attended. Her work to this day plays with photography’s earliest forms. Her father helped her with a little bit of photo composition at an early age although at the time she didn’t know photography would be her passion. I high school she discovered that photography was really fun and took every class offered. In college she got a BA in Studio art with a minor in philosophy and her independent study focused on photography. Like most artists she has many facets including an interest in sculpture and graphic design.
Silvia is a full time course director at Full Sail University teaching Digital Photography. She gets freelance work through word of mouth and serendipity. She has shot some weddings and portraits. She shot photos for an Australian Rock Band who was later signed by Columbia Records. The record company asked her to take the rock band pictures off of her web site. She just removed the groups name and the lawyers stopped hassling her. Past clients include Scottish Highland Games and Mega Con. Her favorite assignments are outdoor shoots using natural light and shot with film.

Confluence

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I first heard of Confluence from Brigen Gresh at an opening she had of her work at a show called Lot 1433. At that opening she began talking about a collaboration among 4 women artists. Having tried to collaborate with an artist myself in the past and having failed miserably, I was intrigued by this idea of 4 artists all working on the same paintings. I arranged to meet these four artists at McRae Art Studios in Winter Park as they began to work on these huge paintings. The 4 artists are Brigen Gresh, Dina Mack, Anna McCambridge and Vicky Jones. It was a typical steamy Orlando afternoon and the industrial studio space did not have air conditioning, but that did not slow down these women. Anna immediately got to work mounting a drawing to the panel. Vicky had previously drawn in the feet and Anna used her judgment to balance the two works together. Brigen placed tape along the top edge of the panel and painted in a thin band of light blue reminiscent of a sky. Dina started painting in the corner of the panel a bold warm cascade of shapes with the rhythm and flow of jazz. Vicky is Anna’s mom and these two have a similar narrative, representational feeling to their work. Dina and Brigen both work more abstractly with gentle color harmonies and a delicate balance of shape and form.
It started to rain outside and things cooled down. A train rumbled by outside. Anna backed away from the panel and started to dance to the music playing on the radio. She pirouetted and leaped like a ballerina. When she had finished dancing and everyone had stopped laughing, she said something that really resonated with me. “Collaborating with other artists, when the work is really going well, feels just like being in love.”
Confluence will run from September 25th through November 1st at the Maitland Art Center. They will host a gallery walk on Sunday October 18th at 1PM.

The Social Chameleon

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Sometimes I experience an evening so enjoyable that I wish I could relive it. The first time my wife and I were at the Chameleon was with all the actors and crew of War of the Worlds. Let me tell you, actors know how to party. I didn’t sketch that evening, instead I drank, ate great food and enjoyed pleasant conversation. I ended up staying until 2 AM to close the place down, not wanting to leave.
The Social Chameleon is located at 2406 East Robinson Street in the Milk District. I returned because I needed to organize places to go for the 24th Worldwide SketchCrawl which will be September 19th. I figure the Social Chameleon is a perfect stop on the crawl so I decided to have dinner and get a sketch before heading off to Infusion Tea for a poetry reading. The infinite detail to all the clutter in the room however left me working on the sketch a bit longer than expected and I missed the poetry. There is plenty of poetry in soaking up the Social’s warm inviting environment however.
I sat a a small corner table with a good view of the front room. In front of me a British couple who were trying the restaurant for the first time. They tried some beers they had never tasted before and ended up leaving with a 6 pack of some raspberry flavored beer. The bar keep was talking to a costumer about something called an Electro Guinness. They electrocute the beer to give it extra carbonation. I had never heard of that and I suspect I will be back to try it out.
The Social Chameleon serves food tapas style with an emphasis on flavor and small portions. The first time at the Chameleon I tried the tomato basil pizza which was fantastic. This time I ordered a Mediterranean plate and a glass of Pinot Noir. The stuffed grape leaves were very tasty and the crispy pita was topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, Olive oil and a perfect blend of spices.
In the kitchen was Brett Ashman who owns the Social Chameleon with his wife Serena. Through the window to the kitchen, Brett related to the British couple that he had worked for 100 days as a provisions master on a ship called the National Geographic Explorer. This ship traveled the world showing passengers some of the Geographic’s most famous research sites. Though he worked hard, he had enough time off the ship to shoot 2000 pictures which display automatically on the HDTV above the bar. As the place filled up around 8 PM the TV was switched to Obama’s speech on health care. I decided that when the speech was over so was my sketch.

Karie Sue Creations

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I arranged to sketch Karie Brown of Karie Sue Creations at work creating her one of a kind hand bags from all recycled materials. I met her at Roho Coffee and Art downtown where a group of a dozen or so people had met to brainstorm and talk about upcoming arts events. At the coffee shop Karie asked the proprietor is she would be willing to recycle her used coffee bean bags. The proprietor of course agreed and offered Karie some bags on the spot.
When we got to Karie’s studio, she cut away the edges of some Gillies Coffee bags to use just the gold and silver outer lining with the coffee growers logo. She then started going through wall paper sample books which were also recycled. Her plan was to use the wallpaper samples as the inner lining to the bag.
After much careful measuring she used the sewing machine to stitch the two inverted fabrics together, and to stitch the zipper in place. Then came the more complicated task of folding and stitching the corner sections. Once everything was done she had to delicately turn everything inside out and then the bag took on its final form. With one bag finished she had an errand to run for a friend and since I hadn’t finished my sketch yet I agreed to join her on this task. She drove to the friends house and took the 4 dogs out for a walk in the yard. One dog was a huge dark beast the size of a horse and when he charged down the hallway at me I was sure I was going to die. He just barked a bit and sniffed me however.
With the dog sitting out of the way she then wanted to go to a local coffee shop where she had gotten many of the supplies she had used that day. She asked for the manager and Karie gave the manager the finished bag. The manager loved it.
Most of this sketch was done when we got back to her makeshift studio and she began to experiment with new sizes and handles. The work was rather fast paced and I ended up erasing more than I drew. But I still had a great time getting to meet this vibrant local artist.

Stardust Video and Coffee

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I drove to Stardust Video and Coffee thinking I would sketch the Audubon outdoor market but the market was nowhere to be found. Rather than call it quits, I went inside and ordered a Coke. Stardust is a quirky artsy hangout located at 1842 East Winter Park Road.

One room had a wall stacked with VHS videos and large tables made from old doors which have been varnished and smoothed. The room I sat in has a small stage area with red glittery curtains. A group of five or so people sat at tables busily tapping at their laptops. The central area of Stardust has the food counter which I sketched. I ordered a pita plate and I was handed a VHS video titled “Pushing Tin” starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. The waiter used this to find out what table to deliver the food to. My plate arrived within minutes. The pita was warm and toasty and the humus delicious.

A woman who had been focused on her laptop walked by and noticed me sketching. She started to tell me about how as a child she used to draw with her left hand. Back in those days parents didn’t want their children to be left handed so anytime she would pick a crayon up with her left hand her parents would slap her hand. Today she is right handed. She said she could still draw a bit with her left hand but if she tried to draw with her right hand, Nothing.

Oil paintings hung on the wall by Jennifer Payne. Exhibits seem to change fairly often. The light in the room slowly got darker as the sun set. By eight PM the place was getting packed. The core group of laptop users in my room were still at work when I left to go to Will’s Pub.

A Gift for Teachers

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After covering an event at Lake Eola called Push Play, I decided to find out more about the organizers who were from A Gift for Teaching (AGFT). AGFT offers FREE school supplies to Central Florida’s disadvantaged school children. This organization is located off of John Young Parkway at 6501 Magic Way. The building is a nondescript brick warehouse. When I walked in I was impressed by a store filled with vibrant color that rivaled any Office Max or Staples.
I met with Audrey who has worked for AGFT for five years and is the longest running employee of the company which was formed 11 years ago. She gave me a tour of the facility. She explained that more than half of the students in Orlando schools are on the free or reduced price lunch. The reduced price for lunches is just 40 cents. Students that can not afford that are often faced with the choice between food or school supplies.
This is where AGFT steps in, they seek out local businesses to donate surplus supplies, the kind of stuff that otherwise would end up in a landfill. The company also has fundraisers, events and some grants to keep afloat. They have never relied on government grants because all the paperwork would be overwhelming.
Audrey said that in some ways things are getting harder because of the slowing economy. However many companys are going out of business and all the supplies are being donated to the cause as a tax write off.
The gorgeous facility is entirely staffed by volunteers each afternoon. AGFT has founded a work woman’s prison program where large stock paper is cut up and packaged into bound journals, flash cards puppets and craft supplies. Many of these inmates have children who benefit from the program. One area of the facility offers new socks and underwear. Some children can not afford new clothes and wear the same outfit every day of the week.
Teachers enter the facility each afternoon and “shop” for their students in need. Teachers can take advantage of $517 worth of merchandise when they shop. There are limits on how many items a given teacher can take of any given item. This allows all the teachers to benefit from all the supplies. AGFT has donated over 45 million dollars worth of supplies to students for free over the years. They have given away over 4 million pencils and over 130 thousand teachers have visited the facilities.

Artist or Anarchist?

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It had been a great day. I had done two sketches one of which was at “A Gift for Teaching” learning all about this groups amazing charitable work from Audrey. My wife had invited me to another event called “The Art of Fashion” at Neiman Markus in the Millenia Mall. I really don’t like going to the mall, the place makes me uncomfortable but I decided to be a good sport and go. Besides the word Art was in the title so it must have some artistic merit. Terry and I met outside and walked in together. She was all a flutter checking out the event Tee Shirts and jumping from rack to rack.
There were tables from local restaurants offering small food samples, all of which were delicious. We got some Blue Matini’s made with Van Gogh Rum. I started to wonder if Van Gogh would have liked this event. We shared a cupcake and had a photographic flip book animation made which is quite humerus. Tall slender models strutted around among the racks of designer clothing. Other women looked like they had far to much plastic surgery.
Terry wanted to do some shopping so she left me to do a sketch. While I was sketching a woman named Kelly, who runs Nude Nite in Orlando and Tampa introduced herself. She described her event and I can’t wait to go there to do a sketch for the blog. A mother asked if I could show her daughter the drawing. The little girl asked “Are you going to color the drawing?” I promised her “Yes, of course”.
Then things got surreal. A woman dressed all in black walked up to me and said I really shouldn’t sketch the lady having her make up done due to privacy issues. I pointed out that the woman I sketched had already left and I was drawing the make up artist. I pointed out how the blouse and hair style were different and continued to work. The woman left. I started to draw faster. Later Terry found me and wanted to see if I had finished. The line work was done and I just needed to add a few washes of color.
Then another woman in black showed up with a young security guard, and said I would have to stop sketching or I would be escorted out of the building. I asked why and she said it was store policy. I was sure the store policy didn’t say anything about sketching. I was told I could not name the store or post the drawing I did because Neiman Markus needs to control how their store is portrayed. I do not feel I portrayed the store in a bad light with my sketch. You be the judge. The managers actions however are another story. Rather than make a scene, I put my sketchbook away knowing the sketch was already done. I found this display of authority funny and besides I have no real desire to return to do more drawings. Terry however was fuming. She had bought hundreds of dollars worth of perfume and other items and decided to take them all back. We went from register to register voiding out all the transactions and telling the stunned store employees about the policy.
On the drive home my anger started to build deep in my chest. I had never been stopped from sketching before and yet this week I was stopped twice, once at Lake Eola and now at a Mall of all places. Orlando is starting to feel like a different country. The next morning Terry showed me her Neiman Markus credit card and with a flourish she cut it in half.

Hospice of the Comforter Fundraiser

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I went to the Ritz Carlton to sketch the fund raising party for Hospice of the Comforter. I had been to the Hospice up in Altamonte the previous week to meet Melissa Silvers the communications manager, and there is a possibility I might begin to sketch patients at the Hospice who want to tell their stories. Patients at the Hospice of the Comforter know that they only have a few weeks left to live. The prospect of this series of sketches both excites and frightens me.
The Ritz fundraiser was a whirlwind of non stop activity. There was a silent auction outside the ball room with many objects of art as well as jewelry and other fashionable bling.
I stood in the middle of the hallway to sketch the bar which is always an active area at the beginning of such an event. Waitresses walked around with platters of hours-devours but I didn’t sample the food or drink since I needed to finish the sketch.
Once in a while someone would walk up to me to find out what I was doing. One woman checked in on my progress 3 different times so she got to see the full progression of the sketch. Just before they opened the doors to the dining room, I had stated the carpet pattern. With the halls now empty, I finished up the color pattern I had started. I worked fast because I wanted to be sure to find my table before the food started coming out. With the sketch finished I felt relaxed knowing I had a decent sketch under my belt, I now could enjoy the event. I introduced myself to the people next to me at the table and sat back to enjoy the show.

Night Hawks Orlando Sketch Crawl

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The 24th Worldwide Sketch Crawl is going to take place in the Milk District of Orlando. This is a Night Hawks Crawl where we will close down one establishment and then move on to the next. Die Hards like myself will stay up till 5 in the morning, finishing up the evening at Pom Pom’s which is open 24 hours that day.
Sportstown has a huge room full of pool tables and other games. Bull & Bush had darts and a rustic old world bar with plenty of character. The Social Chameleon has delicious pizzas and tapas style menu items with an emphasis on flavor. They have a huge beer selection as well. Pom Pom’s is a cup cake shop for the folks who never sleep.
Don’t know how to sketch? That is fine, come along and lift a few pints.