Weekend Top 6 Picks for September 2nd and 3rd.

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Saturday September 2, 2017

1PM to 4:30PM $25 at the door. The 15th Anniversary Sunburst Convention Of Celebrity Impersonators Public Showcases. The Florida Hotel & Conference Center located at The Florida Mall at 1500 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 32809. Imagine Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Neil Diamond, Elvis, Cher, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, Tiger Woods, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Frank Sinatra and numerous other icons of the past and present all gathered together to perform and be seen.  No, it’s not another reality show.

This year, all are invited to attend special talent showcases open to the public on Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2 from 1pm-4:30pm where impersonators will perform, delight and entertain the masses, featuring a special Sunburst edition of “Celebrity Match Game” and “The Tonight Show”.  Plus, guests can get their picture taken with their favorite “celebrity” during intermission and following the showcases. 

Each year, over 100 of the world’s best professional celebrity impersonators, lookalikes and tribute artists fly, drive and cruise into Orlando for the Sunburst Convention to gather, mingle, network, educate themselves and have an unforgettable time.  They are joined by numerous talent buyers, talent agents, producers and meeting planners from all over the country who are invited to watch the imitators perform live and make a lasting impression.  Sunburst features performance showcases, themed parties, an awards banquet, promotional room and tons of photo opportunities.  The general public is also invited to attend and rub elbows with the “Just About Famous” stars, and with special public access again this year, now even more spectators can enjoy the unique, fun and one-of-a-kind entertainment Sunburst has to offer.

1PM to 4PM. $35. 4th of 10 Orlando Urban Sketching Workshops. The Florida Hotel & Conference Center located at The Florida Mall at 1500 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 32809. This workshop held at the 15th Anniversary Sunburst Convention Of Celebrity Impersonators Public Showcase will cover basic human body and facial proportions. Attendees will then sketch the Celebrity Impersonator’s Convention as illustrative journalists. Artist Thomas Thorspecken (Thor) from Analog Artist Digital World is the instructor.

In 2017 Urban Sketchers celebrates its 10 year anniversary and we want to commemorate by introducing the first year long USk program ever!
We invite all sketchers around the world to attend 10 on-location
classes with USk official instructors in a city near you to learn or
improve the core value of Urban Sketching: sketch the world, one drawing
at a time.

The program will take place in 10 classes covering three themes:

1. little stories

2. medium stories

3. great stories

 

10:30PM to 12:30AM Get food and or drink. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL. Hot blooded flamenco dancers to acoustic guitar. 

Sunday September 3, 2017

10Am to Noon. Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources. http://heartfulness.org.

 

Noon to 1PM Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park near the red gazebo. 

10PM to Midnight. Free but get some coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Screening of The Ah of Life.

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The Ah of Life. Written and directed by Banks Helfrich in 2010 is a feature film about theoretical mathematician, Nigel Kline who finds himself the subject of his
own vertical time study. Entering into Einstein’s relativity, three
versions of Nigel face off with each other, weaving time and space in a
world of fluid moments.

Banks himself plays Nigel at age 40 while Andrew Knight and John Archer Lundgren pay Nigel at the ages of 18 and 70. The co-producer, Dina Peterson introduced me to the locally produced feature film which was screened at Taste (717 East Smith Street College Park Fl) which has since shut down.

The three versions of Nigel all wake up with the same gestures and mannerisms. They start their day in overlapping moments in the same small home. The sound of a second hand ticking sets the cadence through the whole film. That incessant ticking became a bit maddening. Now is always. In a world where time is vertical, Nigel, stumbles upon his past and future. The weaving of time lays the
foundation for Nigel’s acceptance of his own mortality.

At this moment in my life, I am making a digital archive of all the sketches I have done since starting this blog in 2009. The sketches have become a point of contention in an equitable distribution of assets. They must be appraised and given a value in dollars and cents. Each sketch marks the tick of moments of my life. Unpublished moments like this one will surface from my past as I prepare to start life anew.

Faith Arts Village Orlando (FAVO)

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I went to Faith Arts Village Orlando (221 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, Florida 32801).  FAVO happens on the first Friday of each month. I like to sketch the event because the dusk light is a challenge to capture. There is usually an outdoor musical act that performs in the parking lot where tables are set up for patrons who order food from several food trucks.

Gallery 251 presented artist, Nadya Nickels, a young multimedia artist based in the Orlando, FL area. Before school, Nadya was an
illustrator for Afropunk.com since then she’s started painting murals in
Orlando and began working with digital media and design. Recently she graduated with
a bachelor of digital arts and design.

Her work mostly
centers around people and mainly painted portraits. Her preferred
medium is watercolor as it requires the painter to have control over the
paint, but also a willingness to adapt and go with the flow of
watercolor.

“I’ve been developing my craft and working in my field for the past five
years as a freelancer. Initially, I started my career in high school by
building my brand “eclectic weirdo.” I created a series of
illustrations; To highlight diversity, show that we are all
multidimensional and shouldn’t limit ourselves to stereotypes. This
concept was picked up by Afropunk. I then began creating weekly
illustrations for their online magazine. I am now a studio artist for
Full Sail’s game design department. My strongest quality is my
empathetic nature, and this translates into my work. I strongly admire
activists and people who inspire others. There’s a ton of work that needs to
be done in this world, and I feel the best way I can contribute is
through design.”

-Nadya Nickels

Bungalower Bazaar.

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Bungalower Bazaar powered by Cooper’s Craft was held at Factur (514 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803). Bungalower and Cooper’s Craft joined forces to bring a night
filled with Orlando’s best makers, in a new event space in Ivanhoe
Village, run by Factur. patrons  sipped on fancy cocktails, shopped for local wares, and ate tamales
at this fun, free event.

I was asked to bring some prints to the event and I set them up on  a folding table just as the event got started. I sat down and sketched the booths across from me. Ha’Ani Hogan‘s Lady Day Creations offered floral head bands which was worn my the  seller in the booth next to her. Pink, orange and lavender exploded from her tiny booth. White Christmas lights offered illumination.

Easter was the next day and I was asked to participate in a day long series of events. I opted instead to sketch a directors forum being held at Valencia College. Also happening the next week was a mediation which was an adventure that pretty much sucked the life out of me.

Outside in a separate garage area someone was blowing glass, which would have been a great sketch opportunity. The heat was brutal this night and my nerves frayed. This sketched marked the closing of one door, as I blindly push forward. None of my prints sold. I didn’t expect them to.

Sing Along with The Muppet Movie at the Abbey.

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I now live downtown near The Abbey. Each day, I like to watch the marquee sign being changes. I stepped out for the night to do a sketch, and couldn’t resist sketching the Abbey. Purple light glowed inside And the stark white marquee announced the Sing Along with the Muppet Movie . I sketched as the sun set and people gathered near the theater entrance. I had never seem the movie before but have seen the Muppets many times over the years on TV.

Sing Along with The Muppet Movie provided a family-friendly, interactive experience allowing the audience to renew their rainbow connection with the classic Jim Henson film. Heather Henson, Jim’s daughter, and her Sing Along crew brought elements of the film to life for the audience via puppetry and more. One of her crew recognized me and asked me to go inside to see the show. Children and adults were urged to participate in a variety of fun ways.

This relaxed performance had lights up, modified sound, a quiet room and the ability to get out of your seat to dance and play.

Butterfly kites fluttered and fish leaped above the audience as the Rainbow Connection opened the film. Kids played tab, Chasing each other around the theater. I think the adults were the only ones to see the film all the way through, but it was a fun chaotic experience.

George Wilson discusses his Photojournalism following the Pulse shooting.

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Orlando is George Wilson‘s adopted home town. His wife works for Disney. It was in the 1980’s that George began to shoot news work.

On June 12, 2016 when he heard about the Pulse Nightclub shooting his first impulse was to go straight to the nightclub. The closest he could get was to park at Orange Avenue and Michigan Street. All of the press were gathered a Chipolte. His first photo was of an Orlando Strong sign being put up on the MacDonald’s sign on Orange Avenue. He overheard a first responder talking about all the unanswered cell phones ringing incessantly inside the club, never to be answered. The camera became a barrier between the photographer and the event or the emotion of the event. Only later when he was alone and editing all the photos would the emotions well up.

One of his photos was of three girls, Jordan Tarquino, Lola Selsky, and Megan Boetto who often went to Pulse nightclub. When they saw each other outside the crime scene they all hugged, thankful to find that they all were alive. The Dr. Phillips memorial was his most emotional story. Strangers hugged each other and cried together.

Georges photos were picked up by Deutsche Presse Agentur, the German Press Agency, and distributed around the world as far away as Bangladesh. The power of the Internet and the photograph puts news and events in front of everyone around the globe. The Internet offers news in short snippets which doesn’t allow us  to become attached to anything.

George never felt unsafe while shooting his photos. The LGBT Community Center had a sign on the door on the first day that said, “We will search bags.” Fear had replaced the security the Center had once been able to offer. George applied for a Pulitzer prize for his photojournalist work following Pulse. Although he didn’t win the award, he was glad he got to share his story for consideration.

He donated a collection of photos, cover sheets from publications from around the world in various languages and copies of his Pulitzer application. The newspaper cover sheets were utilized in the Orlando Regional History Center‘s One Year After Exhibition to let people see just some of the international outpouring of love that followed the shooting. Orlando now has the misfortune of being a location the largest mass shooting in American history. Georges photos help the world to
understand our pain, our suffering, and our resolve to try and make it
stop here.

Science of Wine at the Science Center.

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I went with Pam Schwartz to the Orlando Science Center, (777 E. Princeton St. Orlando, FL 32803) for Science of Wine.  The event allowed patrons to experience the science behind the taste and body of some very full bodied wines. We became the sommelier and scientist at one of Orlando’s most unique wine and food events. It was an evening of wining, dining and learning.

As I sketched, Pam wandered to sample some of the food and drink. She brought back the best samples for me to try as well, as I worked. I immediately focused on the musicians who were mostly ignored standing in front of  articulated dinosaur bones.

Samples were available from more than 150 wines from the world’s major regions. The hand-selected pairings were provided by local dining spots like Norman’s, Black Rooster Taqueria, Shin Jung Korean BBQ and Tapa Toro. 

Pam and I decided to participate in the wine-themed canvas painting. About 20 tiny easels were set up with wine glasses already drawn on the canvases.There was a selection of just green, red and black paints. I joked that it was impossible to work under such crude conditions. I decided to paint the couple seated opposite us as they worked on their canvases. The canvas had two cups, two faces and lots of angles. It wasn’t my best work. One of the people working the event said, “You must be an artist.” “Not really.” I said. “I just sketch stuff.”

The Science of Wine raised critical funds to provide operating
support for educational programs and opportunities for science learners
of all ages to experience the fun and discovery of Orlando Science
Center. The Orlando Science Center just won first place as Orlando’s Best Museum in the Orlando Weekly reader’s poll. After my first cup of wine, I loved the place.

Absinthe Jazz Trio at Lil Indies.

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The Absinthe Jazz Trio performed at Lil Indies 1036 N. Mills Ave. Orlando Fl. This sketch was more challenging that most since I discovered that my pen didn’t have waterproof ink in it. This made it so that black ink would bleed out anytime i put a watercolor wash down. I started to adjust to the new look and started to enjoy the more painterly approach as I let the pigments flow down to the jazz beat. The group tends to perform on the first Monday of every month. I recognized one of the guitarists from a performance I had sketched at Rollins College.

I could have lingered and had a drink, but decided to wrap up the sketch when the band finished their first set. Drawing to great jazz is endlessly fun and results in spontaneous and often unexpected results.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for August 26 and 27.

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Saturday August 26, 2017

9AM to 11AM Free. Young Artists Orchestra Fall Auditions. Calvary Assembly Orlando 1199 Clay St, Winter Park, Florida 32789. Do you have a child interesting in playing in an orchestra? Our Young Artists Orchestra will be having auditions on August 26th from 9 a.m. to
noon.

Anyone under 18 may audition by scheduling a time through yao@cfcarts.com.

11AM to 5PM Free. Indie Art, Craft and Vintage Bazaar – Big Bang Bazaar. Central Florida Fairgrounds &
Exposition Park (4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808) The event is
family friendly and appropriate for all ages!

Admission and parking are free to all guests! 
Big Bang Bazaar will feature a curated selection of over 200 local Indie
artists and crafters, along with a free photo booth, Orlando Psycho
City Derby Girls, Orlando Facial Hair Club and movies playing all day!
Shoppers will find a wide variety of goods, all handmade by local
artisans! Products such as clothing, accessories, jewelry, original art,
art prints, housewares and much more will be available for purchase!

For more information about this event, please visit bigbangbazaar.net website, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bigbangbazaarfl 

New indoor venue.

9PM to 11PM Corsets and Cuties 3 Year Anniversary.  The Venue, 511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803.

Sunday August 27, 2017

 10AM to Noon Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

Noon to 1PM Free. Yoga. Lake Eola near the red gazebo. 512 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801.

2:30PM to 2AM Free. Barlympics.  The Other Bar 18 Wall St, Orlando, Florida 32801. Do you and your drinking crew think that you have what it takes to win
the 5th Annual BARLYMICS? Time to put your money where your mouth is!
Join us Sunday, August 27th as we crown the champions of the ultimate
summer time party!

Registration starts at 12pm and the games kick off at 2:30. If your
panties get in a twist because you must sign up now, contact chandler.theotherbar@gmail.com and he will set you up!

We will soon drink friends, but until then, May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!

Passion PR Five-Year Anniversary Bash.

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Pam Schwartz and I arrived early to Gilt Nightclub (740 Bennett Rd, Orlando, Florida 32803) for the Passion PR Five-Year Anniversary Bash which was founded by Ilene Lieber. The evening was an Explosion of Live Entertainment All Night. There were complimentary cocktails Light Bites, Fun Photos, Swag Bags, DJ Music and more no cover optional donation to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando.

Makeup and body painting were happening near the bar before the event began. Celebrity impersonators Mariah Carey and Austin Powers. arrived and hugged their hellos.  Soon an aerialist was spinning from a hoop  from the ceiling. I never landed a complimentary cocktail but did order  round of beers. Most of the evening for me was spent sketching the five card stud table. Pam was working the table and winning the whole time. I sat in for one hand while she went to the bathroom. She was excited to be in the stall next to Mariah Carey. While she was gone, I lost every hand.