The Last Neanderthal Ball.

Posted on by Thor

I went to the last Neanderthal Ball at the Orlando Science Center (777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803). In preparation for the ball I painted a black bow tie using some of Linda Sarasino‘s acrylic paint with a tiger pattern. I also put on a pair of tiger socks, but I don’t think anyone ever saw those. I entered , I entered the venue early and found a stand up table with a decent view across the room. My table was right next to a hoop suspended from the ceiling. That means I would have a front row seat for the female performer who was suspended and poured drinks. It was difficult to ignore her as I sketched the overall scene.  As cavemen and women entered the venue, I added them to the sketch. 

Running with Scissors performed cover songs on the main stage. Dancing to Eagles songs isn’t easy. But I tried. The MC remembered me from last year and he asked me information about what I do. I gave him my card and gave him my rundown about doing a sketch a day to cover arts and culture in Central Florida. I was amazed when he gave me a major plug from the main stage microphone, inviting everyone to take a look at my sketch in progress. When I was done, I left the sketchbook open on the table. Linda chatted with Wendy Wallenberg, who was wearing giant pink earmuffs as a head dress, and a pink fur vest. For the fashion show, she acted shocked and horrified be all 1 modern lights. It was a nice touch. She won a bottle of champagne for being one of the best dressed cave women. 

One caveman went all out on his fashion accessories. He had a uni-brow and wild woolly hair. He carried a big club, and the clincher was his performance during the fashion show. He kept his knees bent and moved as if on the prowl. He walked right up to the female judges and looked at them quizzically, bending his head to the side like a dog. Then he sniffed the air trying to catch a whiff of their perfume. He got a standing oration. Actually, everyone was already standing, but they did clap for him the loudest. 

Michael McLeod entered the fashion show, but, besides his Armani suit, the only accessory was a zebra bow tie. It did put my blunt hand painted tie to shame. He strutted the dance floor, opening his suit to show off the Armani label. Wendi had a zebra hat for Michael to wear, but it was vetoed. So many tables were reserved, probably for corporate sponsors, but I don’t think those signs had much meaning. After the awards, the evening quickly wound down. Leaving the parking lot, I forgot to turn on my headlights. A caveman blinked his headlights at me from behind as I waited at a red light. I made nothing of it. Then he drove up beside me going north on Orlando Avenue. He honked and pointed at my front bumper. It finally dawned on me what he was trying to communicate. I waved and gave him a thumbs up as I flipped on the lights. He gave me a thumbs up in return and drove off. Cavemen look out for each other.

Loose Lips at lil indies.

Posted on by Thor

I hosted a Drink and Draw at lil indies (1036 N. Mills Ave,, Orlando, Florida 32803). As an added bonus, Tod Caviness was hosting a literary reading event called Loose Lips which began later in the evening. Three landscape architects showed up, along with Colin Boyer. We sat at corner table to get a good view of the room which felt like a grand parent’s basement. The room slowly filled with authors. I sketched Tod at the microphone as he introduced the first author. Karen Price read a fiction pie set in Paris France. It was a story about an artist who had to deal with a flooding of the Seine River. Today, no artist could afford to live right on the Seine. When visiting Paris, I sketched the art studio of one of my favorite artists, Daumier. His studio had a gorgeous view over the Seine.

Just yesterday, I moved into a two bedroom apartment in Thornton Park. My lease had been terminated by a snow bird that returned to Winter Park two months early. With my lease terminated, I had to find an apartment fast. I posted my predicament on Facebook and amazingly a friend offered an apartment that is right downtown and the first evening after the move, I walked to the venue I was going to sketch. I think this is the first time in 22 years where I didn’t have to drive to where I wanted. to sketch. I walked through the beautiful downtown neighborhood full of quaint 1940’s restored bungalows with a friend. It was an ideal evening.

Art Under the Stars.

Posted on by Thor

Art Under the Stars in Maitland surrounds Lake Lily where Maitland Boulevard forks off from Orlando Avenue. Run by the Maitland Rotary Club, the art show runs today from 10am to 4pm. I met a friend and quickly tried to decide where I should sketch. My first thought was the foot bridge that straddles the lake. From there all the tents and stages were visible with the lights reflecting in cascading patterns. An illuminated fountain glowed yellow in the center of the lake. I decided against in view, though, since I felt it was too far from the action.

After crossing the bridge, I simply planted myself on a grassy knoll and started sketching a few tents. A painting of sunflowers byFiona Collins caught my eye. Fiona and her husband moved from Canada to Florida, and this is her first Maitland show. Her work is painted with thick bold brushwork. Besides the large paintings she also had coasters and trivets with her art printed on it. Her husband runs a printing business that specializes in printing art on useful household items.

We ran into Dawn Schreiner and her husband, Eric. Dawn didn’t have a tent in the show, but just came from the VIP party. She does magnificent loosely painted portraits, usually on recycled cereal boxes. We shared our thoughts on the work of Toulouse Lautrec, and the healing process Orlando is still going through since the Pulse shooting.

It was a cold night and I decided to get a hot pretzel. I hugged it to my chest to warm me up before trying the first bite. It had a garlic-parmigiana flavor and was softer than expected but it tasted great.

Linda Saracino introduced me to the sculptural ceramic work of Cheryl Mackey Smith, a former McRae artist now living in Ashville, NC, who really impressed me. She creates small shards that look like fossilized shells or exoskeletons, and mounts them on a white board in shadowbox frames. Other forms fold over on themselves like ocean waves with tiny peas interspersed. Every piece felt like it belonged in a museum.

Ed Myers did the poster for the show this year. All of his paintings have a narrative, often touching on how communication is changing in the future. He works digitally and prints the paintings on large canvas panels, often assembling several panels to form a whole. For example, Thomas Edison had a light bulb where his brain would be; and a painting of a beautiful young woman had typewriter keys arching across her forehead. Some pieces incorporated video, like a portrait with one eye blinking. People are naturally attracted to motion.

Head on over to the festival today, and see all the art in the light of day. It is a show well worth seeing. Live music, art and a festive atmosphere will make for a very pleasant afternoon.

Grimmly Ever After at the Shakespeare Theater.

Posted on by Thor

I went to the final dress rehearsal for Grimmly Ever After at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803).  Theresa Leigh Smith-Levin, had invited me to sketch. She greeted me warmly when she arrived. There was a hectic energy as the actors got changed on costumes in the green room. On stage, a large swath of fabric was cut in half and then used to cover two music stands at stage left and right. It is from these stands that the brothers Grimm would introduce the various tales. 

The actors rehearseda dance number, before a full run through of the show. The female dancers had to do a move that involved reaching behind their dance partner’s neck and lifting the is right foot elegantly back. The male dancer would the n lift her and spin clockwise making her seem to float and slowly spin. It took quite a few takes to get the more down. Music came for a piano, played live. The piano player would have to be stopped periodically to redo the dancing sequence. This was the first to the choreographer got a good feel for the live music’s timing.

Rumpelstiltskin was a miller who was poor, but who had a
beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the
king, and in order to make himself appear important he said to him, “I
have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.” His daughter sang a long song about the impossible task of spinning straw in to gold.  With each tale, the brothers would turn to the audience and offer two possible scenarios that the tale could follow. The voting among the production staff in the audience was done to hilarious effect. 

At one point, a prosthetic amputated arm was thrown on stage, and a princes tried to hide it in her apron pocket. The fingers kept getting caught in the pocket which caused her to struggle which was hilarious, weather it was planned or not. Theresa was laughing in front of me and her laughter was contagious. I had a blast watching the first half of the show. Unfortunately I had to sprint off during the intermission 1 see a McRae Art Studios group show at Maxine’s on Shine (337 Shine Ave, Orlando, FL 32803). I’m glad I went, there were friends, a bit of wine tasting, and plenty of good art. 

Grimmly Ever After runs

November 11 – November 20

Nov 11 at 7:30 PM to Nov 20 at 5 PM

at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center

812 E Rollins St, Orlando, Florida 32803

Tickets are available online.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 12th and 13th.

Posted on by Thor

Saturday November 12, 2016 

10am to 5pm Free. Special display of Pulse Memorial Crosses. Orlando Regional History Center.

Admission to the History Center will be free to all on Saturday,
November 12 and Sunday, November 13 during Orlando’s annual Come Out
with Pride festival.

The free Pride Days weekend coincides with the recent opening of a
new exhibit reflecting the progress and setbacks of Central Florida’s
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community over five decades of
change.

The exhibit, titled Pride, Prejudice & Protest: The GLBT History of Greater Orlando,
was prepared in association with the nonprofit GLBT History Museum of
Central Florida and will be at the History Center through January 26,
2017.

The exhibit was planned long before the mass shooting at the Pulse
nightclub on June 12, 2016. To pay tribute to the 49 lives lost and to
the community’s outpouring of support, a selection of items collected
from memorial sites has been added to the exhibit.

For Pride Days on November 12 and 13, the 49 Pulse Memorial Crosses
will also be displayed at the History Center. Greg Zanis of Chicago made
each cross in memory of someone who died in the tragedy and brought the
crosses to Orlando soon after the shooting. They were displayed near
Orlando Regional Medical Center, where many of the victims were treated.

10am to 9pm Free. Art under the Stars. Lake Lilly 641 S Maitland Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. The 40th “Art Under the Stars,” the only night time fine art festival in the State of Florida during the weekend of November 11-13. Fine arts, live entertainment, beer & wine. Buy the ones you love the gift of fine art for the holidays. Find out why the Rotary Club of Maitland makes this event so special for patrons and artists alike.

1:30pm to 3:30pm Free. Come Out With Pride Parade. Around Lake Eola Park512 E Washington St, Orlando, Florida 32801. Members and supporters
of the LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida will gather together for a
day of celebration, remembrance, festivities and giving back. The 12th
annual festival will feature the Most Colorful Parade in Orlando, an
incredible entertainment lineup including a nighttime fireworks
spectacular, not to mention our region’s most supportive businesses and
organizations. Be sure to invite all your friends and let’s all Come Out
With Pride!

Sunday November 13, 2016. 

11am to 5pm Free. Orlando Japan Festival. The Village at Hunters Creek 13500 Village Park Drive Orlando FL. On stage, we will have performances including
Judo, Iai, Japanese dance, Koto, Shamisen, Japanese Taiko drum, and
more. At the festival, there will be Japanese restaurant, bazaars,
various booths, yatai and Ennichi street. To enjoy the festivity even
greater, audiences can take part in the raffle drawing, Cosplay Contest,
raffle drawing and Bon Odori.

12:30pm to 5pm Free. 2016 NYCC Composium.  Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801. 

Program Details.

It’s like a concert, plus a master class, plus a competition. It’s informative, dramatic, and entirely thrilling. Witness an amazing afternoon of excitement, drama, and music.

In the first session, the winning chamber ensemble compositions are performed by symphony musicians. Each composer is interviewed by Maestro Wilkins and comments are given by the judges and musicians.
 After a brief intermission, the full orchestra session starts. The performance of each winning full-orchestra composition begins with an audio excerpt from the young composer’s computer-generated MIDI score. Next, the composition is rehearsed, giving the composer an opportunity to interact with Maestro Wilkins, the orchestra musicians, and the judges. Each session ends with the final recorded performance of the composition.

To learn more about this year’s winners and details about the
NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSERS CHALLENGE,

 

3pm to 5pm Free. MUSIC PERFORMANCE with Students from the Rollins College Department of Music. Cornell Fine Arts Museum 1000 Holt Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789. “In the Light of Naples: The Art of Francesco de Mura” is the first-ever exhibition of the art of Francesco de Mura (1696–1782), arguably the greatest painter of the Golden Age of Naples. The leader in his day of the Neapolitan School and the favorite of the reigning Bourbon King Charles VII, De Mura was the chief painter of decorative cycles to emerge from the studio of Francesco Solimena (1657-1747), the celebrated Baroque artist. De Mura’s refined and elegant compositions, with their exquisite light and airy colors, heralded the rococo in Naples, and his later style led to Neo-Classicism.

The exhibition—which will travel to the Chazen Museum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Loeb Art Center at Vassar College—features more than 40 works by De Mura from museums and private collections in the United States, as well as Italy and the United Kingdom.

The Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s painting by De Mura “The Visitation,” ca. 1752 was the impetus for this show, which was curated by Dr. Arthur Blumenthal, Director Emeritus of the Cornell. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by the museum and D. Giles Ltd., available in the museum’s gift shop.

.

Nerd Nite at the Geek Easy.

Posted on by Thor


Nerd Nite is always crowded at The Geek Easy (114 S Semoran Blvd Suite 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792).

PRESENTATION #1:

“The Amazing Fabric of Gordon Space Time” by Scott Gordon. The current concept of space time is incorrect and it has been for the past 100+ years. This incorrect concept of space time is one of the reasons why the theoretical physicists cannot solve the theory of everything. Gordon is claiming to have solved the theory of everything and is presenting the correct manner in which space time should be modelled. He will present space time as an energy medium that light waves propagate through, as well as show how the energy contained in the space time medium fits into the big picture of all energy in our universe.

Speaker Bio: Scott Gordon is a Brooklyn-born and public school educated, with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Gordon also has an M.D. degree from New York Medical College and works as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery for the past 28 years. As a humorist, he co-authored the book, “The Celebrity Who’s Who of Losers”, and co-hosted a radio talk show “The Gordon Brothers Weekend Revue” on 580 WDBO. He also co-wrote the medical comedy movie, National Lampoon presents RoboDoc and also composed, arranged and created its original music soundtrack.

PRESENTATION #2:

“Vulnerability: You ARE crazy and its GREAT” by Rodrigo Groppa,  An exploration of different vulnerability activities. From the Meisner technique to EMDR therapy, we will explore how getting in touch with your emotions helps make life more engaging and authentic.

Speaker Bio: Rodrigo Groppa is a software engineer and rainbow enthusiast. He is passionately driven to constantly improve himself and the world. This speech is a part of that journey.

PRESENTATION #3:

“The Science of Jurassic World” by Trevor Valle. “In the “Science” Of Jurassic World, we will look into the science of dinosaurs, the aspects of speculative genetic engineering of extinct species, how these ancient animals interacted with their environment… and how the movie got practically everything about it wrong, with 100% less overt sexism and fan pandering!”

Speaker Bio: “Trevor Valle is a field paleontologist who specializes in the recovery of fossils from large-scale construction sites. A three-time Nerd Nite Los Angeles presenter, Trevor also was the host of the National Geographic Channel’s “Mammoths Unearthed”, documenting his six-week adventure in Siberia hunting for the remains of woolly mammoths. He likes dead things, strong drink, and enjoys getting dirty.”

Mark you calendars, the next Nerd Nite is November 10, 2016 at 7pm at The Geek Easy (114 S Semoran Blvd Suite 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792)

Culture Pop at the Maitland Art Center.

Posted on by Thor

Culture Pop at the Maitland Art Center, (231 W Packwood Ave, Maitland, FL 32751) featured the work of two acclaimed artists, John Petry and Derek Gores, who used Art Under the Stars at Lake Lily as a springboard for their current success.

Mark you Calendar! Art Under the Stars runs from November 11th to November 13th.

Friday Nov. 11              6pm – 10pm

Saturday Nov. 12          10am – 9pm

Sunday Nov 13.            10am – 4pm

Art Under the Slars is a boutique art festival surrounding Lake Lily Park in Maitland with only
135 artists vying for $26,000 in awards.  Art Under the Stars, The 40th
Rotary Club of Maitland Art Festival is the only night-time fine art
show in Florida.  With subtle live entertainment and sparkling lights
the evening hours create magical experiences for artists and patrons
alike.

Collage artist Derek Gores is a recycler of everyday ephemera.
Magazines, labels, newspapers and digital media combine to reflect his
contrasting interest in the abstract aesthetics of figures and objects
in space. A black and white collage  looked like Audrey Hepburn’ The Eifel tower loomed behind her. The entire image was created from fashion magazine strips of paper. He must n are large bins filled with the colorful strips of paper. The attention might wander, with the preexist, photo coming into focus. Several Orlando based artists use this technique to create their art. Derek wag the first to master this technique and they are his decides.

 Chattanooga artist John Petrey is a sculptor working with metal, rubber,
plastic and other industrial and everyday items. Petrey creates iconic
dress sculptures that reference stories from history, pop culture and
childhood experiences. John used to run his own advertising agency when he lived in Orlando. He feels that his work in advertising helped is pi his life sized dress sculptures. The dress in the foreground featured old 1960s yard sticks. John bought about 7000 of these yard stick’s for $100 at an estate sale. The top blouse was of agree copper. Each dress was completely unique u sing unique metals and materials. The furthest dress had a large bell shape skirt that was built from brightly colored past is spoons and forks. From a distance it reminded me of the glass sculptures of Chiuli. John has been building the dress sculptures for the past nine years. His work keeps getting larger and he is now doing large public installation sculptures. I had John sign my sketch.

 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Closed Major Holidays

Admission: $3 adults; $2 Seniors (55+) and Children (4-18 years); free
Children (3 & under) and A&H Members (Memberships start at $30)

Pop Art Show opening at Dandilion Communitea Cafe.

Posted on by Thor

I went to the opening for POP! at Dandelion Communitea Cafe,  (618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803).
The November – December show theme is POP! This
includes pop art, pop culture, popping colors or anything the artists interpret
as POP!

As a special
project for this show the curators were trying out something new. The small art
board will be a hang able, movable board that can hold a number of small
pieces. Artists could submit two pieces for consideration to the board in
addition to the normal three submissions. All the small art pieces are just $40.

Bethany Taylor Myers had an abstract straight across the room from the corner table where I set up to sketch.   The large painting had a green “sky” and blue “ground”. Three psychedelic spheres floated above a bright pink mass and black and white stripes. We tried to guess what that pink mass was. I saw a toothbrush on a table, and a typewriter. Bethany was at the opening, and she explained that it was done from a blind contour drawing. She was in bed, closed her eyes and drew her bed from the image in her mind. The black and white stripes are sheets and she says that her feet and her husbands, can be seen in the abstraction of the pattern. The painting was inspired by a Van Gogh painting of hid bedroom in Provence France.


Linda Sarasino had two paintings in the show. One was of four dresses arranged in an Andy Warhol inspired grid, for $440 and a small painting of a heart, cut up in a similar grid for just $40. Within the first 24 hours of the show opening, two of the $40 paintings sold. If you are shopping for the holidays early, these $40 paintings make an affordable, unique, creative gift.

Orlando Drink and Draw

Posted on by Thor

I have been hosting a monthly art event called Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) for the past year. Artists gather at a new bar each month to well, drink and draw. This ODD event took Place at Ollie’s Public House (3400 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, Florida 32804). There is a social aspect to the event and artists get to share their experiences and sketches. I am fascinated by other artists hands. Some are slender and delicate with thin skin showing every sinewy tendon and veins. My hands seem bulky in comparison.

I have artists do quick five minute sketches of each of he facing across the table. With the Sketch done, all the artists change seats to face off against another artist. My thought is that this is a quick way for artists to meet and interact, much like speed dating just with sketching. I like that couples come to ODD as a unique date night. Once everyone has been sketched, we share sketchbooks, and the artist who was sketched, signs the portrait. That way everyone has a record of the artists they met that evening.

With all the portraits done, we went on to play, Truth or Sketch. An artist would be asked to tell the truth or do a sketch. Basically every artist chose to do a sketch  rather than tell the truth. My challenge was to sketch a woman riding a pterodactyl. I was also challenged to draw a garden gnome carrying in a life size girl. I will not bother you with that sketch, you are better off using your imagination.

ODD 17 is happening tonight, Monday November 7th at 7pm to 10pm  at Dexter’s in Winter Park (558 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789).

Functionally Literate at Avalon Island Gallery.

Posted on by Thor

I went to “There will be words“, at The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S Magnolia Avenue Orlando FL) to hear fiction read by local authors.  The evening was hosted by Jesse Bradley. An iPhone, mounted on a tripod recorded every reader. This event is always a great sketch opportunity. I get to see local art in the gallery and then listen to local authors reading their latest work.

The next “There will be words” happens on Tuesday, November 8 from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. This show will take place on the most important day
of the year: Election Day. And there will be writers who are reading
stories based on what the world looks like when you make a terrible
decision.

Glendaliz Camacho
John King
Rachel Kolman
Whitney Hamrick

Afterwards, all the authors will go somewhere and watch the votes being counted and hope that Florida doesn’t fuck this up for everyone.