The Arnold Palmer Invitational snarls traffic in Bay Hill.

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I live in North Bay which is directly adjacent to the Bay Hill Golf Course. Once a year my quiet suburban street becomes a driveway for all the manic golf fans intent on finding a parking spot right at the Bay Hill Golf Club. A residents pass card comes in the mail that must be kept in my car so that I am not turned away from access to the drive home. Parking at Bay Hill is very limited. Some neighbors allow parking on their lawns and then golf cart access to the entrance. Ten temporary lots are created just for this event on the golf course greens. Cars park all over the rolling greens with black mesh fencing put in place probably to protect some cars from stray golf balls. I took a stroll down to the course one evening to get a sketch of the circus atmosphere. Cars were leaving in a steady stream. Mini buses were parked to transport workers, volunteers and attendees to off site parking lots.

It was the golden hour right before the sun set. Trees lit up y warm orange. A Peregrine falcon swooped over the golf course. Puzzle piece foam pads try to protect some grassy areas from the worst of the automotive tire damage. I decided to set up across from the Invitational entrance. Historic billboard photos lined the drive with photos of past Invitational winners. The competition began in 1954. A family waited to be picked up. Clearly the competition for the day was over and this was the time of the mass exodus.

The Invitational began on March 14th and continues through March 20. A Practise, Pro-Am badge is $50 for the week, allowing you to follow your favorite player on their practise rounds on Monday through Wednesday. A weekly club house badge is $250 allowing on site parking, access to the clubhouse and great views of the greens.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational holds a place of high stature in professional golf. The tournament, one of the premiere-event
jewels on the PGA Tour, annually attracts one of the strongest fields of
the season to one of the circuit’s finest courses with the entire
production overseen and directed by one of the game’s all-time greats,
Arnold Palmer. Its stature is attributable primarily to Palmer and
the tremendous respect that he has among his peers in tournament golf.

I hare never actually sketched and reported on the tournament. I only realize it is going on when traffic gets crazy and blimps circle overhead. Some year, I need to get a press pass and spend a solid day sketching the event.

The Best of Orlando Party.

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Every year, The Orlando Weekly has its readers vote on the Best of Orlando. The Best of issue is a great way to scan the best restaurants, bars, shows, and all other venues. It is a great resource that helps me decide where to sketch. All of the 2015 winners were invited to The Beacham (46 N Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida). This is the biggest, bad ass, invitation-only party of the year. I didn’t win an award in 2015, but I pulled strings to get in to document the party. I immediately wanted to get up above the crush of the crowd. There was a bouncer at the staircase that wanted a password, so I searched for an Orlando Weekly staffer to get the needed word. I met friends on the ground floor, but the music was so loud that we couldn’t talk.

The two bars downstairs were constantly packed. I admired the bar staff that had to work at lightning speed to keep up with the demand. Obsessionally friends would stop to say hello. Some were Facebook friends I had never met in person. An artist, is far more approachable than a photographer. Photographers have more fun getting people to pose. Some people are just curious. It is always rewarding when people know what it is that I am doing. It makes my life as an artist so much easier. The music pulsed an the disco ball twirled. Besides the Beacham, four other clubs were tied into the party, including, The Social, Aero, Olde 64, and The Patio.

Since I didn’t have an award to pick up, I didn’t stay long after the sketch was done. It felt good to unwind walking around Lake Eola after all the noise of the party. All the activity inspires quick decisions and thus a rougher sketch. But I also love the calm of being alone and enjoying quiet scenery. I got to experience both in one night.

National Dance Day at the Orlando Ballet Central Campus.

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The National Dance Day free morning dance sessions consisted of creative movement in the Orlando Ballet Central Campus. Dancers lined up at the barres to warm up and stretch. Besides this main room, there were many smaller dance studios in the same building. By lunch time the place was packed. There was seating along one wall of the dance studio, and many of the sketch crawlers sat there along with the stage moms.

Some artists did gestural studies of individual dancers while others, like myself, focused on the overall scene. Dancers stretched not only on the dance floor, but in the hallways as well. The room cleared a bit when lunch time rolled around, but I kept throwing watercolor washes on the page until the afternoon sessions began.

A Day Devoted to Dance.

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Holly Harris, a talented local choreographer and dancer helped bring National Dance Day to Orlando.  National Dance Day celebrates dance by offering a whole day of free dance instruction to anyone who attends. This incredible event just happened to fall on the same day as the 48th International Sketch Crawl, so I contacted Holly, a she agreed to allow artists to sketch the entire day’s activities.

This year’s event encouraged families and friends to begin the morning of July 25 at the National Dance Day Orlando (NDDO) Community Celebration, located at Orlando Cultural Park, (the lawn in front of the Loch Haven Neighborhood Center) to participate in exercises, dance routines, and performances by Central Florida dance professionals.

Within walking distance of the park is the Orlando Ballet Central Campus where 30 free specialized dance classes will be offered throughout the day to ages 3-100, including special needs movement classes. Central Florida dance company directors, choreographers, and fitness instructors will share different styles of dance through body conditioning, dance technique, and choreography at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

National Dance Day Orlando desires to bring educational, community-driven dance opportunities to non-dancers and dancers alike! About six artists came out to sketch for the day.

The day began at 8:30am with  Stretches and Cardio

9:00am – 1st National Dance Day Routine

9:30am – Performances by Professional Central Florida Dance Companies

10:00am – 2nd National Dance Day Routine

10:30am – Performances by Professional Central Florida Dance Companies

Spring Urban Sketching Course at Elite Animation Academy.

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This spring, I will be teaching an Urban Sketching Course at Elite Animation Academy (8933 Conroy Windermere Rd, Orlando, FL 32835). The 11 week Course is on Thursdays, from March 31 until June 9. Students should be 10 years and up. Adults are welcome. The time of the course is from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. The cost is $250 per month plus one time $50 enrollment fee and $25 per session supply fee.

Enroll online.:  Terms of enrollment: This is an 11 week course. Your credit card will be charged a monthly fee of $250 Per month, per course. All credit cards are securely kept on file for future credit card billings. Student attendance is mandatory, only sign up if you are willing to give us the time to make you a better artist. No refunds or credit will be given once booking is confirmed.

The students will learn the basic principles used in creating an urban sketch. Principles include, shape, form, line, value, color, space, composition, emphasis, rhythm, and exaggeration, balance, proportion, harmony, variety, and texture. All classes will consist of a brief lecture in class followed by sketches done outside the classroom. We will stay close together as a class while students are encouraged to sketch what interests them the most. If it is hot, we will seek out an air conditioned venue, if it is nice out, we will sketch outside. Students are also encouraged to write about their experiences and to always carry a sketchbook a a visual journal. Discover Orlando, one sketch at a time.

Moon Jelly illuminated the In-between series.

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On Saturday March 5th, Moon Jelly performed at the Gallery at Avalon Island as part of the monthly In-between series. When I arrived at the upstairs theater, Kate Shults was setting up the lighting and video effects. Hanging vines had their branches wrapped in foil as if to protect them from harmful radiation or alien attack. A vibrant green lamp caught my eye to anchor the scene and I sat in the front row to start sketching. Steven Head, the guitarist made a comment about all the “foiliage”.  He let me know that his family would be sitting to my left. He was also surprised that I was working digitally. He got ready to perform by putting on a pair of glitter socks. A photographer asked all the band members to hold plants and she photographed them before the show.

I just wanted to be sure I was fine where I was seated before committing to the sketch. Moriah Lorraine Russo sat next to me, and I felt at ease since she is an artist herself. My concern was that the room would go dark and I would be be the jerk with a giant illuminated tablet. People have been shot in Florida for turning on their digital devices in a dark theater. She reassured me that she enjoyed watching the sketch develop. Hopefully others felt the same. 

Timothy Murray, the other Moon Jelly guitarist, held up the small purple vase to let people know that they could place any tips inside since they were not getting paid for this gig. He was good about reminding the audience that he would be making the announcement multiple times.

Anna Wallace, the lead singer also performed on an Omnichord. She had on giant eyelashes and plenty of glitter around her eyes. The bands music is classified as pop psych. “Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots can’t stay
alone; like the communicative life of people, two or three polka-dots
become movement… Polka-dots are a way to infinity.” – Yayoi Kusama. Before the show, band members joked that it was hard to be weird but accessible. 

The music flowed and ebbed with a mysterious electron vibe. One song flowed seamlessly into another. The lyrics were quirky and fun. I absolutely loved the show which took me back to the brooding seamless concerts of Pink Floyd. Moon Jelly however had a much light flair. Blurred and pixelated images flickered on the screens. Listening was like a dream in which you find you are floating, a bit out control, but certain that things will work out. The audience went wild when the music found its resolution. Moon Jelly was the opening act for Mutual Benefit. I felt satiated when their set was done and decided to slip out before Mutual Benefit was set up. It was a great concert in a great venue. 


After the show, I got to see the plein air art show now hanging in the gallery. Kelly Medford, an American Artist has been living in Rome where she does a plein air painting every day. We collaborated on an Orlando Sketch Tour workshop on Valentines Day weekend and it was such a fun experience.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for March 12th and 13th

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Saturday March 12, 2016 

7:30pm to 9:30pm Free. Erik Deckers Potluck. Kerouac House 1418 Cloister Street Orlando FL.  Bring a dish or some wine. Meet the new resident author and mingle with Orlando Literati.

8pm to 10pm $5 Second Saturdays in Sanford. 202 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL. Live music event featuring 2 stages, drink specials and more.

10:30pm to 12:30pm Free but get drinks or food. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL. Hot Flamenco dancing live on stage.

Sunday March 13, 2016

Noon to 2pm Donation based. Community YogART class: 7 Chakra series. Artegon Marketplace 5250 International Dr, Orlando, Florida. Every 2nd Sunday of the month YogART will be hosting FREE Color Therapy Yoga classes for the community at Artegon Marketplace (located in the community room across from section B6 – use movie theater entrance).

The “7 Chakra Series” will focus each class on each individual chakra: breaking down it’s color, meaning, location and function. This particular class will revolve around our second major energy point known as “The Sacral Chakra”.

Color Therapy glasses will also be provided for those who wish to experience the effects of color therapy. Orange will be the primary focus for our Root Chakra but you may wear any color you want to work with.

This is an ALL LEVELS class which incorporates stretching, breathing exercises and light yoga poses geared around the Sacral Chakra.

 We also have a color wheel on our site that explains the benefit of each color (glasses) Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

Please bring your own yoga mat and prepare to unwind

Check out our lovely YogART instructor’s website for more info on her, and some great articles. *Any children who attend must be able to participate in the session quietly to respect the space of other guests. If your child is unable to partake without disruption we ask that you please refrain from bringing them. Thank you! Namaste ~

For more info contact us.

1pm to 4 pm Free. Inclusion Day Open House. Albin Polasek Museum And Sculpture Gardens 633 Osceola Ave, Winter Park, Florida. If you love our current HANDS-ON sculpture exhibition then you don’t want to miss experiencing Inclusion Day! Switch up how you normally experience art and the world around you in this activity-filled day. In celebration of all of our individual uniqueness and in conjunction with our current exhibit, “Sight Unseen: Touchable Sculpture,” the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens announces its first ever Inclusion Day. The Polasek historic home, gallery, sculpture gardens will be FREE admission for this special open-house event. Join us for a memorable Sunday afternoon exploring what’s on trend in contemporary sculpture, and learn about modern approaches to art and disabilities. We believe art is for everyone, so bring the whole family and sit down in the beautiful gardens and enjoy complimentary, therapeutic art activities. All skill levels, ages, and disabilities welcome!

The VSA, the State Organization on Arts and Disabilities, will be showcasing their student’s work all day, in addition to the interactive sculpture on display in the Polasek Gallery. Come see the sculpture created by these brilliant VSA and UCP students, and see how their creations were inspired. A special presentation by VSA guest speaker will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the Historic Capen House. Participate in hands-on art projects in the garden with museum curator, Rachel Frisby, where you use the braille alphabet to create art to take home. At 2:00 p.m. members of The Greater Orlando Council for the Blind will lead a walk through sculpture tour and expose both sighted and non-sighted visitors alike to a new way of experiencing art. Try using a cane and feel the world of texture around you in this blindfolded, eye-opening experience you’ll want to try! Talk and describe what you’re “seeing” with your hands. Members of the local drumming group “Rhythm Metamorphosis” will give an informal drumming performance at 3:00 in the garden. Throughout the day, visitors are encouraged to FEEL the beat and participate with the group! Drum circles are a fantastic way to express your own unique rhythms and have fun playing a tactical instrument. Members of the Florida Sculptor’s Guild will also on site to show sculpture being made LIVE. Watch them create as they demo throughout the afternoon, and learn more about their process. Bring a camera and your friends and family for this special open-house celebrating our senses!

2pm to 4pm $5, free to MMAA members. Artist Talk: Albert Paley. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL. Internationally renowned metal artist Albert Paley talks about the works in his new traveling exhibition: Albert Paley: Forging Sculpture 1979-2015. Exhibition continues through April 10.

The Last Speakeasy.

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The Speakeasy was an Orlando institution for decades. Tod Caviness organized the monthly showcase of poets, authors and storytellers who would converge on Will’s Pub (1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL3) once a month.A documentary was shot about the speakeasy when the first Will’s Pub shot down. The documentary covered the history of this spoken word event in Orlando. When Will’s Pub re-opened at a new location, the Speakeasy was also resurrected.

July 21st however marked the final evening for The Speakeasy’ The literary scene in Orlando has grown by leaps and bounds. Todd is now a married man with a young son. Whatever the reason might be, The Speakeasy has faded into history. Cardboard Tod Caviness masks were scattered on all the tables. On the all was a sign from the now demolished Coach Dining Room which was part of The Red Fox Lounge where Mark Wayne and Lorna Lamby used to perform their over the top camp and fun lounge act. The Red Fox Lounge was a beloved Winter Park watering hole for 50 years. Mark and Lorna entertained crowds for 23 years but sadly Mark passed away. Their act is rumored to have inspired a Saturday Night Live skit, “The Culp Family Musical Performances,” starring Will Ferrell and Ana
Gasteyer.

Michael Pierre read the most memorable piece on this historic evening. He walked among the tables rather than stand on the stage. His poem described the speakeasy history while lampooning many of the writers who had shared drinks and read over the years. I have sketched at The Speakeasy quite a few times over the years, and I’ve seen creative types drink and do things that are best left to the blurry reaches of unrecorded history. Michael couldn’t see his handwriting in the dark, so Frankie Messina illuminated the pages by following Michael with his his cell phone. Then Frankie covered his face with a Tod mask to add an extra touch of humorous magic to the moment. It was a somewhat sad evening but the best way to face that sadness is with a laugh and more than a few drinks.  

The curtain falls and time marches on but I’m thankful I got to witness just some of the magic and mayhem that each Speakeasy generated. 

Evoca 1 paints a mural at Falcon Bar in Thornton Park.

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Artist Evoca1 paint original artwork on the wall outside The Falcon Bar and Gallery last week. The artwork is curated by The Falcon and sponsored by Thornton Park District Main Street.

About the artist:
Dominican-born and Miami-based, Evoca1 is a figurative painter, designer and muralist, who is strongly influenced by his Latin American culture. Founder of Sketches for Mankind, Evoca1 works to raise awareness to important local and world issues through art. His powerful imagery can be seen on walls from Mexico to Peru to England.

About this project:
The Falcon become a fan of Evoca1 after seeing his work in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami during Art Basel a few years back and then again more recently in Saint Petersburg, FL during the Shine On Mural Festival. His figurative style is what attracted us to his work and is also what makes it unique from the more traditional mural styles. Evoca1 and The Falcon chatted about what makes The Falcon Bar and Gallery and Thornton Park District distinctive and he came up with a concept that compliments our beautiful historic neighborhood and the uniqueness of The Falcon Bar and Gallery.

I loved how boldly the artist worked. His first bold brushstrokes that blocked in the composition where still visible as I sketched. He used a large paint pan as a palette and worked on the mural like it was an oil painting, gradually building up the lights.  He used a large flat house paint brush as his tool of choice. He spent most of the well refining the mural. Periodically admirers would stop and ask a few questions.

The Inbetween Series brings cutting edge music downtown.

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On the third Monday of every month, The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida) hosts the In-between Series. It is called the In-between Series because the art gallery is in-between shows. Soon after the concert, new art is loaded into the gallery and hung. Steven Head was listed on the invitation, but the trio consisted of, Doug Mathews on base, Mark Piszczek on sax and Chris Cortez on Guitar. Mark explained that one of the pieces was autobiographical having to do with his childhood growing up on the space coast. Mark’s father was a devout fan of classical music and it played
daily on the family phonograph. This early exposure to concert music and
the presence of highly competent music teachers, instilled a love of
music that later turned into a life long passion.

The music from this Jazz trio was both soothing and cutting edge.  The low resonant base contrasted the energetic searching melody of the sax. There was a yearning to the music, an endless reaching out. There is no better music to sketch too.

Mark and Chris have been working on opening a new music venue called The Blue Bamboo Music Center for the Arts at 1905 Kentucky Avenue just south of Fairbanks in Winter Park. He showed me plans for the 4,000 square foot warehouse which will become a studio quality performance space. The venue will feature state of the art sound, grand piano, back line equipment, stage lighting and a large projection screen, it will also be set up to record concert and performance video in high definition. The Center will also serve as an art gallery featuring local and international artists.

Unfortunately City codes and ordinances have tied up the construction and renovation. Creating a new arts venue in Orlando is not an easy task. The Center will hopefully open in 2016. It is a sure sign that the arts continue to grow in Central Florida.