The annual Renningers antiquing outing.

Posted on by Thor

Every year, Terry’s friends Elaine Pasekoff and Bob Newlen come to Central Florida for a Renningers Antiques shopping extravaganza. Elaine drove up from Miami and Bob flew in from Washington DC. Bob has a very responsible job at the Library of Congress, but when he gets to Florida he is all fun. When I got home from work, I found Bob asleep on the couch. He must have had an exhausting flight.

Terry was busy preparing dinner for our guests and Elaine kept her company as they caught up. There is always plenty of laughter when this crew gets together. After dinner, Bob went down to Sand Lake Road to stay in a brand new hotel that opened just last year. We dropped him off and peeked at his suite. He was living like a sultan rather than slumming it on our couch or guest bedroom.

Terry, Elaine and Bob drove up to Renningers in Mount Dora the next day. The intended to shop until they dropped all weekend. I had a class to teach, so I had a pass the first day. I drove up that night and we all sat on the porch of the Mount Dora Inn for a show and tell session. Everyone had a pile of loot and I got to play judge deciding what was the most unique, quirky and beautiful in the lot.I would make up a new category if an item called for it. I particularly liked a travel booklet for Cuba from the 1950s. That Elaine had picked up. There was an ad inside for Cuba’s only Jewish Deli.

College Park’s Arts Scene.

Posted on by Thor

Frankie Messina organized an arts collaboration where artists could exhibit their work at a business in College Park each month. I placed the event on my sketch opportunity calendar and then set it to repeat each month. Many months went by and I wasn’t able to get out to sketch. Finally I made it out to do a sketch but I didn’t find any artists. I decided to just sketch the flamingo mural that was on the side of a bike store. I like the architecture of the stores on this corner.
It turned out that the art event I was hoping to sketch had long since run its course and died away due to lack of interest. This seems true of most arts events in town, a spark becomes a flame and then dies out in isolated venues around Central Florida and then fades away. The trick for me is to sketch these events while they burn bright.I missed the sketch opportunity this time around, but got to enjoy sketching as the sun set behind the Edgewater Drive retail stores to the west.

There is an art gallery on Edgewater Drive that carries paintings by “Paint the Trail“. I’ve never gone inside the gallery, but I always notice the portrait of Salvador Dali with the quote “Mad About Art” as I drive by. Once a month or so, Terry and I bring Zorro to a parrot gathering at Albert Park in College Park hosted by Parrot Adventures. These outings are when I enjoy street dining with plenty of parrots.

The First Orlando Drink and Draw was a success.

Posted on by Thor

Usually Mondays are rather slow in terms of events in Orlando. Because of this, I’ve decided to host my own event on the first Monday of each month. Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) will venture to a new bar each month to sample
beers and sketch. There is no model fee and no instruction. This is just
a chance to get out, meet fellow artists and draw. I’m hoping to sketch
in Central Florida’s best dive bars, so suggestions are always welcome.
Feel free to invite any artists who love to drink, draw, or both!

The first Orlando Drink and Draw was held at Taverna Opa, 9101 International Drive Suite Number: 2240

2nd Level of Pointe Orlando Orlando, Florida. I focused my attention on the bar which has a daily happy hour from 3pm to 6pm. I ordered a Greek Beer called Alfa. It is sharp to the taste at first but is quite drinkable. Part of my hope is that I will refine my taste in beers at these ODD events, but I am a neophyte when it comes to beer tasting. I should have downed the first beer quickly since it was happy hour and I could have gotten a second beer for free. I sipped my drink as I drew as usual and ended up having to pay for a second drink. Live and learn. I also ordered a Humus which was rich with garlic and served in a wooden pedestal with a mortar to crush the chick peas. The humus wasn’t a thin paste, but thick and crunchy. I liked it that way.

Urban sketcher Gay Geiger stopped in as I was finishing the first sketch.  She also ordered an Alfa and drew a view of the dining area. Gay had been to a Taverna Opa in Tampa, so she knew of the dancing celebration to come. Starting at 7pm, a beautiful belly dancer started dancing on the tables. Children loved climbing on the tables with her and napkins were thrown in the air as confetti. The setting sun lit up the storm clouds a bright orange on the western horizon which could be glimpsed through the restaurant windows. Gay did a sketch of the Alfa beer which loosened up our line work.

Bar staff kept stopping by to check our progress. It became clear that, “Where are you from?” was part of their everyday tourist interaction script. I found out that one waitress, Amber Rose Brantley, is a musician that performs on Sundays at Fiddler’s Green on Fairbanks, so that is a future sketch opportunity. That is what makes these ODD outings so exciting. There is so much hidden talent in Orlando and as an artist I seek that talent out. I now define success as, drinking, drawing and meeting fellow artists. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.”

Local author Stacy Barton reads from her new novella.

Posted on by Thor

On July 2nd, I went to Writer’s Block Bookstore, 124 Welbuorne Avenue Winter Park FL, to go to a book signing and reading by local author Stacy Barton of her new novella Lilly Harp. The bookstore owner, Lauren Zimmerman had been at the opening of my exhibit in the Winter Park Chambers and she had asked me to bring a framed print to her store to hang in the hallway. Lauren wasn’t at the book signing but I left the print tucked safely away in a back reading room. The bookstore feels much like an intimate home with multiple book lined bedrooms where you can stop linger and read in comfy chairs.

Stacy’s book Lilly Harp is set on a small Florida island only accessible by boat. Her protagonist is a young female art student returning to the island. Rich enveloping deep rooted mangroves welcome the artist who has found out she is pregnant. I first heard Stacy read from a draft of the book several years ago at Infusion tea. This story has gestated for quite some time. Stacy explained that she had shopped it around to many of the large publishers but they don’t get the notion of a novella. She ultimately went with Word Farm Press the publisher of her book of short stories, Surviving Nashville.

At the book signing, I got to meet Stacy’s daughter Meredith Lynelle Barton who is a dancer and a visual artist from Miami. That is a rare combination of talents. She asked about my art supplies, so perhaps she will branch out and start sketching her own life events. I can vouch for the fact that sketching dance rehearsals offers limitless subject matter. 

It turned out that I sketched multiple generations of Stacy’s family at the reading including Gail, Stacy’s daughter in law, just by chance. In my sketch, not everyone is facing Stacy, but that is just because I
sketched them in the moments before and after the reading. Trust me, you
could hear a pin drop while Stacy was reading. The only person I didn’t sketch was Stacy’s husband Todd, who was deep in conversation right beside me most of the time. He had read aloud to Stacy the first seven chapters of her book while they relaxed at home. I can’t think of a more romantic sign of love and support than that. Lilly Harp is available locally at Writer’s Block Bookstore and Bookmark It, in East End Market 3201 Corrine Drive, Suite 109 Orlando, FL. This is clearly a book with heart felt character development and a lush Florida setting. I highly suggest you pick up a copy for yourself.

#txtsmall challenged the audience to think and create as one.

Posted on by Thor

Fringe tech rehearsals were in full swing when performance artist Brian Feldman returned to Orlando from Washington, D.C. to do a performance of “#txtsmall” a new variation of his “txt” show. The performance took place in the home of Carl F. Gauze. Carl has written and produced many Fringe productions, so he understands the need for a good set and production values. He set an antique desk on top of a wooden stage he made for the performance. Tiki gods and lava lamps set the scene while a disco ball was the cherry on the ice cream sundae.

“txt” was first performed in 2009 at the Kerouac House. The premise is simple: Everyone in the audience logs in to an anonymous account on Twitter. invited to an account on twitter. The audience tweets and Brian reads them all aloud. This has become Brian’s signature performance and shows continue in DC. At one show in DC, every Sunday night. At one show the audience began to work together -unprompted-constructing a storyline. It was a magical, unexpected collaborative effort and Brian hoped that the Orlando show might duplicate that magic.

“#txtsmall” had an audience of six gathered in Carl’s living room. There were isolated instances when a storyline began to form involving monkeys, but like most “txt” performances, chaos and mad improvised thoughts took over. Genevieve Bernard tweeted stage directions asking Brian to dance like a lava lamp. He got up, stood at the front of the stage and moved with a liquid oozing flow.

After the show, Brian told us about a new performance he will premiere at Capital Fringe in Washington, D.C. called Dishwasher. At a mutually agreed upon time, he will go to the ticket buyer’s home, wash the dirty dishes in their sink and,
once completed, cold read any monologue he is assigned. As the show description states, “Is he a better
actor or dishwasher? You decide.” Brian’s first job was as a child actor in a production with Orlando Shakespeare Theater, his second job was as a dishwasher. This production should decide once and for all which career path he is destined to follow. If you happen to be in D.C. right now, I would have suggested you get a ticket. However the 18 show run is completely sold out.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 18th and 19th.

Posted on by Thor

Saturday July 18, 2015

3pm to 7pm Free.  Cruisin’ Downtown DeLand Car Show! East Indiana Ave Downtown DeLand, FL.  Classic cars & rods.  Live DJ, giveaways, shopping & dining. Fun for the family! Every 3rd Saturday night!

INFO: & for showing your car 386-738-0649 http://mainstreetdeland.org

5pm to 11pm Free. Apartment E Frankie Presents: LEFTOVERS. The Current Galleries 116 E.1st Street Historic Downtown Sanford FL. Assembled junk art finished forgotten projects poems songs & other stuff Fine Artist Applications upon requests @ apartmentefrankie@gmail.com or private message on FB. Seeking sponsors (low rates) for program books,and all promo materials,great exposure for all. Excellent networking event for you, your friends, and your business.Good people in a great space creating magic, moving forward. Diverse crowd,edgy installations,intimate performances,and quality times.Real as real can get. All styles and disciplines are welcome. Direct all questions to Apartment E. Hope to see all there. Spread the word, and we can not wait to see your “Leftovers” completed and presented with pride!

6pm to 9pm Free. Art Reception – Imaginarium: The Circus of Whimsy. Chapman Leonard Studios LIVE 9460 Delegates Dr Suite 100, Orlando, Florida. The event is free, open to the public, and there will be light refreshments. The artists on display are Jaime Torraco (Kittens of Industry), Eric Frost, Megan Steward, Kelly Berry, Unladylike, Shelley Overton, Erika Suzannah Avery, Margie Forestier, Adrienne Nicole, and Franklin Reyes.

For this installment of Imaginarium we celebrate the imagination of the creative mind in its most purest form with nine very talented local artists displaying their vibrant and creative artwork at the Chapman Leonard Studios located in Orlando Central Park. This group of artists is a mixture of established and emerging individuals that are a vital part of the Central Florida arts community. Their debut at Chapman/Leonard Studios brings them to a fresh set of eyes.

“Put your top hats on and take a ride with us through this whimsical romp of playful, psychedelic, and thought provoking creations by some of your favorite local artists. Awe and wonder will abound as you observe this collection of eclectic specimens of uninhibited imagination. Keep your hands and legs flailing wildly at all times, feed the animals rainbow gummy bears, and enjoy the trip.” – The Ringmaster

Chapman/ Leonard Studios are an award winning manufacturer of camera support equipment for motion picture and television productions worldwide. The equipment manufacturer is based out of their state of the art sound stages and production facilities. The local artists’ work may be viewed during normal business hours by appointment with an Arts Hub Org Representative.

For more information, please contact Jason L Lee of the Arts Hub Organization, LLC. The Arts Hub Organization strives to enrich communities by providing curatorial services for commercial & residential spaces; event organization & production; and promotion of artists, events, & venues. You may contact Jason L Lee at 321-695-8266 or via email at artshuborg@gmail.com



Sunday July 19, 2015

1pm to 3pm Free. Yoga. Bring your own mat. Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. 0n the east end of the park near the Red Pagoda. Every Week.

5pm to 9pm Free but get some food. Orlando Food Truck Bazaar. Orlando Fashion Square, 3201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL.

9pm to 11pm Free but get a coffee. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL. 407 482-5000.

Aida splashes onto the Dr. Phillips Center stage.

Posted on by Thor

Encore! Cast Performing Arts presents Elton John and Tim Rice‘s Aida at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts  (155 East Anderson Street Orlando FL). Alice Ramadan from the Dr. Phillips center had invited me to sketch the dress rehearsal on July 14th. More than 160 cast, chorus and orchestra appear on stage. Juan Torres the shows production manager welcomed me when I got to the Disney Theater. Tech was still in full swing with stage hands checking lights and sound. At the security check some core cast were taking a break since they had been rehearsing all day. I realized that the actresses who signed out were slave girls in the show.

The chorus entered the theater and entered the theater filling up the front rows. They looked around in amazement at the new theater and took selfies to prove they were there. This was the first time everyone had a chance to experience the space and perform on the set. Alice got on stage and welcomed everyone. which caused enthusiastic whoop from the huge chorus! She thanked everyone for believing in the arts center and she got choked up as she told us it was our theater now. Her love for the place could soften any heart.

There were a few sound problems that stopped the rehearsal at several points. All the core cast had microphone headsets and they didn’t always work but that is why there are rehearsals, to work out the kinks. When Aida’s mic needed to be adjusted, she had to lean forward while a stage hand adjusted the electronics at her hips. Some of the chorus laughed since her pose was rather provocative. She heard this and coyly rotated her hips and arched her back which heightened the irony and soon everyone was laughing.

At the Nile’s edge, the enslaved Nubian princess, Aida (Jerusha Cavazos) becomes
romantically entangled with the Egyptian captain, Radames (Natale Pirrotta), who is
betrothed to the Pharaoh’s
daughter, Amneris (Hannah Berry Matthews). As their forbidden love grows deeper, Aida is forced
to find balance between her heart’s
yearning for Radames, and
her responsibility to lead her people.  Aida and Radames’s love for one
another becomes a shining
example of true devotion
that ultimately transcends the vast cultural differences between their
warring nations, heralding a time of
unprecedented peace and
prosperity. Elton John and Tim Rice‘s Aida is a timeless love story,
featuring an award-winning pop/rock score
from the seasoned pop duo
who brought musical life to Disney’s The Lion King. Rousing rock numbers
and heart-wrenching ballads bring
the ill-fated lovers into a
new era.

I’ve seen one other production of Aida, so I knew the music and story. I love many of the musical numbers in this show so I was swaying to the beats while I sketched. Having this many voices singing gives the show a power I hadn’t experienced before. Amneris’s song “My Strongest Suit” is a hilarious take on living a life of fashion and splendor. It is clearly an ironic look at spoiled Hollywood brats of today and the digital age’s superficial fixation on youth and fashion. It is the shows “Sex in the City” fashion runway moment. Despite having it all there is a yearning for connection that fashion doesn’t provide. The show is entertaining and often inspired.

Mark Your Calendar!

The final performance of Aida is tonight, Thursday, July 16, 2015.

Show time is 7:30 PM.

Tickets start at $33.75

Good Soldier explores the disturbing memories of a war veteran.

Posted on by Thor

I contacted director Carol Jacqueline Palumbo to sketch a rehearsal of Good Soldier, written by Tony Pelham. Jonathan Raffoul plays the part of the good soldier as he relates the memories and horrors of war. Carol confided, that at the audition, she knew Jonathan was perfect for the part after his first reading. He has a palpable intensity that stays true to the part. Suffering from the horrors of war, he tries to make sense of it all.

Carol’s plan was to workshop a couple areas and then  let him run through the show a few times without any interruptions. The rehearsal was in Carol’s apartment which is packed up since she plans to move soon. The clutter of her belongings seemed appropriate for the clutter in the soldier’s mind. Clearly this soldier suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. When he related the memories of his fellow soldiers raping and killing a young beautiful female civilian, I empathized with his anger and guilt. Perhaps had he stayed in the room he could have stopped what was about to happen. He would have to live with the guilt his whole life. The rapist, killed in battle was considered a war hero.

Much of this incredible twenty minute monologue is addressed to an imagined therapist in the audience. The soldier responds to the therapist’s imagined questions with distaste and anger. It becomes clear that no therapist can explain away the horrors that play out again and again in his mind. When he mistakes the therapist for the rapist, he becomes menacing in his anger. Although a fuse has shorted, I empathized with the notion that he wanted justice even in war. Perhaps there is no such thing. The victors write history. Perhaps he wasn’t even fighting for a just cause. After the second read through Carol said to Jonathan, “That’s the performance to beat!” It really was a superb performance. You don’t want to miss this show.

Mark your calendar! The play is one of seven original short plays that is part of
Playwrights Roundtable‘s Summer Series that will debut at theOrlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL. Performances will be held at 8pm in the Santos Dantin Studio Theatre, July 17th through August 2nd on the
weekends with Sunday 3pm matinee only shows.

The other shows in the Summer Shorts line up are:

  • “Train Stop” by Mark Cornell

    Serio-comic, A Man and a Woman meet at a
    stop and consider the possibilities of their maybe-future relationship.

  • “Dating, Sex, and the Space-Time Continuum” by David Strauss

    Do you ever wish your future and
    present selves could talk to each other and maybe warn you away from
    that one relationship you may or may not end up regretting?

  • “Speaking of Mars” by Jonathan Cook

    A man and a woman are paired up for the
    historic first mission to Mars. But one of them has a secret…

  • “Soles” by Katie Thayer

    It’s the end of the world as we know it, but is it too much to ask to go out with a pair of comfortable shoes?

  • “Binged There, Done That” by Ken Preuss

    Sitcom is life. Especially when
    taken all in one sitting.

  • “In Me” by William Newkirk

    Comedy, 1m, 1w – 20s – A couple discover some important truths about
    themselves while searching for a rather important part of their
    lovemaking.

 If you have any questions, please call (407) 761-2683 or email Playwrights Roundtable at
info@theprt.com.

Pecha Kucha presenters talk about movies.

Posted on by Thor

PechaKucha v15 celebrated Motion Pictures on February 6th 2015. The talks were by several members of Florida’s thriving film and video community as well as lovers of the medium. I had sketched a rehearsal which allowed me to promote the event. On the evening of the performances, I decided to focus my attention on the speakers as they were waiting for their turn behind the microphone. Having given a PechaKucha talk myself, I know how nerve wracking that wait can be. I’m just glad to have survived.

PechaKucha, means chit chat in Japanese, and it has become a global phenomenon.  Presenters can show 2O Power Point slides but they can only speak for 20 seconds for each slide. There is no stopping, no going back, the slides run automatically and you need to keep up. The result is concise fast paced and entertaining presentations that are never boring.

While doing this sketch, I bumped into Mackensey Moor and her mom Carolyn. Carolyn had been a presenter the evening I gave my talk at PechaKucha. She presented a heart felt moving story of love found and then tragically lost. She found strength in helping others. It was a hard talk to follow since every time I heard the story I would get choked up. It is so easy to get distracted when you first stand in front of a sea of faces. I spotted Mack and froze that evening, because I recognized her from Carolyn’s slides. It took me a moment to slip back into presentation mode. Anyway Mack is an artist herself so I’m always happy to talk about art with her. They had seats front and center and as I was finishing my sketch, Mackenzey told me she had to leave and she offered me her seat.

I squeezed down the isle, sat down and had a blast since Carolyn whooped and hollered with a childish joy during a very funny PechaKuche presentation. An arbitrary series of Power Point slides had been assembled and people were pulled from the audience to improvise a presentation based on the 20 Movie scenes. I’ve never laughed so hard. I don’t know if it was the presentation, or Carolyn’s magnificently outrageous reactions that made me laugh. Regardless it was fun to finally experience PechaKucha from the audience rather from the sidelines.

Sketching an Olympia Baseball practice.

Posted on by Thor

Elite Animation (8933 Conroy Windermere Rd, Orlando, FL), now has an Urban Sketching Course that I teach. I am always searching for interesting events and businesses to sketch in this little corner of Orlando. If I hear a crowd, I walk toward it. That happened on this sunny afternoon as I heard whoops and hollers coming from the baseball field. I walked my five or so intrepid Urban Sketchers over to watch the baseball practice from the grand stands.

This wasn’t a game, but a practice for the Olympia Baseball team. Although we were sketching from behind a chain link fence, I encouraged all the students to leave the fence out. In the outfield, players were doing sprints. There were a few batters, but mostly the pitcher and catcher worked solo.There were tarps over home plate, but they were later rolled up and removed. This wasn’t quite an event in my mind, but it was a great sketch opportunity for my students.