Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday May 3, 2014

4pm to 10pm $50 Derby on Park. Winter Park Country Club, 761 Old England Ave, Winter Park, FL. We are offering each guest a private labeled bottle of Stollenbosh Merlot or Central Coast Chardonnay as a keepsake – provided by Quantum Leap Winery.

    Wine and; Beer and food is included

    Fashion/Runway Show Commences =~ 6:30PM for Women’s Best Dressed ~ Women’s Best Hat, & Men’s Best Dressed ($100 Gift cards/Gift baskets(provided by Elle Vie) to be awarded, $50 Gift Cards/Gift baskets to be awarded(provided by Elle Vie)

    Multiple TV’s provided by Best Buy will be displayed throughout event.

    Complimentary Cigar Roller – First 100 Cigars rolled given out.

    Pulled pork from a whole pig provided by 4River’s Smokehouse

    Grilled chicken provided by John & Shirley’s Catering

    Either Lobster grilled cheese sandwiches or Lobster Ravioli provided by Boston Lobster Feast Restaurants

    The event will be both indoors and outdoors & the Winter Park CC will have AC

    The Cash bar for premium alcohol & champagne will also allow for debit/credit cards

7pm to 10pm $5 Trend Studios Orlando Celebrates Their Two-Year Anniversary. Vanity, 110 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (second level). Join Trend For a Fun Night of Fashion, Music and Trendy Style To Commemorate Two Years as Downtown Orlando’s Hottest Salon. Attention trendsetters: Get ready to join Downtown Orlando’s most popular, cutting-edge salon, spa and beauty studio for a fun and stylish night to commemorate their exciting two-year anniversary.  Enjoy delicious cocktails and food samplings by Mingos Restaurant, non-stop DJ entertainment, fabulous fashion, salon giveaways and of course amazing avant-garde styles by Trend Studios.  Plus, be among the lucky attendees chosen to win a first-ever “Trendy Award.”  A $5 suggested donation at the door is recommended to benefit the Femmes De Coeur non-profit organization.

7:30pm to 9:30pm Free. The Geek Easy with Amy Watkins and Open Mic. The Geek Easy 114 S. Semoran Blvd Winter Park Fl. Featuring Amy Watkins and Superhero Poetry Open Mic.  Open to all: Musicians-Lyricists-Artists-and Poets of all kinds Bring out the cape and have some fun. http://poetry.meetup.com/362/

Sunday May 4, 2014

1pm to 3pm. Free. Yoga. Lake Eola East side of the park.

6pm to 8pm Free. SHUT YOUR FACE! Poetry Slam by Curtis Meyer! La Casa De La Paellas 10414 E Colonial Dr Orlando FL. The only current ongoing slam in Orlando officially certified by Poetry Slam Incorporated, IE. Send a team to Nats as well as poets to The Individual World Poetry Slam & Women of The World Poetry Slam! $50 to the winner! If you’ve never seen or been in a slam before, it’s definitely worth checking out!

9pm to 11pm. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL.

Equality Connection

Posted on by Thor

Terry and I went to the Hammered Lamb for the “Equality Connection“. Commissioner Patty Sheehan had just put her painting up at the bar in Ivanhoe Village that afternoon. She paints “Equality Kittys” and she can barely keep up with the demand. I heard that every painting sold from her last show. The evening was a fundraiser for Equality Florida which is the largest civil rights organization
dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This organization has grown exponentially in the last few years but there is plenty of hard work still left to go before people recognize that all people are created equal.

Many of the board member of the Orlando Fringe were there to show their support. Terry is on the Fringe board now and has loved the amazing people she has met. Fringe is now going strong down at Lock Haven park and I will be there sketching as often as possible. You never know what you will discover on the green lawn of fabulousness. Devon ordered some wings which surprised me since this venue used to be all vegan. She offered me a wing and I tried it but they were to hot of my taste. Of course food this hot means you need to drink more beers which could be a perk.

Love Out Loud

Posted on by Thor

I went to a tech rehearsal for “Love Out Loud” a DiDonna Productions new multi media dance performance choreographed by McClaine Timmerman. It  takes an intimate look into the world of dating, relationships, and love today. The multi-talented cast explores the struggles, opinions, feelings, hopes, fears, and doubts that we all experience at one point or another. McClaine uses an amalgam of modern dance, projection, and live music to express the topics under investigation.

Showing their commitment to original music, Timmerman and DiDonna utilize all original music throughout “Love Out Loud” including works by Scott Hall, Nigel John, a collaboration between Keifer Curtis, Aurelio Guimaraes and Jeremy Studinksi, and features original live music by Paige Keiner. Paige was at the rehearsal. She explored social media on her phone before the rehearsal started and then performed a solo acoustic piece on her guitar as the cast performed. I had never seen her perform before and I was impressed by her silky confident voice. One of her songs, “What Good is a Throne When You’re All Alone?“, featured an incredible dance performance with McClaine and a male dancer. McClaine was in a black night gown and the male dancer in PJ’s. They danced intimately before bed but their differences and inner turmoil erupted as they performed. This wasn’t a peaceful loving couple but a couple who never seemed to connect. Their bodies rippled in angst as they resigned themselves to the inevitability of being at war yet sharing the same bed. As the lights slowly faded, they lay down together and then their touching arms rose up and their fingers laced together.

McClaine accomplishes something I’ve never seen before. The show is part documentary, part drama and part modern dance. Interviews are projected during the performance that have people sharing their raw honest feelings about what it is like to love in a digital age.  Have the words “I love you” lost their meaning? Social media brings people together in a hive mentality and yet separates us behind computer and cell phone screens. Interpersonal, one on one conversation, is becoming a lost art form.  Is it possible to find a long term relationship while voyeristically following everyone else’s relationships? Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

One dance piece had a male and female dancer circling each other as they fingered their cell phones firing off texts. The flirtatious texts were projected on the back wall of the stage. Through the whole dance they only occasionally glanced at each other. It is easy to fall in love with an illusion through text. The next couple on stage fired off an accelerated angry barrage of bitter texts at each other. They bumped into each other like football players forcefully and immaturely jockeying for dominance.

A dance number about “selfies” had all the dancers lined against the wall as they shot iPhone photos of themselves alone and in small groups. The photos were projected above them in accelerating frequency. They all arched their backs raising the phone high above them in a graceful chorus line. They pouted and puckered their lips and smiled and over acted for each shot. Any individuality became lost in the sea of self absorption. McClaine brings humor and fun to each piece while exploring raw emotions. I found myself laughing often with delight. The show offers dance with a deep personal and insightful twist.

The cast includes choreographer McClaine Timmerman, along with her troupe including Andres Avila, Alina Gavrilov, Aurelio Guimaraes, Felipe Vasques, and Nagi Wakisaka. Dancer Dion Leonhard was at the rehearsal to offer notes to McClaine. As McClaine warmed up, stretching a leg above her head, Dion said, “I’d like to have a relationship with your extension McClaine.” “Whatever, you’ve got your own extension.” McClaine fired back. I could feel the love and respect these talented performers had for each other.

Mark your calendar! “Love Out Loud” will be presented for four performances only, at the Santos Dantin Theater in the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (Loch Haven Park, Corner of 1792 and Princeton Street Orlando FL.) Performances are 8pm on Thursday May 1st, Friday May 2nd, and Saturday May 3rd, with a 2pm matinee on Sunday May 4th. Tickets are $15.00 general admission, and $10.00 student admission, and are available at the door cash only, or by reservation (will call cash only at the door) by calling 407-721-3617.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Posted on by Thor

Tennessee Williams‘ Pulitzer prize-winning “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opened Friday, March 21, at Orlando’s Mad Cow Theatre 54 W. Church St., Orlando FL.

I went to a dress rehearsal on March 18th. In the classic story, secrets push a family to the brink during a memorable evening. Wealthy Southerner Big Daddy is celebrating his 65th birthday among his passionate and greedy family. Son Brick (David Jachin Kelley) is a hunky former football hero married to sexually frustrated Maggie (Summer Dawn Wallace). Meanwhile, son Gooper, a lawyer, had his eye on the family fortune. Also featured are Ron Schneider, Karel K. Wright, Amanda Leakey, Stephen E. Middleton, Tommy Keesling and Michael G. Knight. Bobbie Bell directed.

Brick got drunk and tried to relive his former football glory days at the high school stadium where he managed to break his leg. His wife Maggie was all a flutter talking about family and those “no neck brats” of the sister in law. Summer Dawn Wallace was exceptional in the role as Maggie. She gave the character some teeth like a wild animal cornered in a conflict. Her affections toward Brick were always rebuffed. He spent the show sipping drinks until he felt “that click” which is the moment when he finally had enough.

The show absolutely had me mesmerized.  Big Daddy had health troubles and the family felt the need to protect him from the truth. Family buzzed around him trying to ingratiate their way into the family fortune. Brick was the favored son but Big Daddy could see his addiction to the bottle. There has been much talk lately about the Mad Cow Theater having financial troubles. However this show proves that the theater is committed to staging exceptional productions.

Statue of Liberty

Posted on by Thor

At a artist workshop at Urban ReThink, someone asked why there is tiny 8 foot tall, Statue of Liberty, at the intersection of North Orange and Magnolia Avenues on the shore of Lake Ivanhoe. I’ve passed this oddity many times and never given it a thought. It isn’t a very creative choice for a public sculpture. It makes it seem like Orlando idolizes gift shop trinkets. This town seems to want to be something for everybody. Like Epcot, we don’t feel the need to travel the world to see the rel thing. The proportions on the tiny statue are a bit off. The extra large torch Lady Liberty is holding makes her seem a bit child like. The money invested in the rock work and gadening alone must have cost a fortune. The Kiwanis Club of Orlando paid for the base.

The statue was donated to the city in 1953 by the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It was one of about 200 such replicas installed across the
nation in the 1950s through a Boy Scout program called “Strengthening
the Arm of Liberty,”  The program was part of the Scouts’
40th anniversary celebrations it replaced a big orange concrete ball supported by two stilt-like pillars, built by the Works Progress Administration sometime between 1934 and 1936 that quickly became a victim of graffiti. It must have been a reminder of Orlando’s Citrus industry. The ball, by the way, was moved to a fruit stand in Maitland and later destroyed. A new ten foot high ball shaped sculpture was recently installed at the Orlando County Regional History Center.

.The statue was refurbished in the mid-1980s. She seems to have survived any touch of graffiti and the shrubbery is neatly clipped. Robert G. Neel, president of Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, led efforts to restore the statue, which he first noticed while stopped at a traffic light.

This is a busy intersection and I got to stare at each new driver that had to stop at the stop light. Each driver looked at me like I was a mad man. During the hour or so that I was sketching, one pedestrian did walk by on her way to the bus stop. She took quite an interest in what I was doing, and she even had advice on where I could find a better camping stool. A ramp behind the stature leads up to Interstate 4 and the cars are always lined up, rushing  to get on Orlando’s primary artery. 

Central Florida Fair

Posted on by Thor

On March 7th, I went to the Central Florida Fair (4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando FL). It is easy to see when the fair is in town because the Ferris Wheel glitters brightly on the horizon when you drive down Colonial at night. It was a rare cold day in Central Florida. I parked in a muddy lot beside many animal trailers. I figured there would be little happening during the day, but there was someone at the ticket window. I others walk by so, I took my best shot to just stroll in. The teen at the window asked to see my wrist band. Darn, they charge money to go in the daytime. I told him that I was the press and he decided to let me go.

None of the rides were moving and there were no crowds at the game booths. The first thing I noticed were some cows being walked around a coral. I had stumbled across a livestock showing and decided that was my best sketch opportunity. Teens walked their prize cows around the with the hope of getting a blue ribbon. The judge and teens had a bull hooks that were used to jab the loose flesh under each cow’s throat. It made me uncomfortable to see the cows jabbed repeatedly. I’m not sure why it was done. They would bellow and moo waiting for the judging to end.

A woman who organizes events for the Central Florida Fairgrounds noticed me sketching and stopped to talk for a while. She explained that the Fair has entered the Digital age by having competitions for children where kids write computer code instead of showing their livestock. Microsoft has joined in as a sponsor to encourage kids to write code from a very early age. Another creative competition was sponsored by Legos. Kids were given a small mountain of Legos and they competed to see who was the most creative with what they had to work with. Hopefully I can sketch that competition next year.

Beefy King

Posted on by Thor

When working at Full Sail from 5pm to 1am, I needed to find daytime landmarks to sketch rather than sketching events which invariable happen in the evening. For some reason, I consider the Beefy King (424 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL) to be an Orlando landmark. They have been serving a variety of mouthwatering Roast Beef, Ham, Turkey, Pastrami,
Corned Beef, Bar BQ Beef and Bar BQ Pork sandwichesall served hot, fresh and made
to order since 1968.

I found it odd that only the drive through line was available while I was sketching. Ironically, I have never tasted the Beefy King sandwiches, I just like the sign.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Posted on by Thor

On March 6th, Terry and I drove to Lakeland Florida to meet Seattle sketcher Carleen Zimmerman and her husband Neil. They were vacationing in Florida and the plan was to meet for lunch and then go to Florida Southern College to sketch. Lunch was delicious. I had a lasagna roll that was quite unique. Unfortunately it had rained on the entire drive to Lakeland.

I got to flip through Carleen’s Florida sketchbook which was almost completely filled.  She had read my book on the flight to Florida and was applying principles I had written about. I was quite pleased to see a note on one sketch that said, “Thor suggests building the pose from the feet up.” Most of the sketches were of Florida water foul. Carleen and Neil are avid birders. Because of that they are friends with Terry’s sister Rachel in Seattle.

It was still sprinkling when we were done with lunch. Carleen and Neil called it a day and went back to their hotel. Terry and I pushed on to see the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College a few miles away. Terry had been on a guided tour there once with her friend Elaine. She didn’t like the tour however since the guide just talked for two hours in the gift shop.

The campus is perfect to explore on a rainy day. Florida Southern
College (FSC) has the largest concentration
of Wright designed structures anywhere in the world with 10 buildings and two additional
structures on campus, and is in the National Register of Historic Places.Construction on the campus began in 1938. Students helped with some of the construction. Wright designed an esplanade that cover all the pathways around the campus. What is unique about the overhangs is that they are only supported on one side leaving a completely unobstructed view on the open side.  If a walkway stepped down, so would the overhang. Wright must have been a short man. I began to feel claustrophobic, always feeling I might bump my head. The structures are also showing signs of wear and stress. Large cracks hint that the supports are having trouble bearing the load. Decorative custom brickwork had glass embedded into it, but students can’t resist digging out the glass like a gem from it’s matrix. Restoration work is needed everywhere.

A group of photographers explored the campus and I caught one in my sketch. An emergency phone looked like it had been bashed by a linebacker. It had one large red “Help” button for easy operation. I was shocked at how few students there were. There are 1800 undergraduate students but only one or two were seen by me on the campus walkways.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday April 26, 2014
 

10am to 4pm Free. Last day of Thor’s Analog Artist Digital World Sketch Retrospective at Snap! Space in the historic Colonial Theater 1013 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL.

10am to 5pm Free. Art in the Park 3. Dickson Azalea Park 100 Rosegarden Drive, Orlando, Fl. Art in the Park is a monthly gathering for the Central Florida arts community to come together to create, converse, and enjoy nature. The event occurs every fourth Saturday from sun up to sun down, and is open to all artists of any form, be it visual, musical, poetic, or what have you. This is not a vending opportunity, but rather a casual forum for individuals to create, collaborate, socialize, network, or just experience Central Florida’s natural beauty.

4pm to 6pm Free. Flying Kitty Carnivale Day 1. Atlantic Center for the Arts 1414 Art Center Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, Fl. Saturday & Sunday @ 4:00pm- 5:00pm, Amphitheater Ladies & gentleman, boys & girls, step right up & gather round to see a show you won’t soon forget! Presenting a world of wonders where everything is unique and extremely adorable! This circus of bumbling fuzzy creatures will charm your heart. They’re freaky! They’re fuzzy! They’re alive! Welcome to a world of high flying felines that are fun and family friendly! Carnivale creator April Tennyson is a member of the Central Florida Puppet Guild who has performed with the City of Orlando Puppetroupe and Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater. April is currently showcasing her one-woman children’s productions under the name Good Knight Theatre. For more information please visit GoodKnightTheatre.com.

9pm to midnight $5 suggested donation at the door. Skill Focus: Burlesque’s Third Birthday! – A Benefit for Syber Digit. The Abbey, 100 South Eola Drive, Orlando, FL. You’re invited to Skill Focus: Burlesque’s 3rd Birthday Party! What was conceived in a downtown karaoke bar while consuming much whiskey has become Orlando’s premiere nerdy burlesque troupe and #1 theater company*. Come celebrate 3 years of boobs, booze, and glitter with your favorite nerdy burlesquers at The Abbey. This year, our birthday party also doubles as a benefit for our own Skill Focus family member, Syber Digit. Syber has been dealing with some health issues as of late. Her doctors suspect cancer and she requires expensive diagnostic tests to confirm. We want to raise money to help cover her medical costs. So join the girls (and guys) of Skill Focus: Burlesque for a fun night filled with music, dancing, games, magic, glitter, and of course boobies while we raise money to help one of our own.

The evening’s festivities will include:

– Themed Drink Specials!

– Silent Auction!

– Tarot Readings!

– Skill Focus: Bake Sale!

– Musical Performances from SFB!

– Magic Show from Presto Digitation!

– Costume Contest!

– Games (It’s not an SFB party without Twister)!

and of course, Nerdy Burlesque!

As always, costumes are encouraged but not required. There’s no theme, just come in your favorite cosplay. But we will have prizes for costume contest winners.

ALL proceeds for the evening will go directly to paying Syber Digit’s medical expenses. If you’d like to donate to the cause directly, you may do so via PayPal to kanymya@gmail.com. Additional donations will also be accepted at the event. 21+ Only.

For more information, visit www.skillfocusburlsque.com

Sunday April 27, 2014

10am to noon Free entry before 11pm $5 after.  Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever. The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape.

http://www.superjoyriders.com/

10pm to 2am Free. Suckerfish – The Sea Witch Party. The Peacock Room 1321 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl. Florida’s only brew of sea punk, witch house, and everything inbetwixt!

with Cane Sugar and Mathe[w]matic

Come Out and Get Wet!

Nerd Nite Orlando XIII

Posted on by Thor

On March 13th, I went to Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 E. Winter Park Road, Orlando, Fl.) to experience Nerd Nite Orlando XIII.  I arrived early, ordered a Humus plate and a Coke and found a table with a sweeping view of the room. As people arrived, I populated the sketch. Nerd Nite Orlando is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking
talks across many disciplines – all while the audience drinks along in a
casual bar atmosphere. Speakers present for 20-25 minutes each on a
fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and
unconventional way.

It’s like the Discovery Channel – with beer!

Josh Manning, the founder and “Nerdboss” of Nerd Nite Orlando was the first speaker. His presentation was about “Chindogu: Unuseless Inventions” which translates to “really weird” (chin) “tool” (dōgu). This is the noble Japanese art of eccentric invention. Often causing more problems than they solve, chindogu ultimately serve no real purpose. Neither useful nor useless, they are therefore “unuseless” (similar to how “undead” means not dead and not alive). So what’s the point then? Unbridled creativity, of course! Chindogu are like anarchists that have broken free from the pragmatism of traditional invention. Come discover the wonderful world of unuseless creations that include baby mops,  a tissue dispenser cap, and umbrella ties! Josh is always interested in new ways to think differently, he also co-organizes a group of employees at Kennedy Space Center called the “Spaceport Innovators.” In the 2nd grade he even entered an invention contest by submitting his “fishing backpack” creation, which was just his school backpack outfitted with a car air freshener so that he could carry around all the fish he caught minus the stink. He didn’t win any prizes, not even an honorable mention.

The second presentation was “Digital Heroes: How Video Games Can Save The World” by Carlos Donze  A growing body of evidence suggests that video games play (pun totally intended!) a larger role in brain development than previously thought. In this talk, he discussed their role in tackling some of the world’s seemingly insurmountable problems, such as personal happiness, poverty, and helping the terminally ill. Let Carlos show you how playing video games can translate in to real life power-ups!

Emily Empel presented,

“Cards Against the Future: Generating Possibilities Instead of Predictions” Talking about the FUTURE is old school. All around us, societal “squares” are sanitizing our conversations about the future. These politicians, business leaders and academics rely on forecast models that reduce uncertainty. Some people like to think things progress along a straight linear path, but progress and change happens in sudden unpredictable surges. Let’s be real: the world is getting weirder. Forecasts that discount mystical, immeasurable,  elements limit our ability to fundamentally explore what’s ahead. In other words, exploring the future is a job for societal misfits, and total nerds. In the spirit of Chindogu, Emily showed a hilarious clip of a robotic ketchup dispenser. Obsessing over the FUTURE(S) is where it’s at.  She explores the present and the future according to a new set of rules. She is a trend spotter, marketing disciple, and corporate futurist. She provides executive management with strategic insights to identify emerging developments. Emily earned a Master of Science degree in Future Studies from the University of Houston. Her research has been featured by organizations such as The World Future Society and AlterNet. A former nomad, she’s slowly realizing, thanks to fellow Orlandoans and a lot of imagination, that Orlando doesn’t suck.

Emily wanted to talk after the presentations to brainstorm about a creative project she has brewing. Her pink haired friend Natalie Chandler kept me company as Emily discussed, and sometimes argued the future with people after her talk. Natalie confided that Emily is super busy yet she wants to layer this intricate creative project into her schedule over the next several months. Emily outlined the project that she and others are brain storming. The World Future Society Conference is coming to Orlando this July and she wants to put together a show for that conference. Tentatively titled, “Near Now” the project is aimed at
bringing together intellectuals and creatives who are interested in
exploring how the future of Orlando can unfold in 2030. I agreed to help bring together creative people that could help bring this vision to light. The seed is planted. So far, progress is slow but if it is meant to bloom, it will. The possibilities are limitless.