The Cottage at Lake Lilly

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Dawn Shreiner took over the Artist Critique and Conversation series at the Maitland Art Center from Josh Garrick. Dawn asked me to be a panelist on the evening of January 28th. The Facebook invitation said that the Critique would be at the Cottage at Lake Lilly, 701 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland FL.  I decided to get to the cottage early and sketch. As the sun set, it projected wonderful golden beams across the lawn. Big ugly ducks waddled right up to me to see what I was up to. Maybe they thought the paint was food. They eventually lost interest.

I found it odd that no one entered the cottage as I sketched. It was getting close to the start time of the critique as I finished up. Dawn finally arrived and I joined her on the porch. A small card was taped to the door that said the location had been changed to the Maitland Art Center. “Josh darn it!” Dawn said and she took off. I shouted out that I would be there soon.  I threw down a few more washes on my sketch then packed up to head over.

This artist development series offers artists a unique opportunity to have their work reviewed by a panel of professional artists. Camilo Velasquez was the other panelist. Ironically Camilo was the guest panelist the last time I was a panelist over a year ago. There were only three artists who wanted feedback on their work so the session was quick and to the point. Delores Haberkorn showed a large painting of a Christ like figure floating in space cradling a fetus in his out stretched hands. He stared out at the viewer in an unnerving way. We stressed the need for some soft edges and warmth in the fetal form. I pointed out that Christ should probably look at the child in his grasp. This painting was a big departure for Delores, so it was exciting to see her tackle new ground. Dawn offered insightful feedback on composition and maintaining a center of focus. Another artist showed paintings done from photos and there is always a sort of uncommitted calmness to work filtered through another photographer’s lens. Another artist showed a sumi brush painting of a horse. I thought it was direct and bold but would become simpler and more direct after she did several hundred of them. I encouraged her to find a horse barn and do these brush paintings from life. Camilo advised her not to mimic a culture that developed the style over hundreds of years.

Camilo ended by saying there was plenty of love seen in all the work shown. Our comments were meant to help guide the pieces towards completion, but as long as each new painting was approached with love, then the artist is on the right track.

The next critique takes place on Tuesday, March 25th at 6:00 PM

Featuring Lead Panelist Rebecca Sexton Larson

March Guest Panelists: Famed Gallerist Mindy Solomon

 LOCATION THIS MONTH: GERMAINE MARVEL BUILDING

210 W. Packwood Avenue, Maitland

The Art & History Museums – Maitland (A&H) proudly hosts Artists’ Critique & Conversation,
an exciting initiative to assist in the professional development of
local artists.   Artists’ Critique & Conversation is held
bi-monthly, on the 4th Tuesday of every other month at 6:00 p.m.

Artists’ Critique and Conversation is FREE and the
public is encouraged to attend. A bar is available with beer, wine,
water and soft drinks.  Artists of every medium and skill level are
encouraged to participate in the critiques.  Each critique will review
up to 9 artists, and all artists must sign up in advance. Interested artists can sign up in advance for one of the nine slots by emailing rebecca@artandhistory.org. 

Player 1 Video Game Bar

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Once, when Amanda Chadwick returned to Orlando, she invited friends to the Player 1 Video Game Bar (8562 Palm Pkwy, Orlando, FL) for a night out. I became obsessed with the ancient Star Wars Vdeo Game. I flew down the trench of the Death Star multiple times until I was able to destroy it with a single proton torpedo blast down an exhaust port. I had played this game as a teen and getting back in the cockpit of an X-Wing Fighter was just like riding a bicycle. All the killer instincts come right back. Terry tried the game after me, but she just didn’t have a knack for dodging the Death Stars defenses. I shouted at her to watch out for the cannons firing from the gun turrets. Even with my coaching, she kept getting shot down. She had much better instincts for Pac Man.

I returned to the bar to sketch on another day.  Player 1 is billed as the ultimate video game lounge experience! After four decades of Video Gaming a few things are clear to the owners:

Arcade games must be played in their original format- joysticks, buttons, and a lo-rez TV screen in a big custom cabinet!
Playing online has it’s drawbacks, nothing beats playing against opponents sitting across the room.
Video Games deserve a place to celebrate the art and history of the #1 form of entertainment in the world.
Beer is king…ales to lagers and everything in between!

There was a cover to get in, but Disney employees get a discount. Luckily I was wearing my John Henry Disney Crew Jacket, so I scored the discount. I ordered a beer and got to work. It was early in the evening and the bar was deserted. The place is located in a strip mall just beyond Disney property, so it is a trek for most locals. I’m not certain tourists would know how to find it. One guy sat at the bar fingering a joy stick as he watched the game play above the bar. The beer taps were surrounded by video game themed action figures and memorabilia. Since I work in a University that is helping teach the next generation of game designers, I can understand the appeal of Player 1. I decided to leave the Death Star in peace and I left when the sketch was done.

Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Sante Fe Art Colony

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The Mennello Museum of American Art (900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl.) kicked off it’s 15th anniversary season with the opening celebration of the first exhibit in their series devoted to “The Art of the American West.” Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Santa Fe Art Colony considers the development of Santa Fe as an art colony through the artists who visited there and helped establish the city as an artistic center, tracing the colony’s formative years from approximately 1915 up to 1940.

When artists from eastern locales began to settle in the Santa Fe area, they discovered a rich culture and a wealth of picturesque imagery. Southwestern Allure focuses exclusively on the art and artists of the Santa Fe colony, presenting the best of the artists’ work and showing the distinct artistic climate of this unique locale and the qualities that distinguish it apart from the rest of the state. The city has a majestic landscape and multicultural environment, which proved a matchless blend of inspiration.

The exhibition presents a thorough picture of which artists went to Santa Fe, what they found compelling about the environment, the work they produced, and the prevailing artistic trends, from Realism to Modernism, which they applied to Southwestern subject matter.

Through the works included in the exhibition, a range of styles are presented, encompassing the Santa Fe Old Guard, such as Carlos Vierra, Gerald Cassidy, and Warren Rollins, the Realism of Robert Henri, Edward Hopper, and John Sloan to highlight only a few of the prominent artists.

I was so pleased to see so many of the Ash Can artists I admire on display. Southwestern Allure features almost 50 outstanding artworks carefully selected from leading public and private collections. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue is organized by the Boca Museum of Art in conjunction with independent curator Dr. Valerie Ann Leeds, a specialist in American art of this period.

In the corner of the back gallery, a kiva (bee hive) fireplace was set up. Close to a dozen candles flickered while images of Madonna and Christ gave it the feeling of an alter. Genevieve Bernard pointed out to me that the candles were actually flickering diodes. From where I sat they looked completely real. A Robert Henri portrait of a beautifully chiseled Indian woman looked on with her eternal gaze. Several chiefs with their prominent head dresses flanked the other side. A gallery goer paused to finger his phone and he forgot about the art. Mark your calendar! This show is on exhibit through April 6th. Don’t miss it. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $1 for students.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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One last reminder, TONIGHT is the Opening Reception for “A Certain Point of View“, a retrospective exhibit of sketches done by me of the Orlando arts and culture scene. The opening is at Snap Space in the historic Cameo Theater (1013 E. Colonial Drive Orlando FL) from 7pm to 10pm. The show remains up through April 17th. If you can’t make it to the opening then stop by on the weekend. Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday, 11AM – 4 PM, and by appointement.

Saturday March 22, 2014

Noon to 6pm Free.  Art in the Park 2. Dickson Azalea Park 100 Rosegarden Drive, Orlando, Fl. Rain or Shine artists gathering to create in nature, in public.

not a vending opportunity. Time to play, and hang out, and talk about ideas.

8:30am to 6pm Mega Con. March 21-23 $25 one day wrist band. Orange County Convention Center, North Building, Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL. Comic book convention.

6pm to 8pm Free. An Evening with Artist in Residence 3 Elysia Mann. Maitland Art Center 231 Packwood Ave. Maitland FL. Elysia will discuss her work and process.

Sunday March 23, 2014

1pm to 3pm Free, just order something. Irish Music. Olivia’s Coffee House, 108 North Bay Street, Eustis, FL. http://www.oliviascoffeehouse.com/

2pm to 4pm Free. Jake Fernandez La Finca de Parchman performance piece. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. Seven Days and Sixteen Hours at Parchman Farm,” this piece explores
isolation, and what happens to the creative process when the artist is
isolated from all personal interaction. Fernandez will work in a
secluded studio space on the Art and History campus. The studio has no windows;
only bathroom facilities and a cot for sleeping. Fernandez will be
provided with rag drawing paper, water, dried food, a blanket and
pillow. This alternative space will include a closed-circuit camera, so
the process can be observed at http://www.ArtandHistory.org

4:30pm to 6:30pm $12. Roller Derby  OADR vs. Thunder City Derby Sirens.Universal Skating Center 866 S. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, Fl. Come watch the women of Orlando Area Derby Revolution take on the ladies of the Thunder City Derby Sirens. New season, new venue, same hard-hitting derby action!

An Evening with Rebecca Rose ‘Sculpturings’

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On January 30th, Rebecca Rose gave a talk about her creative process at Snap (1013 East Colonial Drive, Orlando FL). Rebecca is a bit of a hoarder. She collects anything small and representational. She has entire drawers full of these tiny trinkets from a Lilliputian world. She used to be a painter, but an elective class in jewelry making changed that. In one assignment for class she re-imagined what a ring should look like. Her teacher was astonished and he asked her where her inspiration came from. She knew she was onto something.

She had to take a long hiatus from making jewelry however, because she didn’t have the necessary equipment.  She spent several years selling paintings until she could afford the needed furnace, molding equipment and other tools of the trade. A documentary was shot that shows every step of her creative process which is part art, science and alchemy. From the first sketch to the finished piece cast in pure silver, she spend endless hours devoted to her craft.

 ‘Sculpturings’ are beautifully created pieces redefined beyond
their traditional sense, each piece with unique form and story. The
pieces blend luxury with urban activism relevant to current social
issues. Rebecca sketches, assembles, carves, invests, kiln fires, and
casts her own work in her home studio. Rebecca’s work was exhibited at
Select Fair in Art Basel Miami, Beijing Museum of Contemporary Art, and
the Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco. Last year she was the Halstead
Grant winner. In March, he work will appear in two gallery shows: “In Dreams: A Tribute to the Films of David Lynch”, at the Spoke Art Gallery, in San Francisco, CA,  and “The Season of Spring”, at the Flower Pepper Gallery, Curated by Daniel Rolnik, in Pasadena, CA.

Her rings are both art and jewelry. Each comes in a specially prepared bell jar for display when not being worn. She often leaves a magnifying glass near the display case so people can truly appreciate the intricacy in her designs. She was recently commissioned to create a ring commemorating the Winter Olympics. The prices on the pieces on display in January and February were extremely affordable. Considering their popularity, those prices are sure to go up soon. It was such a pleasure to meet an artist who loves what she does and was willing to share every step of the process. I hope to visit her studio to sketch her in action someday soon.

Mark your Calendar! My work is now hanging on these walls and I hope you come out to the opening on March 21st from 7pm to 10pm at the Cameo Theater (1013 East Colonial Drive Orlando FL).

Snap!

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I stopped by Snap (Cameo Theater, 1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Fl ) on the day before my retrospective exhibit went up. The gallery was open till 4pm. Emily Jordan and Diana Rodriguez were working as interns at the front desk. This was the last day that “Flight” was on display. As I sketched the last of the arts patrons explored the gallery. Three pieces of drywall proclaimed the gallery’s mission statement: Contemporary, Creative and Spontaneous. Patrick Kahn, the gallery’s founder had to step out.

Diana’s son, Josiah Portillo, stopped in and hung out for a while.  As he and Diana talked, he decided to water the potted orchid on the reception desk with his bottled water. He then headed out to hang with some friends in the park. Diana offered him some money in case he wanted a snack but he said he would be fine.

I discovered later from Holly Kahn, that the lamp on the reception desk was from her son Luke‘s room. Emily and Diana were chatting and getting to know each other. Emily is a photographer who takes society shots for a local magazine. Diana is an actress and avid supporter of the arts. When she discovered that Emily had never been to the Fringe, she excitedly explained what the Fringe is all about. Diana suddenly shrieked and stood up. A large puddle had mysteriously formed and was spreading across the table. They both quickly removed books, paper and art. The potted orchid was leaking. Diana put the potted plant on the floor as they mopped up the spill. “How much water did Josiah put in this plant?” Diana said. On the floor the plant was still gushing out water.

Disaster was averted since the angle of the table made the puddle flow away from the art and papers on the desk. Just when things returned to normal, Patrick came back and the women were free to go home. Diana told me about a dress rehearsal for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams, which I will be sketching next week. Patrick explained to me that she is one of the most active supporter of the arts that he knows.

Mark your calendar and come on out to the opening of my retrospective showing of sketches of Orlando on March 21st from 7pm to 10pm at the Cameo Theater (1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Fl). The show will remain open through April 17th.

Changing of the Art

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A retrospective exhibit of the sketches I have done in Orlando will be opening on March 21st from 7pm to 10pm at Snap in the historic Cameo Theater (1013 E. Colonial Drive Orlando FL). I stopped by Snap on the final day of Flight, a group show of photographers and other artists. At 4pm the gallery closed and Patrick Kahn popped the first labels off the walls. He explained that this moment was always a bit sad, like the circus leaving town, but when the walls are bare again, his excitement builds. Its like when you open your sketchbook and are faces with a white page. There are so many possibilities.

The two interns, Emily Jordan, and Diana Rodriguez, who were at the front desk, left at 4pm and then Patrick’s wife Holly arrived with their two children, Luke and Juliet. Juliet saw my open sketchbook on the floor and she crouched down to look. “You drew that right now?” When I said “Yes”, she stood and shook my hand with enthusiasm. I was surprised by her adult politeness and respect. Holly had put on blue surgeons gloves and she flipped through the sketchbook to let her kids see. Their enthusiasm was the best affirmation that I’ve felt in a long time. They have grown up around art thanks to their parents. Holly told me that Patrick used to keep sketchbook journals as a child. He passed on this tradition to his children and apparently Luke has displayed some unique talent in his journal. No wonder the kids loved seeing my sketchbooks.

The large photos were quickly but delicately removed from the walls and packed away. Holly helped Patrick and Vince Santilli at every step while Luke and Juliet worked at their computers, but Luke became impatient. “Mom, when can we go!” he shouted. The question was repeated multiple times until Holly decided to recruit him to do some of the work. She gave him a drill and let him assist in removing some of the screws in the masonry. He climbed the ladder and she climbed up behind him to be sure he didn’t fall and to help with the heavy drill. This was serious “man’s work” and Luke  loved it.

When it came time for the kids to go home, Luke shouted out, “Dad, we are proud of you!” Holly, next to me raised her hand to her chest and sighed. “It’s moments like this when you realize it is all worth it.” she said. It was heart warming to see this family working together to make a dream become reality. The next day, my sketches would go up on these walls.

Cardboard Art Festival

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On Friday January 24th, I went to TheDailyCity.com Cardboard Art Festival at The Orange Studio, (1121 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL.) This was the second year of the Festival and it was bigger and better than ever. The first thing I explored was an interactive wall by Nathan Selikoff. Cardboard tube gutters could be re-arranged on a pegboard to create a gravity maze for colorful wiffle balls. A large cardboard funnel at the top of the wall was always the starting point and it was high enough so you always had to throw the ball up. I missed the shot more than a few times and had to scramble as the ball rolled around on the floor.

Evan and Christie Miga created a huge storybook interactive display that told of an adventure using a series of dioramas and sculptures. There was a large cardboard octopus and a girl riding an immense bird. The wings could be flapped by turning a delicate crank. A moving street scene was depicted in one diorama that had a magnifying lens to amplify the view as you traveled down the street. The illusion was complete when you turned a cardboard tube that represented the street. There was even a Zoetrope that used a cardboard tube with slits in it that when spun, created the illusion of motion from a series of images inside the tube.

Doug Rhodehamel had a large collection of small cardboard robots on display. Nicki Equality Drumb and Rachel Equality Gardner had blue and pink male and female stand up photo ops set up with equality hearts. With supplemental blue mustaches and pink ribbons, everyone wanted their picture taken. Beautiful women wearing couture cardboard dresses strutted through the crowd. John Glassman Gardner was taking pictures of people that he then pasted in the windows of cardboard skyscrapers. Jeff Ferree created four foot tall Gumby like cardboard creatures that were quirky and brightly colored. It was a fun colorful show and once people started drinking and dancing, the place lit up. If you didn’t go, you missed a hell of a good time.

Couples Cooking Class

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Kristen Manieri, of Great Dates Orlando, invited me to sketch a couples cooking class held in the demonstration kitchen above East End Market, (3201 Corrine Dr. Orlando, FL.) I arrived about an hour early to sketch in the layout of the kitchen before the couples arrived. The demonstration was completely sold out. The $120 class fee per couple included utensils, recipes, ingredients
and sit-down dinner for two, but BYOS (bring your own spirits).

Jes Tantalo, East End Market’s Chef-in-Residence, was busy with preperations when Terry and I arrived. Terry went to explore East End Market and then Stardust Video and Coffee while I sketched. We planned to go to Drip on International Drive after my sketch was done. Kristen helped out by making recipe cards for the guests before they arrived. Her iPhone was used to fill the room with romantic Italian music. A large banquet table filled the dining room next to the kitchen. Fresh flowers from the extensive gardens downstairs were put on the table as centerpieces.

The first order of business was to have all the couples create flat bread appetizer perfect for
noshing on while everyone sipped wine and dove into the menu sourced almost
entirely from East End’s gourmet purveyors downstairs. Everyone crowded around the counter that separated the kitchen and dining area. Each couple took some flat bread and spread goat cheese on it, sprinkled some olive oil and then cracked open a tiny dime sized quail egg on top. Fresh arugula, again from the garden downstairs was added as a garish along with a pinch of salt and pepper. One fellow put a mountain of arugula on his flat bread and he was playfully scolded by the other couples. There was plenty of camaraderie and laughter as everyone worked.

The main dish was Poussin, or baby chickens, for each person. All that was required was some seasoning before they were put in the ovens. The flat bread appetizers were done in a flash and then all the couples sat at the table sipping wine and talking. In the kitchen, Jes was still busy cooking fresh local vegetables marinated in Whisky. One adventurous guest was put in charge of cutting up a football sized turnip. I had to close my eyes when he struggled with the first loud slice. Fox 35 News reporter Jackie Orozco introduced herself. She was intrigued by my daily sketch journalism and is considering the idea of reporting about what I do. With the retrospective exhibit coming up, her timing couldn’t be better.

Terry stopped back. I hadn’t started adding color yet. This was a more challenging sketch than usual with so many people crowded in the foreground. When she left I sketched faster. I left before the Poussin came out of the oven. I rushed out to catch up for my own date night, but I was to late. She got a taxi to take her to International Drive to see Drip perform a show with black lights. Perhaps I should have abandoned the sketch. A better person would have done that. As I drove home alone, I realized I was extremely hungry. I hadn’t eaten all day except for tasting one of the flat bread appetizers Kristen had offered me. I pulled into a Subway and ordered a Flatizza which is sort of a flat bread pizza. It wasn’t very exotic, but it filled me up for the moment. Much later I picked Terry up from Drip. Apparently it had been an amazing show. She was soaking wet and covered in paint.

Mark Your Calendar! The next Couples Cooking Class is April 12 from 7pm to 9:30pm at East End Market.