Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday March 29, 2014

1pm to 3pm Free. Thor Book Signing at Snap!  Inside the historic Cameo Theater, (1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL).Thomas Thorspecken, the artist and producer of Analog Artist Digital World, will sign copies of his new book, “Urban Sketching, A Complete Guide to Techniques.” There will be a guided tour of the exhibit with the stories behind many of the sketches in the exhibit. There will also be a “Digital Scavenger Hunt.” Guests will be given a list of questions when they arrive, and the answers can only be found by scanning the QR codes on the sketch labels using a smart phone. The answers can be easily found in the Analog Artist Digital World articles that the QR codes link to. The first guest to answer all the questions correctly will get a free copy of the book.

6pm to 9pm Tickets are $100 for members/$130 for general public and sponsorships still available.  For tickets and more information, click here. pARTicipation  Maitland Art Center (231 Packwood Ave W, Maitland, FL). One of Central Florida’s most intriguing and popular fundraising events,
the A&H’s Participation is an innovative sensory experience; one
where artists turn tables into art installations and guests dine with
the selected artist. Guests learn from the artist and create their own
works of art in an evening of elegant dining, performances, and art, all
in the beautiful setting of the A&H’s Maitland Art Center campus.

6pm to 9pm Free.  McRae Art Studios Spring Open House & Sale. 904 Railroad Ave. Suite 200, in Winter Park FL.During the open house, the public is invited to meet and talk to artists in their studios at McRae, the oldest and largest artist collective in Central Florida. More than 1,000 artworks will be on display including paintings, prints, photographs, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry and pottery.

Sunday March 30, 2013

10am to Noon. Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever. We are inviting Orlando to come with us on a fun filled bike ride of awesomeness on the last Sunday of the month. Dress like a superhero, hop on a bike, and follow our scavenger hunt list of Good Deeds as we all try to save the world with small acts of kindness.

2pm to 5pm. The entry fee is $8 with $1 off per canned food item(up to 3 cans) More than 3 cans are of course welcomed. Poca’s Hottest 3rd Annual Hot Sauce Cook Off and Can Drive. Will’s Pub & the attached Track Shack lot (1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL.) This years cook off/can drive is in conjunction with Mills 50 District and 1 in 4 Strike Against Hunger to raise awareness of the hunger situation in Orlando (many Orlando families are skipping 1 out of four meals due to poverty) and to collect food to provide to Ferncreek Elementary students and their families.As usual there are only 3 rules to the cook off:

1) You must use at least one of Poca’s Hottest sauces in your recipe.

2) You must provide at least 60 1oz portions (approx.1/2 aluminum chafer pan full)

3) You must be willing to share your recipe & provide a copy of it with your entry (the winning dishes will be featured in Poca’s Hottest 2014 cook book)

There is no cost to enter a dish in the cook off and all entrants will receive free entry to the cook off.

Prizes will include the full collection of Poca’s Hottest sauces (over $100 value)

One 2014 Poca’s Hottest T shirt

The coveted Poca’s Hottest trophy 😉

A featured spot in the Poca’s Hottest 2014 cook book

And best of all one full year of bragging rights 😉

7pm to 10pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 (cash only) at the door. SEASONS Mix & Mingle Cabaret! City Arts Factory (29 S. Orange Ave Orlando FL.)  The SEASONS Mix & Mingle Cabaret is a night of open ended entertainment. Join us for one show, or stay for all four! Either way you won’t leave disappointed and you will be able to show your support for new and original works coming out of the Orlando theatre community.Come meet the cast and hear a sneak peak performance of material from the highly anticipated Orlando Fringe Festival debut of SEASONS The Musical! Also come enjoy the beautiful galleries of the CityArts Factory in downtown Orlando along with special guest performers: Summer Aiello, Meghan Moroney, Mark Taylor, Sarah Hanchar – The Happy Pink Girl!, and the amazing comedic talents of Mark Daniels! The evening will be topped off with the unsinkable master of ceremonies: Mark Baratelli!

The evening will include a cash bar, raffles including Christian Louboutin scarf, SAK Comedy Lab tickets, Spooky Empire tickets, and more! We will have items for sale from Seasons merchandise to jewelry. All proceeds from the night will benefit Seasons.

 http://www.seasonsthemusical.com/

Maxine’s on Shine

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I went to Maxine’s on Shine (337 Shine Avenue Orlando FL) of February 8th, to listen to Roger Docking on Guitar. Maxine’s is a local gem and is booked solid on weekends so reservations are strongly suggested. Since I was on my own, I found a spot 2t the bar. Maxine was at a fundraiser for the Ballet, but her husband greeted everyone warmly. I ordered an Orange Blossom beer and started sketching. For dinner I ordered the lasagna which was quite delectable.

Roger Docking recognized me. I had sketched him in the past because he was once a member of Andy Matchett and the Minx. That band performed together one last time several months ago at the cardboard art festival.  Andy explained to me that Minx was the last name of his former wife so the bands name was a bit archaic. They also used to use tons of confetti and toilet paper in their performances. Clean up after a show would be a nightmare. At a preview of my retrospective, Suzannah Gilman was talking about her recent experience watching Sting and Paul Simon in concert at the Amway Center. She had seats in the second row only a few feet from the stage. “Sting had to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” She said. She pointed out how well defined his arm muscles were and his pants showed off the muscles in his legs. She then demonstrated a subtle hip gyration Sting used in the performance. It wasn’t a thrust, but more of a gentle grind. Andy practiced the move himself and I suspect it will find it’s way into his next performance.

Another performer Joe Lamy, and his daughter came in half way into the first set. He sang harmony, following Roger’s lead. I find that there is often a theme to my sketches. I pay attention to artists who are often unrecognized and perform as background ambiance. I think I identify with the artists who create beauty even if no one is listening.

My lasagna and drinks came to $28.71 and it was well worth it. The bill was enclosed in a book with a picture of the Mona Lisa on the cover. The title of the book was, “Stress, The Good and the Bad, Guilt Free Tension Control.” Sketching is my tension control but also a constant source of stress. I should have read a chapter. Perhaps it was a sign.

Jimmy John’s

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Whenever I need to grab a quick bite downtown, I get a sub at Jimmy John’s which is right across the street from City Arts Factory. This is seriously the fastest fast food imaginable and the subs have plenty of veggies like cucumbers. By the time the fountain drink is poured, the sandwich is ready. Between orders, the staff is busy cutting meats and veggies to keep the orders going quickly. All the slices are layered on sheets of wax paper so they can be added to a sandwich in one quick movement.

Outside bicycles are lined up for deliveries. I’m usually here after rush hour on my way to some art event. While doing this sketch, some guy must have assumed I was a manager because I was sketching. He asked where the bathrooms were and I pointed. After he was done, he lingered and mumbled to himself in annoyance. One of the staff told him he would have to order something or get out.

Mystery Sketch Theater

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Mystery Sketch Theater happens every first Wednesday of the month. I went on February 5th. The sketch session happens in an empty warehouse in Winter Park, (784 Cherry St, Winter Park, FL). Kiki Aran was the model for the evening, dressed in a purple gown with a huge golden collar-breast plate and belt.  For the February session, she was first dressed as Wonder Woman and then a female Ozymandias (comic version).

 Kiki is a college professor by day and a cosplay
crafting junkie by night. Best known for her Zero Suit Samus cosplay,
her interests include FPS and Survival horror games, cerebral anime, DC
Comics, and anything BBC. You can find her on FaceBook, or you might have seen her at Megacon 2014.

As always there was a competition and artists were given the challenge of sketching Kiki in a battle with corgis, that is right, those stumpy British pups. The winner walked away with Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, “My Neighbor Totoro” DVD. Since I already own the DVD I don’t feel too bad. I was nowhere near finished when it came time to put the drawings on the model stand. I needed every minute to finish what I had started. As usual my attention shifted to the creators rather than just the model.

It always feels good having the luxury of a model who stays still.  I need to get out to these sketch sessions more often. The next Mystery Sketch Theater Presents, Tokyo Belle on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00pm. The Warehouse is at 784 Cherry St, Winter Park, FL 32789.

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).