Amanda and Matt Simantov Wedding

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On January 19th Amanda and Matt Simantov were married at Congregation Ohev Shalom Synagogue (613 Concourse Parkway South, Maitland Florida). Terry and I had attended a dinner party as well, but that was on the day of rest, so I wasn’t permitted to sketch. All the men at the wedding were encouraged to wear yamakas which are small caps that just cover the bald spot on a man’s head. Each yamaka came with a hair pin to help hold it in place. I buzz cut my hair, so there wasn’t anything to attach the hair clip to. At the reception before the wedding, I walked around the room like there was a text book balanced on my head. I ordered a soda however and realized that I would have to tip my head back when I drank. A straw would have solved the problem, but I didn’t see any. Whenever I drank, my yamaka would flop off onto the floor.

Plan B. There was a sushi bar. I’ve always found sushi rice to be rather sticky. Rather than eat the sushi I picked up, I dissected it, removing the raw fish and sea weed.  I then took the rice and molded it into a Frisbee shaped disk which I then placed inside the yamaka. I pressed it onto my head and regained my head mobility. As the rice dried, it must have lost its stickiness because just as I entered the Synagogue and looked up at the immense sun lit vaulted ceiling, it popped off again. I sat rice less through the service and avoided tilting my head as I sketched.

Terry and I sat sandwiched between Mark Baratelli and Brian Feldman both of whom claimed that they first introduced the wedding couple. During the service, one of the brides maids must have locked her knees because she nearly fainted and had to be moved to a pew by the brides maids around her. The officiant must have missed all the activity because he didn’t miss a beat.

The reception was also in the Synagogue. The photographer was testing out huge flash umbrellas, one of which war right next to the table Terry and I sat at. The flashes were blinding and constant, so I got up and sat across the room on a couch until the green spots stopped dancing in my vision. Elizabeth Drake Forbes gave a moving speech in which she listed all the amazing events Amanda had attended or helped organize while she was here in Orlando. Amanda had just moved to Seattle to be with Matt and that is where they returned to after the wedding. Amanda hasn’t acclimated herself there yet, so Elizabeth’s speech caused her to cry since she has had to let dear friends go to strike out and create a new life across the continent.

For the first dance, Amanda lip synced to a song by Debbie Gibson titled “Lost in Your Eyes” as she danced with Matt. Couples and friends crowded into a photo booth for regal commemorative shots, and of course there was dancing. When Matt was raised up in a chair for the traditional couples dance, he began to slip forward because the four guys couldn’t support his weight evenly. Terry shouted that I needed to help so I squeezed in and lifted it back up just in time. I wonder what kind of bad luck would have haunted the couple had Matt fallen from the chair. All the guests were given sparklers and they created a tunnel leading to the car as the couple ran from the reception to start their new life as husband and wife.

33 Variations

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On February 25th I went to the Winter Garden Theatre ballroom ( 160 West Plant Street, Winter Garden, Florida) for a Designer Run of the show, 33 Variations, a play written by Moises Kaufman. Stage Manager Jay Ferrence was the first person I met when I entered the ballroom. He informed me that the purple tape marked the front of the stage. Actress Becky Eck entered soon afterwards and introduced herself. She had played Jane in “Alice Lost in Wonderland” and she did an amazing job grounding that production. A designer run is a full run through of the show that gives the set designer an idea of where characters will be blocked during the production. Producer Beth Marshall and director Aradhana Tiwari sat behind a folding table to watch the show. Pianist Julian Bond will be performing Beethoven‘s 33 Variations live on stage in the final production, but for now a recording was used and Julian watched to see how the performers would be moving on the set.

This was a dress rehearsal so some actors were in period outfits from Beethoven’s era and the rest of the cast was wearing modern clothing. Photographer Kristen Wheeler was shooting the show this night and she set up two lights to illuminate the actors. Beth warned her not to shoot the feet of some of the period costumed actors since they didn’t have the right shoes yet.  During the show, Kristen had total access to the stage and she moved around the actors catching every emotional moment while also switching on and off lights to get the shots. It was an impressive ballet that didn’t once phase the actors.

The plot examines the creative process of Beethoven’s obsessive variations build from a rather plane and uninspired composition by Diabelli (Brett P. Carson). At the same time, the play follows musicologist Katherine Brandt (played by Peg O’Keef) who yearns to understand Beethoven’s obsession. Brandt’s relationship with her daughter (Becky Eck) is strained as she succumbs to a disabling Sclerosis and at the same time Beethoven (Chris Gibson) goes deaf. I had watched a number of performers audition for the part of Beethoven and I must say Chris is compelling as the anger driven compulsive composer.

 The musicologist traveled to Vienna to inspect Beethoven’s original sketchbooks. By flipping through the pages she could see his every thought as he composed. She wondered if he might be mocking Diabelli’s composition with his variations or perhaps he just wanted to one-up Bach who had 32 variations. Beethoven’s loss of hearing may have actually helped him break new ground as he reinvented the very process of creation. Though cloaked in anger and bitterness, he found an amazing joy in the process even as the world grew silent. Minor composers like Diabelli could be satisfied and complacent with their insignificant contributions.

One moment in the rehearsal was absolute magic. I stopped sketching and was drawn in to the moment. Katherine Brandt disrobed as if in a doctors office. I imagined she was preparing for an MRI full body scan. She stood in a spotlight facing the audience with her arms out in a Christ like gesture. Beethoven stood behind her and they leaned back to back. His head leaned back on her shoulder and her head leaned back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and shuddered with quick breaths of ecstasy. I noticed Becky Eck off stage began to cry, and my eyes welled up as well. There is a certain magic that happens when actors are no longer reciting lines, but they are emotionally invested in every moment.

Mark Your Calendars! The show runs from March 14-30, 2014
Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm,
PLUS Monday, March 24 at 8pm- INDUSTRY NITE

 Tickets: $25 ($21 students/seniors) BethMarshallPresents.com or GardenTheatre.org

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday March 8, 2014

2pm to 4pm $5, Free to Mennello Museum members. Gallery Walk and Talk with Valerie Ann Leeds, curator of “Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Santa Fe Art Colony”. The Mennello Museum of American Art 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl. Join us for a walk and talk through the exhibit with Dr. Valerie Ann Leeds, a New York City-based independent curator, writer, editor and art historian with a specialization in Robert Henri and early 20th-century American art.

3pm to 8pm Free. Frankie’s BIG FUN Market. 659 Bryn Mawr, (College park), Orlando , Fl. Every second Saturday. The grand opening of the new Apartment E location! In the coming months we will be growing into an all out sidewalk party, and the event will in time include all businesses that are located up and down beautiful Edgewater drive. Participating businesses are encouraged to co partner with creatives, host the entertainment in their location, or present creative entertainment in any way that “fits” with their business. This is the main goal, to “match creatives with the businesses that are already there, but that it is not the only aspect of this MARKET. There is no charge for creatives (artists,writers, musicians, arts groups, etc) to participate, no commission or entry fees will be required to be paid to APARTMENT E or any other director or sponsors.

8pm to Midnight 21+ Pre Sale: $30/person At the door: $40/peron The Great Orlando Mixer. Orlando’s largest cocktail party will be in Orlando’s most elaborately decorated vintage venue, complete with 1920s costumes, hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment and craft cocktails from the city’s top bars and bartenders.Throw on your best Prohibition-era garb and come out to sample the tastiest craft cocktails! A LIMITED number of tickets are available for this exclusive event. It WILL sell out!

Visit www.TheGreatOrlandoMixer.com to purchase tickets today!



Sunday March 9, 2014

10am to 6pm Free to attend. Fashion Square Art Fair. Orlando Fashion Square 3201 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Fl. on the 2nd Sunday of every month Gallery Fresh Art Markets and Orlando Fashion Square Mall proudly present our “Fashion Square Art Fair.” This is an indoor event showcasing 30 to 60 artists and fine crafts persons located throughout Fashion Square Mall. Space for artists is limited, First Come First Served. ARTIST FAQ’s.

3pm to 5pm 5 cans of food. Spring into Music with the FSYO Annual Children Helping Children Concert. College Park Baptist Church, located at 1914 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL . The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, in partnership with The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, presents their annual Children Helping Children Concert on Sunday, March 9, 2014. FSYO’s pre-professional Symphonic Orchestra, with special soloists and Concerto Competition Finalists: Rebecca Edge and John Horzen, will perform in hopes of introducing young concertgoers to classical music while increasing awareness, raising funds and collecting donations for Second Harvest Food Bank. An ongoing partnership, all proceeds of this event will go to The Second Harvest Food Bank as they fight to end hunger and feed hope.

4pm to 6pm Free. Art and History Museum’s Art Car Party. 231 W. Packwood Ave. Maitland FL.

It’s time to see what the Orlando local muralist, Andrew Spear, has come up with! Join us as we unveil the finished exterior of the A&H Art Car. Did you collaborate the the inside? Come revisit your contribution! What else will be going on at this party?

Music by DJ Nigel , food from Creations Catering, drinks and a talk on creativity by Andrew Spear.

Wednesday Open Words

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Every Wednesday at Austin’s Coffee, (929 West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park FL) Curtis Meyer hosts an Open Mic called “Wednesday Open Words.” The evening starts at 8pm but I was in Winter Park and decided to go to Austin’s Coffee early to grab some diner. Students sat on the makeshift stage immersed in their laptops. The young woman seated across from me lounged on the couch intently reading a real paper bound book. I watched her expression as the read and at times she was visibly upset. Something horrible was going on in those pages. I imagined she might be reading “The Catcher in the Rye.” As I recall it had a red cover. When she got up to leave she noticed my sketch. I had to ask her what she was reading. It turned out that “The Hunger Games” was required reading for one of her classes.

Curtis arrived and gradually he cleared the stage and set up a microphone. The theme for the evening was Disney Animated Films. Having worked at Feature Animation, I had to be a bit of an expert on the decade of films I worked on. Curtis was very stoked about the film “Saving Mr. Banks” which stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. He insisted I go see it. To warm up the crowd, Curtis had everyone repeat, “Pink pajamas, penguins on the bottom.” It is a tongue twister which is rather fun to repeat again and again in succession. There were trivia questions between readers and I managed to guess the name of the dog in Disney Pixar’s “Up.” The dogs name was Dug. I won an odd green feathery pin with a yellow skull from “The Princess and the Frog.” It is now partially stained with black ink from one of my pens.

One particularly fun poem used all of the Disney made up words. It turns out that besides Supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus, there are many others that are just as strange. Curtis wanted to find one word that defines each Disney film plot. For instance Rapunzel, the word is Tangled. For Snow Queen the word is Frozen. For Little Mermaid the word might be pants. For Beauty and the Beast the word would be Stockholmed. This might make a good drinking game to whittle each film down to one word. One line from someones poem stuck with me, “The beauty of the world makes demands on us.

Curtis was great about being sure the audience respected how brave all the speakers were. Public speaking is a universal fear. Snapping fingers were encouraged when the poems were profound. Seda Gay spoke about four grown women who returned to the Disney theme parks together. Two of those women were now divorced but they all stepped back to their childhood relationships discovering where they left off. One poet was accompanied by a guitar player. He said most of his creative ideas were formed by the age of 11. He imagined flying being an everyday occurrence to get through our heavy Earth bound days. He was of course speaking as Peter Pan. Curtis chimed in, “All you got to do is believe.”

Powwow

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After sketching the tipis, I walked towards the sound of tribal drumming. Leather hides were stretched tight  creating two drums. Groups of men in bright tribal outfits sat around the drums striking down in unison under a large wooden shed structure. About fifty yards of a grassy field was encircled by spectators. Within the circle, people danced. Indian costumes in every color moved to the beat. This powwow was a gold mine of sketch opportunities. One gentleman with a full head dress asked if I did portraits. I assured him I could do a portrait but needed to finish the sketch I had started. He asked me to return the next weekend but the trip to Auberndale from Orlando is far too long.

A microphone was set up for announcements and I heard that cars parked at the far end of the marketplace might get towed. Darn it, that is where I parked. I rushed to finish the sketch. It seems there is always some conspiracy that keeps me from sketching in peace. The dancing in the inner circle stopped and a bird of prey show was about to be staged as I finished up.  The handler warned the crowd. “If you have a small dog, please be sure it doesn’t bark. This falcon had a traumatic incident in it’s past involving a small dog and if your dog barks, she will attack it.” I noticed an overweight woman clutching her Chiwawa tightly to her chest. I almost stayed to see if the falcon would carry off a pup.

All the booths in the market place were now empty as I walked my way back to my car. Only a few vendors were still in the market covering up their goods. I discovered more open rural side roads on my trip back to Orlando. I like taking small roads even if I don’t know where they go, just to enjoy the old Florida scenery. Its good to become lost sometimes.

Spirit of the Buffalo

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On Saturday January 11th I drove west to International Market World, 1052 U.S. 92, Auburndale, FL., to attend the “Spirit of the Buffalo.” It was a long drive through rural Central Florida to find the Market which must be open every weekend. I knew I had arrived when I spotted these tipis from the road. Right before entering the parking lot, I saw a car get rear ended at full speed. The clueless driver must have been texting. I parked in a muddy field and walked through the market towards the Powwow. The market was immense with fruit stalls, antiques and food trucks.

The Spirit of the Buffalo was located in a field next to the market. Admission was $5 for the day. A large circus tent was set up for larger performances. Open pit ovens were set up to cook maze and other foods. I made my way towards the tipis I had seen from the road.  The word tipi comes from the Lakota language and means “a dwelling”. I found the only available shade under a large Live Oak and started sketching. There were large electrical poles next to the tipis which I left out after one of the vendors complained about how he wished they weren’t there. He was right. The sketch looks much better with the poles erased. The same vendor complained about the brown tipi to the right. It was made by a pale skinned hobbyist with no regard to the actual materials used, a “weekend warrior” is how he referred to him.

That hobbyist was ‘Tipi Tom’ who also stopped over to see my sketch. He has been making tipis since he was a kid and he loves attending these powwows. His dog, a basset hound named Scooby barked to greet anyone who got close to the encampment. Tom is now a grandfather to eight month old Joseph who he hopes will inherit his love of Indian traditions. A sign on one of the tipi’s indicated that the Lakota tribe once lived in these structures.

Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody

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Spank! is playing at the Abbey through March 23rd. On February 20th, Terry and I went to a performance. The place was packed with voracious women dressed in leopard print and zebra stripes. The cougars were on the prowl. Two muscle bound men, their pecks gleaming, stood at the door, welcoming all that entered. I suspect most of the 3 or four men in the audience were gay, waiting in anticipation for some bondage and fun. I hadn’t read ‘Fifty shades of Gray’, but I knew about, as did Terry. Any straight single guys out there, why aren’t you going to see this show? It was a riot, and who wouldn’t want to be in a room full of women screaming for more sexual innuendo?

On the night Terry and I went, the role of Tasha was played by the swing, Sarah Hester Ross. She did a great job playing the young innocent who is swept up by Hugh, (Robert Stack‘s) sexual advances. Andrea Canny played EBJ the sex starved middle aged author who creates the hot scenes as they are performed using her laptop and some imagination. She was great at keeping the audience participation going. As one woman shouted out from the back row, Andrea shouted back “Yes darling, have another drink!”

As EBJ described Hugh’s dark brooding character, he stood in the spotlight with a black cape, his back to the audience. He turned around semi dressed as batman. He wore black underwear with the Bat logo spot lit on his crotch. His bare shaved chest took the audience by surprise, they went wild. Hugh often strutted in slow motion with a sexy James Bond demeanor. The light always chiseled out his muscles. I don’t know many straight guys that look that good, I need to work out. While Tasha just wanted to talk and learn all she could about Hugh, he just wanted what any man wants, plenty of hot steamy action. EBG wrote a scene in which the two couldn’t have sex, by placing them in hang gliders. Hugh was up to the challenge, swooping in behind Tasha and mounting her glider from behind while she delivered a monologue. It was hilarious. I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t catch my breath at times. I heard Terry laughing just as hard.

Tasha walked into the audience looking for a straight guy to interact with. I tucked my head down into the sketch hoping not to be picked. She found a another straight couple and asked the guy some advice about how big an object might fit into her orifice. He raised his arms and spread them wide. “Oh my, she shouted back. that is the size of snow skis. We are going to need some lube!” Though the play is organized into definite scenes, there is plenty of audience interaction like this keeping things lively. Although there is plenty of leather and lace, the sexual acts are pretty tame and obviously staged, but that makes them all the funnier. Tasha finds Hugh’s tooth brush and when he catshes her with it, he demonstrates how to use it to hilarious cheek stretching effect.

This is definitely the funniest show I have seen in a while. You single guys have to wake up and smell the roses. This is the most uninhibited and fun romp in town right now. Don’t miss out. Mark your calenders men. The ladies are already attracted to this show like moths to the flame.

Mennello Gala

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The annual Mennello Museum Gala on February 22nd was referred to as, “An Evening With Fabulous Friends.” In exchange for illustrations supplied for the Museum’s 25th Anniversary, Terry negotiated tickets to the Gala held at the brand new Alfond Inn, (300 E New England Ave. at Rollins College, Winter Park FL.) Each year, The Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art host an elegant gala to raise funds for the museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. This, the Eleventh Annual Gala celebrated The Mennello Museum of American Art, located in Orlando Loch Haven Park, which is owned and operated by the City of Orlando. The Gala also celebrates the passion of its founders, Michael A. and Marilyn L. Mennello. Marilyn passed away years ago and a statue of her is in the museum.

I was working from 9am to 5pm at Full Sail on the Saturday of the gala. Terry agreed to bring my suit and tie to the inn. I met her up front as her Porsche was being valet parked. I felt a little awkward being in jeans surrounded by tuxedos and women in ball gowns. Terry was in a gold sequin dress and blended right in. I rushed off to find a men’s room to change in. There was no large bathroom stall so it was like getting dressed in a very tight closet.

The silent auction items were in a small rotunda with a green house glass domed ceiling. Everyone crowded into this tight space with a craps table taking up a huge chunk of real estate in the center of the room. I spent most of my time trying to keep people from tripping on my art supply bag. Terry flourishes in this type of crowd and she squeezed her way around the room handing out fliers for my retrospective show next month. For a brief moment we stepped outside where it was cool and airy but we immediately went back into the chaotic crowd. I bumped into Michael Mennello and shook his hand. I’m not sure if he remembered me from the day I sketched him in his home.

When they opened the dining room, Terry and I found our way to table 26 which was the Enzian Theater table. Sigrid Tiedtke was warm and inviting, giving us both a hug. I was very flattered that she knew of my work. She looked much like her daughter Elizabeth who I often see at the Enzian. Philip Tiedtke sat next to Terry. The Tiedtke family established the Enzian Theater back in 1985 and it is Orlando’s top art house movie theater. The annual Florida Film Festival is now one of the top ranked film festivals in the country. Another couple at the table turned out to be musicians and I hope to sketch them performing some time soon. Frank Holt, the Executive Director of the Mennello Museum also ended up sitting at our table. Although table 26 was far from the podium, we were surrounded by talented heavy hitters in the arts community.

My tie wanted to keep flopping down onto the wet sketch. I dropped my pencil several times. The room was constantly buzzing with activity as the staff rushed to serve food. I picked at my plate of food as I worked, but I spent more time sketching than eating. The live auction had a fast talking auctioneer. The largest item was a trip to Colorado and most of the other items were group restaurant outings. Before I knew it, the Gala was over. Such events seem so rushed when you try to capture them with a sketch.

Chasing Jonah

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On January 10th, Terry and I went to “The Dapper Date: Celebrating the Art of Fashion” at the Maitland Art Center, 231 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland Fl. Other People’s Property, which specializes in vintage clothing, showcased fashions from each decade, and clothing was on display and
for sale. One hundred percent of the proceeds were donated to the
Art and History Center. Terry was looking forward to seeing models sporting the various vintage outfits. We got there pretty early and immediately did see some slender models sporting their makeup cases.

“Culture Pop!” is a monthly, one-night-only pop-up exhibition of Central
Florida artists and artisans. Guests took part in interactive art
happenings, listened to “flash fiction” and literary readings
performed by Maitland Poets and Writers, and relaxed in the museums’
Mayan Lounge with music, mingling, beer and wine. Someone had a barn own that he was showing to guests. A native owl swooped down out of the nigh sky, curious to see the owl perched on then guys arm.

Cuban born artist Jake Fernandez gave a quick talk about his work on exhibition, “Constructed Landscapes”. He works with a wide range of media including, collage, drawing and
painting. His work moves between
realism and abstraction with mechanical precision as he documents the
beauty and mystery of the landscape. This show is on display through February 28th. He used thousands of photos and cuts them apart and reassembled them like an intricate mosaic in his final pieces. The final art resembled aerial photos of vast landscapes. Larger pieces are built using a grid which remains visible. Terry was curious about the shadow box frames he uses for his work. Apparently this is the way most museums frame and store work. Jake will be in isolation in one of the at the Maitland Art Center studios for the month of March. The windows will be blocked up so that he gets no sense of night and day.  web cam will be set up so people can see how this isolation affects his art. I sketched Robert Ross in this studio and can vouch fort the face that the room has now windows except a tiny window in the bathroom.

Though I spotted a few models in the hallways, I never noticed them doing anything resembling a runway show.  Chasing Jonah performed in the Mayan courtyard. The bass player, Brandon Miller, recognized me because I had sketched him performing onstage for the play, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  Ashley Dudukovich, had a strong earthy singing voice as she performed mostly original songs. One person from the audience asked for them to do a cover, but they kept sharing original tunes. Sketching became easy as I lost myself in the music. I was seated right in front of the spotlight that illuminated the performers. Mayan base reliefs glowed in the stage lights as the night sky became a deep dark purple.  Ashley was curious about my sketch between sets. She let me know that an animation exists that was done for one of her songs. Chasing Jonah is now recording their first album so it is an exciting time for the group.


Terry joined me listening to the music but lost patience and left. As I sketched, she explored the artists studios. I texted her when the sketch was done and she texted back that she was posing nude for a sculptor. I feared that my sketch had taken to long to finish. I started searching the studios to see what she was actually up to. I asked a couple of friends to keep their eyes open just in case they saw Terry nude somewhere on property. The search posy expanded. I eventually found her in Dawn Rosendahl‘s studio and she was fully dressed. Disaster averted.