Peace River Seafood

Posted on by Thor

Terry, Pat and myself went to Peace River Seafood, 5337 Duncan Road, Punta Gorda, FL, on the day after Thanksgiving. This small roadside crab shack is a real gem. Outside live crabs were being sold almost off the boat. Inside signed dollar bills littered the walls woven into fishing nets. It was a cold day and we had a tough time finding a table without a draft. I had to move away from the door since a cold wind was blowing off the river. I ordered a fish sandwich and Pat ordered something light.

Terry however couldn’t resist getting a big plate of crabs. The waitress demonstrated a technique of breaking the shells using a carefully placed knife and hammer blow.  The incision had surgical accuracy. Terry however enjoyed simply bashing the shell with the hammer. Every morsel had to be wrestled from it’s shell. Terry is a slow eater anyway but this process slowed her down enough so that I had time to finish my sandwich and do a sketch. If we return, I will definitely get the crabs because Terry absolutely loved hers. In the end she couldn’t even finish what was on her plate. The carnage was everywhere, but she was satiated.

We also visited several antiques stores this day. The strangest thing we saw was a half sized animatronic Santa that sang and wiggled his hips. The Santa creeped Terry out. None of us found anything worth buying. I was on the lookout for vintage fountain pens but didn’t see one.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday January 25, 2014

9am to 5pm Free.  Saturday and Sunday. Free. Steam Punk Industrial Show. Renninger’s Market in Mount Dora FL. Live Musical Performance by The Cog Is Dead. Visit the Time Machine from Rod Raylor’s Movie, “The Time Machine” and the “Daimler Airship”. Food, Fun, and Music!

10am to 11:30pm $10 cover after 8pm. Acme’s Indie Creator Con and New Talent Showcase. Acme Superstore 905 E. SR 434, Longwood, Fl. From 10am-8pm comic creators, independent publishers, indie filmmakers, and artists will be set up in Acme’s Danger Room with booths to sell their work or showcase their projects. The gallery walls will be hung with artists’ original creations featuring their own characters or unique works. We’ll also have indie film-screenings, workshops and family friendly activities throughout the day. All ages welcome and FREE to attend! Then, from 8pm-12am, 18+ can join us for our Acme After Hours: New Talent Showcase. Singing, dancing, live bands, comedians, freak show acts… If you’ve got a talent, BRING IT ON!!! Prizes awarded to audience favorites! Free beer & sangria for 21+ w/ID. Free sodas and water also included with cover. (Registered talent get in free.)

 6:30pm to 11pm General Admission: $95 per person. VIP admission: $300 per couple
(includes unlimited beer/wine, and name recognition).  PARTY AT THE PLAZA! a benefit for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra & The Plaza Live. Dress code is
informal/casual; no tie required. Join other Orlando music lovers for 5 stages of live music, silent auction, food and drink, dancing and more at this benefit for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra & The Plaza Live! https://orlandophil.org/events/party-at-the-plaza-2/

7pm to 11pm Admission is $10. Andy Matchett and the Minks Last Show, with Random Encounter Public. Cardboard Art Festival.The Orange Studio 1121 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Fl. One last Andy Matchett & The Minks show. This will get you access to the Cardboard Art Fest Gallery ( large modern warehouse space in the Mills/50 District will be filled with cardboard art hanging from the ceiling, stuck to the walls and sprouting up from the ground) and performances by Random Encounter and AM/TM. We’ll be playing The Apple Tree Circle, by Andy Matchett and The Minks in its entirety and pulling out all the stops. If you’ve seen one of our shows before, you know what that means…

Sunday January 26, 2014

 10am to Noon. Free. Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever! Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love. 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/

6pm to 9pm $40.  Confectionfest. The Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803. Enter in the rear. Come sample the best of Orlando’s dessert culture at Cardboard Art Festival! The entrance fee will give attendees an all-you-can eat pass to Sweetstown: population you. Then kick back and watch a movie with us on our Green Lawn of Awesomeness.

Carrie and Doug Gesiorski Reception

Posted on by Thor

The reception was in a large clear tent behind Casa Feliz, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL. Heat trickled out of the Casa into the tent but it couldn’t keep up with the cold. The wedding planner suggested I stand at a table behind the wedding couple, but that made no sense to me to sketch them from behind, instead I sat on a low brick wall that looked across the space towards the wedding couple. The loose flaps of the tent billowed open in the cold breeze. The brick wall was cold, so I asked a server if they could just get me one of the chair seat cushions. That did help keep my butt warm.  

Carrie and Doug Gesiorski sat in large ornate wooden chairs. Carrie had a warm cream colored shawl to warm up her shoulders. The Cook Trio performed during the reception. They were in a large archway behind the wedding couple. There was no tent to block the cold wind from hitting the band. They were troopers and did an amazing set.

Couples who had never met before sat across from each other. Many couples were from Washington D.C. so I overheard some tips on great restaurants in D.C. The place was opulent.  The animated conversations slowly grew louder. There were full place settings with ivory and gold chargers, champagne linens on the tables with nugget crushed organza runners. Ivory draping and a chandelier illuminated the setting. Rose bouquets stood on tall wrought iron stands on each table.

At one point, guests at a table started a football stadium styled wave. The guests stood and raised their arms in the air while whooping. Not every table was on board, by by the third try, the wave had swept around the whole tent. I’m guessing it was a good way to warm up.After dinner everyone quickly went back inside to warm up. I heard the cake cutting going on inside as I finished this sketch. When I was done, I got a plate of ravioli. As I ate, Carrie and Doug came over to say hello and see my sketches. Carrie was digging out some wedding cake from between her cleavage. They had planned to serve each other wedding cake with quiet dignified reserve, but as Doug raised the fork to Carrie’s mouth, the cake slipped off the fork and down the v-neck her dress. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, but it doesn’t matter as long as you are still having fun. I left feeling truly honored to have documented this pivotal moment in the young couples life.

The Carrie Eshman / Doug Gesiorski Wedding

Posted on by Thor

Carrie Eshman, a journalist from Washington D.C. asked me to document her wedding on Saturday, January 18th at Casa Feliz, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL. This is the second time I have been hired to sketch a wedding. It makes perfect sense since I document events every day and a wedding is fairly stationary. I discovered that the actual ceremony would only be half an hour which is too quick for a sketch. I went to Casa Feliz an hour early to sketch in the building and empty chairs. It was late in the afternoon and the golden light of the sun was just clipping the tops of the trees as it set. As guests arrived, I placed then in the sketch. No one ever sat in the front row, so I erased it.

Luis Alfredo Garcia was playing guitar as guests arrived. I have sketched Luis performing once before at the Casselberry House. His soothing music helped me relax into the sketch. Carrie greeted me in her wedding dress before people arrived. She was so much younger than I expected. Doug Gesiorski was just as young, excited to get the wedding started. Tony White was the officiant filling out his long dark robe. He smiled broadly to Doug setting the tone of the ceremony. It was a picture perfect story book wedding with the Spanish style tower looming behind the wedding party.

What was unexpected was how cold it was. For a while I used my Dickens styled glove with three finger tips cut off. The glove made my hand too bulky however, so I took it off and just blew hot air into my fist periodically.  Carrie and her brides maids must have been freezing. At least the groom and groomsmen had suits. Before I knew it, the wedding vows were over. People moved inside the Casa quickly to soak in the heat and get cocktails. I was only half finished with the sketch so I stayed until it was done. The sun set, and the temperature plummeted. I pulled out my book light, but it wouldn’t turn on. I finished the sketch in the darkness only seeing bold values. My cold fingers spilled the water in the grass. Fearing I would shiver and ruin the sketch I had, I finally went inside. I sat at a table in a courtyard away from the crowd and looked at what I had. A space heater near the table kept me warm as I added a few more color washes to finish up.

Ringling Protests

Posted on by Thor

On Thursday January 9th, I went to the Amway Center to sketch protestors demonstrating against animal abuse at Ringling Brother’s and Barnam Bailey Circus. It rained the whole trip downtown, but my phone radar application showed that the storm system would be passing over leaving a clearing for the duration of a sketch. Protestors gathered under the I-4 overpass at Church Street and South Hughey Avenue. Barricades were set up, but I was told that they were for scalpers who had to remain behind them.

About 30 protesters lined up in front of the barricades and on either side of the street.  A protestor on a bull horn told people taking their children to the circus that they needed to pay attention to see if the animals in the show did the tricks willingly or to see if they were being poked and prodded by the handlers. On a humorous note, he said that the elephants don’t show up on the evening of the performance in a taxi excited to perform. They have to perform or they will be beaten and jabbed.

One sign showed a bull hook which is used to injure elephants in the show. Video on a Ringling Cruelty site show elephants being beaten right before going in front of an audience. Handlers try to keep the bull hooks from the audiences view, but as the guy on the bull horn said, “They might feel they are pulling one over on you, but we feel you are smarter than that.” Hurricane Maria was handing out information fliers. She did the task with a Disney smile and a warm greeting. Some parents however get upset and argue that they will spend their money how they please. As the guy on the bull horn announced, “The elephants are poked and prodded to perform!” A women who over heard him said, “That sounds like how my husband treats me!”

Kelly Medford, a plein air painter from Rome stopped out to sketch the protest as well. She couldn’t find parking and showed up just as I was finishing up my sketch. She was set with an easel and canvas but the protest was almost over. The Ringling show started at 7:30pm and then the protestors packed up. A faint mist settled in as I was putting the final washed on my sketch. I didn’t even notice until my hand smudged the paint. I quickly put the sketchbook away but the damage was done. The sketch glistened and when I closed the book paint smeared everywhere creating a Rorshach pattern. I groaned. I’d have to fix it back at the studio where it was dry. Kelly and I took cover under an awning and chatted for a while. She stayed behind to finish her sketch and I walked back to my car where I touched up the sketch a bit.

The Grove

Posted on by Thor

The lot on the corner of Conroy Windermere Road and Apopka Vineland Road is referred to as “The Grove“. Of course it once was a grove of trees and natural landscaping, until all the trees were cut down and everything living was removed. Weeds have reclaimed much of the barren sandy dirt. A Pannera’s has popped up so that residents can get a sandwich at this spot or at the Panerra’s a quarter mile down the road. Dentists offices and a fitness center are the newest additions.

The strip mall continues to expand with this newest aluminum shell of construction. The parking lot also continues to expand. A single stop sign marks the entrance to the barren lot. Mall construction in Orlando always seems like it is intended for a theme park. I’m sure this shell will be polished off to look like a Mediterranean plaza. Of course real Mediterranean villages use ancient stone and granite and have stood for hundreds of years. Here, a little speckled spray paint will have to do to create the false appearance of stone.

Of course Terry and I get our groceries at the Publix Supermarket that has been in this strip mall for decades. It’s red tile roof is faintly visible in the distance in my sketch. Yet I’ve never gone to any of the other shops that crop up around it. That is probably because I’m always going downtown to report on events there. Though we live in the ever expanding suburbs, my heart is in the city.

Otronicon VIP Party

Posted on by Thor

On Thursday January 16th I went to sketch the Otronicon VIP Party at the Orlando Science Center, 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL. The VIP Party gave Mayor Buddy Dyer and other politicians a platform to proclaim Orlando the center of the high tech digital universe.

Most intriguing was Sarah Anderson who in 2003 lost the use of her legs in a car accident. She was sporting an EKSO Bionics suit that used a computer and digitally balanced braces that helped her stand and walk. I had sketched Sarah Anderson one other time at a fundraiser. Oddly, her story that evening was that she lost the use of her legs in a skiing accident.  Perhaps the executives or PR department felt that an auto accident is something more people could identify with and therefor would sell more bionic suits.

The military was out in force demonstrating flight and battle simulators. The mayor delighted in telling a story about how he blew a six inch hole into a friends chest. Students demonstrated a robot they had built for a robotics competition. One student had a Frisbee, so I suspect that in competition the robot would have to throw the Frisbee. This big orange boxy robot however wasn’t yet up to the challenge. Jen Vargas and Josh Murdock, both sporting Google glass headsets stopped to say hi. They are both going to be on a panel discussion about technology. Jen will be screening a film that won the Orlando 48 hour film festival. Teams of filmmakers were given only 48 hours to write, direct, shoot and edit their films. Seth Kubersky was at the event reporting for the Orlando Weekly.

Otronicon, running every day through January 20th, is a celebration of interactive technology’s role in how we
live, learn, work and play. The event features larger-than-life video
game experiences, state-of-the-art medical and military simulators,
workshops taught by industry pros, and so much more! The event has the
opportunity to inspire a child’s interest in science and tech careers
through the appeal of video games, interactive technology and virtual
reality.

Admission
to Otronicon is $19 for adults and $13 for youth (ages 3-11). Tickets
also include access to the new traveling exhibit “Zoom Into Nano,” giant
screen and 3-D educational films, one Hollywood feature-length film,
and live programming. Science Center members can experience Otronicon
for free. It is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, January 19 and Monday, January 20.

For more information, please call 407-514-2000 or visit www.otronicon.org.

A Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving

Posted on by Thor

For Thanksgiving, Terry and I drove to Port Charlotte to visit my sister Pat Boehme. Pat has been on a diet and ultimately lost an incredible amount of weight. I had to take a health assessment for my insurance company and the results came back with big red X’s for each result right before the holidays. My body mass index showed that I am overweight. I need to reduce my waist circumference by two inches. My blood pressure showed that I am prehypertensive which puts me at risk for a heart attack or a stroke. Oddly my total cholesterol is too low, indicating I am malnourished or anemic. Put simply I am a  train wreck waiting to happen.

I asked my sister for advice on how I should change my diet and she gave me tons of pointers. She had a medical condition that actually kept her from exercising, so all the weight she lost was from carefully watching her calorie intake. The rules are pretty simple, less sugar and no breads with tons of vegetables.  Right now however the house is full of leftover food from a New Year’s Day party. That means we have tons of beers, sodas, potato chips, pastries and other assorted junk food. Dieting will have to wait until the fridge is purged.

Rather than cook a large Thanksgiving dinner, we all decided to go out to Cracker Barrel on Thanksgiving day. It is amazing how many people had the same ides. The parking lot was jammed and there was a long wait to get a table. The long front porch of the restaurant is lined with rocking chairs and most were full. Towards the end of the porch, we sat across from these teens sitting in baby sized rocking chairs playing a game of checkers. When we ultimately got to our table, Terry and I took turns playing with a game that was like checkers using golf tees inserted into holes drilled into a triangle shaped piece of wood. With only one tee missing the goal was to try and eliminate all but one tee by jumping over other tees thus eliminating them. I’m convinced the game is impossible to win. Terry and I always had three or more tees left over.

The Thanksgiving dinner had all the fixings and was quite delicious. I had to admire the efficiency with which all the comfort food was served. Pat ordered a light fish dish, keeping to her diet.  I wish I had the ability to turn away from the trimmings. No more stuffing!

Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday January 18, 2014

8am to 3pm  Free. Antique Telephone Show and Sale. Maitland Civic Center Inc,

641 Maitland Avenue South, Maitland, FL.

1pm to 3pm Free. Central Florida Community Arts School of Performing Arts Open House! 250 SW Ivanhoe Blvd Orlando, FL 32804 (on the campus of Central Christian Church) Ample parking is available in the rear parking lot. Whether you are interested in private lessons, group classes, or just would like to tour the School and enjoy some live music, you are invited to join them for this

exciting event! The faculty and staff of the School of Performing Arts will be providing live music throughout the afternoon in the school’s beautiful courtyard! You are invited to get a cup of coffee, sit back and relax as you enjoy beautiful vocal and instrumental performances.

7pm to 10pm Free. Snap! Space Opening Exhibit ‘Vintage Noveau’. Snap! Orlando Cameo Theater 1013 E. Colonial Drive Orlando FL. Snap! Space’s opening exhibit and installation will celebrate the revival of the historic Cameo Theater with the work of 12 international photographers, along with sculpture, design, jewelry and fashion artists. The exhibit will showcase large scale works from iconic master photographers who documented Hollywood history, and music, as well as introduce rising stars in fashion photography. Snap! Space is the new permanent 5,000 sq. ft. indoor/outdoor gallery home of Snap! Orlando. Guest artists and gallerists, sponsored drinks, catering, gift shop and DJs (Atnarko Bear and Nigel John.)



Sunday January 19, 2014

2pm to 8pm 21+ $10 door (cash only) Snap! Space and Infiltr8:Celbr8 Present ‘FOOL’S PARADISE: a daytime affair.’ Cameo Theater 1013 E. Colonial Drive,  Orlando FL. DJ’s • THREE • Atnarko • Queens Of Noise • Rob Slac • Mathew Scot. ART • Terry O’Neill, England • Gered Mankowitz, England • Billy & Hells, Germany • Tina Luther, Germany • Axel Crieger, Germany • Szymon Brodziak, Poland • Zhang Jingna, China • Patricia Steur, Utrecht, Netherlands • and local artists: Rebecca Rose, Wearable art jewelry • Chris Scala, Visual art and sculptures • Blair Sligar, soulful furniture (Hog Eat Hog), Orlando • Wesley Geometry, geometric paper art • Daniel Wilson, Organic dye sublimation transfer art • Midtown Architecture Studio (MAS), light installation. FOOD/DRINK VENDORS • Juice Bar • Femme Du Fromage • Uncommon Accoutrement’s • Fantastic Hummus.

5pm to 9pm Free to attend but buy some food! Orlando Food Truck Bazaar. Fashion Square Mall 3201 East Colonial Drive Orlando FL. http://www.thedailycity.com/2011/05/thedailycitycom-food-truck-bazaar.html

9pm to 11pm Free. “Comedy Open Mic” Austin’s Coffee 929 W Fairbanks Ave Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Sweeney Todd at The Venue

Posted on by Thor

The second you enter The Venue, 511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, Fl, you are right on top of the action in Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Insane asylum patients moan, twitch and shout out all around you. In this intimate setting the action explodes out towards the audience. Derek Critzer who directed and produced the show also did an amazing job at designing the multi-level set which made maximum use of the cramped stage area. Simple asylum fabrics hid the structure while a staircase gave access to the upper levels at house right. As I approached the theater, the large garage style side door was open and I saw a tall stack of mattresses which is where the slit throated victims from the barber’s chair could collapse. The lighting for the show by Tabor Wiwstead, was simple direct and elegant. Red symbolized the sinister and horrific moments, while cool blue lighting surrounded the lovely Johanna Barker , played by Monica Titus, and the fleeting glimpses of Todd’s once happy past.

Stephan Jones played Sweeney Todd with a dark ruddy maliciousness. The depth of his anger and hatred could be felt in every scene. He performed the role so expertly that he made Johnny Depp seem like an inexperienced fop in the film adaptation. Ginger Minj, Joshua Eads-Brown, as Nellie Lovett added the needed brevity and humor to the show. When she had to peal off her misbehaving eyelashes, a moment likely not rehearsed, it was a golden moment the audience loved. As she swung her rolling pin violently, I could see the sweat on her brow, then trickling down her chest settling in her cleavage. These actors were working hard yet having fun belting out these tunes. Granted there was no room for an orchestra, so recordings had to work instead. Sweeney Todd is a sweeping epic story and yet the small venue actually intensified the confrontational quality of the show. At times, over 20 actors navigated their way on the tight stage. I could see Derek the director watching intently as he leaned over from the upstairs tech booth.

The entire first act was spent waiting for Todd to slit Judge Turpin’s throat. The judge played by Brett Carson could barely fit in the barber’s chair. Though his actions were malicious and self serving, he had a kind demeanor and left the dirty work to others. This is such an ambitious production by Clandestine ARTS yet the cast did an amazing job keeping up with Stephen Sondheim‘s fast and furious lyrics. I was bowled over by what was accomplished in the small Venue. The shows are selling out. I sketched by standing in the back of the theater. The show had all the savory flavor and taste of a perfectly prepared meat pie.

The remaining performances are…

Tonight, Thursday 1/16-7:00 PM
Friday 1/17-8:00 PM
Saturday 1/18- 8:00 PM
Sunday 1/19- 3:00 PM

Tickets are $20.00 and are General Admission. Tickets may be purchased at www.clandestine-arts.com Limited seating is available so be sure to get them early. Tickets may be available at the door based on availability.