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.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday March 1, 2014

2pm to 6pm Free. Artist Colony Day. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. 2-6pm Open Studios and hands on activities

2-6 MAC Wrap: help wrap the Maitland Art Center.

6 Founders tour Peter Banca.

2pm to 5pm $20.00 per Workshop. $35 for 2, $40 for all three! Dr. DJO BI teaches drumming and dancing at the Jammin! School. The Aikido Orlando Dojo 3764 Howell Branch Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Dr. Djo Bi has a unique talent and understanding of the rhythms and sounds of his culture. His parents were musicians, and he had a drum in his hands since he was a toddler. Around age 5, he was performing in church; and by the time he was a young teenager, he was invited to begin a professional career as a musician/artist among seasoned adult musicians and dancers. Having lived in Paris, France, for a dozen years, he was able to involve himself with a wide variety of musical experiences. He was even involved with the African Museum in Brussels, Belgium, as part of a research group with Curator Anne Marie Bouttiaux returning with him to his village to learn about mask dance culture. He is the preeminent Zaouly Mask Drummer in the United States.

7pm to 9pm $15. What’s Your Story? East End Market 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando, Florida 32803. The Orlando Story Club (www.orlandostoryclub.com) is an organization formed to arrange storytelling events in various forms for the enjoyment of the Central Florida community. For their inaugural event they have joined forces with Jennifer Marvel and the Audubon Park Garden District (www.apgardens.com). The event will start at 7pm and will run for approximately 2 hours.

Anyone who wishes to be a storyteller will be invited to put their name in a hat starting at 7pm when the doors open. At 7:25p a local comedian/host will get the festivities started. He will select 10 storyteller names from a hat. He will also nominate 3 judges at random from the audience giving them each a set of scorecards. The first storyteller will start at 7:30p.

The stories are limited to 5 minutes. They must be told without notes and connect to the theme of the evening (Wild Adventures). The theme for this first event will be Wild Adventures. At the end of each story the 3 sets of judges vote and the total score is recorded on a scoreboard at the front of the room. Between each story our comedian will help bridge the gaps as the next storyteller gets ready and the judges tally their scores.

After 5 stories there will be a 15-minute intermission (for more drinks to be ordered). This is followed by the remaining 5 stories. At the end of the night the scores are added up and a prize is awarded to the best storyteller of the evening.

Sunday March 2, 2014

 10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Every Sunday. The South East corner of Lake Eola park.

11am to 4pm Free. Art and History Center Art Car Day. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. Help Andrew Spear create the Art car.

11am to 6pm Free. DeLand Indie Market Spring Edition. Deland Indie Market at Artisan Alley Artisan Alley, DeLand, Florida 32720. The DeLand Indie Market is a curated event that is held 4 times a year showcasing Artists, Boutiques, Vintage and Handmade Vendors.

The Life and Memory of Dorian Gray

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On January 8th there was an art exhibit opening titled, “Our Dandy Cat: The Life and Memory of Dorian Gray” at Dandelion Communitea Cafe, 618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, Fl.  Dorian Grey, was a much beloved gray cat that lived on the Dandelion grounds. Dorian mysteriously died in mid December. The employees and community who loved him honored Dorian through art. The art work will remained up for the Month of January.

I arrived and ordered a banana salad wrap and the house tea. There is a huge selection of teas and I’m always daunted by the choices. Paintings and sketches of Dorian lined the walls. Hurricane Maria stopped in and joined me for a while. She had done the charming sketch of Dorian right above my head. She also did a large 18 by 24 inch framed caricature sketch of the entire Dandelion staff. Dorian made a cameo appearance in that sketch as well. She said it was a nerve wracking task to get each caricature to look like the individuals while having appeal. Push a caricature to far and someone could be insulted, yet the exaggeration is where the fun is.

Maria explained that Dorian might have died by licking a puddle of anti freeze below a car. Cats are renowned for tasting anything they come upon. A researcher mounted cameras on a number of domestic cats to see what they do when they wander through a neighborhood. Cat owners were astounded at how many life threatening incidents a cat will go through every day. Owners were also shocked at how often the cats were killers. A cat will return home with only a fraction of the prey that they hunt.

Leigh Tarentino

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Leigh Tarentino is now the Artist in Residence at the Maitland Art Center. On January 7th she gave a talk about her work at the Cottage on Lake Lilly in Maitland. Leigh was the resident artist between December 30th of 2013 and January 17th of 2014. She came to Orlando from her home state of  Rhode Island.

Tarentino creates
paintings, works on paper, and digital prints constructed from
photographs of the built landscape. She received a BFA in Painting from
the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA in Painting and Printmaking
from the Rhode Island School of Design.  She is currently an assistant
professor at Brown University.

While in residence at the Maitland Art Center, she worked on several new panel paintings from her Memory of Snow
series. This series of small-scale paintings depict snowy winter
nighttime scenes of yards, houses, and gardens, often illuminated by
winter holiday lights on trees and bushes. The work she completed while
in residence in January will be included in a solo exhibition in March
2014 at the Falk Gallery at Christopher Newport University in Virginia.

I appreciated the fact that she creates finished works of art on paper. She feels that paper suffers from the stigma of only being used for preparatory sketches for larger works of art on canvas. She wants to change that perception and only works on paper. I appreciate the way she works on a series of paintings at a time. Much of the work she showed depicted fractured urban environments. She takes photos and then assembles the images in the computer, using that image to create the final piece.

She feels that people in cold environments use Christmas lights to add light at a dismal dark time of year. I hope she got out to see that Floridians go wild with Christmas lights probably because they miss the change of seasons. Leigh said, “The
time I spent here was refreshing and I am returning home with renewed
energy for studio work. I liked the small studio buildings and galleries
scattered around a beautiful central garden. I’m planning to do a
series about the layout and history of the Art Center as an artist-built
community and residence for the exhibition in October.”

Elysia Mann is the new artist in residence between February 3rd and March 17th.

God Still Dreams of Eden

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Sandra Lacey wrote a musical called “God Still Dreams of Eden.” I saw it performed several years ago in the black box theater inside the Orlando Shakes. The musical was light hearted fun. “For 20 years Minerva Morgan had let her long-held secret come between her and the only man she ever loved. The appearance of a run-away bride added a dangerous complication…” Sandra told me that bringing the story to the stage lead to further development of the characters. The actors breathed new life into the characters she had imagined. To further expand the story, she developed it into a novel.

On January 3rd, Sandra signed copies of her book at Longs Christian Book and Outlet, 1140 East Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs FL. I checked with Roger Long, the bookstore owner before I started to sketch. Sandra hadn’t arrived yet, but a table was set up where she could sign books. She set up a little stand next to the table where she placed chocolate chip cookies. Anyone who stopped by would get a quick synopsis about the book. Sandra gathered e-mail addresses and signed books which were 30% off on that day only.

Most patrons in the store were looking for Christian music. There was a station with head phones which allowed people to search for particular tunes. Staff often had to help out people who didn’t know the name of the artist or the song title. One lady was in the store the entire time I sketched. She wasn’t staff, and she never seemed to find what she was looking for. She spoke to a couple for a while and then insisted on praying with them. I’m convinced that if I returned today, she would still be wandering the isles.

Sandra told me that “God Still Dreams of Eden” will be returning to the stage in about a year. Don Hopkinson is the musical director and the plan is to bring the musical back to the Shakes or the Abbey. I’m curious to see how the story has been further fleshed out.

New Year’s Day Party

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On New Year’s day, Terry and I hosted an all day party at our home. We figure not everyone goes out and party’s hard on New Year’s Eve. We ordered plenty of Lox, cream cheese and bagels along with a big ham shank. There were salads and vegetables and pastries for deserts. I picked up the pastries and bagels in the morning and Terry cooked on New Year’s Eve.

Kelly DeWayne Richards was the first guest to arrive.  Terry had hired him to play piano. He came with his electronic piano and a microphone. In the kitchen, Terry and I prepared mimosas. Outside on the back patio we had a huge cooler full of beers, cyders and sodas. Gradually, guests arrived throughout the day. There were actors, artist authors and musicians. The official excuse for the party was that Analog Artist Digital World is in its fifth year.

I started this sketch before guests arrived. I is odd that I have seldom sketched my own living room. I sketched people into the scene as they sat down. James and Jasmin Barone brought along their baby who had on a New Years sash.  On the Facebook invitation I had stated that it was a black and white themed party and the Barone’s ran with that theme. Terry was very pleased that Susannah Gilman and Billy Collins came to the party. Billy was once the poet laureate of the United states and his new book of poems, “Aimless Love” was just released in bookstores. I remember seeing a large display of the books in a Louisiana bookstore.

As the party warmed up, people got up to the mic to sing. Even I got up to the microphone at one point. Terry is quite a ham when she has a microphone in hand. I always like how Mark Baratelli sings his set to his own over the top cadence. I sang “Somewhere Out There” with him and it was a challenge to mimic his performance. I just belted out vowels here and there to hit the right notes. Susannah claims she is incapable of singing which means a performance would be all the more entertaining.

Terry’s writing buddies stayed all day and well into the night.  Janet Benge had to leave early because of a writing assignment. When the last guests finally left, Terry and I cleaned up as best we could. I made a resolution to loose some weight this year, but now the pantry and fridge were full of beers, pastries and other sinful fattening foods. I’ll start to diet once all that food is gone. Our refrigerator broke after the party which means many of those fattening perishables ended up in the trash.

Broadway Babes At The Historic Cheyenne Saloon

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On December 12th of 2012, there was a one night Broadway Babes extravaganza at the Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House, 128 West Church Street, Orlando FL. Joshua Eads-Brown, AKA, Ginger Ming, was the hostess along with The Minx.  They began the evening in lusty red can-can girl outfits. For this one night only the old otherwise abandoned saloon sprang to life.

Rainbow banners were hung with pride. The saloon is an absolute gem. It is a shame it hasn’t found a new owner yet. There was a small army of talented performers that night. I was seated on the second level near the stairs down to the main floor. Many numbers began at the top of the stairs, so at times I was blinded by the spotlight. Jimmy Rossi helped throw together the incredible talent in the show. Heather Barbor gave a particularly campy performance. Many performers came from Hamburger Mary’s (110 West Church Street Orlando, FL) next door, where Broadway Brunch happens every Sunday at Noon.

The show tunes were followed by a dance party with Cap’n Kirk Hartlage spinning the tunes. I slipped out as the dancing heated up.

Fountain Facelift

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I did this sketch in 2011 when the Lake Eola Fountain was being repaired. Lightning had struck the fountain, melting glass and killing the motor that pumped the water. As the fountain was being repaired, yellow floats surrounded it and docking bumpers were in place for the boat that went out to do the repairs. The overhaul cost $1.6 million dollars. It’s the most expensive update in the fountain’s
history. After the lightning strike, the city received about $300,000
from a private insurer, but the company refused to pay the full cost of
repairs because the fountain was in such poor shape before the storm.

Mayor Buddy Dyer insisted on the repairs since he considers the fountain an Orlando Icon. Most of the money for the renovation , about $1.2 million came from the city’s own self-insurance fund. A downtown taxing district provided about $54,000, and private donations added the remaining $32,716. Public Works Director Alan Oyler said the fountain’s electric bill will show big savings from new energy-efficient pumps and LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs.

Music is piped into the park at night thanks to speakers added to light poles. The music is synchronized  to the fountain’s water display giving a Las Vegas style water show. Some of the sculptures added to the park add to the Vegas and Disney flavored camp that marks Orlando as a tourist destination rather than a cultural hub. I walk around the lake every time I do a sketch downtown and though I’m jaded, I still might hum a tune if the mood strikes me.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday February 22, 2013

1pm to 7pm Free. Art in the Park Redux. Dickson Azalea Park 100 Rosearden Drive, Orlando, FL. An informal gathering of visual artists creating in the park together.

6pm to 9pm An Evening With Fabulous Friends. The Alfond Inn 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. The Eleventh Annual Gala celebrates 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. For additional information and to purchase tables or tickets to any of the Friends of the Mennello Museum events, contact Elise Frost, by phone 407-246-4278, ext. 4870, or email themennello@gmail.com.

7:30pm to 11pm Free. Contra Dancing. Secret Lake Park, 200 N Triplet Lake Drive, Casselberry, FL. Contra dance is … Easier than walking. More exercise than jogging. More fun than you can imagine. Sample of dancing with caller. All Ages Welcome – Instruction Provided at 7:30 pm

No partners necessary.  http://orlandocontradance.org/schedule.shtml

Sunday February 23, 2013

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/

1pm to 3pm Free. Yoga. Eastern shore of Lake Eola, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, FL. Weekly free yoga in the park.

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

My Pecha Kucha Presentation

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I love to draw.

On January first of 2009 I set a New Year’s resolution to post one sketch a day online. 

I had wanted to start a blog for over a year. 

It was surprisingly easy to post my first sketch and copy on Analog Artist Digital World.

My wife Terry and I moved from New York City,
and for ten years I worked for Disney Feature Animation here in Orlando.

Perry, shown here, worked in the office next to me.

The studio was shut down in 2004, because Disney executives felt,
that audiences didn’t want to see hand drawn animation anymore.

They only wanted to see computer animation.

I purchased a computer and taught myself CG animation at home.

After years of sitting in a dark room staring at a computer screen, I needed to get out and sketch.

Many early sketches were of buildings downtown, like this sketch of Church Street.

As I sketched, people would often stop to tell me their life story.

I help keep the tradition of hand drawn animation alive at Full Sail University, by teaching the principles of animation using pencils and paper before students start pushing buttons on computers.

When I began doing one sketch a day, I honestly thought Orlando had little to no culture.

I had spent ten years driving to and from Disney, and felt that Orlando must only have the heart of a theme park animatronic.

 I found these drummers in the Creative Engineering warehouse downtown.

I couldn’t imagine much culture happening in this service industry town.

 Yet with every sketch I did, I began to discover artists with talent.

I found people in every field, like Toni Taylor, shown here in her studio,
who are striving to express themselves.

 I seek out artists who love what they do and promote them with a sketch and an article.

By promoting them, I get to share with my readers what I feel is the true heart of Orlando.

I am NOT an extrovert.

 I’m only comfortable when clutching pencil and paper.

When I drive to events, I pump up the music in the car to overcome stage fright.

 I used to walk around the block several times to work up the nerve to start a sketch.

That feeling has slowly subsided, being replaced by stubborn determination.

In a crowded room, I find it impossible to focus on any single conversation,
I hear the overall din.

Small talk is not my strong point.

If I start to sketch however, a sense of calm washes over me.

While focusing on the sketch, nothing else matters.

By going out every day, I began to meet people who frequent the same events.

 They recognize my desire to sketch what is unique, and they include me in amazing sketch opportunities, like this gut wrenching blimp ride over Universal Studios.

Finding interesting stories is an ongoing challenge.

Though I tend to sit quietly observing, I am at times thrust into the limelight.

To get this sketch at the Bob Carr, the director, John DiDonna, suggested I sit onstage with the audience watching at the Red Chair Affair.

The act of sketching became a form of performance art.

I forgot about the audience as I struggled to capture the Cirque du Soleil performer on stage.

Doug Rhodehamel created this Sea of Green florescent fish hanging from the ceiling at Stardust Video and Coffee.

When I am in a room full of creative people, I feel motivated to create.

 Being isolated in a studio makes little sense, when there are so many vibrant events to sketch all around Orlando.

I found Bluesman Maxwell seated among the clutter of a flea market in Mount Dora.

He sang, “Flea Market Blues.”

No one else stopped to listen.

Each sketch usually takes about two hours to complete.

Time stands still.

When you stay in one spot for that long, some drama always unfolds.

At the Enzian Theater during the Florida Film Festival, the projectionist had to splice together the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” reels.

I always remain open to snippets of conversation which I often jot down on the back of the sketch.

Writing helps me to complete the bigger picture.

Benoit Glazer invites people to his home called “The Timucua White House”, once a month to experience live music and art.

It is amazing how often lyrics of a song, or the plot of a play, will seem to mirror what is happening in my everyday life.

The emotional message of some productions often hits home.

Andrew Spear created a mural at the annual Snap Photography Exhibit.

By meeting so many artists, and sharing their stories, my own art grows richer.

 Listening to a theater director talk about the creative process, the conversation could just as well relate to the process of creating a sketch.

I have often been asked to stop sketching by security guards, ushers and police.

In our fast paced world, someone who stands still tends to be suspect.

This accordion player at Earth Day was asked to stop performing by Lake Eola grounds keepers.
Silence can be deafening……

I don’t believe art should be profiled as a deviant behavior.

Jazz still thrives in late night dives.

 The city grows smaller as I meet the same performers again and again.

 I’m starting to feel very much a part of the culture that I document.

Since starting the blog, I have posted over 2000 sketches about Orlando online.

Every art form has uncertainty, and blind searching, followed by revelation.

 I’m never satisfied with any sketch as I am working on it.

Only looking back, can I acknowledge that it isn’t the worst sketch I have ever done.

I love keeping track of all the arts organizations in town, on Analog Artist Digital World.

At times, I feel I have my finger on the pulse that helps keep Orlando alive and vibrant.

Some organizations have had to close, but there are always people who strive to make this city an interesting place to live.

Every time I sketch, I fall in love, be it with a gesture, setting, or people’s stories.

Mary Oliver gave simple instructions for living life, “Pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it.”

By sketching daily, I discover so many people who astonish me, in a city I now call home.

I love my wife, life and Orlando!

Mark Your Calendar! The next PechaKucha V13 will be on Friday June 13th at the Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl. I hope the presenters aren’t superstitious!