Downtown Credo

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Credo Coffee House is located in the heart of College Park, right across from Taste. I went to sketch one evening after work but I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to draw inside before it closed, so I sat across the street to sketch the building. What is unique about Credo is that you pay what you want for your coffee. I listened to the founder of Credo speak at a TEDx Conference and he gave an inspiring talk about how any individual can make a difference to improve the community.

Half way into the sketch, I realized I didn’t have any water in my brushes. I had used up all the water the night before. I realized I’d have to fill the brushes at Credo. I went inside and paid $1 for a cup of water, then I realized I would spill water everywhere If I tried to fill the brushes by pouring water from the cup. The young woman behind the counter filled the brushes I gave her using the sink. I left my untouched glass of water on the counter and rushed back across the street to finish the sketch. Downtown Credo is the open door to make an impact for good. The business of coffee is one place where things aren’t what they ought to be: big companies, bigger profits, exploited workers. They’re doing what they can with downtown credo coffee. They’re running the donations only coffee shop at 706 Smith St. in College Park, and you can buy coffee to brew at home. You won’t find a better tasting coffee or one that makes a stronger impact for good. The coffee is shade grown on the rugged and remote hillsides of the Ixil Triangle in the Quiche region of Guatemala. This area, once ravaged by a 36 year civil war, now produces a treasure, Cafe de la Esperanza. Grown and sun-dried at 3,500 to 5,000 feet, Cafe de la Esperanza is a sweet, citric coffee with balanced body and acidity. Each coffee plant is hand-cultivated and every bean is hand-processed at “Finca La Perla.”

It was the golden hour, just before sunset and the light grew more orange. Posters for local events filled the front window. I have to return someday and try the coffee. Funds raised go to a good cause. The credo reads, “Life is worth living. I refuse to merely exist. I pursue a life of meaning and purpose, fulfillment and joy. The world is not yet as it ought to be. Neither is my city. Neither am I. Yet, I reject apathy and despair. I engage the world, my city, and myself to make an impact for good. I am not alone. I press through narcissism, isolation and self-sufficiency striving to live in authentic community.”

Flamenco

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Inside Casa Feliz, I hear feet stomping and hot Spanish music. People were seated in the intricate old wooden chairs facing the dancers who were in front of a bay window facing the back. A large sheet of plywood had been dropped on top of the Casa’s floor boards. It was a full house, so I decided to slip through the kitchen to a side room. That looked in on the dancers. Unfortunately several other people had same Idea. This still offered the best view, so I started sketching.

The woman in the fiery red and black dress was performing a solo dance with castanets. Three of the dancers were students of Alborea Entertainment. The other man and woman were the teachers. Besides teaching flamenco, Alborea teaches, Bolivian Folkloric Carnival dances, Persian dances, Belly dance, Bollywood, African Rhythms, folkloric Mexican dance, Latin Rhythm and Fusion Rhythm. They perform at private parties, educational programs, theater productions, television programs, corporate events, and conventions.

Artist Bernie Martin stopped in and sat on the floor close to the stage. The man in front of me kept shooting photos and the woman seated at the same table did the same occasionally. Between performances, I was still splashing color on the page. A female artist introduced herself. I was still distracted, as I was getting close to finishing my sketch. She has been going to Casa Feliz every week and sketching the performers. She asked my advice on how she could improve her drawings. I took a sheet from her sketchbook and made suggestions on how she could use perspective to improve on what she was already doing. She knew of the Urban Sketchers site and of Analog Artist Digital World. As she left, she said E was her artist muse. That was definitely the best compliment I got in a long time. I feed good knowing that the next time she sketches, she will have the compositional tips I offered as a new spring board. I admire her tenacity in returning to the same place to sketch each week. Over time it could become a great series of sketches.

When my sketch was done, I went back outside to finish the sketch I started of Casa Feliz’s exterior.

Friends Meeting And Spring Fling

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The Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic had an informal meeting hosted in the home of Lael and Duncan Wahl. People were standing out in the sun room and living room and the meeting was in full stride. The United Arts Campaign was the item on the agenda. The next item was a call for volunteers for the friends gift show which is set up in the Bob Carr lobby for each concert. There wasn’t a mad rush of new people wanting to volunteer.

Upcoming Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic events include…
On September 29th there will be a Philharmonic 20th Anniversary Season Opening Night Gala at the Sheraton Downtown, starting at 5:45pm. Tickets are $90 for friends and concert subscribers.
Symphony in HD will be a Concert Gala at Full Sail University on April 21 starting at 6pm. This event will be a unique marriage of music and technology. The $250 ticket includes a reception, concert, dinner, cocktails, silent and live auction s and a post-concert party.
Casino Royale will be an evening of gambling at the tables for a good cause. This event hosted by Connie and Roy Brand will be at Villa Conroy starting at 5pm. Tickets are $60 for Friends members.
This year’s Jeans and Jewels gala goes Hawaiian at the Winter Park Garden Club, Mead Gardens starting at 7pm. This is the Friends most popular party. For $65 Friends members enjoy plenty of music, cocktails, great food and fun.

After the meeting, Nicolay Blagov, the principle clarinet player for the Orlando Philharmonic performed several stunning solos. Friends gathered in the living room, lining the walls, crowding in the hallway, and sitting on the couches. Some friends even sat on the floor to soak in the music closing their eyes in a reverie.

Casa Feliz

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Every Sunday, from 12pm to 3pm, Casa Feliz in Winter Park hosts musical events. I’ve sketched here before and honestly it would be a worthy spot to sketch every week. I arrived early on this weekend when Alborea Dances was going to perform flamenco. It was a gorgeous, cool day, so I decided to walk around the old historic home. For the first time I slipped under an arch into the back of the building. The sun blazed bright on the brickwork and there was a large shady oak tree under which I decided to sketch. There was only half an hour or so before the flamenco dancing was to start inside, so there really wasn’t enough time to sketch. I couldn’t resist and I started anyway.

Several people approached me to see what I was working on and they were both artists. Is everyone in Winter Park an artist? One girl arrived early for a wedding that was going to happen at the Casa that afternoon. She took a multitude of photos of the building and garden for a painting she planned to do of the building. Her eye was drawn to the bright colors of the scene. I suspect the painting might be a wedding present. A tail stately woman let me know that she had painted almost an identical view to the sketch I was working on. She lived right across the street and she went back to her place to get the painting. She brought back a panoramic three foot wide canvas. The painting was done in oil with a Burnt Sienna under painting which she wiped away the lights. She said she had forgotten to paint one of the chimneys but a fellow painter pointed out the apparent flaw and she added it back in. I let her know that we were on the same page doing panoramas, since I am often bringing out the panoramic sketchbook. She let me know that there was a plein air painting group that got together every week in Winter Park. I wish I had written down the information. All I remember is that they meet at Panara’s. There is another Plein air group that meets once a week in the evenings, and they do nocturnes of the businesses on Park Avenue.

Before I could start adding color to my sketch, I heard the Flamenco Music flair up inside Case Feliz. I couldn’t resist the draw of the music. I quickly packed up my supplies and then slipped into a back door to see what was going on inside. After sketching the flamboyant flamenco dancers, I returned to my spot under the tree and I started splashing in colors.

Artists@Work

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First Thursdays, Third Thursdays, it seems like Thursdays are the only day that art happens in Orlando. Now on every Wednesday
artists gather in SODO to create art outside OLV Cafe (25 W. Crystal Lake St. Suite 175) which is located in that new Super Target street mall in SODO. The address is misleading. I walked down Crystal Lake watching the numbers get smaller. I found out that the restaurant is located half way around the block inside the shopping area.

When I arrived, Parker Sketch was setting up his work area. He was setting up right outside the entrance and I immediately knew that I had to sketch him at work. It was getting near sunset with the sun just an inch above the Super Target. I wouldn’t be adding any color until it got dark. The square canvas Parker was working on once depicted a blue meanie. The canvas changed quickly as he applied paint straight out of the tube or jar. A pink mass began to take the form of a splash. When that paint dried, blue was quickly layered on top. Zinc white was layered over the background and later a light ocher was slapped over that. It was a delight to see colors and forms change so quickly. He is working on a series of paintings that depict splashes which ties into the splashy spattered look of his playful work. He pointed out that he couldn’t sling paint quite the way he could in his studio because no matter how big a drop cloth he used, the paint would always find a way to get on the pavement or brick work.

Parker organizes a monthly Artist critique session and he is pivotal in getting people together to make and talk about art. He said that he promotes other artists because it helps elevate the Orlando art scene. If there is a vibrant art scene then that helps him. His reasoning is identical to the reasons I often give for why I report on the arts scene daily. It was Parkers Facebook announcements that had me out sketching at OLV and considering what a great time I had, I’m bound to want to go back. What artist wouldn’t?

Parker let me know that artists can get a cup of wine for free when they worked outside the restaurant. Now that is a true motivational perk! I ordered a tall glass of Pino Noir. It was sweet and tasty and helped keep the lines flowing. In all about eight artists set up and worked the evening I stopped by. A mom was out walking her toy dog with a girl friend and her two children. After they admired my sketch “It’s righteous”, they started talking about how they would have to come back. They liked the bohemian vibe of being around artists. The mom was being flirted with most of the evening. Her ten year old daughter took an interest in what I was doing and she wanted to play, so I gave her a sheet of paper and let her borrow a brush. She eventually filled the sheet with vibrant colors which is essentially what I was doing. Another artist hard at work.

Kelly Stevens,who organized Nude Nite each year, was there having dinner. She stopped over and thanked me for putting Nude Nite in my 2012 Event Calendar. We discussed the months of work that goes into the show and perhaps I will get to document the behind the scenes process more this year. inside at the bar, Todd Morgan and his wife, Laura were having a drink. Todd founded “Harmonious Universe” which does murals with the help of anyone willing to pick up a brush and help. I sketched the progress of a mural done in the beer garden behind the Milk Bar down in the milk district. I found out the restaurant was closed and that entire wall was white washed.

D.J. Mo’Negro was mixing music outside right next to the entrance. I was tapping my foot to the beat. Parker pointed out that one beat reminded him of “Time keeps Slipping Away.” Once I heard it, I couldn’t help but sing the lyrics out lout. Parker and I were both singing as we painted. Late in the evening the DJ started mixing frenetically. Parker shouted out, “Stop punching buttons!” The toy dog started barking at the D.J. He shouted back, “What?” He stopped the music and the barking stopped. Once he flipped the music back on, the dog started barking again. I shouted out, “Everyone’s a critic!” Shortly thereafter the D.J. started packing up.

Downtown Pour

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I was invited by Jesse Newton, the director of operations and partner at AURA bar & restaurant, to sketch the downtown pour between two and six p.m. Parking was hard to find in the neighborhood around South Eola Drive and Central. I dropped my wife Terry off near the event then wandered up and down the blocks looking for an open space.

The event was surrounded by fencing and each opening had a guard. Since we were trying to get into 101 South Eola Drive rather than the free booze on the street, the guard let us in. In the lobby of the building, the guard was hesitant to let us up to the fifth floor. After a phone call, we finally got into the elevator.

There is a pool, bar and lounge on the fifth floor and twenty somethings relaxed soaking up the sun. There was just one spot which gave a decent view down the street. A potted tree offered partial shade. Terry was arranging to get our press passes and she decided to go down to the street while I sketched.

Each tent offered free beer and liquor from different bars in town. People were given cups on lanyards that could be worn like necklaces. The Broadway across America tent had a Lion King poster. I texted Terry when the sketch was done and went down to the lobby. When she saw me, she shouted, “Downtown pour rocks!” She had been having a good time going from tent to tent.

She introduced me to the folks at the Orlando Weekly tent and she explained that a DVD of the movie “Tinker Taylor, Spy” was being raffled off and she just asked for it and got it. She told me I had to try a blueberry beer and I got in line at the red tent to get my cup and a taste. The beer was sweet and delicious, tasting more like a soda than a beer.

We decided to relax and sat on a curb. A guy dressed all in white said to Terry, “Looks like you found your other half. I saw you walk by before in those hot boots but then I saw your wedding band.” The back of his shirt had a black dragon on it and it said, “Master of the grand dragon.” Terry was flattered. We couldn’t decide if he meant she was hot or just her boots. Either way, the compliment made her feel like a school girl. A little compliment can go a long way.

There was only drinks available for the four hours of the Downtown pour. We decided to get some dinner after I tasted a second blueberry beer. We walked up to a fish and chips restaurant right next to Urban ReThink. As we ate, people began to pour past the restaurant. Some were happy and a few staggered. The restaurant grew loud fast.

Printmaking Workshops for Adults

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Work with “Artist in Action” Cara Pentecost, UCF Print Collective, in the Mennello Museum’s Printmaking Studio. A group of industrious UCF students helped Cara with the workshop. Inspiration for the workshop came from the large-scale work by artist Tanja Softic. In A Morning of the World, 2006, Softic pairs images from the natural environment with an image from the man-made environment to provide a study in contrasts. Using “tools” from nature, such as plants, we’ll emulate Softic’s soft, blurry flowers and branches to create personal prints of our own. Later, you might wish to add a photograph of a man-made object to complete your artwork. Enjoy wine and cheese as we enter the world of printmaking. Printmaking is not just for kids!

The exhibition of “IMPRINTS: 20 Years of Flying Horse Editions” was in the entry hall with three dimensional prints housed in glass cubes. Large prints were to the right of the reception desk and then the back gallery was converted into a working print studio. Students started by doing loose watercolors on paper. These watercolors were then used as a background for a collograph print. The collograph print plate was a sheet of corrugated cardboard. Creating the plate was an additive process. Faux plant materials were hot glued to the surface creating an organic floral pattern. Anna demonstrated the inking process. She used a rubber roller to spread the ink out on a plexiglass sheet. The ink took on a velvety look as the roller thinned it down. The ink was then spread onto the plate touching all the high points. When the prints were done, then were hung on two strings with clothes pins.

Wine and cheese was on the reception desk for print-makers and patrons. No previous experience is necessary. I actually think I might go back to experiment with the process myself. Cost is $12 per person. Each class will have a different focus, so join us for all of them if you like!

Other dates and times are as follows:

April 17th, 9pm – 10:30am with coffee and pasty

May 1, 6pm – 7:30pm with wine and cheese

May 15, 9pm – 10:30am with coffee and pastry

June 5, 6pm – 7:30pm with wine and cheese

July 17, 9pm – 10:30am with coffee and pastry

What a great opportunity to create art and treat yourself!

Call the museum to RSVP: 407.246. 4278

Urbanized

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Urban ReThink hosted a collaborative event between Rollins College Urban Planning Department and the Congress of New Urbanism. The room was packed full of scholars, students and urban planners. The evening began with a screening of “Urbanized” a documentary about urban planning. The film highlighted the pit falls and triumphs of how people use urban spaces. The success of bicycle transportation in cities that plan for and support such an efficient mode of transportation was highlighted. I remember reading once that Orlando is one of the most dangerous places to bike in America, but now bike racks are appearing here and there. I believe there is even a “bike to work day” once a year.

New York City was horribly designed because developers literally cut off access to the waterfront on all sides of the island. A rusty old elevated rail line on the lower west side was slated for demolition. Citizens banded together and the idea was proposed to turn the Highline into a park in the sky. The citizens won and an amazing vibrant green elevated park is the result. In contrast the film showed how a developer wanted to redevelop a rail yard in Stuttgart Germany. This project known as 21, involved building a modern terminus in which the rails would be underground. The problem was, the development would involve cutting down several hundred very old trees in an adjacent park. The city had suffered devastating destruction from bombings in World War ll. Fuel shortages meant people had to scavenge for anything that would burn to stay warm in the winter. No one even considered cutting down those ancient trees. With the trees threatened by the 21 Project, people demonstrated in force. The protests turned bloody when the first trees were cut down. The project was approved and financed. Citizens had mobilized to late.

As an art project, an artist printed name tag labels that said, “I wish this was.” She posted these name tags on abandoned buildings along with a sharpie to get feedback on what people thought of the blight. In a talk back after the film a local suburban planner pointed out that the labels had little hope of affecting change since the buildings were abandoned. He pointed out that such feedback is actually beneficial when development is proposed. I was intrigued by the premise that the American dream of owning a suburban home on a 1/4 acre plot was actually a way to sell more cars. Rather than give up on the suburban dream, cars are simply being redesigned to be more fuel efficient. I need to bring my bicycle to the repair shop.

Toyota Prius Test Drive

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My bright yellow 2000 Nissan Xterra has over 150,000 miles on it. I brought it into the dealership for an oil change and was given an estimate on repairs that was over $2,000. I brought the truck to Zembower’s auto repair to fit a wiper that wasn’t working. They gave me a similar price. Seems the CV joints on the front axle are broken which means grease isn’t being kept in its proper place. They both suggested I replace the front axle. The Xterra gets 15 miles per gallon when it is in good shape. The price tag at the pump hurts each week. I do an awful lot of driving going from event to event to sketch.

The bottom line is I need a new ride that gets better gas mileage. Why not try and get the best possible gas mileage? I decided to test drive the 2012 Toyota Prius. I walked into the Toyota dealership on Colonial Drive and told the receptionist I wanted a test drive. She informed me that I was the first person to walk in that day without an appointment. I don’t plan ahead much, I just act on impulse. A young salesman wasn’t busy, so he walked me out to the lot to introduce me to the 2012 Prius.

He popped open the hood to show me the engine. I’ve never seen anything like it. It is part electric motor, part generator and part gasoline engine. A hybrid system indicator shows the flow of energy every moment you drive. I expected the interior to feel cramped compared to my large SUV, but I had plenty of head and leg room. It actually felt more spacious than my Xterra. I felt like I was seated in a shuttle craft with the digital data display and LCD on the center console. The tiny tires made me nervous and there is no spare tire in order to conserve weight. The advantage gained is a neat storage compartment under the floor in the back. The back seats were also more spacious than my truck and folded down, the seats lie flat leaving just enough room so I could lie down in back if needed.

The vehicle started up with the push of a button. The stick shift is more like a video game joy stick on which you gesture the transmission into forward or reverse. The small stick then returns to the central position. The ride was much quieter than the roar of my trucks off road tires. When we stopped at a stop light, the engine literally shut down to conserve energy. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. This was one high tech sexy (well, practical) beast.

Easter Egg Hunt

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Bill Stevens the Aide to Commissioner Patty Sheehan of District 4 sent me an e-mail informing me that Easter Egg Hunts are popping up all over Orlando. There two hunts on April 7th, The Colonialtown Neighborhood Association’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place at 9 am on the playground at the Neighborhood Center, 1517 Lake Highland Drive, and another at Lake Como in Lake Como Park at 10:30 AM. This sketch was done at an Easter Egg Hunt in Langford Park. That Easter Bunny seems to be everywhere at once. This little boy was searching for eggs around the picnic table I was sketching from. His mom helped keep him motivated but when he couldn’t find any more eggs, he started to cry.

Photo opportunities were the main order of the day. The bunny waved incessantly as children scampered and ran around him. It must be hot in there. I don’t know how people survive in the boiling sun dressed as Disney characters for the tourists. I once heard that Winnie the Poo was thrown into a bush by a gang of teenagers. What did Poo ever do to deserve that? There is no way they are paid enough for the sacrifice. A bunny might get an attitude. Happy Easter.