Palmer Feed Store Grand Opening

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The Palmer Feed Store was established 65 years ago at 912 West Church Street in Parramore. 0n March 28th of 2O11 an electrical fire gutted the building. Bill and Michelle Palmer were devastated but thanks to the support of friends, neighbors, church members and long time costumers, they rallied and brought the business back from the ashes.

Days before the grand opening, a one ton, six foot high cement chicken was painted bright red adding an unmistakable new landmark to the Parramore business. The kids who painted the huge chicken got covered in paint themselves. The chicken is just one example of the many folk art touches that now grace the store. The grand opening took place in the parking lot next to the business. A stage was set up and a gospel singer was performing when I arrived. My goal was to sketch that one ton chicken but it looked lonely all by itself in the corner of the lot. Chicken hen houses lined the back of the lot full of doves, ducks and chickens. I sat behind the stage near the hen houses and decided to sketch the line of people waiting for some barbeque. A small grill puffed out sweet smelling smoke as burgers and hot dogs were flipped. Members of The Rock Church helped keep the food rolling off the grill.

I bumped Brian OHalloran and his lovely wife and child in front of the food truck parked in front of the store. Brian suggested I sketch a view of the downtown skyline from across Lake Ivanhoe and I actually did that sketch last night. There is a perfectly placed park bench with a gorgeous view of downtown. People were breaking down the sound equipment as I finished my sketch. The grill was dumped over and the coals raked into a metal garbage can. A teen touched the still hot grill lid. He shouted out and the two adults with him laughed. He wasn’t burned bad. In a matronly tone, one adult said, “So, what did you learn today?” “Not to touch anything that is hot.” the teen responded, then he laughed.

Political fundraiser for Martha O. Haynie

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My wife, Terry, suggested I come out to sketch a political fundraiser for Orange County Comptroller Martha O. Haynie at the Abbey, (100 South Eola Drive.) The scene didn’t look that much different than sketching in any bar except folks were dressed in business attire and they all had name tags. Martha was very cordial and introduced herself to me. She immediately found common ground with me when she said that she missed former United Arts CEO Margot Knight.

Terry arrived and waved to me. She moved around the room from one conversation to the next, meeting everyone as I sketched. Janet and Geoff Benge, who lead the Silver Fern Writing workshops sat down at a central table. Terry started attending these workshops after one of my sketchbooks was used as a writer’s prompt. She sat with Janet and Geoff and the laughter grew louder.

As Comptroller, Martha keeps an eye on Orange County finances and she makes sure that money spent is accountable. This doesn’t stop politicians from miss spending money, but it does mean their actions are accountable come election time. Marthe joked that it might not be wise to check the finances of the sheriff’s department since they carry guns. She checked their books anyway. There is someone running against Martha in the upcoming elections so she has to be diligent in letting people know she is doing a good job. Her address to the gathered crowd was short sweet and to the point.

Terry was hungry, so she went down the block to Mucho’s to get some takeout tacos. She returned with two boxes of tacos and we shared with Janet and Geoff. By this time, my sketch was done and most everyone else had left. Martha stopped over and she had a taco with us as well.

Dust

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The Dog Powered Robot Fundraiser 2.0 was held at Stardust Video & Coffee (1842 E Winter Park Rd at Corrire Drive). I had donated 5 DPR prints for the fundraiser and two of the prints were sold! Whoo hooo! I was at the Dust to pick up the remaining three prints. The day of the fundraiser, there was a flurry of activity with the DPR army rushing about getting the stages ready. A projector was being hung from the rafters. Andy Matchett & the Minx were slated to play at the fundraiser, so there would be a wild time with confetti, fans and a huge parachute. Today the place was quiet in comparison.

The people seated in front of me were discussing some design work. She listened to his premise and then pulled up graphic designs that were similar in intention. The meeting went on for the whole duration of the sketch so they had a lot of ground to cover. The tables are made from old doors with a thick coating of polyurethane. Old windows were suspended in the plate glass windows. Single shoots of Mothers in Law Tongues thrust up out of old coffee cans on each table. Strings of Christmas lights and Oriental lanterns decorated the ceilings. Once in NYC, set designer James Yeomans asked me to go to Chinatown to pick up such paper lanterns for the play, “A Street Car Named Desire.” It seems a lantern is ripped down every evening in that play. So I brought several dozen large lanterns. It turns out they were too large so I was stuck as a lantern salesman for the next year to make my money back.

It had been several weeks since the fundraiser. Christie and Evan Miga were seated at several tables surrounded by DRR art. This fundraiser had been a huge success, giving them the much needed cash as they continue building more cardboard robots. One of the Dust staff was sweeping the floor and she was surprised that she was still sweeping up confetti. “Where does it keep coming from?” she asked a costumer. “It must be coming from underneath the stage.” he suggested. “It was cute at first” she confessed, “but this stuff just keeps multiplying.”

Central Florida Community Arts

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I went to a Central Florida Community Arts rehearsal at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (1655 Peel Ave). This was a combined rehearsal with all 200 singers. Sharon Hegedus, the Director of Community Involvement for CFCA had suggested I come to the rehearsal to get a sketch. When I arrived, the parking lot was already crowded with two volunteers helping guide cars to the few remaining open spots behind the church. Listening, I walked towards the sound of people kibitzing in the entry to the church hall. Two tables were set up with name tags the singers. The woman asked my name and I had to explain that I was just there to sketch.

Dianne Sheets stood at the front of the church to welcome everybody. She is a voice coach who works with Christian Singers and has branched out to coach country western singers as well. She has started traveling to LA and NYC to meet up with her clients. She was in charge of warming the singers up. She had everyone stand and face left and everyone massaged the shoulders of the person next to them. Darn, I should have sat closer! Everyone then faced right and returned the favor. Dianne asked for a volunteer with a nice long neck. “I have a long neck” I thought. She grabbed a guy from the second row and told him, “I’m going to put my hands around your throat.” Everyone laughed. She demonstrated how to further loosen up the neck and vocal chords.

A children’s choir gathered in the back of the church then assembled at the front of the church.After their song, someone shouted, “Aren’t they adorable!” There was a standing ovation. Joshua Vickery took over, directing the rest of the rehearsal with a chipper Disney attitude. Half way through, he said, “I’m going to get I’m trouble for saying this, but, this is the best choir in town!” Much of the rehearsal centered around the song, “You can’t Stop the Beat!” At one point everyone laughed when the harmony was lost and they scattered, loosing the beat. The rallied on the next pass. Sections of the choir would stand and sing just their part before all the voices were combined in harmony. The chorus was on fire as they sang “This is the Moment.”

The chorus has a performance coming up on May 10th and 11th titled “The HeART of Theater, an Evening on Broadway.” Performances are at 7:30pm at the Northland Church (530 Dog Track Road, Longwood). Tickets are $10.

Dog Powered Robot Build

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Dog Powered Robot will be returning to the Orlando Fringe Festival in 2012 with an all new adventure. After a very successful fundraiser at Stardust Video & Coffee, the crew is now busy in the robot lab building all new robots for the new show. A mockumentary was made of the DPR cast and crew and the Florida Film Festival expressed interest in screening it. The top secret DPR Robotics Lab is full of gizmos and gadgets galore.

Evan Miga showed me a schematic for the robot they were working on. It was a female robot that is the antithesis of the sweet and quaint Lollybot. This purple bot has a very angular attitude. Evan was constructing her head which featured some deep purple eyes. Christie Migawas busy deconstructing an old robot and salvaging any usable components. The laser cannon was still workable. Jeb Britt was working out the delicate geometry of the robots body and skirt. Occasionally Christie would try on the skirt and body parts to see how they fit. Cardboard boxes were stacked halfway to the ceiling in the center of the lab.

Charles Smith whipped together some robotic headphones in no time flat. Some very serious weaponry hung from the ceiling. The large laser cannon has some high tech weaponry which will shock any Fringe goer. A new red white and blue astronaut bot was already constructed. After the work session, Evan demonstrated the bot. It’s arms move in a wacky rubbery way that is hilarious. Glowing plates and neon edging make this bot a sleek and sexy addition to the cast. Fisher, the dog behind Dog Powered Robot, entered the lab several times to supervise.

Jordan & Jared’s Wedding Reception

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Outside the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel on Lake Destiny Drive up in Maitland the plaque read, Jordan Martin and Jared Clark Wedding reception. I entered and scouted the room for a spot where I could sketch. Rachel McCurdy, a wedding designer at An Affair to Remember, was quick to introduce herself. She helped me pick a spot, making sure I wasn’t in the way of the wedding cake or bar. I had been commissioned by the brides aunt, Linda Sheftel, to do a large 18 by 24 inch sketch of the occasion. I was a bit nervous about trying to complete such a large sketch in the duration of a reception so I had arrived several hours early to get the stage set lightly in pencil first.

The room was a constant flurry of activity. Tables were set and glasses filled with water. I would sketch the table setting then someone would come along and move all the cups. Rachel and her assistants were unpacking lanterns and a nautical cork float that would be draped in front of the bar. The wedding cake or perhaps the grooms cake was a mountain of donuts. The DJ arrived and began setting up his sound equipment. He was pleased that there was such a large dance floor. The videographer introduced himself and asked me a few questions about my work.

I could hear the reception crowd growing larger in the hallway where hor dourves and drinks were being served. Staff positioned themselves around the room and stood at attention. The DJ shouted, “It’s showtime!” and the doors were opened. As people seated themselves, I sketched frantically getting them in the composition. Throughout the night people walked up to see what I was up to. I would crack a joke or acknowledge any praise while keeping my hands moving. Color was quickly blocked in with a one inch brush.

The wedding party was introduced and groom’s men and brides maids entered with unexpected drama. One groom’s man waddled in like Toulouse Lautrec while a brides maid “wheeled in” her groom’s man like a wheel barrel. Another couple walked in backwards then vogued for photos like Charlies Angels. I knew that the newly married couples first dance was the focus of my sketch. They danced slowly as people crowded around the edge of the dance floor. I focused on Jordan and Jared. They danced slowly, kissing and smiling at each other. Jordan’s sister gave a toast in which she kept getting choked up and crying. She related an incident where Jordan seriously injured her back and Jared stayed with her in the hospital, never leaving her side. The best man’s toast unearthed the groom’s wild side.

After diner the dance floor got packed as everyone did the electric slide. The bouquet was tossed and the garter cinched up. The bride got a special treat when all the groomsmen danced around her doing a strip tease. They piled all their dress shirts on her and one groomsman gave her a lap dance. The women in the room screamed! With the dance floor packed, and the music getting louder, I realized that my sketch was done. I packed up my supplies and left as the bass vibrated the walls.

A Gift for Music

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Mary Palmer opened her home to host a recital by Dr. Gary Wolf on Piano and Mati Braun on Violin. Gary Wolf was Distinguished Professor of Music at UCF and he is Professor Emeritus of music at UCF and is Artist-in-Residence in the Music Department of Rollins College. Mati studied at Juilliard in New York City. He was principle violinist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and he was a violinist with a the New York Philharmonic from 1969-2006. They played Sonatas from 18th & 20th century. Veracini, Mozart, Beethoven & Sibelius. Introducing Beethoven, Mati said, “Beethoven’s music is therapeutic. If I play music at a hospital it would have to be Beethoven. This piece is almost lighthearted although Beethoven was a very serious man.”
Perhaps fifteen to twenty people sat in the living room to listen. Mary collects African drums which added splashes of bright color around the piano. This event was a fundraiser for “A Gift for Music.” AGFM is an offshoot of A Gift for Teaching. Sally Carter the director of A Gift for Music was at the recital to explain the program. This program offers violin lessons twice a week to students in six low income schools around Central Florida. 460 students benefit from the program each year. Third grade students are offered beginning violin classes and fourth and fifth grade students are given the opportunity to continue violin training in advanced classes. The AGFM Orchestra gives advanced students a chance to perform on stage. Students can choose from violin, viola, cello or bass. They rehearse Saturday afternoons and perform several times a year. Students are loaned instruments for home practice. A Gift for Music has touched the lives of over 7,200 students and their families in Central Florida. When a child blossoms and finds a way to express themselves through music, we all benefit. Donations to help keep A Gift for Music running are always accepted.
“What I have in my heart and soul must find a way out. That is the reason for music.”
– Ludwig Van Beethoven

The Executive Director

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For a recent advertising illustration assignment I was asked to sketch an executive behind his desk. Rather than search for that executive online doing an image search, I decided to ask friends on Facebook if they knew of an executive who might not mind my stopping by to sketch him on location. Genevieve Bernard suggested Frank Holt, the executive director of the Mennello Museum of American Art. Frank was fine with me sitting in his office and sketching as he worked away on his computer.

His office is has colorful vibrant walls. The orange wall behind him ties in perfectly with an orange curtain featured in the painting that hangs on it. Gorgeous orchids were bursting into bloom. I like his desk which is simply a thick sheet of glass supported by saw horses. The room was simple and elegant much like the vibrant museum itself.

On display now at the Mennello is “Style & Grace” exhibition of American Impressionist paintings and sculptures collected by Michael and Marilyn Mennello. This really is an amazing collection of paintings by some of my favorite “Ash Can” artists, like Robert Henri and George Bellows. Sometimes I feel like that is the time when I should have been working as an artist. But hey, make the most of the time you have, right?

Friday March 30th there is a reception for IMPRINTS: 20 Years of Flying Horse Editions. A celebration of UCF’s limited-edition fine art book printing press, with a printmaking studio set up in the museum for workshops. 6-8 p.m. Admission $5, free to members. Continues through August 12.

Saturday, March 31st share a cup of coffee with the Artist: Mary Whyte. We are thrilled to have the teacher, author and “investigative watercolorist” from South Carolina discuss her book, Working South: Paintings and Sketchings by Mary Whyte , a series of interviews and portraits of blue-collar workers whose ways of life are diminishing. She is in town for the UCF Book Festival. The event is 10:30a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Reservations requested. Admission $5, free to members.

HoliFest

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Holi is a religious springtime Festival celebrated by Hindus. It is also known as the Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month. The main thing I know about the festival is that it is a whole lot of fun watching people throwing brightly colored pigments at each other and using super soakers and water pistols to squirt bright tinted water as well. In Orlando, a large soccer field next to the Citrus Bowl becomes home for this colorful carnage each year.

I parked on a side street on the opposite side of the stadium and walked toward the festival. The field is surrounded by a chain link fence with green mesh which blocked my view as I approached. The news had predicted a 50% chance of rain. The overcast sky meant I would be able to sit out in the open as I sketched. Last year there had been loud Indian music but this year the field was eerily silent. There was a tractor trailer bed parked at one end of the field and I assumed it would be used as a stage. I spoke to the event organizer and he said there had been a number of last minute setbacks. The DJ was running late and the truck bed was a last minute substitution for the main stage.

Only a few merchandise tents were set up. I decided the tent closest to the stage was my best bet to start sketching. Children were already soaking each other with pigments. I was wearing an old white T-shirt and old white pants that were paint rags. A teenage girl approached and hit me full force with her super soaker. I was surprised by the force of the stream. When I sat down and started blocking in the sketch, her little eight year old brother started squirting me with his small water pistol. I was able to block his shots with my hand. Once people saw what I was working on, I became Switzerland and there was a cease fire.

From the tent, they sold sodas, coconuts, colored pigments and colored water for pistols. I was surprised when the whole Psycho City Derby Girls roller derby team greeted me. Jeff Ferreeand Bucky Garrabrant were there with a group of friends. Jeff pointed towards his friends in the middle of the field. “Yeay, we are the ones who look out of place.” he said. But brightly splashed with pigments, they blended right in. I felt bad that they couldn’t experience the full brunt of the festival. Only 20 to 30 people were throwing pigments at any given moment. That didn’t stop people from having fun soaking each other in small groups. Children of the tent merchants crowded around me to see what I was drawing. Their mom stopped over and asked me the name of the blog. Rather than try to remember it all, she assigned each child a word to remember. She pointed to the oldest girl, her word was “Analog”, the next girl recited “Artist”, and the next girl recited “Digital”. A young boy walked up and said, “What?” “Not what!” They shouted back, “World”. The mom pointed to each child in quick succession and they had it down pat.

The organizer told me that they had expanded the festival to run over both days on the weekend. With this sketch done, a family got on stage and began singing a Hindu chant with drums as accompaniment. It started to rain and I decided to come back the next day. The next day it rained however and the festival was canceled.

Sexual Harassment

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All the Full Sail staff were required to take a seminar which outlined Full Sail’s policies on Sexual Harassment. Kathy Blackmore invited her crack team of instructors from 2D Animation to meet for lunch at Mellow Mushroom on Aloma before the seminar. It’s always nice to get together as a crew to laugh, gossip and discuss ways the course might be improved over time. My Hawaiian pizza was delicious. As a crew we then arrived at Full Sail live before anyone else showed up. The back rows were the first to fill up. There was plenty of uncomfortable joking about harassment and slowly the room filled. I left the 2DA crew, thinking I might sketch from the front row. Kathy informed me that much of the presentation would be a video, so I changed my focus and decided to sketch the growing crowd.

Sexual Harassment is bad. It was defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. A lawyer went through his 29 power point slides being sure to read each of the bullet points. About 70% of women and 20% of men have experienced sexual harassment. About 15,000 charges are filed each year. The bottom line was that Full Sail employees must report all harassment if they are aware of it to the Human Resources department or a quick call to the Full Sail president.

The video showed a fictitious court case in which a female employee was filing a sexual harassment charge. She met a guy at a company picnic and they talked. She let slip that she used to work for a 900 number. The audience murmured. The guy kept asking her out and she declined. He parked outside her home one night for several hours. She contacted HR and they suggested the guy stop. He didn’t. Eventually the guy was fired, but the woman got cat calls from the rest of the shipping department. She decided she had to leave.

The Full Sail staff were asked to break up into groups of six to act as juries. The interesting thing about the video is that the case left room for interpretation about weather HR had done enough to stop the harassment. The juries all agreed that she was the victim of sexual harassment. They varied widely in the matter of how much to offer in damages. One jury offered $300 in compensatory damages, $300 in punitive damages and $300 in back pay. The video jury offered $75,000 in damages. Larry Lauria on the 2DA jury offered 10 million dollars in damages, but it was a hung jury because no one could agree on the final amount.