The Search for the Holy Grail

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My wife, Terry, agreed to meet me at the Florida Film Festival to see the Animated Shorts. I got to the Enzian a little before Terry and ordered an Orange Blossom Pilsner. There wasn’t anyone in the box office so I sat at a table and sipped my beer, watching people as they arrived. I waved hello to Kim Robinson from the Mennello Museum. She sat down at my table and began knitting the tiniest baby slipper I have ever seen. She had seen at least ten films already although she stopped keeping count. She essentially takes the week off and sees all the independent films she can. A line started forming for “Single Ticket Holders.” I wondered out loud if there was a line for “Married Ticket Holders.” Kim decided she had better stand in line so she could get a good seat.

Terry arrived and she checked with the box office. The Animated Shorts program was sold out. A woman in blue was at the head of the “Standby Line.” We sat down in the second and third standby spots and waited. The group of people behind us all knew each other. Director Sari Gilman approached from the Eden Bar. She recognized these long lost friends and her face lit up. There were hugs and a quick flurry of conversation as they tried to catch up before the line started moving. Sari is a film maker from San Francisco. Her film “Kings Point” is about the need for companionship and the difficulties of growing old in America, of being alone. Terry and I looked at each other and our eyes grew large. Sari spends most of her time alone in a dark room cutting and editing scenes together. Between screenings of her documentary short, which is half an hour long, she hopes to promote the film. Promoting the finished product is difficult for any artist. The film is being screened one more time on April 21st at 1pm at the Regal Park Village. I will not have a chance to see it since I have class that day.

The line started moving and we made it into the Enzian Theater in Siberia at the back of the theater. An announcer asked someone from Lure Design to stand up. Lure was the sponsor of the Animated program. She then thanked Full Sail and asked Full Sail staff to stand. I remained seated. My favorite animated short was “Notes on Biology.” With stop motion jitter, children entered a classroom, sitting at their desks. Notebooks are opened, some neat and tidy and some a mess. A student starts animating a wheel turning as the teacher drones on about Biology. The notes spark to life when he draws a robot elephant. I learned a new word, ectoecology, which is how an organism abopts to its environment. A Film Festival staple, Levni Yilnaz, entertained with his “Random Observations about Sex.” Animator Bill Plimpton was in the audience and he had two shorts in the show, my favorite being “Summer Bummer“.

After the screenings, there was a free screening of Monti Pithon and the Holy Grail, outside on the brand new inflatable movie screen. The thing looks something like one of those inflatable kids romper rooms or slides. I’ve actually never seen “The Holy Grail”, so I was excited. The film had already started and the hillside lawn next to the Enzian was packed to overflowing. I sat right next to the screen, and looked up the hill at the audience. I couldn’t really see what I was doing but at least I caught an impression of the couples lying on blankets enjoying the show. Terry found me and shouted in my ear that she was going to go. That morning I had my heart carved out with a dull knife. Luckily, it was just a flesh wound and my hand can still put marks down on a page. I finished the sketch in no time flat since I couldn’t see any detail. I looked up at the thin elongated knights on the screen which billowed in the wind. A few drops of rain fell and I left before the movie was over. Someday I hope to see the whole film.

To Kill a Mockingbird

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As part of the Florida Film Festival there was a free outdoor screening of “To Kill a Mockingbird” in Winter Park’s Central Park. The film is 50 years old, which makes us both the same age. I drove to the park straight from Full Sail when it let out at 5PM. The movie wasn’t going to start till around 8PM when it got dark. That left me a whole lot of time to sketch before the movie started. I invited my wife, Terry, to the screening but she was swamped at work. She then changed her mind saying she would meet me for a drink or dinner. I started this sketch to see how far I could get before she arrived. When she did arrive, I abandoned the sketch and we looked for a bar or restaurant. We ended up eating at a Tai restaurant a block away on Park Avenue. The price for a cup of wine was too high so the idea of a drink was abandoned. I ordered Pad Tai and I didn’t particularly like the dish. I had 3 cups of Coke so I would be buzzing like a humming bird when I returned to finish the sketch.

Film Festival staff and volunteers were on the stage setting up the portable movie screen. A series of aluminum struts were pieced together as the outer framework for the screen. Several ropes were threaded over the band shell roof supports and the ropes were pulled tight to raise the screen. The vintage black and white movie was actually a DVD which was inverted and then projected onto the back of the screen. When my sketch was done, I moved closer and watched the movie from backstage. A policeman, two stage hands and later a waitress were the only other people who watched from this vantage point. On the Central Park lawn, couples had picnics with wine and candle light. It was actually chilly and I rubbed my bare arms for warmth.

When the 14 year old Atticus Finch was given a gun by his father, he was told that the urge to shoot at birds would become too great. He could shoot all the Blue Jays he wanted, but he should never shoot a Mockingbird. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

It felt good knowing this film about racism and courage was being shown in Central Florida. When I first moved here over 17 years ago, I went to a counter demonstration, because the KKK were demonstrating at the Jewish Community Center in Maitland. I ended up face to face with the Grand Master or Poo Bah, whatever he was called. He held a huge can of mace, aiming it at my face. Angry, I muttered, “Go ahead.” There were a few police on hand and it would have been nice to see him arrested. Turning the other cheek doesn’t always work but never throw the first punch.

Olive Garden Italian Cinema Night

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This Florida Film Festival staple tasting night has become a beloved ritual for Festival attendees. The tasting reception was preceded by “Marriage Italian Style“, with Sophia Loren, inside the theater. People arrived at Eden Bar for a tasting of Italian treats and delights courtesy of festival supporter Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Film tickets were $10 each. The tasting reception was complimentary.

I arrived an hour early to block in the sketch composition before the crowd got too thick. I ordered a Orange Blossom Pilsner and sat at a metal table on the sidelines. Volunteers at the Festival this year are wearing bright red shirts that say “Scan me”, with a giant QR code on the back. One volunteer weaved through the crowd with a questionnaire to find out where Festival attendees came from and how much they planned to spend. Another woman approached me and asked if I had a program yet. I didn’t, and I assumed she was going to give me the one she was holding. She had a program and was given a second one. She wanted to sell me her second program, I declined.

Mary Ann De Stefano arrived and she was kind enough to get me several tiny sampler plates. There was a crispy toast with crushed tomatoes on top, a sharp white cheese and some olives. As people arrived there were hugs and compliments. After the tasting there was going to be a screening of “Dead Dad” which is the premiere feature film of FSU student, Ken Adachi. Ken developed an urge to complete a feature length film while working primarily in short formats. New to Los Angeles with limited funds, he and his collaborators embraced a grassroots approach and worked tirelessly to make it happen. The result is “Dead Dad“, Adachi’s feature film debut. I believe that Ken, his family and friends were at the table next to mine judging from the hearty congratulations.

The Artist

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It was a crisp cool evening when I went to see “The Artist” at the Enzian Theater. Since I arrived early, I decided to get a beer at the Eden bar before the screening. All the propane space heaters belched out their blue and yellow flames that then turned the protective grid a bright orange.

Couples slowly arrived as I sketched and I quickly worked them in so my sketch didn’t look too desolate and cold. Invariably people seem to look at their phones more than they look at each other.

“The Artist” was a magnificent black and white film that harkened back to the age of the silent movies. The male lead, named George Valentin, looked just like a young Walt Disney. He was charming and absolutely at home as a star in the silent films. His dog who also made appearances in the silent films was just as much of a ham.

Peppy Miller, a young actress trying to break into the film industry has a chance encounter with him and there were sparks and instant chemistry, they both loved dancing and putting on a good show. The talkies brushed silent movies aside and the George’s career floundered while Peppy rode the new wave. The entire film was silent and it flowed wonderfully, not missing a beat. The one line at the end of the film felt just as iconic as “Rosebud” from Citizen Kane.”

Anyway, the Florida Film Festival is running now through April 22nd. Be sure to get out and rub shoulders with some of the amazing directors and producers from the crop of this years films. It is ten days of film, food and fun. Sadly, like George Valentin, I seem to be out of the loop this year but I will try and get a sketch if I can.

McRae Open House

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I always like visiting other artist’s studios. Several times a year a McRrae artist Studios in Winter Park opens their doors to the public. This warehouse space is split up into sections to accommodate a variety of artists. Above the entry was a Christmas Reindeer decoration with two strategically placed red Christmas ornaments. Larry Moore‘s studio is right up front and he had some wonderful large oil paintings on display of other artists at work in their studios. They were absolutely inspiring.

I feel a little uncomfortable sketching when there is an open house. I decided to sit outside in a lawn chair that had been set out to keep people from blocking the entry. Julie Koran who I once mistook to be the curator at the Tiffany museum was waiting on some friends. A police woman asked if I was in charge. I had to explain that I was only sketching. She marched inside the studios to see if she could find someone who was in charge. The studio opening had drawn quite a crowd and people were parked up and down the side streets near the event. Julie trailed the officer, the trouble was that some of these cars were in no parking zones and others were parked with the wrong wheels towards the curb. Getting no answers inside, the police woman started writing tickets. It would be a banner day generating plenty of income for the city thanks to the arts. Thankfully I was fine where I parked, although I was ready to sprint ahead of the officer leaving my sketch if there was a need.

Don Sondag has been doing some wonderful nocturnes and he gave me information about a once a week plein air evening painting outing. I think I’d like to try that. Since Florida is so hot, painting at night makes plenty of sense. I explored all the studios and there was plenty of inspiring work. Outside, Bistro Babes food truck offered up dinner options. I ordered a “Mother Clucker” simply because it was fun to shout out. The lady taking my order feigned shock. The chicken sandwich tasted great. Food trucks rule.

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.