The Pollock Project (Abridged)

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Spending so much time working on the Mennello Museum Mural, I realized I never posted a sketch I did of the Beth Marshal production of “The Pollock Project.” This one act play was presented in the Mennello Museum gallery when Jackson Pollock’s actual paintings were on display. John Didonna played Jackson Pollock and Jennifer Bonner played his wife. I just saw them perform together this week in a music video being produced for Britt Daley. Douglas McGeoch played the part of a German photographer who wanted to photograph Pollack at work and get an interview.

John did an exceptional job playing the volatile and contentious artist. When the photographer questions Jackson’s “style“, the artist stormed out of the gallery shouting from another room in the museum. The audience who were seated in the museum gallery were right next to the performance. Jackson’s wife managed to sooth his ego. The interview resulted in Jackson defending his work and vision, enlightening the audience in the process. Combining theater in the museum setting helped bring this artist’s work to life in a new and exciting way. There was talk of bringing this type of production to other museums and I hope that idea takes flight.

Le Musee de l'impressionisme

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Robert Callender wrote a show that takes you through Le Musee de l’impressionisme room by room, with live musicians, dancers, and singers. The show was produced once in NY, so this was a chance to see it in Florida at the Timucua White House (2000 S. Summerlin Ave). Each musical number was based on a different impressionist painter, like Renoir, Monet, Bazille, Morisot, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Degas and Henri de Toulouse–Lautrec.

Once Terry and I got to the White House, I made my way to the third floor to start my sketch. I sat against the railing along with a couple from out of town. Terry went downstairs to open the bottle of wine we had bought. I knew the dancers were from Emotions Dance and I was excited to see them perform. Three female vocalists backed up Robert Callender and the band was talented and tight with two guitars, a sax, Trumpet, bongo drums, a full drum set played by Benoit Glazer, the evenings host, and a wind synthesizer.

Wine wasn’t allowed on the third floor so Terry never rejoined me. I got several texts from her where she praised the band. All of the dancing was improvised on the spot. I spoke with dancer, Cindy Michelle Heen, after the performance and she described how she lost herself in the music and the energy from the audience. Her body moved freely without the restrictions of second guessing. I sketched the dancers when they came out in bright red skirts for the Lautrec piece. For an inspired moment I felt like I was at the Moulin Rouge. Durring the second half of the performance, Paula Large sat at an easel in the back corner of the stage and she did a composite caricature sketch of the performers.

Red Chair Affair Rehearsal

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As I approached the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center the sun was beginning to set, illuminating the clouds a deep crimson red. The guard at the stage door asked if I was a performer. I decided to say, “Yes”. She pointed me to the dressing rooms. I wandered the back stage halls searching for any sketch opportunity. Stage hands raised and lowered two shrouds which I suspect will be used by an Orlando Aerial Arts acrobat. I tried to stay clear as curtains were raised and lowered. The director John Di Donna offered me a seat on the front of stage right. After listening to the director’s notes I now finally have stage right and house right straightened out in my mind.

A woman in a sleek black dress kept tapping the stage with her toes listening to the sound difference between the main stage and the temporary stage built over the orchestra pit. It turned out she was a Flamenco dancer and she was one of the first to perform. Her bright red shawl was removed from her neck as she danced. It fluttered to the ground. When her performance was over, John walked up to the cameraman seated in front of me and said, “I loved your close ups on her feet as she danced.”

I sketched the Orlando School of Cultural Dance. The school’s director, Julie Coleman lead the singing. Drums set the beat to an African Rhythm. Young children danced to the beat pushing themselves in a vibrant dance. Eric Yow introduced his dance company, Yow Dance saying, “Rhythm is the one constant in life.” His dancers moved to the strumming of an acoustic Spanish guitar piece. Emotions Dance performed a piece called 5th Avenue which was about materialism in modern society. Larissa Humiston, the company’s founder and choreographer hoped the dance might spark discussion. She also pointed out that, “Art brings people together.”

The Red Chair Affair is a great way to see what is happening in the Orlando Arts and Culture scene all in one evening of non-stop performances. The Affair is happening TONIGHT at the Bob Carr. The doors open at 7pm and the stage show starts at 8pm. General admission is $22, students and seniors are $15. There is still time to get tickets, call 407-872-2382. You can also get tickets at the Red Chair website.

Red Wine Wednesdays

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Every Wednesday between 5pm and 8pm, the Global Beer Lounge and Grill (301 Church Street) across from the Amway Center, offers a $15 unlimited select wine and beer. I arrived shortly after work. Yvonne Coleman of WLOQ 103.1 FM was seated at a table using her laptop. The corner of the room was set up as a stage with saxophones and trumpets neatly arranged in a semicircle. I decided to camp out at the end of the bar which offered a clear view of the musicians. They were doing a sound check. Yvonne let me know that the musicians would start playing later as the place filled up.

I focused on the setting and composition. The musicians were sketched in quickly when they took to the stage. As expected the jazz was lively and entertaining. The musicians paced the room walking table to table. There was a table full of women and the sax player serenaded them with his saxophone and squealed as he reached his credcendo. After the first set, Yvonne introduced me to Guy Rawlings of WESH Channel 2 and Paul Stevens from a Circle of Friends.

When I packed up my art supplies, the place was packed. The evening was just getting started.

Art Critique Group

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Once a month Parker Sketch invites 16 artists to gather to talk about art. Each artist is allowed 10 minutes to discuss their art or process. Then the other artists offer their opinions. For the August gathering the event was fully booked within a day. We all met at Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Drive). There were deserts and drinks on a folding table and the room was filled with folding chairs.

As artists filtered in they were invited to place their work in a back room. Names were written on Parker Sketch business cards and then placed in a bowl. Cards were picked at random to decide who showed their work first. Les Jarvela introduced everyone as they arrived. He must have a photographic memory. I sketched Chauncey Nelson who displayed a round painting which had a variety of different sized white balls arranged on it. The piece reminded me of Urban planning. It envisioned to me a city of the future. Chauncy had shown a realistic painting at the last art critique I had attended so this seemed like a departure for him into new territory. He did the piece with the idea of exhibiting the round painting in a square show. He used tapioca for the smallest spheres. Ping pong balls and a few larger balls completed the piece. Everything was white. He was considering painting one small ball red and titling the piece, “Why me?” He pulled a small Christmas light crown out of his pocket and put it on one of the balls. He considered another title, “Balls cried the Queen!” Everyone laughed.

Patti Ballard showed several of her multi media paintings of wide eyed children. She incorporated collage elements in exciting and unexpected ways. For instance a beach scene had a grid pattern hidden under the ocean. The girl’s dress was an intricate fabric pattern. Seen up close this layering of elements really worked. The world she created had a solemn colorful sadness.

I showed some of my studies for the Mennello Museum mural and asked for advice on how to reproduce a watercolor sketch look to the large scale of the wall. There was a lively discussion on mediums and methods I could use to execute the work. I kept taking notes. Getting so much feedback this early in the process was exhilarating. I love that there is such a wide variety of work shown. Abstract artists offer new insight to representational artists and visa versa. Parker Sketch’s paintings were already on the walls and he brought in a couple of new pieces. He asked how he should market his work. A long lively discussion followed but ultimately everyone agreed that in the end the work should speak for itself.

It was late when the last artist showed their work. Parker invited the remaining artists to continue the discussion at a bar across the street. I decided I should get home. Terry was already asleep. I crawled into bed and she didn’t stir.

Spring Awakening Auditions

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Jeremy Seghers invited me to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater a while back to sketch young actors as they gathered to audition for “Spring Awakening“. A woman at a folding table had the actors and actresses fill out a form. Then they waited nervously in the hall. When actors gather for an audition it is like a reunion. The hallway filled with exited conversation. I had seen one production of Spring Awakening produced by Jeremy Seghers that stayed true to the original script. The play followed the lives of students in a turn of the century German University as they discovered their sexuality. A mother stumbled awkwardly as she tried to relate the facts of life to her daughter. She was unsuccessful. The daughter then ends up getting pregnant. Serious issues of rape and homosexuality are dealt with. I’m curious to see how music of Duncan Sheik and the lyrics of Steven Sater might ignite this story.

Since this production was based on the Broadway musical, each actor and actress came prepared to sing. The accompanist was late, so actors who came with a music CD to sing to got to go first. An actress went into the women’s room where she started singing. When she was called into the Goldman, she turned to her friends and said, “Wish me luck”. Behind the closed doors of the Goldman Theater I could hear her muffled singing. Actors who impressed the director, Paul Castaneda, would be called back another day for another audition.

Spring Awakening runs through September 4th at the Shakespeare Theater. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 7:30pm. Tickets are $18 and $15 for students and seniors. Call 407-872-8451.

Marilyn Wattman-Feldman

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Marilyn is a metastatic breast cancer survivor. I joined her when she went to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for ongoing treatments. She was diagnosed as HER-2 Positive. S This means that there is the possibility that the cancer could return. he returns to the hospital every three weeks for treatments. On this trip she was getting an IV of the targeted drug Herceptin. A nurse explained how the drug works. Hormones are what make tumors grow. Herceptin binds to receptors thus blocking them from triggering tumor growth. Yolanda took Marilyn’s vitals. Marilyn has been to M.D. Anderson many times before. She has already lived through the rigors of chemotherapy. The Herceptin treatments have been working.

There is a small subdural port permanently inserted in Marilyn’s upper chest. This allows for the insertion of the IV tube without any pain. She pulled open the neck in her T shirt so the nurse could hook up the IV. Marilyn outlined the many subtle changes in hospital policy she has seen over the years. The newest policy is that every patient must wear identification bracelets. She feels that the nursing staff at M.D. Anderson are the best. The nurses are skilled and do their work with compassion. Volunteers at the center are cancer survivors themselves and volunteering is their way to give back.

Marilyn’s relaxed demeanor made it obvious that this is part of a regular routine. She was offered a box lunch and gladly accepted. “You should see the bills, of course I’m going to have lunch”, she joked. Having sat through so many treatments over the years, she can quickly see when someone is new to the process. She makes sure to talk to them offering hope and reassurance. Besides the treatments, Marilyn exercises. Exercise is the one thing she can do to personally improve her health, the one thing she can control. She takes Zumba Latin dance classes, aqua aerobics and Tai Chi. She now has a blog that chronicles her fight against breast cancer. As she said, “Everyday in every way I am getting better and stronger.” These are strong and inspiring words to live by.

Sunday Art Market

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Every Sunday, Blank Space (201 East Central Blvd) hosts an Art Market. The market is open between noon and 5pm. The Lake Eola Farmers Market is happening at the same time so I believe they hope to attract the resulting foot traffic. When I stopped in, 11 artists, most of them women, had their work on display. After inspecting all the art I finally decided to focus on the dark quirky work of Kassandra Kharis for my sketch. She had two circular tables shoved together with a deep red tablecloth draped over as a unifying backdrop. She had shadow boxes filled with found objects with blood red hearts being the unifying theme. Time pieces, springs, stilettos, money and spattered blood set the mood in these Goth images. The lost and found hearts were all punctured, broken, ripped apart and scared. The work had the intimacy of doll house miniatures with bold splashes of the grotesque.

Tracy Lulu Brown seated next to Kassandra had a landscape painting on her easel. She had a box full of painting supplies and a Jack Skelington bag. I kept hoping she would work on the canvas but she didn’t. I sketched her quickly as she opened a paper bag. The walls were covered with delicate photos of flowers and intricate calligraphy. There was a constant stream of people who would stop and talk to the artists.

Joe David Bellamy Talk and Book Signing.

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Author and writing your life instructor, Patricia Charpentier, hosted an evening with Joe David Bellamy at the Marks Street Recreational Complex (99 E. Marks Street in Downtown Orlando.) discusses the motivation behind writing, “Kindred Spirits: 400 Years of an American Family“, his approach and how he accomplished this labor of love. Joe is very intrigued by family history and he became a dedicated researcher when he realized that much of what had been written about his family’s history was wrong. He pointed out that we are living in a revolutionary time with the Internet making information easily available and DNA testing making genetic family ties irrefutable. Ninety two percent of the people who lived and died on this planet left no trace of their life.

When he spoke about the actual process of writing, he became animated. He said, “Writing should feel like play. Spontaneity is part of the pleasure of writing.” He stressed that “finding your voice” is the most important part of becoming a writer. He told us the story of how his father met his mother. His father moved to another state and began selling vacuum cleaners to make a living. When he entered one home he was taken with a picture of a young woman on a mantle. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he said so. He sold the vacuum. Several weeks later he returned to see if the vacuum was working. The woman was in the next room on the phone setting up a date. He walked in and said, “It’s a shame you have a date because I was going to ask you out.” She broke her date. Lightning struck them both.

Joe pointed out that statistically speaking, cousins often end up marrying cousins. He found the same thing happened in his family. Two sisters moved to separate states and each had children. When the children met, not knowing they were related, they were instantly attracted. Just like the mom was attracted to her own son in “Back to the Future.” Joe’s parents were kindred spirits and they never knew it.

There Will Be Words

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There will be words featured local authors reading excerpts from prose they had written. The event happens on the second Tuesday of every month at Urban ReThink. When I arrived I spotted Darlyn and Brad Kuhn who had recently been married. I congratulated them and hope to attend a celebration in their honor at the end of the month. I then sat next to Leslie Silvia to talk visual art as the stage was set. Lesly did the cover and all the headers for the “Best of Orlando” issue of the Orlando Weekly. She executed the assignment using silhouetted paper cut outs.

When the authors were ready to read, I went upstairs for a birds eye view. Jana Waring was introduced as being the “Best Local Author” as voted by Orlando Weekly readers. She read a short story in which the protagonist didn’t like pets. She described manic and unpredictable pets from her childhood. With plenty of tongue in cheek humor, she indeed convinced me that owning pets is insane.

Jared Silvia read a hilarious piece about Lobster Fest. I laughed the whole time realizing I’m just as much of a misguided geek at heart. Darlyn Finch read a touching story about a present she had brought for her ill brother. Knowing he had recently lost the battle, often forgetting those who loved him before he died. Darlyn has a way of writing from the gut that I admire. Small collectible books called “chapbooks”, were hand bound of each of the author’s stories. The evenings host, J. Bradley, announced that we should buy them now before the authors died and the value of their words escalated. There is something very rewarding about being in a room of people sharing their stories. Events like this remind me that Orlando has a thriving literary community.