Nude Nite Orlando.

Posted on by Thor

Nude Nite Orlando is at the Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expositions Park (4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, Florida) this year. It was scheduled to happen at Artegon but Artegon closed it’s doors for good. Nude
Nite is a dazzling pop up gallery, an art and entertainment event
celebrating the beauty of the nude. It brings together hundreds
of artists for three evenings of visual art, performance and a cast of
characters both in costume and out. Open to the public, tickets can
be purchased at the door. Show is 21+

I walked the event quickly and settled in to sketch the incomparable Nix Herrera who was doing exotic Art Nouveau body paintings, The woman was painted all black with golden stenciled patterns on her belly thighs and forearm. A heavy set man was being painted all bronze. They both had black fabric helmets. The woman had a thin face guard similar to a football he met and the bronze man had aviation goggles. The woman held an illuminated globe. Futuristic golden triangular forms were mounted around her nipples. She wore an expressions white mask giving her a statuesque flair. 

Selfismo had a painting with a man with an enormous penis. The penis looks like it is sticking out of a woman’s head in me sketch. A little for the back in the scene there was a confession area. Fire curtained booths allowed for the most sordid confessions. One confession read, “I an tucking my fiance’s best friend.” Another, promoting the confessional said, ” I showed my mom’s deck picks to my class.”

A common theme in the visual art displayed was of nude women under water. There must have been at leas ten photos and paintings of the aquatic setting. A very ugly mermaid was at another body painting station. A nude woman on stilts wandered through the crowd waving sinewy rainbow scarves. 

Tonight starting at 6pm is the last night to experience 25,000 SF of Nude Art and Entertainment.

WHEN: February 18 – 2017

WHERE: Central Florida Fairgrounds

4603 W. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32808

TIME: 6pm – 12am every nite

TICKETS: Available at door  (ATM onsite) $35

WHO: 21 and Over, ID Required

PARKING: Complimentary Abundant Self

FOOD: Provided for Purchase

Weekend Top 6 Picks for February 18th and 19th.

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Saturday February 18, 2017.

Noon to 3pm Free, but beer costs. Bach and Beer. The Ravenous Pig 565 W. Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789. Join the Bach Festival Society and Cask & Larder for the release of a limited-edition beer, the 2017 Brandenburger Bock, brewed to commemorate the 82nd Annual Bach Festival in Winter Park. The event, held at Cask and Larder Brewery‘s sister restaurant, The Ravenous Pig will also feature live performances.

The 2017 Branderburger Bock, brewed by Cask and Larder head brewer Larry Foor, will be produced in a style that mimics the methods of brewing in Germany during the 18th century to ensure the beer is similar to the ones with which Bach was so smitten. In addition to unveiling his newest beer, Larry has invited several other local breweries to brew beers paying homage to Bach. Each brewery will showcase its own German-style beer during the event. Full list of participating breweries will be announced closer to the event.

The limited edition beer will be available on tap until it runs out and also will be sold in 32-ounce to-go crowlers.

4pm to 8pm Free.  Cruisin’ Downtown DeLand Car Show. East Indiana Ave Downtown DeLand, Deland FL. Classic cars & rods.  Live DJ, giveaways, shopping and dining. Fun for the family! Every 3rd Saturday night!

6pm to Midnight $35. Nude Nite. Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expositions Park 4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, Florida.  Nude Nite is a dazzling pop up gallery, an art and entertainment event celebrating the beauty of the nude. Nude Nite brings together hundreds of artists for three evenings of visual art, performance and a cast of characters both in costume and out… Open to the public, tickets can be purchased at the door. Show is 21+.

Sunday February 19, 2017

10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Lake Eola Park, East Washington Street, Orlando, FL.

Noon to 1pm Free. Yoga. Grass lawn near the red Pagoda in Lake Eola Park.

Noon to 3pm Donation. Music at the Casa, Classical Guitarist Troy Gifford. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789

Lucy Medford’s 70th Birthday.

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I know Lucy Medford through her daughter Kelly Medford. Kelly is an expatriate painter living and painting in Rome. Her Mom lives just north of Orlando. It was a rare frigid night so it was nice to get inside for the warmth. Every Medford in America muss have been at the party. Before the potluck Before the potluck dishes were opened on the dining room table, I settled into the comfy couch and started to sketch.

There was a station set up for goofy photos with feather boas, pink hats, antennas and a frame announcing Lucy’s 70th. Some relatives were adventurous and wore the props throughout the party. I wanted to speak to Kelly about how she markets her Rome Sketch Tours. I want to offer more Orlando workshops and her insights would be invaluable. With every relative in attendance, I only had a few minutes to speak to Kelly. I’m hoping Skype, or just a few e-mails might answer my many questions.

Superbowl Party.

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On Super Bowl Sunday, I went to a gorgeous suburban home right on a lake. The yard was landscaped with bromeliads and other Florida native plants. There was a nice sized koi pond in the from yard. The crowd watching the game consisted of three woman and two guys, myself included. Now I haven’t watched football game all year) but I have to watch the super bowl. I pick the teem to root for based on how much I like their uniforms, so, I decided to root for the team in the red jerseys. Everyone else in the room was rooting for the same team. Our team got off to a great start with two touchdowns. The announcer said that no team had ever come back from a two touch down deficit.

The lead was extended and we all grew confident that this would be a rout. Number 34 however kept getting personal flags which resulted in the white jersey team getting first downs. Fans were irate. From my vantage point, I could sketch the whole room and I was right next to the potluck food table which had World Peas, Deviled eggs, White cauliflower that tasted it chick in wings, and sober bowl tots which was my contribution.

Half time with Gaga was entertaining, although, she kept jumping off screen. The drones above the stadium animated into patterns and logos. Quite impressive. I walked out back to watch the sun set across the lake. The spacious yard was like a nature preserve. I was told an eagle nests in the area. The final quarter of the game, the tide turned. Tom Brady kept advancing hi white Jersey teams yardage and in the final minutes the score was tied. In overtime, he kept that momentum to win the game. Everyone at our Superbowl party was stunned. What just happened? Why can’t I ever get behind a winning team? Well the company was spectacular and there was plenty of laughter. We had Tex Mex to eat after the game and those irresistible  thin mint girl scout cookies. I left feeling lucky to have been invited.

10th Annual Russell Athletic Bowl Parade of Bands.

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The City of Winter Park proudly hosted the 10th Annual Russell Athletic Bowl Parade of Bands, featuring West Virginia University and University of Miami. The parade was a prelude to the Russell Athletic Bowl game at 5:30 p.m. at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium that evening. School bands, cheerleaders and mascots marched through downtown Winter Park and performed a “Bandtastic Game Day Preview.” The parade started at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Park and Lyman avenues. School bands marched north along Park Avenue through downtown Winter Park. After turning west on Garfield Avenue, they proceeded to Central Park where they performed on the lawn in front of the band shell for all fans to enjoy.

I arrived a little early, and found a peaceful shady spot in the shade. Being in the park, I was safe from the Winter Park law that bans creating art on Park Avenue and Herald Square. The park is exempt from the Winter Park law which threatens 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for creating art in public. Excited children played near the fountain. People were seated curbside in lawn chairs waiting for the parade to start. By the time I had sketched the fountain, the bands could the heard in the distance. Bright yellow uniforms filled the street they marched by. Once both bands had marched by, everyone started walking towards the Central Park Band Shell. I walked over as well, but decided there wasn’t enough film for a second sketch. The event reminded me of my youth when we watched high school bands marching in my small home town. I remember covering my ears when drums marched by. The loud drumming vibrated my tiny frame. In all the Winter Park event had all the restrained charm of middle American ideals.

This is Our Youth.

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This is Our Youth, written by Kenneth Lonergan is running at Macbeth Studio, (37 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL) through February 25th. Billed as a comedy, the show, directed by Jeremy Seghers is actually quite dramatic. Set in a 1980s NYC apartment, the show looks at the relationship between two young men, one a domineering former high school jock, and part time pot dealer named Dennis (Jack Kelly) and the other, Warren (Austin DavisJack Kelly) just trying to escape from his father.

The play is set in Dennis’s apartment. The theater is actual a photographer’s studio on the 9th floor of a downtown office building. The audience watches the scenes unfold in the round since they are seated along a wall and in seats lining the other side of the room as well. David Horgan on of “Dem Guys” the hardcore Fringe patrons, sat beside me and we debated about the year the play was set in. The rotary phone predated cell phones. A TV guide on the floor placed the time around 1982. Books on the bookshelf further verified the detective work.

The play began with Dennis sprawled on his mattress watching TV.  The intercom rang repeatedly. He wanted to ignore it, but couldn’t. He buzzed up Warren, who had just left home and hoped to find a place to crash for a bit. Dennis buzzed with adolescent energy. As the two threw a football around the apartment, Warren managed to throw the ball into the book as breaking a sculpture that Dennis had of his girl friends. Dennis lost it, and wrestled Warren by the neck and punched him when he was down. The entire friendship was build around his bullying and belittling Warren.

Dennis was also schemer and he arranged to sell of his friends collection of vintage toys to raise cash. When he was gone, One of Dennis’s girlfriends,  Jessica (Monica Mulder) came up to the apartment. She was beautiful and Warren stumbled all over himself trying to impress her. His attempts were comical. Of course I was rooting for the geek to get the girl. Through all the awkward exchanges they were surprised that they have very common tastes. Warren stole money from his father when he left home, and he decided to use that money to take Jessica on a expensive night on the town, including an expensive hotel stay.

After the date Jessica stopped by the apartment a second time to see Warren. Although it was clear these two cared about each other, they started fighting. Intimacy sparked before they knew each other, so they were both defensive, trying to maintain boundaries. Warren’s favorite possession was a baseball hat from his grand father. Of all his possessions he asked his friend Dennis not to sell the hat. Jessica knew how important the hat was, and when Warren offered her anything for love, she asked for the hat. He was glad to give it to her. But he couldn’t find it. He searched the apartment in desperation. It was gone. So was any hope of winning Jessica’s love. They exchanged bitter words and were driven apart by a hat. It was painful to watch.

When Warren is bullied by his friend Dennis in the third act, I kept hoping that he would fight back. He would loose a physical confrontation but he needed to stand his ground. Friendships and relationships seemed to be about nothing but taking and steeling from one another. For a comedy, this is a dark view of the world. Politics however imply that this is the American way.

Remaining show dates are, February 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25
All performances @ 8:00PM

Tickets available.

Trash 2 Trends: a Recycled Runway Show.

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Trash 2 Trends was held at Ports of Call at Sea World. The program for the event had two pages of photos of Sea World staff rescuing sea turtles and dolphins. The pages proclaimed that 29,000 animals had been rescued. The entrance to the parks parking lot still sports fiberglass killer whales leaping in the misty light. Tilikum the killer whale this killed his trainer recently died of bacterial pneumonia. The killer whale lived in isolation having spent most of his life in captivity. In the open ocean killer whales swim thousands of miles in the endless expanse of the oceans. At Sea World they can only swim in circles in the tight constraints of the enclosures.

The hosts for the evening were Doug Ba’aser, Scott Maxwell and Miss Sammy. Miss Sammy wore a home made dress made from silver egg cartons and plenty of shot glasses. Doug took off his suit while he was on stage, Saying that he didn’t us n to get it dirty since he would have to return it the next day. He wasn’t kidding. Money raised at the fundraiser went to Keep Orlando Beautiful. Founded in 1987, KOB is a non profit organization that offers a variety of much needed community improvement services. They strive to create a healthier, safer, more livable and sustainable community environment.

Judges, seated at the end of the runway were, Commissioner Patty Sheehan, Barbara Hartley, Maxine Earhart, and Marcy Singhaus. In all 34 unique recycled dresses strutted down the runway. The judges pick for the best dress, was Far East Headlines – Read and Wear created by Sharon Huang. The intricate and opulent dress made the model look like a peacock. Love Conquers Hate by Meaghan Moreno won as the audience choice for the best use of materials. The audience choice votes were cast with dollar bills.  Love conquers hate had the stately mode wearing large white angel wings. The tips of the wings had thin hints of the colors of the rainbow. The 49 feathers each had the names of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Her golden crown was illuminated and the lower skirt also glowed.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for February 11th and 12th.

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Saturday February 11, 2017

Noon to 5pm Free. Indie-Folkfest 2017. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Indie-Folkfest 2016 drew thousands of festival-goers in celebration of local Florida music, artists, food and community.

The 2017 festival promises to be the biggest yet! Join us again as we showcase local, national and regional art, music and culinary talent in the beautiful lakeside Sculpture Garden of The Mennello Museum. This free family-friendly and pet-friendly event will take place on Saturday, February 11, 2017, from 12 to 5 p.m.

Interested in being an Indie-Folkfest sponsor? Download our sponsorship application here, or call 407.246.3294.

More details to come.

4pm to 6pm Free. Young Voices. JB Callaman Center 102 North Parramore Ave Orlando FL. Teen Open Mic Every second Saturday of the Month.

7pm to 9pm Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

Sunday February 12, 2017

1pm to 5pm Free Family Day on the Second Sunday. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents are available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in the galleries until 4:30 p.m.

5:30pm to 11:30pm $10 Southern Fried Sunday with Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, The WildTones, Clem Mcgillicutty and The Burnouts. Will’s Pub 1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803. 18+, $5 BBQ plates by Clay BBQ Watson!

Over the last three decades, Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys have kept up a constant cycle of traveling back and forth across the lower 48, then hopping across the pond to Europe and beyond. They bring with them a brand of American music that has earned them an induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, several national television appearances, guest spots on The Grand Ole Opry, and a slew of adoring fans.

“I truly love being out on the road, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to sing my songs all over the world,” said Sandy. “But when I’m away from the U.S. for too long, it’s like I need a recharge… like I need a solid dose of everything Americana. Give me a Chuck Berry song while rolling down the interstate, or a truck stop conversation with a waitress who once danced with Lefty Frizzell, and I’m good for another three thousand miles”.

10pm to Midnight. Free but get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

DRIP Presents The Blind Date Experience.

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Last year I painted nude couples portraits on Valentines Day. This year I went to DRIP (8747 International Dr Suite 102, Behind Denny’s and Senor Frogs, Orlando, Florida 32819) to sketch couples embracing during The Blind Date Experience. It was a challenge to convince couples to hug for ten minutes at a time. The black lighting in the venue added another challenge, since I couldn’t judge values or color. It was a grand experiment and I plan to try again despite the challenges. I’m thinking of working digitally next time working with filters to push towards a fast finish that I can paint and manipulate. It is worth experimenting.

Featuring interactive stations, gorgeous performers, full DRIP show with dancers performing in paint, flying water, colored sand, live rock band, and a Miracle Berry after party experimental taste testing, dancing, and 10 foot paint shower!

INTERACTIVE STATIONS

BLUE STATION: A new twist on Paint and Take. Be your own artist and show off what you got.

RED STATION: Come in blindfolded and relax as you experience the touch of your partner. Can it get spicy? Maybe….

YELLOW STATION: Know what you want to say, but cannot come up with the words? We make it easy

KISSING BOOTH: Snap all the selfies and group shots that you want in the photo booth area that is filled with X’s and O’s

CREATE YOUR OWN VALENTINE: Use upcycled materials to craft your own special valentine for your sweetheart.

T-SHIRT PULL: Feeling lucky? Take your chance at the T-shirt pull wall. Pick a crop top and see if you win the grand prize!! (Additional fee per pull)

FULL THEATRICAL SHOW

The show features a sordid love story with dancers performing in paint, flying water, and sand to a LIVE rock band. It’s a standing room experience. DRIP’s live rock band played.

THE COLOR BAR

Enjoy drinks by the color! DRIP’s Color Bar has Red, Blue, Orange and Yellow beer, cocktails, shots, wine and non alcoholic beverages for sale. This Valentine’s Day, a special flight of shots will be added that will not be as they appear to the eye.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

All Tickets Include:

-A Blind Date Blindfold to use at the event and take home.

-Special Edition DRIP Blind Date Experience T-Shirt for you to get colorful that night!

-Paint Station to paint yourselves and your sweetheart

-Kissing Booth

-3 interactive stations with souvenirs to take home

-Make your own upcycled Valentine station

-Full DRIP show with dancers and live band

-After party featuring the Miracle Berry

-Dancing

-Interactive Paint Shower

All Inclusive Tickets also include:

-Custom t-shirt cutting (have your special edition Blind Date shirt turned into a tank top, dress, corset, etc.)

-DRIPdanna Headwrap for you to wear and paint

-All you can drink until 11 PM (2.5-3 hours)

-Free pull at the T-Shirt Wall to win a prize

THE BLIND DATE TICKET PRICES

*Limited to 40 couples per show

General Admission Tickets:

Feb. 10: $39

Feb 11-25: $49

All Inclusive Tickets:

Feb. 10: $79

Feb 11-25: $89

More Info and Tickets.

Wine Bottle Art Fundraiser.

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Quantum Leap Winery (1312 Wilfred Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803) hosted thirty seven local artists who each painted a bottle of Quantum Leap Monterey Red or Pinot Grigio, in their own unique style. These “Mills 50 Artist Series” one of a kind bottles of wine were available during the silent auction at the event.

Appetizers were provided by Restaurant ASH, live music by Beemo as well as a raffle. Beer and wine was available for sale. Silent auction closed at 8pm. Proceeds supported Mills 50 and the amazingly talented artists! Money raised will help fund future art projects in Mills 50 District!

 A former Full Sail student of mine, Vicki Rushing, had painted a bottle with a Pulse theme. I remembered this student because she was always asking about my daily sketches. After Full Sail she landed a job doing multimedia design work for Lockheed Martin. Her bottle was bought by Michelle and she chatted with her new patron before she left. I believe most if not all the artists had painted dumpsters or water drainage sewers in the Mills 50 neighborhood.

Beemo’s performance kept the evening lively. Most of the night, two performers were on stage, but towards the end of the night a third performer joined them.