Monthly Artist Critique

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I always enjoy going to the Monthly Artist Critique at The Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803). Artists get a chance to share their work in front of an audience of their peers. It is a chance to learn about other artists work and a chance to find out how the work was created and the artists goals in creating the piece.

It doesn’t matter what kind of art you do, artists include oil painters, paper makers, glass artists, found object sculptors, video artists, watercolor painters, ceramicists, artists who draw and collage, jewelry artists, print makers, etc. It also doesn’t matter how much experience you have. Some artists have never shown and others are nationally recognized competition winners. The point is to get people from many different styles, backgrounds, and experience levels together to talk about everyone’s work!

The discussions have included pricing, finding materials, technique, framing, exhibition opportunities, and, yes, traditional critique. We are trying to mix different artists and get them talking about art! Everyone’s art is shown individually, and talked about for about 10 minutes. The idea is not only to get other people to talk about your art, but to spend the evening talking about everyone’s art!

The critique is about showing brand new art, the newest art that you have. And if more than one piece is shown, it should be part of a series. Or if they aren’t part of a series, make sure that you are prepared to talk about the art as a group.

49 Globes.

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The City of Winter Park responded to the Pulse nightclub shooting but hanging 49 globes in Central Park around the Albin Polasek, “Emily Fountain.” These illuminated globes usually are hunk up and down Park Avenue during the Christmas holidays. This mini memorial garnered plenty of attention. During the course of doing this sketch people kept dropping at the fountain to take cell phone photos. Every color of the rainbow was used. It was a small visual hint of hope in the face of tragedy. Despite the cities over controlling and unconstitutional ordinances that limit free speech, they do know how to honor and cherish the memory of lives lost.

When walking home from a quick sketch competition in Central Park, I saw a chalk outline of a human body on the sidewalk. On October 15, 2016  Roger Thomé Trindade a Brazilian transfer student at a Winter Park school was beaten to death by 3 youths. One of the three bragged about delivering the fatal knockout punch.  Two of the youths, Simon Hall, 15, and Jesse Sutherland, 15, were released on bail in February 2017 pending the trial. They were under house arrest. Authorities say Simon Hall threw the first punch and spit on Roger when he was down. The State attorney did report that Jaggar Guorda, 14, one of the three youths accused in the homicide, will receive his sentence on June 12, 2017. Gourda is accused of initiating the sequence of events that lead to the attack by spraying teens with spunk spray. He is also accused of threatening a middle school girl, saying if she mentioned the fight, she would pay. As of April 6th, 2017 there still was no sentencing in the trial of the three youths.

Quick Draw Competition

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Artists in the competition had only two hours to complete their work. During this time, all registered participants set up their supplies and painted or drew in downtown Winter Park. Blank canvases were be stamped the morning of the event to ensure that all paintings are created during the limited time frame.

I decided to sketch Renee Lammers who painted the Albin Polasek “Emily Fountain“. Prior to the whistle announcing the start of the competition, she did a thumbnail drawing in a small tin which just held tiny sheets of paper and a pencil. She saw me starting to sketch and came over. She was concerned that I was sketching Emily’s butt. She suggested I come over to her bench which had a better view of Emily and her harp in profile. the second the whistle sounded she stood and used the thumbnail sketch to block in her painting. A Winter Park resident looked over Renee’s shoulder watching every brush stroke. I almost sketched the resident and then thought better of it.

I walked the park counting the artists and watching their progress. About 19 artists competed with most remaining in Central Park. Several artists ventured to the farmers market which is usually illegal to paint. Another artist ventured as far as Casa Feliz. The air horn used to start and stop the competition was eco-friendly being just a soda bottle with 80 pounds of air pressure.

After the paintings were completed, they were displayed on the artists’ easels in Central Park for an Art Stroll from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The public voted for their favorite piece to win the People’s Choice Award. Prizes were awarded in the following categories: First Prize – $250 went to Mike Pintar; Second Prize – $150 went to Matthew Cornell; Third Prize – $75 went to Arielle Study; People’s Choice – $100, sponsored by the City of Winter Park went to John Nadeau.

 The
Earth Day Quick Draw Competition is a lead-up event to the Albin
Polasek Museum’s signature annual event, the Winter Park Paint Out plein
air festival. The 9th Annual Winter Park Paint out will be held from
April 23 to 29, 2017, with an entire week of free programming and
events. Visit winterparkpaintout.org for more information and a schedule of events.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for April 15th and 16th.

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Saturday April 15, 2017

9am to 1pm. Free. Trump Tax March/Protest Orlando. Lake Eola Park, Downtown Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida 32801. “During the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to release his returns. However, White House senior adviser Kelly Anne Conway said on Sunday that he no longer planned to do so because “people don’t care.”

That inspired the calls for a protest on April 15, which would normally be tax day, but because it falls on a Saturday ― and since Emancipation Day follows ― taxes will actually be due on April 18 this year.”

Gather to spread love and prove that Orlando does not tolerate hate!

Donate so we can afford permits, and police presence/road barricades/etc to make sure this is a safe event!

2pm to 3:30pm Free. From the Queen of Plastics to the King of Rock. Orlando Public Library, 101 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801. Join us at the Orlando Public Library to hear Bob Kealing discuss his fascinating book projects. Kealing’s research and writing has inspired Orlando’s Jack Kerouac Project, restored the legacy of Tupperware pioneer Brownie Wise, and revealed pioneering country rocker Gram Parsons’ Winter Haven roots. Now, in Kealing’s new book, Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida, he uncovers the Sunshine State’s crucial role in Elvis Presley’s life and musical career. Join us for a fascinating first-hand look at how a skilled and dedicated journalist discovered little-known but important stories from Central Florida’s pop-culture past.

Bob Kealing is an Edward R. Murrow and four-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist at WESH-TV who is also a historian of Florida’s popular culture. He has appeared on national programs such as Dateline NBC, the Today Show, and CBS This Morning and published articles in magazines and newspapers across the country.

8pm to Midnight. Free. Bungalower Bazaar powered by Cooper’s Craft. 514 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803.  Bungalower and Cooper’s Craft have joined forces to bring you a night filled with Orlando’s best makers, in a new event space in Ivanhoe Village, run by our friends at FACTUR.

Sip on fancy cocktails, shop for local wares, and eat too many tamales at this fun event.

Sunday April 16, 2017 (Easter Sunday)

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

Noon to 1pm. Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, East Washington Street, Orlando, FL. Near Red Pagoda.

7pm to 9pm Free. Orlando Director’s Forum. Valencia College East Campus 701 N Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, Florida 32825. A group of Orlando’s most stylistically diverse stage directors will participate in a free and open forum at Valencia College’s East Campus. This event will be a great opportunity to hear unique perspectives on inspiration, casting, rehearsal process, trouble-shooting, and overall creative process of directing. Seth Kubersky will host a moderated discussion followed by a Q and A with attendees.

Featuring (in alphabetical order)

Rob Winn Anderson: Consulting Artistic Director – Garden Theatre

Mike Carr: Artistic Director – SAK Comedy Lab

John DiDonna: Program Chair of Theater – Valencia College, Director/Creator – Phantasmagoria

Pam Harbaugh: Director – Theater on the Edge

Beth Marshall: Producing Artistic Director/Theatre Artist – Beth Marshall Presents

Eric Pinder: Director In Residence – Opera Orlando

Donald Rupe: Director of Theatre – Central Florida Community Arts

Jeremy Seghers: Independent Producer and Director

Hearts at the Science Center

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After the horrible loss of life at Pulse, the Orlando Science Center started a community art project in which guests created origami hearts in each of the colors of the rainbow. These hearts were then assembled an hung on strings. There had to be thousands of hearts. The plan was to hang all these hearts in the glass encased walkway between the garage and the Science Center. The strings of hearts were arranged and hung from pvc which was then hung in the walkway rafters. The final result was a spectacular rainbow of hearts leading to the Science Center entrance.

On this day museum staff were taping hearts to strings on their lunch break. Many hands made for small work with plenty of socializing. Clearly this break room is also used for birthday celebrations. I believe it is one of the science classrooms.

First Thursdays at the Orlando Museum of Art.

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Every first Thursday of each month the Associates of the Orlando Museum of Art host “Orlando’s original art party” from 6-9 pm. The event gives patrons an opportunity to discover local artists, listen to live music and mingle with an eclectic mix of people. There are cash bars serving wine, beer, soft drinks and water, and café offerings from area restaurants.

 On this evening, a beautiful 19 year old ballerina was posing for s sculptor and several sketch artists. s8nce I carry my own chair, I sat down and joined in. I arrived as the model was resting. Bernie Martin beside me was putting finishing touches on a spontaneous watercolor. Bob Hague was seated across from me using a camera tripod as an easel. It is a compact solution that I would like to emulate.

The sculptor, Steve Pi specializes in nude dancers. You can always see his work on the bar at White Wolf Cafe  (1829 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804).

La Maschera Goes Parisian Ooh La La!

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La Maschera was presented by Goose Island: Madame Rose, Sofie, Matilda and Pere Jacques. Guests enjoyed a journey back to Paris in the 1890s, when impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created his most famous works of art. How could I resist the temptation to sketch in the Abbey, turned into the Moulin Rouge, the birthplace of the modern Can-Can dance? The Montmartre neighborhood is the symbol of creativity, pleasure, beauty, and celebration.

People dressed up for an evening of live entertainment, dancing,
a silent auction,
gourmet food, beer
and wine.
Proceeds from this event benefited the Downtown Arts District. I wanted to play the part of Toulouse, but I’m just too tall. My only option to dress a bit French was to wear a striped shirt. During the course of the evening, however, I found out that the stripes were in the wrong direction. French stripes are horizontal, but mine were vertical.

I sketched the band and the lovers seated together. Rather than do a third sketch, I sat with friends and sipped a glass of wine. The dance floor was full. Maxine Earhart was a hurricane of social activity and I was swept up and seated strategically. The evening’s laughter cemented the start of a new friendship. The promise of a complimentary bottle of wine and dinner was interrupted by Hurricane Matthew, which blew apart my social plans by shutting down Orlando, yet creating a common bond in the face of danger. Lawn furniture was secured and every imaginable lawn missile was placed in the garage. We were told not to sleep, so the TV announced the storm’s progress while we watched the animated swirling storm maps. I finally went to bed the next morning knowing the worst of the winds had passed. There was no damage, but returning life to normal would take time.

Panera Bread by Lake Eola.

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I’m starting a series of paintings of Lake Eola. The plan is to do consecutively larger oil painting to break away from the watercolor I do every day. Panera Bread at Lake Eola (227 N Eola Dr, Orlando, FL 32801) has become a place where I like to eat and relax before or after painting. There are alwa5s people hanging out and working on their computers which makes them captive models. I am also working on a book about sketching on cafes, so there will be many more sketches and articles about Orlando’s best Cafes here on Analog Artist Digital World.

I have also discovered that the Saturday Lake Eola farmer’s market is a vibrant place to sketch. There was a health and fitness fair last week and the huge grass lawn in front of Panera was filled with people doing yoga. There were three groups, the beginners, intermediate and then the advanced students who were paired up and doing calisthenic poses. (the person would lie on the mat and 6se their legs to elevate their partner. The partners pelvic bone would be supported and when they leaned forward they would look like they were flying. Really ambitious students did hand stands with their shoulders supported by their partners feet. There was a spotter on hand in each case to be sure no one got hurt. I’m not that ambitious, but I do want to catch the gestures. 

Panera bread will be closing at the Lake Eola location this year. Panera wants to have drive throughs at their restaurants and this lovely 1920s building doesn’t have that option. There is construction going on to improve the roofing but that probably doesn’t have anything to do with the move.

Bone Fish

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Bone Fish

(7830 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819) was a regular hang out when I lived in Metro West. They have very tasty Manhattans and other cocktails. S9me dr7njs come with a glow stick as a stir stick. I would order a drink just to experience the glow. The dinner menu is also good. I almost always order a saucy shrimp dish. 


I did this sketch while waiting for a friend. I seldom post unfinished sketches, but there are rare occasions where I run out of time. A sketch is by definition incomplete, I need to keep reminding myself of that. Pictured is the waiting area outside the restaurant front door. Palm trees and evening breezes keep guests comfortable if they don’t want to muscle up to the bar.

FAVO post modern roadside ceremony.

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FAVO is a former roadside motel that is now being uses in part as artist studios. Once a month on Friday the studios are opened to the public for an art stroll.

In August, one of the studios was opened up as a performance space. The audience sat on church pews lined up on the right wall. A synthetic green grass carpet was on the floor. A plastic or fiberglass basin stool table like on the grass. Chunks of road asphalt were strewn in the basin. Many of the chunks has the road’s yellow center-line on them. Clumps of grass grew between the chunks of asphalt. The scene was illuminated by a large telephone pole street lamp.

Two young women wearing white and black evening gowns and lace head shawls performed a long elaborate chant. If there were words uttered they must have been in Greek. At times they knelt in the grass and bowed their heads.

From a small card in motel room window I discovered that the ceremony had something to do with the motels beginnings as an example of roadside modernism. Originally built as the Davis Park Motel in 1957, it is an example of Googie style architecture. Googie was the name of a coffee shop in Los Angeles designed by John Lautner. These designs have an element of cartoon futurism, as in the Jetsons mixed with mid century modernism.

Frankly I didn’t understand what the ceremony was about, but perhaps that was the point.