Beautiful Together, An artistic journey toward hope at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

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Through a variety of art forms, over 50 local Orlando arts groups joined together to honor the lives and sacrifices of those involved in the tragic events in Orlando. Proceeds go to OneOrlando Fund. I stopped in early to sketch the rehearsal. Getting so many acts onto the stage in such a short amount of time must have been a monumental undertaking.  Cole Nesmith helped bring together all the arts groups at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. of course it takes a small army to pull together so much talent in one place. 

The most emotionally wrenching moment of the rehearsal came as the orchestra played a mournful symphonic piece I have heard before, but as not name. As the soothing notes fill the large empty theater, someone began to read all the names of the victims of the Pulse terrorist attack tragedy. White flower pedals fell from the rafters into a cool pool of a spotlight. One pedal fell for every name. It was impossible not to become emotionally overwhelmed. Afterwards, a beautiful ballet dancer performed in the pool of light. Her thin form stretched and reached yearningly for answers.

The gay chorus performed an inspired rendition of “True colors”. The attention to detail was in itself amazing. A huge chorus was high above the stage on rafters. Every chorus member wore a bold shirt that was one color of the rainbow. Two chorus members in red shirts were asked to separate to create uniformity. It became clear that I was witnessing a historic collaboration that might help bring hope and healing to a grieving community. I had hoped to write up an artist by midnight and post it the next day, but all me nerve endings are fried. I collapsed as soon as I got back home.

All of the flowers and candles from Lake Eola were moved to the memorial outside the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The History Center is collecting items from the memorial to preserve the history. I was told that all dead flowers would be returned to Lake Eola as compost, but I’m not so sure that is true now. The memorials were removed from Lake Eola to make way for the July 4th fireworks.

My Urban Sketching Class goes to the Hair Salon.

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I teach an Urban Sketching Course at Elite Animation Academy (8933 Conroy Windermere Rd, Orlando, FL). This semester, I have just 3 students which is an advantage, since it allows me to get the students into venues which might not work with a large class. The first half of the class was spent in the Elite Academy classroom, where I had the students do four drawings from different angles of one of the Disney Feature Animation desks. After those drawings were done, I posed four times and they had five minutes to work my pose into each sketch. This mimics my work routine, since I often arrive at a venue early to sketch the setting and then I sketch people as they arrive to the event.

For the second half of the class we went downstairs to Cavallo Hair Designers (894) Conroy Windermere Road Orlando FL.) I asked employees and costumers if it was alright to sketch, and every one was on board. My students sat in the waiting area chairs far from the action and I had to coax and encourage them to get closer. Helen, who must be in her 90s, was getting her hair curled. Her hair designer, James, was chatting away the whole time as he made her beautiful. It is a shame we arrived late in the process, because he said we should have done before and after sketches. His sister runs an arts organization in Brooklyn called Fiercely Curious.

When Helen’s hair was done, the designer used a hand held mirror to show her the results. “Oh, is that me?” she said. Her daughter and brother in law came into the shop with a wheel chair. It took quite a while to get her from one seat to the next. She was a very satisfied customer. I sensed that my students were a little frustrated that everyone kept moving. I tried to let them know that they should focus on some aspect of the scene that is stable once that frustration sets in. Sketch results varied, but it was a good lesson that we need to feel beautiful at any age. A second customer was having foil put in her hair. That would have been another great sketch opportunity, but we were out of time and needed to get back to the classroom.

The Fringe Closing Ceremony and Awards.

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On the final night of Fringe, Awards are handed out to all the best shows.On this 25th Anniversary of the Fringe Festival, over 50,000 tickets were sold. That resulted in $400,000 going to Fringe Artists. There were 119 sold out performances this year. The Fringe keeps getting bigger and better.

The out door Stage Tent got crowd for the ceremonies. Those who couldn’t fit inside the tent, sat in lawn chairs on the lawn of fabulousness. As awards went to the show with the most sold out performances the sky grew dark and it began to rain. Performers crushed inside the tent. I had been sitting on the outside of the front row but the wind whipped the rain onto my sketch page. I decided to move into t center of the tent and I sketched Beth Marshall and those around her as they watched the ceremonies.

So many awards were given out that I started to feel like I was the only person in the tent who didn’t get one. A new award was created for a Fringe Patron of the year, Dewey Chaffee and Douglas McGeoch presented the award. They reminisced about a. Fringe show that was going great, Dewey had the audience entranced in the palm of his hand, when a drunk audience member got sick and had to be escorted out of the theater. Dewey  tried to make it appear as if this was all part of the show. When the sick patron was gone, silence enveloped the theater. A very old lady sat the front row, and Dewey said to her, “If you are going to pick a moment to die, this would be the perfect time.” The audience couldn’t stop laughing and the show u back on track. Douglas then explained that Helen, the woman in the front row, then wrote the performers often, encouraging them to keep the faith as they struggled in New York City. Dewey got choked up as he spoke about her generosity. It took her some tin to get on stage to accept the award with her walker and the supporting hand of friends. It was a heart warming moment.

Edgar Allan performed by Katie Hartman, and Nick Ryan was named the best show by local critics. Other Critics Choice Awards winners included…

• Best play — comedy: ‘The Animatronicans’

• Best play — drama: ‘Thomas Jefferson: My Master, My Slave, My Friend’

• Best play — musical: ‘Simpleton: The Legend of President Trump’

• Best solo show — comedy: ‘Stewart Huff: Sense Ain’t Common’

• Best solo show — drama: ‘Rocket Man and Kaleidoscope, by Ray Bradbury’

• Best solo show — musical: ‘From Broadway to Obscurity’

• Best dance show: ‘VarieTease: Carnivale’

• Best physical-theater work: ‘Trick Boxing: Swingin’ in the Ring’

• Best original script: ‘Inescapable,’ by Martin Dockery

• Best female performance: Katie Hartman (‘Edgar Allan’)

• Best male performance: Jim Braswell (‘Thomas Jefferson’)

• Best ensemble performance: ‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche’

• Technical achievement: ‘Space’



Patrons Picks resulted in each show having an extra show added on Memorial Day.

• Blue – Sex With Animals

• Blue – Shirley Gnome: Real Mature

• Brown – 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

• Brown – Slut Like Me

• Gold – Simpleton: The Legend of President Trump

• Gold – Taffy and Tonya Live! At the Ramada Inn Key West

• Green – Fruit Flies Like a Banana – Alphabetical Disorder

• Green – Doro & Diega Explore Middle Class America!

• Orange – VarieTease: Carnivale

• Orange – Lil Women: A Rap Musical

• Pink – Bella Culpa

• Pink – The Foreplay: An Exploration of the Birth of our Nation

• Purple – 21 Chump Street – The Musical

• Purple – Murder Sleep

• Red – Inescapable

• Red – Women Behind Bars

• Silver – The Road To Zamboria

• Silver – God Is a Scottish Drag Queen IV

• Yellow – The Animatronicans

• Yellow – Peter Pan-ish: The Musical

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 2nd and 3rd.

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Saturday July 2, 2016.

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

8pm to 10pm Order food and or drink. Jazz Saturdays. Cork & Fork American Grill5180 S. Conway Road, Belle Isle, FL. Owner Orhan and Sheila Soysal continue, “We are so grateful this community has embraced us, and we are happy to bring even more offerings like our Sunday Brunch and Saturday Jazz to make us an even bigger part of everyone’s family and to certainly continue welcoming everyone into ours.”

8pm to 10pm Free. Shuffleboard at Orlando’s Beardall Courts. Orlando’s Beardall Courts 800 Delaney Ave Orlando FL. 1st Saturday of each month. Free fun! 

Sunday July 3, 2016

7pm to 10pm Free. Orlando (United) Drink and Draw, 49 Portraits. The Falcon 819 E Washington St, Orlando, Florida. Orlando Drink and Draw ventures to a new bar each month to sample beers and sketch. This month we will be doing sketches of the 49 victims of the Pulse Terrorist shooting. It would be nice to sketch the people who are still in the hospital as well. If you are an artist interested in participating, contact me with the portrait you would like to do. You can begin the portrait prior to the event or at the event itself. All mediums and sizes accepted.

 While this is a free event, The Falcon will be accepting optional donations of VISA Gift Cards for Pulse victim’s families and delivering them to The Venue where they will be distributed. You can also donate the Gift Cards to The Venue directly if you prefer. ♥ #PulseOfOrlando

We will be honoring the 49 by executing sketches of each…

1) Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
2) Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Artist: Lisa Ikegami
3) Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Artist: Colin Boyer
4) Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
Artist: Bob Hague
5) Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Artist: Lauren Jane
6) Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Artist: Charles Richardson
7) Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Artist: Shelaine Roustio
8) Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old
Artist: Wendi Swanson
9) Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Artist: Plinio Pinto
10) Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Artist: Thomas Thorspecken
11) Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Artist: KC Cali
12) Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Artist: Tony Philippou
13) Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Artist: Andrew Spear
14) Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Artist: Shelaine Roustio
15) Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Artist: Plinio Pinto
16) Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Artist: John Hurst
17) Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Artist: KC Cali
18) Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
19) Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Artist: Lisa Ikegami
20) Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Artist: Bob Hague
21) Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Artist: Thomas Thorspecken
22) Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Artist: Lauren Jane
23) Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Artist: Charles Richardson
24) Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old
Artist: Shelaine Roustio
25) Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Artist: David McWhertor
26) Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Artist: Colin Boyer
27) Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
28) Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
Artist: John Hurst
29) Kimberly Morris, 37 years old
Artist: Bob Hague
30) Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Artist: Lisa Ikegami
31) Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
32) Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
33) Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old.
Artist: KC Cali
34) Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Artist: Yuki
35) Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Artist: Charles Richardson
36) Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Artist: Betsy Brabandt
37) Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
Artist: Thomas Thorspecken
38) Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Artists: Betsy Brabandt
39) Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Artist: Shelaine Roustio
40) Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
Artist: Mitch Scott
41) Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Artist: Plinio Pinto
42) Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Artist: KC Cali
43) Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Artist: Lauren Jane
44) Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Artist: John Hurst
45) Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Artist: Plinio Pinto
46) Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Artist: Lisa Ikegami
47) Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Artist: Thomas Thorspecken
48) Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Artist: Plinio Pinto
49) Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old
Artist: Lisa Ikegami

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 and laugh, or give it a try yourself.


10pm to Midnight Free, but get a coffee. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL. 407 482-5000

Little Shop of Horrors on the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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One of my favorite musicals is Little Shop of Horrors. I used to blast the songs a I painted in my dark ramshackle apartment in NYC and dreamed of living in a greener more magical place. Disney Feature Animation fulfilled that dream bringing me to Orlando, but all dreams come to an end.

A lanky tall actor and sexy actress sang “Suddenly Seymour“. That song gave me hope that anyone can find love given the right circumstances. I was, and perhaps still am the innocent nerd dreaming of a better life full of love and mutual respect. I should be jaded in a world without trust, but I keep hoping regardless. Just as I fell, with broken wings, someone stood beside me to listen and share. Long honest conversations offered hope that someone can understand. Others have walked this path alone.

The karaoke DJ raised his iPhone which showed a lighter flame flickering. Had there been a crowd, they would have went wild. Little Shop of Horror was followed by Rent and then Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a great afternoon of music.

Karaoke at the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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With so much raw talent on the Fringe‘s green lawn of fabulousness, it wasn’t hard to keep the music going at Fringeoke. Heather, was dressed as Lady Liberty with a black cape. The painted on black eye mask made her look like a superhero whose power was the ability to sing.

My favorite performance of the afternoon was by TJ Dawe. He is a master storyteller who had a show at this year’s Fringe about how his first acid trip changed his life. At first he sang the lyric off the computer screen, but then he switched gears and started making up his own lyrics. He sang with some inspired gusto raising his fist in the air. It was an amazing performance and about five people crowded the stage, shooting iPhone videos of the performance. That was a once in a lifetime performance. That is why live theater is so exciting. Anything can happen.

Stephanie and Arias on the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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Stephanie and Arias performed on the outdoor stage at this year’s Fringe Festival. They harmonize beautifully.  I imagine they are a young couple very much in love. Their original music resonated with me. Love in my life however has become confusing with no solid bedrock. My past haunts me and forgiveness is something I will never be granted. The music was sweet and sincere but my heart was in a different place. I chased imagined ideals and ignore the reality of what is in front of me. Perhaps sketching is a distraction to keep me from facing who I am or what I have become.

One friend forced me to face mistakes I have made. Were morals lost along the way? I am rootless, a tumbleweed. I realize now that grief must be faced alone. Grief can and probably should last for years. Perhaps turning to my sketching will help me find my roots again. I always claimed that writing these posts would help me put down roots in Orlando. I need to put down roots of devotion. I have no solid floor. Some tiles shift and fly up with no mortar. Others cling tightly refusing to let go. There is no sure footing. I lost trust in love, and then I thought I found joy and affection again by opening up to a friend. There was a level of intimacy in some of these conversations that I had never experienced before. I then discovered that this friend had no trust in me. Trust needs to be earned. This stung worse than the even larger losses I am going though right now. I am transparent and easily judged. Perhaps I need to turn to meditation. I have no clear, open, sane, relaxed point of view about how to live a fulfilling life. I have no home. Isn’t sketching a form of meditation? It makes me fully present, and it drowns out the noise. This one simple action of doing one sketch a day is the one strength I fall back on. I need to find other sources of strength. I realize that I am lost… How did all this come from listening to this couple sing. They seem so happy. They seem to be living on love alone. Ideals get dashed. Time is short.

On the tent wall behind the performers, Carl Knickerbocker, a local artist was projecting a short film memorializing the life of artist, Morgan Steele. I met Morgan at an Eco Action lake cleanup this past February. He was curious about my art and we talked for some time. He remained on shore with me as volunteers in canoes explored Lake Virginia cleaning up it’s shores of garbage. I sketched him as he leaned up against a cross in the shade of a live oak. Shortly after that day, he lost control his car, which careened into some cement construction barricades as as he returned home from Stardust Video and Coffee. Some claimed that my sketch of Morgan prophesied his early death. Life is short and love fleeting. Art crumbles.

Angel Action Wings for Orlando

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Experienced volunteer seamstresses were needed on Friday, June 24th at Orlando Shakespeare Theater

(812 East Rollins St. Orlando, FL), to build “Angel Action Wings” for the upcoming Pulse Benefit at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday evening, June 28th. After the concert, 49 angels (one for each of the fallen) will be standing in tribute on the lawn of the Dr. Phillips Plaza.

The Orlando Shakespeare costume shop coordinated the effort. Volunteers brought their own scissors, seam rippers, rulers, etc. Sewing machines, sergers and materials were provided by the costume shop. 

 Jeannie Marie Haskett coordinated the effort while also getting children setup for the first day of theater summer.I arrived straight from work and Jeannie gave me a warm welcome. The scenic shop was ablaze with activity. Several dozen Disney Voluntears were busy ironing, folding and putting final touches o the wings. 49 PVC structures were built to hold the wings on people’s shoulders. the completed wing span is about six feet. H will be an impressive sight when these 49 angels stand in front of the performing arts center.

On June 28, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando
will host a special “Beautiful Together” event to benefit the OneOrlando
fund for the victims of the Pulse shooting. Over 50 local arts organizations have signed on to perform or present, including the Orlando Gay Chorus and the UCF Choir. The event will start at 8 p.m. in the Walt Disney Theater. Tickets start at $15.

Latin Night, Pulse Fundraiser.

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Wild Side BBQ (700 E Washington St, Orlando, FL) hosted a Pulse fundraiser. Like the night of the horrific event that left 49 dead and 53 injured, this event will have a Latin theme. The funds will benefit employees, and many of them are expected to be at the event. Performers and DJs from the bar will also be on hand, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

I arrived fairly early. Rainbow table cloths covered folding tables that had raffle items in the center of Washington Street. Rainbow flags also adorned every flag pole. The Wild Side slogan is, Peace, Love, BBQ. The crowd slowly got thicker as the sun set. Roxy, a real estate broker, really wanted to get into the sketch. Since the lire word was inked, there wasn’t a spot to place her. My scene was fully populated. She wore a bright pin flower on her shirt and had a matching pink flower  in her hair. People with dog were quite popular, and a photographs staged a photo of children petting 2 dog.

With my first sketch done, I went back to the large stage set up behind Wild Side in the parking lot. The Rico Monico Band was playing. They were playing covers of rock and roll standards. Their set was almost done so I had to rush to get them in the sketch.  I ordered a Bud light to loosen up the lines.

There was a presentation to the owner of Pulse, Barbara Poma, by two openly gay men, Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens, who were the first men to get married while serving in the military.  They had a “color run” at McGuire Air Force Base which they dedicated to
the victims. They brought a rainbow-colored wreath from the run to
Orlando, and a copy of President Obama’s pride month proclamation
signed by all the runners.

More urban Latin acts followed and the sub woofers in front of the stage caused any bones to rattle. Though I didn’t understand the lyrics, the beat was catchy. People were just start: to dance. I walked down the street to Falcon Bar to pick up some art from a show I exhibit in last month. I was pleased to discover that my piece which was a print of an illegal sketch done in Winter Park, had sold. To celebrate, I ordered a lemon infused Shanty beer.

Orlando Strong: A SAK Benefit Show.

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SAK Comedy Lab (29 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida) offered a free comedy benefit in the wake of recent events in Orlando. The core values at SAK have always been “Truth, Excellence and Joy”, so wanted to use their strengths as a comedy venue to share those values in support of the community (especially the LGBT and Latino communities) who could really use some joy. This show will featured SAK performers in a variety of fun acts. Admission was free, but donations were encouraged at the door. 100% of proceeds from the door will go to the “OneOrlando” campaign helping the victims and families of victims of the Pulse attack.

The Fringe superstar and fashion diva Pepe acted at the MC to open the show. He wore a gorgeous rainbow feathered boa that looked like, could inspire love, the most hate for person. As he said it was a sexy sold out house. All the mammies and poppies held each other dose as Pepe announced the first acts. Every seat in the venue had a sheet of colored paper. Bob Kodzis invited every member of the audience to write down a message for families of the decided survivors and first responders. There was an artist sketch! in the row in front of me. He held two fingers to his neck like he was checking his pulse. I believe he was sketching one of the 49 who were killed using a photo on his phone as reference.

A video set to the song, “Carry on” opened the evening. It showcased what people used to imagine about Orlando, with photos of Disney theme parks,and I-4 traffic. Then shots taken outside Pulse of the evening of the attack were replaced with photos of crowds coming together in grief an love culminating in the huge 50,000 strong Lake Eola vigil. The point of course is that we must carry on and let the work see that we are more than a tourists cliche. It was an inspiring vision of we could be without ever forgetting.

We were all ready for some laughs and the huge crew of comedians delivered. What the show real I delivered besides laughs, was joy. The comedy lab only held two other benefits in it’s 25 year history. The first was after 9/11 and the second after hurricane Charlie and his two other companions. The founder of SAK told us about his visit to the memorial outside the Dr, Phillips Center for performing arts. He was seated at one of the tables and there was another woman seated at the same table. He didn’t know her. She reached out her hand, and he took it.  They sat holding hands for 5 minutes an then she left. They never spoke a word. What if this was our everyday Standard behavior? What if we all loved more then we have ever loved before? The world would certainly be a better place.

During the auction, Pepe and another performer said they would match whatever was bid on a dinner for two. The item went for $100 after heated bidding. The event raised $4384.00, SAK matched that amount bringing the total to $8,768.00. After the show, all the performers got on stage for a spontaneous dance party. “I wanna dance with somebody“of course we all got up and joined in. Laughter and Joy bring healing.