The Timucua White House is granted a Conditional Use Permit.

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Benoit Glazer and The Timucua Arts Foundation has been providing world class art and music to the Orlando community free of charge for a long while. In 2007 Benoit built a custom home that was built around an acoustically perfect music hall with two levels of balconies overlooking the stage. The living room concert venue is completely soundproof so that neighbors never hear the music. Dozens of performances happen each year, most of them free of charge. Guests bring wine and food to the venue for each concert which cultivates a true sense of a community potluck. The Timucua Arts Foundation, is a benefactor to cutting edge music organizations like the Accidental Music Festival and the Civic Minded 5. The White House has established itself as a culture beacon for the Central Florida Music scene.

The home is in an area zoned for residential use, so the Orlando Municipal Planning Board demanded that Benoit apply for a conditional use permit. That type of permit is typically issued when the city wants to allow an
activity beneficial to the community despite zoning restrictions. Without the permit, one of the
most enlightened cultural lights in Orlando
would be be extinguished. An online petition was established to try and save the White House. Over one hundred people signed it in the first hour. In all 832 people signed the petition.

At 8:30am on April 19th, Benoit and his wife Elaine Corrivev, sat in the City Counsel Chambers to hear the Planning Board’s verdict. The Chambers were packed full of supporters for this home spun cultural institution. Jeremy Seghers sat in the row in front of me and Diana Rodriguez Portillo sat next to me to chat. There were so many friends of the arts in the room. The chair, Jason Searl, said he had to abstain from the vote since his little daughter takes piano lessons at the Benoit’s house. He clearly couldn’t be impartial. With in a matter of minutes, the Conditional Use Permit was granted. There was an audible sigh of relief and then most of the people in the room got up to leave. Exited conversations began and the celebration continued just outside the chamber doors. The concerts will continue with some conditions: Glazer will have to
formalize a parking agreement with the city for use of nearby spaces at
Wadeview Park, limit attendance to 99 guests and guarantee events end by
10:30 p.m. In some small measure, the bureaucrats won, but music and art will continue to shine at the White House. 

This, we believe:

Art and music belong to everyone.

Art and music are the highest manifestation of our humanity.

Art and music should be enjoyed in the most intimate venue: the living room.

Every community is better when art and music are performed and nurtured within it.

The Winter Park Paint Out takes over Park Avenue.

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The Albin Polasek Museum and Sculp­ture Gar­dens will host its eighth Annual Win­ter Park Paint Out dur­ing the last full week of April 2016. Twenty-five pro­fes­sion­ally acclaimed Plein Air artists will roam across the city cap­tur­ing many of your favorite land­scapes and land­marks with oils, water­col­ors and pas­tels. Plein Air, a French term mean­ing “in the open air”, describes art works painted out­doors with the sub­ject directly in view rather than in a stu­dio. Plein air artists cap­ture the spirit and essence of a landscape or sub­ject by incor­po­rat­ing nat­ural light, color and move­ment into their works.

 If you’re an art lover, a patron, or just curi­ous to see what the buzz
is about, stop by the Polasek Museum to see the lat­est from the 25
artists in action! The museum, sculp­ture gar­dens and gallery will be
open free to the pub­lic through this excit­ing week-long event.
Com­pleted paint­ings will be hung in the gallery’s ‘Wet Room’
imme­di­ately. As the week pro­gressesthe gallery will fill with Plein Air art­work. Be sure to visit often to watch the artists work
and to pur­chase these one-of-a kind paint­ings the moment they are hung
on the wall.

On Monday, the first day of the Paint Out, I met Robert Ross who was set up near Writer’s Block Bookstore just East of Park Avenue on Welborne Avenue. Since Winter Park has just recently passed an ordinance making it illegal to create art or Perform on Park Avenue, I wanted to observe artists who where were immune from the $500 fine and or 60 days in jail for creating art in the forbidden zone. Each painter I saw on that day to had a Winter Park Paint Out sign which was a visual hint to police that they were sanctioned by the Museum. Several Russian women stopped to watch Rob a work, and shoot some photos. I passed four Plein Air painters hard at work as I walked back to my car. Odd that a city that just recently outlawed art should suddenly be over run by 25 artists from around the country for a week. why not allow free expression all year?

Mark Your Calendar for the free Paint Out demonstrations and workshops. Tonight April 26th, there is the “Dynamic Shadows Oil Painting Demonstration” by John Guernsey.  Bring a blanket or lawn chair and join us in Central Park by the Rose Garden. On Wednesday April 2tth, there is a Sunset “Paint-In” at the Winter Park Racquet Club, (2111 Via Tuscany, Winter Park). Paint Out Artists gather on the shore of Lake Mait­land at the Win­ter Park Rac­quet Club to cap­ture a beau­ti­ful Florida sun­set, then take a break from the week’s activ­i­ties. Come share the vista with us and watch as these out­stand­ing artists cre­ate a sun­set mem­ory on can­vas.  A cash-only bar and buf­fet will be avail­able to non-members, so please make an evening of it! April 30th from 6pm to 9pm is the Paint Out Garden Party.  Tickets to this event are, $100 in advance, and $125 at the door

Waikiki Beach is beautiful.

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Waikiki is a beachfront neighborhood of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii, United States. Waikiki is best known for Waikiki Beach, the white sand beach shoreline fronting the neighborhood. The name Waikiki means spouting fresh water in the Hawaiian language, for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated it from the interior.

Colors were vibrant and pure, especially during the golden hour as the sun set. Resorts dot every inch of the shoreline to cater to the endless stream of tourists. The water was warm and the white sand beach inviting. Sadly this marked the end of the vacation. We yearned to stay, but work beckoned back in Orlando.

The Saint Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai has all the amenities,

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In contrast to the humble beach front Plantation cottages, Saint Regis Princeville Resort is plush and opulent. Located in the 9,000 acre resort community of Princeville at Hanalei,
this luxury resort on Kauai resides on the northern shore of the “Garden
Island” and provides visitors all the amenities expected from an island
destination considered to be one of the most spectacular in Hawaii.
Guests of our Kauai resort reside in a bastion of tropical
sophistication featuring cuisine that celebrates local flavors along
with an array of diverse activities. The site of the hotel was known as Pu’u Poa or Pu’u Pa’oa– Pu’u meaning
mountain and Pa’oa meaning the staff of the Fire Goddess, Pele who when
searching for a new home would strike her staff into the earth to
create a new crater. Directly below the hotel are remnants of an
ancient Hawaiian fishpond built in prehistoric time. Known as
Kamo’omaika’i it was one of the few kuapa (ocean wall) type fishponds on
Kauai.

The hotel was used in the filming of Jurassic Park, and I believe the lobby was inspiration for the scene in Lilo and Stitch in which Nani applied for a job while Stitch a used havoc trying to romance an elder tourist.

Terry relaxed in a lounge chair reading while I struggled to capture the sunset. Black volcanic rock dotted the shoreline. The gorgeous mountains turn mountains turned magnificent shades of purple and blue, as the clouds glowed orange. Every moment on this beautiful island begs to be captured. An artist would never fall short of subjects on this corner of paradise.

Opera Orlando at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Posted on by Thor

Spring time marked the boisterous rebirth of Opera in Orlando. Opera Orlando presented The Impresario, which is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart‘s “comedy with music”, followed by Les Mamelles de Tiresias, Poulenc‘s “fertile farce.” A small orchestra was set up in the lower balcony. I went to the final dress rehearsal which had a small audience with friends and family.

Mozart’s comedy was quite fun and director Eric Pinder did a fabulous job of modernizing the story so that it referenced Orlando. Two producers contemplated a small low budget opera. They admired the theater and even shot a selfie in the opulent theater. I liked that the ghost lamp remained on stage. A ghost light is put on stage when the theater is unoccupied. Superstition states that it allows ghosts which occupy the theater the opportunity to perform on t empty stage. This appeases the ghosts so they do not sabotage a production. To keep costs down, t he producers decide to stage a production with no set pieces. A diva entered from house left and walked up to the stage. She was an older well established performer who faced rumors that she could no longer hit the high notes. She performed a solo that was comically flamboyant and over the top. She demanded $5000 a performance and stormed off stage.

A theater patron, Deep Pockets, entered and offered a sizable donation if the producers would hire a female singer he had discovered. She turned out to be a bawdy burlesque performer who also demanded $5000 a performance. What followed us a hilarious battle of wills as the two female divas tried to out sing each other. This was a hilarious production that was sung and perform in English, so there us no need for subtitles.

The only hint of the second production, Les Mamelle de Tresias in my sketch, is the large balloon creature in the upper balcony. It had many appendage like an octopus and a snout that looks like a large inflated rubber. This creature would hoover over the audience at the end of Poulenc’s farce about fertility. I plan to go back to do another sketch.

Mark your Calendar! There are two performances left. One is tonight, Saturday April 23rd at 7:30pm. The other is Sunday April 24 at 2 pm. Tickets cost between $10 to $66. You can call the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (445 South Magnolia Avenue Orlando FL) box office Monday through Friday 10am to 4pm. Saturday from noon to 4pm.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for April 23rd and 24th.

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Saturday April 23.2016

7:30pm to 9:30pm Tickets Start at $10. Opera Orlando presents Mozart’s Impresario and Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias. 

Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. What will a struggling opera company do to stay afloat…?  Anything the
Impresario wants!  In this unique, premiere pairing, Mozart’s classic
comedy “The Impresario” is updated to modern day Orlando, Florida where a
struggling opera company desperate to do anything to survive must
enlist the financial help of a flamboyant opera patron, Mr
Deep-Pockets.  He only makes one request; that the company use his two
new soprano flings, Everly Shrills and Bethany Squeals in the company’s
next production.  With all the needed backing from Mr Deep-Pockets, the
Impresario can now do a piece he’s always dreamed of.

10:30pm to Midnight Free but get a drink and bite. Son Flamenco.  Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL. Hot blooded Flamenco danci to live acoustic guitar.

Starting at 3:30pm The Florida Music Festival 2016

BullittBar

9:30pm: Devmo

10:30pm: Freedom Fighterz

Cheyenne Saloon:

6:00pm: Andrew Allen Trio

7:00pm: The Band J4

8:00pm: Jocelyn and Chris Arndt Band

9:00pm: 90 Proof Twang

10:00pm: Diamond Dixie

11:00pm: Jill’s Cashbox

12:00am: JunoSmile

12:30am: ULTIMATE TRIBUTE: JOHNNY CASH

Church Street Station:

7:30pm: Sleeping with Sunshine

8:30pm: Sunghosts

9:30pm: Yardij

10:30pm: Plane versus Cult

11:30pm: Billy Wright Band

12:30am: American Party Machine

Magnolia:

7:00pm: Taylor Raynor

8:00pm: Nicholas Roberts

8:45pm: Amber Lynn Nicol

Tanquerays:

10:00pm: 8 Stories High

The Plaza Theater: Kasa: Closing Party

7:00pm: Fretless Rock

Wall Street Plaza I:

3:30pm: O-Sky

4:30pm: School of Rock

5:30pm: Eden Shireen

6:30pm: The Getbye

7:30pm: Sarah Q

8:30pm: The Bloody Jug Band

9:30pm: I-Resolution

10:30pm: Hor!zen

11:30pm: THE SUPERVILLAINS

Wall Street Plaza II: 

4:00pm: Bothering Dennis

7:00pm: Alex Da Ponte

6:00pm: Army Gideon

7:00pm: Aymber

8:00pm: King Complex

9:00pm: On The Avenue

10:00pm: Kasson

11:00pm: Violectric

Sunday April 24, 2016 

10am to 3:30pmish Free. Past Meets Present Art Sale. Winter Park Central Park 251 S Park Ave, Winter Park, Florida. Thor from Analog Artist Digital World and X will
be selling prints and original art in Winter Park’s “First Amendment
Zone”, Central Park. Some of the work was created Illegally after Winter
Park passed an ordinance banning the creation of art on Park Avenue.
Other paintings celebrate Winter Park’s natural beauty.

Noon to 2pm Free but get food and drink. Florida Gospel Jam. Fish on Fire 7937 Daetwyler Drive Belle Isle FL. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday. 

2pm to 4pm Tickets Start at $10. Opera Orlando presents Mozart’s Impresario and Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias. 

Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Les Mamelles de
Tiresias or The Breasts of Tiresias; a surrealist piece by Francis
Poulenc.  The absurdist, gender-bending plot starts with a housewife
(Terese) who is sick of doing chores and serving her husband so she
removes her breasts (two balloons) and becomes a man (Tiresias) which
leads to her husband taking on the role of the woman and now having to
produce babies by himself which he does, only too well…

Waimea Plantation Cottages.

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My favorite place to stay in Kauai was at the humble Waimea Plantation Cottages (9400 Kaumualii Hwy, Waimea, HI) which were right on a black sand beach. These refurbished sugar-plantation cottages, which were originally built in the early 1900s, offer a relaxed setting, with tropical-inspired decor
and mahogany, rattan or wicker furnishings. All come with full kitchens,
cable TV, and free WiFi, plus private patios.

Roosters wandered around the property, and walking down the black sand beach feels like walking on another planet. Large black driftwood stumps offered a resting spot on the beach, to sit and soak in fabulous sunsets.  Each cottage has a kitchen, so this quickly felt like home. Set in a coconut grove, this makes a perfect place to set up a home camp on the island.

The cabins are weathered and worn, which I felt added to their local charm, so If you prefer opulent decor, then this might not be the place for you. In the evening, the soothing sound of the surf lulled me to sleep. Staying here of feel chance to slow down, and find some piece. 

When we got back to Orlando, production on the feature animate film, Lilo and Stitch began in earnest and the calming memories helped me crank out piles of drawings and deal with the overtime needed during the film’s crunch time.

Poipu Beach in Kauai.

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Legendary local artist Andrew Spear shared a drawing called “Breakfast in Maui” that was done on location this week in Maui. I was honored when he said he was channeling his inner Thomas Thorspecken. In Andrew’s honor, I am sharing sketches I did on a trip to Kauai just before production got started on the Disney Feature Animated film, “Lilo and Stitch.” I still cry tears of pride when I hear the Hawaiian music from the opening of the film.

As Terry and I relaxed in the shade on Poipu Beach in Kauai, we noticed a crowd gather. A harbor seal had made his way up on the beach to soak up the sun right along with the tourists. A life guard set up orange cones a round the seal and he stood guard to be sure the crowd kept at a proper distance. Children knelled and watched the sleeping seal intently. Poipu Beach was named America’s Best Beach by The Travel Channel, ranking top among the 10 “best” beaches selected nationwide.

This small island has to be one of the most beautiful place on earth. The locals are friendly and everyone seems so happy just to be alive. With so much change happening right now, it feels good to reflect back on a time when life seemed simpler, and life felt balanced.  

The Piano Man of Washington Square Park.

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At the NewYork City Sketch Crawl, I decided to do a sketch of the piano player in Washington Square Park. of course poplin performances Orlando are rare, being limited to 27 Blue Boxes. But in New York city, I saw performers everywhere I went, in subway stations, on street corners and in the park. I know that performers who start creating music at Lake Eola are often chased off by city employees. The only music allowed at that park is the cheesy elevator music that is broadcast through all the speakers that surround the lake so that you are forced to feel like you are walking around a shopping mall.

Every weekend, Colin Huggins and a buddy wheel the piano out of a store facility in Greenwich Village and the roll it through ten blocks of traffic to it’s new home in Washington Square Park.  Playing a Grand Piano outside means that the piano need to be tuned for an hour before each performance. Colin was once the music director for Joffery Ballet, but now his busking earns him a modest living.

The classical music was delightful, and park patrons filled the benches nearby to listen in. In Washington Square Park, performers have to register for performance times. Once the time is up, the need to move to a new spot to allow a note performer to use the spot. When this piano man had finished his set he closed the piano lid and rolled the piano away, probably to a new location where he would once again set up. Some people stood by the piano to sing along. A plastic bucket acted as the tip jar or hat and the many tips were well deserved.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Orlando had just a fraction of the culture that can be found in a city like New York. Perhaps city officials will someday stop treating public performers like beggars and recognize that they liven up and add value to the streets and parks.

Urban Sketching workshops at Elite Animation,

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I am now teaching Urban Sketching Course at Elite Animation Academy  (8933 Conroy Windermere Rd, Orlando, FL) to middle school and high school students.This is a wonderful opportunity for me to share my love of simple direct observation and the pleasure that can be found from always carrying a sketch pad. The small class size, allows me to always offer notes for every student’s sketch. The first hour of each class, we work in the classroom on warm up exercises and the day’s lesson. Then we break out of the classroom and sketch on location somewhere in the neighborhood. On this occasion, we sketched in a Subway’s Sandwich shop. The lesson on this sketch outing was one point perspective and the students looked down the length of the shop.  It is always rewarding to watch students get lost in the process. The re is always some socializing as well, and I has he to find the right balance between work and play. If only a few students develop the habit of documenting their lives in sketches, then I have certain done my job.