Jubal’s Kin at Stardust Video and Coffee

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Jubal’s Kin performed at the Monday Night Farmer’s Market outside Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 Winter Park Rd, Orlando, FL). This sketch was done a while ago before the kids went off to collage. I know Gailann Amundson formed an all girl group called “The Buck Stops Here.” Her brother is the only guy in the group, so perhaps he is the “Buck”. I always enjoy hearing this local group that plays heart felt Appalachia-Infused Cosmic Americana. The group hails from Longwood Florida and Roger and Jeffery Amundson round out the group.

Orlando’s Got Talent at Hamburger Mary’s

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Orlando’s Got Talent at Hamburger Mary’s (110 W Church St, Orlando, FL) was a hilarious time. First off, the burgers art thick, juicy and tasty and the talent on stage was quite real. Well, the women were men but the comedy was spot on. Terry joined me on this sketch excursion and we were lucky enough to get a table right next to the stage. A pink drink with a cherry in the bottom kept me laughing even louder.

There are many events at Hamburger Mary’s, like Hambingo, Trivia, Cabaret and Broadway Brunch which offers Broadway show tunes. Any one of these events is a guaranteed good time, so head on down to Church Street.

The Orlando School of Cultural Dance

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The Orlando School of Cultural Dance (OSCD)
(412 N Pine Hills Rd Orlando, FL) was established in 1989. The philosophy of OSCD is that a positive
self-image is essential for the total development of our children, the
leaders of tomorrow.  Since their inception, OSCD has
been teaching African dance to students ages three to adults. Since then, they have added other disciplines, such as ballet, tap, modern, music
theory, percussion (variety), fitness and “Rites of Passage”. They believe
that the arts provides a channel through which our students can grow by
learning about their cultural heritage. Dance in particular, frees the
spirit and brings joy to oneself as well as others. 

The school has accomplished many positive
programs through their collaborative partnership efforts with other
organizations. These partnerships include: Cultural Arts Research
Ensemble, The City of Orlando, Orlando Fights Back, Center for Drug-Free
Living, Metropolitan Orlando Urban League, Orange County Public
Schools, Ivey Lane Caring and Nurturing Center, Ivey Lane/Royal Gardens
Neighborhood Association and Parramore Village Neighborhood Association,
just to name a few. Through our partnerships and collaborations, they
have been able to touch hundreds of lives in our community, both young
and old, in a positive way.

This dance recital was high energy and impressive kids from 10 years old and older danced with abandon.  The colorful costumes added color and authentic energy to the performance.

Decorating Ideas in Miami Beach

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Elaine Pasekoff and Derek Hewitt purchased several condos in a high rise in Miami Beach. They are a short walk to the beach and the balconys of the condos offer an amazing view looking south towards Miami. The first condo they decorated was in an African theme. Derek’s mom did a large painting of an elephant for the spot above the couch in the living room. Crown moldings, a fresh paint job and a carefully planned window seat gave the place an old world feel. Patterns for draperies and pillow covers make the place feel like an African retreat. Over dinner at Smith and Wollensky, the interior designer offered more options and insights.

Another condo was given a French flavor. Elaine hits antiques fairs to find French knick knacks. Whereas the African suite was filled with warm earth tones, the provincial French suite has a cool blue tone throughout. Elaine found a series of French paintings that incorporated three layers of glass. The foreground elements are on the top glass layer, then middle ground items are on the middle sheet of glass and the background elements are on the lowest level.  This gives the paintings a simple parallax that hints at depth. This is easy to accomplish and I’m considering trying it out with some of my sketches. Elaine and Derek are generous and open the second condo as a guest room when Terry and I swarm down to Miami for Art Basel.

Break Dancing at the Roxy

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The Roxy Night Club (740 Bennett Rd, Orlando, FL) had a break dancing competition. There was a great spot on a second floor balcony that overlooked the dancing. I believe the dancers were warming up because multiple dancers performed at once. Groups of people would surround each dancer to cheer him or her on. The second floor was full of merchandise while the ground floor had bars and of course the dancing. Catching the dancers in action was a challenge, but I stuck with it.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday June 28, 2014

9am to Noon Free.  Upstart Expo – Orlando’s Tech Job Fair! East End Market 3201 Corrine Dr Orlando, FL. Finding a cool tech job in Orlando shouldn’t be impossible. With the growing number of technology companies in the Orlando area, sometimes it is simply a matter of having direct access to employers.

Upstart Expo puts you in direct contact with the hiring managers and startup entrepreneurs looking to hire top tech talent like you!

 Open positions range from development, design and engineering to management, marketing and sales. We unite quality companies with top talent in a casual, creative atmosphere.It’s time to suit up (or don’t:), show up, and get hired!

7:30pm to 9:30pm Free. The Geek Easy with Amy Watkins and Open Mic. The Geek Easy 114 S. Semoran Blvd Suite #6, Winter Park, Fl. Featuring

Amy Watkins and Superhero Poetry Open Mic

Guest Hosted By Russ Golata

Open to all: Musicians-Lyricists-Artists-and Poets of all kinds

Bring out the cape and have some fun

http://poetry.meetup.com/362/

8pm to 10pm A Family Affair: Marc With a C and the Expansion Pack, Milk Carton Superstars, Claire and The Potatoes! Copper Rocket Pub, Lake Avenue, Maitland, Fl. Marc With a C (and his backing band, The Expansion Pack, Winner of Orlando Weekly’s “Best Singer/Songwriter” award in 2013!)

Milk Carton Superstars (The best rock band you haven’t heard yet. Hot off the heels of their new album “Sesame Streetcar Named Disaster”!)

Claire and The Potatoes (Winner of Orlando Weekly’s “Best Pop Act” award in 2013, a veritable Orlando supergroup!) 21 and up are welcomed. The show is totally free!

Sunday June 29, 2014

10am to Noon Free. Super Joy Riders. Meet at the corner of East Central Blvd and North Eola Drive at 10 am. Look for the capes!

Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love.

The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape.

You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever

We are inviting Orlando to come with us on a fun filled bike ride of awesomeness on the last Sunday of the month. Dress like a superhero, hop on a bike, and follow our scavenger hunt list of Good Deeds as we all try to save the world with small acts of kindness. http://www.superjoyriders.com/

2pm to 6pm $5. $5 Hops For Hope. Orlando Brewing 1301 Atlanta Ave., Orlando, Fl. Join me for a Team In Training fundraiser at Orlando Brewing on Sunday June 29th from 2 pm to 6 pm! A $5 donation will get you a special wrist band that entitles you to happy hour prices on all drafts. There will be a Cornhole tournament, Wheel Of Prizes, and more!! Exact details to follow (may include a food truck, live music, dart tournament, sweet raffle prizes, maybe even a 50/50!! – we shall see). Great cause, great beer, and a great time to be had by all. Save the date and see you there!! Beat the line and donate your $5 NOW!: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/rnrvanco14/bbbear88

6pm to 8pm Free. Shut Your Face! Poetry Slam by Curtis Meyer! La Casa De La Paellas 10414 E Colonial Dr Orlando FL. The only current ongoing slam in Orlando officially certified by Poetry Slam Incorporated, IE. Send a team to Nats as well as poets to The Individual World Poetry Slam & Women of The World Poetry Slam! $50 to the winner! If you’ve never seen or been in a slam before, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Florida Film Festival Industry Party at the Copper Rocket

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On April 11th I went to the Florida Film Festival Industry Party at The Copper Rocket, 106 Lake Avenue Maitland, FL. It was a chance to hang out with Festival friends and chat about all the amazing films. Each Film Festival guest got one complimentary beer and live music all night long. There was a table set up at the entrance and I got an arm band. At 8pm the place was pretty empty. Drew Yardis performed on the stage in the corner and I started sketching him. He performed covers of popular songs while adding his own inflections and personality to each piece.

Journalist Michael McLeod joined me at my table. He explained that Susan Sarandon was giving a talk at the Enzian Theater across the street. That program which also featured a screening of one of her films, wouldn’t let out until after 10pm. That is when The Copper Rocket was going to get mobbed. I wondered if I should hang out just in case Susan decided to get a drink in this local dive. Denise Sudler also stopped by our table and we chatted while I continued to sketch. We discussed the notion of my doing an evocative sketch for her. It would be an edgy commission that might spur others on to consider the idea.

The filmmakers of Druid Peak sat at the table next to us. The film was written and directed by Marni Zelnick. Executive producer Maureen Mayer explained the film to us. It is set against the backdrop of the wolf reintroduction program in Yellowstone National Park. It is a coming of age story about a troubled teenage boy (Andrew Wilson) who finds a home for himself tracking wolves in the wild. The production was partly funded by a one hundred thousand dollar grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. It is a story about the why of conservation, not just the how.

Teaching Through the Arts Book Signing

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Susan Bright hosted a book signing at her home in Winter Park on April 7th. The book, Teaching Through the ARTS: WRITING Volume 1, was written by Susan Rosoff and Mary Palmer. I was one of the first guests to arrive and I sketched the dining nook where the authors were going to sign books. Gradually the place grew crowded, but I kept my attention focused on the authors. I’ve met Mary Palmer often at other arts and charity events around town. She is a huge supporter of incorporating art in education.

I was introduced to several intriguing artists at this signing. One artist, Susan Sorenson, did the colorful wire sculptures that were in front of the Orlando Museum of Art. Her work is exhibited across the country and apparently the pieces are quite heavy. Another artist, Que Throm, has a second home out in San Miguel Mexico with an art studio that she shares with her husband, Cicero Greathouse, who is also a renowned abstract painter. I was pleased that she knew about and respected the work that I do. It seems that my sketehes were used as inspiration for a drawing workshop that Que attended. Such a small world.

I quickly thumbed through the book, Teaching Through the Arts, and was pleased to see that Vincent Van Gogh‘s paintings were used to illustrate principles talked about. A letter written by Vincent to his brother Theo discussed what Vincent was trying to express in his work. Theo helped support his brother’s addiction to art by sending small sums of money that often went towards paint rather than food.

The dining nook windows offered a scenic view of a lake and sunlight filled the room that buzzed with excited conversations. I had two Cokes that kept me buzzing as I sketched.

Spring Fiesta in the Park

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The Spring Fiesta in the Park on April 5th, featured 600 or so Artists and Crafters from all over the United States displaying and selling original works in outdoor tents around Lake Eola Park. There was plenty of outdoor fun and family activities at the largest arts and crafts festival in Orlando. There was also live entertainment and a kids’ area. After walking through much of the festival with Terry, she suggested I get a sketch done.

While shopping, Terry and I bumped into Andy Matchett, his friend Amanda Warren and their children. There is plenty to keep the kids occupied and active at this festival. Amanda let me know what Fringe show she was working on. I’m always looking for inside information about what creative work is happening in the arts scene in Orlando. Andy is now doing the musical direction for Legally Blonde at the Bay Street Theater, 109 N Bay St, Eustis, Fl. The show starts June 27th at 8pm.

This Richard Petty race car was located on the edge of the kids area. Occasionally people were encouraged to climb into the car for a photo opportunity. Getting into the car involved climbing through the oped driver’s door window. The Richard Petty driving experience is located at Disney World giving the average tourist a taste of what it is like to drive on a race track. That is something I’d like to sketch and experience someday. The experience is expensive however.

The Rookie Experience: $449 – $549
(8 laps of driving)

King’s Experience: $849 – $1,299
(18 laps of driving)

Experience of a Lifetime: $1,299 – $2,199
(30 laps of driving)

This was a very quick sketch and when it was done, Terry and I went out for tacos before heading home.

Shocking Magic Loss to the Pacers, or A Tale of Two Cupcakes.

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My wife loves to watch the NBA Finals.  If I sit down to watch, I like to joke, saying, “I hope the Magic wins this time.” Of course I know the Magic aren’t in the finals, but one team always seems to be wearing blue jerseys. Well, maybe next year.

I met Sunshine Woodyard Baker at the opening to my show at Snap. I knew of Sunshine from Facebook, because after a solid week of clouds and rain, I wrote “Hello Sunshine!” to express my joy at finally seeing the sun. She responded back by simply saying “Hello.” Somehow she and her husband scored tickets to a Magic game and she had an extra ticket so I could go and sketch. As she explained, “Lee St. John, the owner of Gigi’s Cupcakes and I would like
to invite you to Gigi’s Cupcake’s One Year Anniversary Partner
Appreciation night. Lee has the Presidential Suite at the Orlando Magic
vs. Pacers game on April 16 at 8:00 pm. We will enjoy food, drinks, and
the game with a small group of people who have been most helpful in
making Gigi’s first year magical. We sure hope you can come! Please let
me know if that day will work for you. It would be so cool to have you
there. We will get to the game around 6pm. My friend, Food Network Chef
Emily Ellyn will be there at the game. I think you’ll love sketching
her, and she’s great at cross-promoting to get your name out even more.”

Getting into the Amway Center involved the usual metal detectors and bag searches. I decided to streamline my art supplies so I could easily slip through security. I made a tiny palette using an old CD case. The circular CD holder is a perfect spot to arrange my daubs of paint into a color wheel. This Jerry rigged palette worked so well I’ve taken to using it all the time. I was one of the first people to arrive at the Presidential suite. Lee St. John was there to greet me. He explained that this wasn’t a very important game since the Pacers were already high enough in the standings where they could loose if they wanted and still move forward.

Lee had a small box of his award winning cupcakes. He had asked if he could bring the cupcakes up to the Presidential Suite, but there is a firm rule that no outside food or beverages can be bought into the Amway Center. This guarantees that Amway vendors corner the market. Lee tried to explain that the cupcakes weren’t for sale and wouldn’t be eaten. They were for a photo opportunity. No one listened to reason, so the cupcakes had to be smuggled in with stealth and subterfuge. To repay Lee for inviting me to the game, I decided to sketch one of the cupcakes ant put it on the jumbo tron in the center of the arena. When the sketch was done, I couldn’t help myself, I ate the mysterious black market cupcake. It was soooo good. No vendor in the Amway Center has anything half as good.

The suite filled up and I sketched through the whole game. There was a lackluster energy among the players. One Magic fan shouted out “We could win this if we wanted it bad enough.” The Magic didn’t want it enough. The game was a blowout with the Pacers winning 101 to 86. In the suite, people started posing with the cupcakes. Lee hadn’t lied about them being for a photo shoot. I had sinfully consumed a models sweet tasty prop. Luckily there were a few more cupcakes to go around.