Taco Tuesdays

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Mark Tour Calendar, every Tuesday is $2 Taco Tuesday at Wall Street Cantina in Wall Street Plaza (19 N. Orange Ave., Orlando , FL). The event includes $2 tacos, tequila shots, Cantinaritas and Corona and Corona Light beers. Tacos start flying from 2pm to 2am. I decided to do a sketch early in the day to surprise Terry who works downtown and loves Tacos. I figured I’d do a sketch and then call her at work to surprise her. Well the best laid plans go astray, when the sketch was finished I called only to find out she was out getting a massage in Maitland. I decided to order a second taco and keep working on the sketch.

As 5pm rolled around the place really started filling up. A group of white collar business men muscled up to the bar and grew louder. The waitress in a green T-shirt kept checking on my progress and she stoked my soda caffeine fix.  The $2 Tacos are only available in beef, but they were good. I headed home at rush hour to get some work done on the Urban Sketcher’s guide which is almost finished.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Weekend Top 6 Picks

Saturday August 10, 2013

9am to 2pm Junk in the Trunk Rummage Sale! Alden Road in Ivanhoe Village near The Venue. Ivanhoe Village Main Street will team up with Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival to present the Junk in the Trunk Rummage Sale! In addition to finding some bargains, you’ll be able to sip free mimosas and enjoy the cuisine of Local Yolk’l food truck. Proceeds will benefit IVMS and Orlando Fringe.

10am to 5PM $7-10 Eco Friendly Pepper Expo. Saturday and Sunday.  International Palms Resort and Conference Center 6515 International Drive. Learn how to survive the apocalypse. omproinc.com

6:30pm to 10pm $150 Taste of the Nation. Orlando World Center Marriott 8701 World Center Dr. Orlando, Florida. Taste food and wine from all the best local restaurants all in one evening.

Sunday August 11, 2013

1pm to 3pm $5 Film Slam. The Enzian Theater, 1300 S Orlando Ave  Maitland, FL. See films from local film makers.

4:30pm to 6:30pm $13 Roller Derby Season Closer  Semoran Skateway 2670 Cassel Creek Boulevard, Casselberry, Florida. Come watch the Arkham Assailants and the Sunnyland Slammers battle it out one last time this season. The winner will take on the Serial Thrillers. Doors open at 4:30 and first jam is at 5:00.

7pm to 9pm Free White House Concert t2000 South Summerlin Orlando FL. P.J. Rohr who will play jazzical music (Claude Bolling and more) with her favorite pianist, Lee Lallance. Visual art will be by Maryse Jupillat. Doors open at 7PM and the music starts at 7:30PM.

SHUT YOUR FACE!

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Every Sunday at 6pm the SHUT YOUR FACE! Poetry Slam by Curtis Meyer is held at
La Casa De La Paellas (10414 E Colonial Dr Orlando FL). This is the only current ongoing slam in Orlando officially certified by Poetry Slam Incorporated. A winning team can go to Nationals or to the Individual World Poetry Slam and Women of the World Poetry Slam. On the line for the evening was $50 to the winner.

I ordered some food when I arrived and started sketching the stage before the poets started. Tr3 Harris was in the room. He said that going to poetry readings first introduced him to Orlando’s art scene. Now he is curating shows and is an integral player in Orlando’s visual arts scene. Chaz Yorick was there with his daughter. Chaz read a hilarious poem titled, “I wanna make love like zombies” about sloppy, messy, zombie love that I’m positive would make a great animated short if read by Vincent Price.

I was wrangled into being one of the judges by the MC, Natalia “MyVerse” Pitti. She started the evening off with one of her own poems as a “sacrifice”, the first bloodletting, to get the judges started. The point system was between one and ten. One being a poem that should have never been written and ten being a poem who’s originality hit hard and transcended all other poems. My judging seemed fair since I was right in line with the other judges. As a matter of fact my scores were often identical to Michelle Long‘s scores, the Full Sail instructor seated across from me, right down to the tenth of a point. It was actually pretty spooky. I was a bit concerned that contestants might view my sketching as a sign that I wasn’t fully engaged. Of course the opposite is true.

When I sketch a poetry event, I like to try and sketch the poet that I’m convinced will win. I decided to sketch Sasha Nichols Rivera. Sasha swayed like a reed in the breeze as she recited her poems. Her hands gestured to the flowing beat, caressing the air around her. Her delivery was ambisnapping dexterous in that the crowd snapped their fingers in approval and everyone anticipated her next word with every breath and pause. The inspired poems, verging or music, lifted people up. Speaking with her after the competition, she was direct and incredibly curious. She also goes out of her way to encourage other poets. Her mom Yaa Rivera is a painter who has shown her work at artist critique events I often attend. This town continues to shrink as I sketch. Sasha won the $50 prize.

If you’ve never been to a slam before, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Contact Curtis for more info, curtisxmeyer@hotmail.com. Also, Mark Your Calendars, there is Free Flamenco Fridays at La Casa which I’m sure will tempt me back to sketch again.

“Vicious Victor” Claims Title of Southeast Champ at Red Bull BC One Cypher Orlando

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On June 30th, at Full Sail Live, “Vicious Victor” Montalvo took the crown in front of over 450 cheering fans, representing his hometown of Orlando as he rose to the top of the bracket.“Victor really took over the moment,” proclaimed judge RoxRite. “He played his rounds right. It was tough competition, but he always had more.” Victor, of the Fleet Boys crew, had his share of strong competition.
 Victor beat out Morgan “Stripes” Andrews of Jacksonville, in the final,
both having battled on the Red Bull BC One stage in previous years. The
Red Bull BC One Cypher Orlando was a part of the prestigious Freestyle
Sessions national event, hosted by The Bboy Spot.

Terry who was with me said that she always picked “Vicious Victor” because he always had incredible moves.  This really should be an Olympic Sport since it is much more interesting to watch than Pole vaulting. Members of these crews could balance and support all their weight on one arm. It made me want to go home and try to do a push up. It is fun to watch the crews mock each other as they swagger. Contestants pace impatiently until they can strut their stuff. Before one of the rounds, a five year old boy ran out and started doing his moves. MC Supernatural played it up saying he expected to see this boy as a champ a few years from now.

“Vicious Victor” Montalvo, representing Florida, will move on to compete against the best b-boys in the U.S. during the Red Bull BC One North American Final held August 17th
in Houston, Texas. The dancer who earns the national championship title
in Houston will step onto the world stage to compete against the best
of the best at the Red Bull BC One World Finals, hosted in South Korea.

Mary Halvorsen Septet

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On Monday July 1st at 7:30pm there was a free Concert by the Mary Halvorson Septet at the White House (2000 South Summerlin Orlando FL).  Mary Halvorson is a multiple award winning musician leading the charge towards a new musical landscape. She learned much with Anthony Braxton over the years and plays with a septet of the best musicians around. Presented by the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Civic Minded 5.

Mary Halvorsen has been an artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center of the Arts and she teamed up with the jazz musicians who used to perform with the great Sam Rivers who unfortunately passed away.

The visual artist for the night was Woody Igou. He had a kinetic sculpture set up in front of the stage which mostly consisted of thick PVC tubes. He poured two compounds into the tubes and a chemical reaction caused a yellow foam to ooze out much like a science fair volcano project. The musicians eyed the sculpture with suspicion before they played but once they knew they were safe, they began playing Mary’s original compositions. The music was new aged and cutting edged.

Seated in the top balcony, I lost all light when the sun set. I had to guess at which colors I was putting on the page. In some ways working in the dark was like the music which didn’t adhere to classic forms. Sometimes you have to let go of expectations and search blindly in the dark. The White House concerts have become increasingly popular since I first started sketching there.   

Mark your Calendar!  The next free White House Concert on Sunday, Aug 11, 2013 features P.J. Rohr who will play jazzical music
(Claude Bolling and more)
with her favorite pianist, Lee Lallance. Visual art will be by Maryse Jupillat. Doors open at 7PM and the music starts at 7:30PM. The White House is at 2000 South Summerlin Orlando FL.

Uno’s Pizza

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After picking up some artwork at Drip, I went to have some pizza at Uno’s Chicago Grill (8250 International Drive Orlando, FL). I’ve been inside Uno’s before, but only when it was full of zombies. I searched for the cheapest single serving pizza I could find on the menu and it still was about $9. I quickly sketched the interior while I waited for the pizza to arrive. I asked the waiter about all the construction going on across the street on International Drive. A large one block area had been leveled just north of Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Apparently a very large aquarium is being build which would certainly bring in the tourist crowd. 



Over the next two years, more than a 500 million dollars worth of new projects are planned and visitors will be able to view it all from the
425 foot-high Orlando Eye which is scheduled to open in summer 2014.
The $250 redevelopment of the former Mercado site also plans to include
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Sea Life Aquarium, 232,850 square feet of
retail, restaurants and entertainment.

 At the heart of the new project is the Orlando Eye, a long-in-the-works
observation wheel inspired by the iconic London Eye found along the
Thames Embankment. A 425-foot tall observation wheel (actually three
feet taller than its London counterpart) will serve as the centerpiece
of the entertainment district, allowing guests to experience a near-30
minute journey into the Orlando air to see the city’s unique skyline. Of course people could see the Orlando skyline a whole lot better if the went downtown, but that is just crazy talk. Who would want to leave International Drive if it has a Ferris Wheel and an aquarium?

Early signers in the food and beverage department have begun to reveal
themselves. Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings and
Carrabba’s Italian Grill are existing Central Florida franchises that
will have new locations within I-Drive Live. Concepts new to the area
include Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Chuy’s Tex-Mex Restaurant, and Seafood
Republic, Orlando restaurateur Bobby Moore’s latest project for the
area.It looks like Uno’s is going to have stiff competition in 2014.

Key of E – The Full Cast Recording of the End of the World!

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The Key of E took the 2013 International Fringe Festival
by an apocalyptic storm. Help this award-winning apocalyptic rock musical record soundtrack come to life! You know you want it. The completely new and original apocalyptic rock musical by Andy Matchett won 11 Audience Choice Awards,
the most of any show in the history of the awards, including Best
Musical and Best of Fringe. A Kickstarter has been created to help
produce the soundtrack to the show on CD and Vinyl! The goal of the kickstarter is to raise $3,000 before August 21st at 5PM. To date, $280 have been pledged. Donate to the Kickstarter to guarantee you get your copy of the music.
For and donation of $250 or more you can get a signed archival print of the Key
of E Monster as seen on this site.

Mark your Calendar, The Key of E will be returning to the stage starting August 23rd to August 31st at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive Orlando FL). Tickets to the show are just $10. Show times are at 8PM. Seriously, this show will rock your face off!

Imprint Show

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June’s Imprint Show at The Gallery at Avalon Island ( 39 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, Florida) featured all women artists. On June 29th the artists talked about their process. The first artist to speak was  Emilie Finney. Her work featured large sheets of drywall with words cut into it. I was sitting in the bay window and when she started talking I realized I was sort of sitting in the midst of her piece. l considered moving but I was well into the sketch at that point.

Emily likes to get to the heart of the matter. She loves reading and writing and she grew up in a bilingual household. She is concerned that literacy is on the decline. A linguist said that it is possible to learn any language if you just memorize the 250 most used words. She began to wonder what the 250 most used words are in English. Around the same time she was reading George Orwell‘s “1984” where the elimination of language resulted in the elimination of creativity and expression. She carved sayings from “1984” into drywall. She began to wonder, “What defines America?” Is it the Declaration of Independence? The “I have a Dream”speech? The Star Spangled Banner song? What would these look like if they were only written with 250 words? Emily discovered drywall because her uncle was using it. With a single swipe of his blade he could cleanly crack the drywall in two, she was hooked.

I sketched Lesley Silvia as she spoke about her Sherenschitten, or black paper cutouts. She considers herself a recovering photographer. She did some very experimental and creative photography but there are so many photographers which made it hard to be seen. She started with cutting paper because it is part of her European heritage. She discovered that she loved the process. Many of her pieces were based on European Folktales but they are also deeply personal. She brought along a loose leaf binder where she keeps all of her developmental thumbnail sketches and research. I looked through it after her talk and was astounded at the level of organization and how many ideas were taking form and being developed. Every step in the process was preserved. It reminded me of the notebooks that Edward Hopper kept to document his paintings. It was exciting to see her process so clearly preserved. I have so much yet to learn.

Birkbeck, Duff and Ball

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On June 20th (Third Thursday), The Gallery at Avalon Island featured musicians Rick Birkbeck, Duff and Ball at the opening reception for The Imprint Show. A large fabric instillation grappled its way through the entry where the main exhibit was and where the musicians performed. Naomi Butterfield was there listening and Terry and I joined her. One of the musicians was related to Naomi, but I don’t recall the links on the family tree. The musicians had to perform over the ever louder conversations that erupted around the art.

The Imprint show featured all women artists including Dina Mack and Leslie Silvia. Dina and Leslie’s work are exact opposites visually. Dina had quiet abstracts that featured white on white while Leslie’s work had black paper cutouts that boldly featured folklore bordering on nightmares. Britty Metty aka Brittany Metz, had a complex installation that resembled an alter with an illuminated Virgin Mary that had her skull shattered. Stuffed animals and an intricate assortment of found objects were piled up at the Virgin’s feet.

This was the evening of the last game in the NBA Finals, so Terry wanted to go to Frank & Stein’s (150 South Magnolia Avenue Orlando, FL) for some hot dogs and watch the game. It was an exciting game, with the Miami Heat winning. Towards the end of the game, Frankie Messina, Naomi and several others stopped in to watch the climax of the game. Frankie gave several of us “Emblems of Power” necklaces made by Mo4us Da Heru. Mine was an all black bead necklace with a golden cross encased in a black cube.

BAERtoven and SchuBAERt

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Wendy Wallenberg informed me of free admission to the Orange County Regional History Center (65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando FL) if you are a Bank of America  or Merrill Lynch cardholder.  My wife works for Merrill Lynch, so on July 6th I went to try out the deal. I presented my Merrill Lynch Credit Card, at first the woman didn’t know what I was talking about, but her supervisor did. and sure enough I was offered free admission.

In partnership with Bank of America, the History Center offers free admission on the first full
weekend of every month for Bank of America and or Merrill Lynch cardholders. So, Mark your Calendar, if you have a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch card, you can get in the History Center free on August 3rd and 4th.

I just went to the museum to do one sketch. There are two Polar Bears under the stairwell that have always intrigued me. It turns out their names are BAERtoven and SchuBAERt. The names are spelled correctly. Bill Baer and his appliance store bears were a familiar sight to Winter Park and Altamonte Mall shoppers in the 1950’s and 60’s. BAERtoven actually held a baton, but I left it out of the sketch because it diminished his pride.

I executed this sketch a bit differently than I usually do. I worked strictly in watercolor and added ink line work as an after thought. I liked the process and I need to do that more often.