Artists Process

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As part of the Corridor Project‘s first show, Walk on By, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, a UCF art instructor, sat in a thrown outside Urban ReThink starting at 6pm on September 5th accepting trash offerings. That evening artists gathered at ReThink to talk about their art and process.

Wanda was dressed in a tight red corset and had a huge wig of purple hair which was woven and balled up. Red and white jewels glistened in her hair. From the moment I entered, I knew I wanted to get close to her to sketch. Wanda’s regal performance piece had previously been done at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.


She began her discussion by asking the audience what they felt her performance was about. I hadn’t seen her performance, so I kept quiet. Her question rang forth like a challenge. The room was dead silent. A little boy started shrieking and complaining in the corner. With a regal flair Wanda raised her hand and shouted out “Excuse me!” The mom ushered her son out the door. Wanda explained that people often dump their shit on the people closest to them. She said her performance art was about intimacy. In one performance piece she invited people to lie in bed with her. In the quiet moments, some people cried.


Jessica Earley who yarn bombed the front of Urban Rethink discussed her art. She is soft spoken and began her talk by warning us of her shyness. As she discussed her art, she was never at a loss for words. She gazed at the far wall of the room as she spoke. Her thoughts and passions rang true. The projector wouldn’t work but Dina Mack helped her get it running. Jessica showed us some of her more controversial paintings that she had done. One painting she did was actually censored by a costumer in a local restaurant. Her paintings often visualize woman’s issues. Some show a woman’s longings to someday have a child. A painting showing a nude woman and child couldn’t be hung. The woman had some knitting covering her lap and a single strand of yarn lead to a baby who had on a knit cap and diapers. Black crows then flew up from the child’s head towards a flaming blue cell. Jessica has been painting for the past three years and her work is astonishingly intimate and sincere. A common thread through the evenings discussions was that artists love to experiment and explore different mediums. Jessica wants to continue performance art, music, dance, installations and visual art. Self expression can come in many forms.

Red Chair Affair

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The Red Chair Affair is held once a year in Orlando at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, (401 W. Livingston St. Orlando), to introduce the upcoming theater season. It is a opulent crash course celebration of Central Florida’s arts and culture. John DiDonna directed this intricate evening showcasing an army of Orlando talent. The logistics of just getting everyone on and off stage on time and in order must have been mind boggling. Thankfully John allowed me to sketch a rehearsal, since I had another sketch outing planned for the night of the performance.

I entered the stage door and made my way through the back stage maze of dressing rooms to get to stage right. Crowds of actors, dancers, singers and acrobats were in the halls. John shouted my name and welcomed me. Both he and Jennifer Bonner advised me to sketch from out in the house, so I abandoned the notion of sketching from back stage. Besides stage lights were blinding.  In the back rehearsal room, all the decorated IKEA Red Chairs were on table being inventoried for auction. Each arts organization decorated a chair.

YOW Dance was on stage going through a dance routine for staging. I turned my attention to the TV camera operators who were filming the rehearsal. The NuLook School of Performing Arts students performed a lively
and stylish Indian dance called “Redolare.” I caught one of the dancers sinuous lines. Comedic actors from the Orlando Shakespeare Theater performed a hilarious fast paced history of Shakespeare using a sports commentators pacing. I recognized actor Brandon Roberts who always makes me laugh. Since I’m no Shakespeare expert however, some of the analogies were way over my head. I heard that the Enzian Theater was going to screen “Notes on Biology” which we now screen every month in the Full Sail 2D Animation course to help inspire students.

National Night Out

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I went to the Winter Park Police Department (500 North Virginia Avenue, Winter Park) for National Night Out. This was a free family community event that offered food, fun, raffles and prizes. I arrived straight from work on a cloudy grey Tuesday. The street in front of the police department was blocked off and a food vendor had just set up a tent. A Monster Energy Drink pickup truck pulled up behind him. Volunteers in red T-shirts helped get things set up. A blue armored vehicle backed onto the sidewalk with several officers spotting him. I sat on a stone bench and sketched the September 11th Memorial. A woman approached to see what I was doing. She said the police chief was going to display a broken fragment from the twin towers at this event. She then offered me the opportunity to buy one of the memorial paving stones. I never did see the tower fragment but part of me really didn’t want to see it.

It began to rain and I had to run for cover. I added color to the sketch from my new vantage point under an awning. Since my car was many blocks away and I didn’t want to walk in the rain without an umbrella, I started sketching the assault rifles, hand guns and battering rams being exhibited by members of the swat team. People could try on the heavy green flack jacket and even lift a rifle to see how heavy it was. There were always people in front of this table.

I experienced a sudden hot flash and I lost feeling in my finger tips. My arms were soaked with sweat and I dropped my sketchbook. I put my head in my hands and willed the pavement into focus as a woman got her hair caught in the Velcro of the flack jacket. Friends were laughing at her plight and shooting pictures. I got a bottled water out of a cooler next to me and used it to cool my neck and forehead. I began to panic. I didn’t want my last sketch to be of fire arms. Then I realized there must be a half a dozen EMTs at the event. If I was going to pass out, this was probably the best place to do that. I slowed my breathing and drank the bottle of water. I realized walking in the rain might cool me off so I packed away the sketchbooks and walked back to my car. The rain did feel good. I managed to drive home but I wasn’t feeling great. I crashed on the couch and didn’t get up till the next morning.

Casa Feliz

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Casa Feliz (625 North Park Avenue, Winter Park) hosts free musical performances each Sunday from Noon to 3PM. Jack Fannigan invited me inside prior to a performance with a theatrical flourish. Jack used to work for James Gamble III who designed Casa Feliz. The building was slated to be demolished but Winter Park citizens wanted to save the historic building. The entire building was lifted and moved to its new home next to a golf course.

Matt, The Sax Man, Festa and Michelle Mailhot were performing on this sunny Sunday afternoon. I had sketched Matt once before at a First Thursdays event at OMA. As a matter of fact, when he opened his laptop, my sketch of him was being used as his screen saver. Michelle also performs with Toxic Audio, a talented acapella singing group. I know they have performed at the Orlando International Fringe Festival and I’ve heard plenty of good buzz, but I’ve never seen them perform. Regardless, Michelle’s voice is stellar. She sang Nora Jones’ “I don’t knew why” with incredible heart.

The evening before, I had sketched at the Red Fox Lounge where the incomparable Mark Wayne and Lorna Lamby used to perform their kitschy and fun musical lounge act. After Mark’s death earlier this year, there has been other performers trying to fill those shoes, but there is still a void. Matt and Michelle have that extra magic turning a performance into an all out party. Michelle’s daughter dressed in pink, danced in the front row. Every seat was full and the room was alive. As I packed up to leave, I noticed another artist working on a sketch. What a great way to start a Sunday afternoon.

Taste of the Nation

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Share Our Strength’s 23rd Annual Taste of the Nation was a huge success, raising $248,785 to fight childhood hunger! Local beneficiaries are Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, along with the statewide Florida Impact.

More than 2,300 people enjoyed delicacies prepared by 37 of Central Florida’s leading restaurants, bubbly and other beverages from 18 top providers, and live music by local band, Crash Reality.

The night included a silent auction presented by Neiman Marcus, chance drawings for Jet Blue tickets and an island getaway, a live auction, and an instant “wine cellar” of 100 prime bottles to the lucky person whose key opened the lock.

Emceed by DJs Scott McKenzie of MIX 105.1 and Paco of 1059 SUNNY FM, the event featured the Creekstone Farms “throw-down” cooking competition rematch. Honorary Event Chair Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando Restaurant Guide’s Scott Joseph, and WFTV anchor Bob Opsahl were the judges. Winning for the second year, by just two points, chef Dan Nester of Rosen Shingle Creek Resort had the privilege of signing a generous check to Taste of the Nation Orlando from Creekstone Farms.

Terry and I arrived an hour early and my sketch was blocked in before the crowds grew thick around the Orlando World Center Marriott‘s food stations. I worked from a round table while Terry scouted out all the food choices. Waves of couples joined me at the table as I worked. I noticed that if I sketched someone in line for food, they would invariably walk to my table to eat. When the sketch was finished, I looked for Terry and started sampling the amazing food offered. After several small meat dishes I was already full. I knew from last year’s event, that Chef Jean-Louis of the Royal Plaza Hotel served an amazing Bananas Foster. The line was long but I braved it since I knew it was worth it. Fresh bananas were sliced length wise in half, coated with a fine mist of nuts and fried in butter. The chefs worked with amazing speed keeping the line moving. A scoop of vanilla ice cream topped off the fried bananas along with a rich glaze. I asked for a second serving for Terry. That single serving made my evening complete. I washed it down with a Magners Irish cider.

Marshall Ellis Dance Company

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ME Dance, Inc. is the Newest Professional Dance Organization located in the heart of
Central Florida. On September 8th and 9th, they will be presenting Première. This
performance will mark the company’s first performance showcasing a diverse
repertoire from Guest and Resident Choreographers, live music by Central Florida
Composer’s Forum, and innovative collaborations with other local artists. I contacted William Marshall Ellis the dance company founder and president. Thankfully he knew of my work and he invited me to sketch a rehearsal.

The rehearsal space was in a large warehouse that was gated.  I punched in the gate code several times and the gate rolled open. I couldn’t spot building numbers so I decided to park in the lot with the most cars figuring they might be dancers cars. The front door to the building was locked. As I pulled out my cell phone, a young woman who had to be a dancer walked up and offered to shew me how to find the stage door out back. I explained that I was a sketch artist and she said, “Oh yes, Marshal told us you were coming.” She explained that they had been rehearsing for four months now. The rehearsal space was cavernous. I noticed Universal Studios costumes hung out back. I noticed a lion’s head from Madagascar. The space is also used by Aerial Adrenaline and long fabrics hung from the ceiling.

Marshall sat at a table controlling the lights and projections. Childhood photos of the dancers were projected on the screens as they danced. There were a wide variety of dance routine from red, primal dance to light, flowing, and carefree. At one point the dancer who lead me in from the parking lot, had a solo dance. She was dressed in a light flowing dress that had some form of open loop in the skirt. As she danced, her leg got caught in the loop causing her to trip up. When it happened a second time everyone realized the costume would have to be changed. One dancer did an energetic dance number and then immediately sat down next to a guitarist to sing. She was huffing at first and then sang beautifully. Marshall assured her that she would have more time to get ready at the Première performance. I am excited to see the final results from all this dedicated hard work.

You will be sure to enjoy Première. To
reserve your tickets please visit ME Dance, Inc.

Show Times:

September 8, 2012 at 8pm

September 9, 2012 at 7:30pm

Ticket Prices:
$20 General Admission

Venue:
Winter Garden Theatre 160 West Plant Street Winter Garden, Florida 34787

The Corridor Project – Walk on By

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The Corridor Project’s  first show, titled “Walk on By” was spearheaded by Patrick Greene, the events coordinator at Urban ReThink. Over night almost 100 art installations popped up all over Orlando. The largest concentration of artwork appeared along Mills Avenue in the Mills 50 District. I knew that artists were out between 4AM and 7AM installing their work but I wasn’t sure where the pieces were being installed. I set my alarm for 5AM but swatted it off and fell back to sleep. The next day I decided to sketch this sculpture installation by Bethany Mikell outside Wills Pub (1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando). Painted silver, this modern looking couple is covered in metallic nuts and bolts. The piece exudes fashion with a chic industrial flair. Even the chains holding the couple to the site have an industrial fell.

Walk on By functions as a temporary, clandestine art museum with no fixed location. The works are site specific using empty storefronts and public spaces. In the past, Orlando has promoted public art in the form of decorated fiberglass Gibson Guitars and lizards.  These juvenile displays limit artist expression, forcing the work to be decorative. Even the decorated Mills 50 power boxes seem to lack any bold artistic vision. When public art is needed, as in the case of banners to hide the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts construction site, children’s art is used. If you have ever gotten a ticket in Orlando then you have been blessed to see the children’s art decorating tiles outside the parking ticket payment office. Walk on By has finally allowed local and international artists the ability to openly express themselves in an urban public setting. Finally the art is meant for a mature, enlightened, adult audience. It isn’t watered down for a Disney, white bread, homogenous, world view. This seems like a bold first step towards a city that can take spontaneous chances.

The art isn’t just for high society gallery gawkers. It is for anyone walking or driving by. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to be surprised. Some art performances happened only at 8:30AM on September 5th while other art pieces will remain on site until they decay. So turn off the cell phone and TV and get out to Walk on By. This gallery has no walls.

The Rocket Garden

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I went out to the Kennedy Space Center to see what was new on the Space Coast. A building is being constructed to house the retired Space Shuttle Atlantis. The structure is perhaps half built but when finished it should look awesome. The plaque on one of the historic rockets said that the rocket was “Thor-able“.  The Thor-Able was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket used for a series of re-entry vehicle tests and satellite launches between 1958 and 1960. The rocket garden was of course blazing hot. Luckily one of the support buildings had large plate glass windows that looked out onto the rockets. A flat circular fountain squirted water up periodically to cool any younger more playful space explorers.

The space program had a journalistic art program that was founded by James E. Webb around 1958. “The NASA Art Program uses the medium of fine art to document America’s
space program for ‘the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the
atmosphere and space…for the benefit of all mankind.” Artists from around the world helped document the race to space. Art work was on display in glass cases. But only a fraction of the artwork was on display. There was artwork upstairs but the staircase was blocked for some unknown reason. A huge wasp buzzed against the window panes in the NASA building I was sketching from. It seemed desperate to get back out to the hot humid air.

RV’S Going Away Studio Art & Yard Sale!

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Robin Van Arsdol, (RV), was preparing to leave Orlando. His Orlando Studio, Realm 54, (54 W. Illiana Street Orlando, FL) was open to the public and anything was for sale to help him make the move to Miami. I met RV only once before when we were both applying to United Arts for Artist Development Grants at the same time. RV has been a working artist in Orlando for the past 40 years. He has had studios in several places in town and his studio hosted an International Graffiti Conference once a year. The studio I visited was a large industrial warehouse accessed by a large garage door. There was a pile of bibles for sale as well as a sporty red Corvette covered with his art. Wendy Wallenberg and Brian Minnich showed up to show RV some of the photos they had shot and to get a release signed.

RV graduated from Georgetown College in 1972. In 1973 he began his masters at NYC.  He was very active in the NYC graffiti scene and in the 70’s he worked with some of the city’s most active and prestigious artists. His family lived in Orlando since 1972 and in 1977 he moved here. He always bounced back to NYC whenever he could, spending six months in NYC and six months in Orlando. RV’s work has been in 70 exhibitions in European city’s in Italy and Paris France.

In 1983 RV became obsessed, creating public graffiti art inspired by the following biblical passage, “Woe unto them that are with child and suck in those days.” The passage reminded him of Hiroshima.  Any prenatal baby is instantly affected by any radiation. He began clandestinely to cover building with images that suggested radioactivity. Large pink tulips resembled mushroom clouds. Gun boats and airplanes covered exterior walls. He was a man on a mission. His art defied the lie that war is a necessary evil. Thinking back to my student years in NYC, I do think that I saw some of his work on a parking lot wall. When I mentioned Keith Haring, RV rummaged in his studio and showed me two of Keith’s subway chalk drawings. RV’s work covered sections of the Berlin Wall.

In Italy in 2004 RV began painting his Pinocchio Screaming Man series. In some images the screaming man is seen in front of mushroom clouds. He is still creating work at a break neck pace, functioning on just four hours of sleep. RV was a director of the Orlando Museum of Art‘s Associates Program from 1979-1986. Miami should be a great fit for RV. There an entire neighborhood is covered in graffiti. It is a shame that Orlando’s arts scene isn’t vibrant enough to hold onto him.

RAW: RADIATE

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Ashlie Rolfe, the Orlando Showcase Director of RAW suggested that I sketch the premiere showcase event of RAW called Radiate at the Abbey. RAW is an International indie arts organization created by artists, for artists. It features local emerging artists in fashion, music, art, film, performing art, hair, makeup, DJs and photography. When I arrived the place was packed with a line down the block to get in. The first artist I noticed was Parker Sketch and next to him was Shannon Holt of Bombshell body Art.
I know Shannon from critique sessions where she showed oil painting which had evolved over many layered iterations. I didn’t realize she did body art, but now that I think back, I might have seen her working at an event a year ago. Shannon is applying for a grant for her body art. Vote to help her out. Her model was already covered with an intricate pattern of lime green and orange. A scarab beetle was firmly painted on her chest. The Batman logo was painted by Parker.

Libby Rosenthal, who worked at the Mennello Museum on weekends, and some of her friends were there and we chatted for a bit, but I couldn’t hear much over the music. I quickly made my rounds looking at all the art and then I found a table that I could stand at up close to the stage. One artist amused me because he was dressed to the nines and worked so hard to look like an edgy artist. I’m not sure the work justified the outfit. Thinking back, I really should have sketched him, but he was busy promoting his image. The band playing was called Stockholm and they had plenty of energy. The guitarist was spinning and gesturing in all directions. It started raining outside so I decided I had to do a second sketch. A videographer was busy shooting footage. When my second sketch was done, so was the rain so I headed home.