Body Painting

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At the Nude Nite warehouse in Tampa, I looked at some figurative art and then stopped when I saw body painter Cat Camp hard at work. She was working on a male and female model, alternating between them so they could each take brakes. Both models already had white bones painted in place. The male model had the number 6365 written on the center of his back with navy anchors jutting out from behind the shield. I asked him about the number when he was on a break. He works for the coast guard and last week a Coast Guard helicopter went down on a mission. He wanted this body painting to honor his fallen guardsmen.Cat outlined the rib bones and then his pelvis.

The female model spoke with me while I sketched. Seated in my artist stool, I had to look up at her. Ribs were painted on her chest with a flaming heart trapped inside. As we spoke, I made sure not to analyze the maze of patterns flowing over her breasts. She posed next for Cat who outlined ribs and accentuated details. Paint had smeared on her chest and Cat groaned. “I didn’t touch the paint, I swear.” she said. I thought the same. After an hour of being painted, the model’s eyes began to tear up. She tilted her head back not wanting the tears to ruin the paint. The male model noticed and asked, “Are you crying?” She silently took a break to wipe her eyes. When she was gone, Cat said, “I’ve been painting bodies for two days straight, I’m a bit cranky. She’s a delicate spirit.” Later that night the female model was feeling lively and vivacious again as she posed for photos with guests. “I love seeing my art come alive” said Cat.

Nude Nite Tampa

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I gave myself plenty of time to drive to Tampa with I-4 traffic. As I got off the highway I realized I was several hours early. I passed endless warehouses until I came to the end of the road at a warehouse with a “Mad Max” styled vehicle. The owner of the vehicle does set construction for the DRIP Dance company. This was it. I decided to walk the neighborhood in search of a sketch. There were hundreds of garbage trucks parked in a lot, smelling pungent. Crows perched on the trucks probably looking for food as they laughed. I realized the ride in front of the Nude Nite warehouse was a far better sketch, so I hiked back.

The sun was getting low on the horizon as I worked. Performers began to arrive. A magician strolled by and a body painter stopped to see what I was sketching. Her model arrived in another car. When she turned to go inside, I read “Paws off” written across her short shorts with two paw prints on her buns. I saw Kelly Stevens, the event organizer got out of her car. I almost shouted “Hello!” but she had a thousand things on her mind. I felt more at home as performers arrived.

A photographer walked beside me as I made my way inside. It was his first time photographing Nude Nite and he was excited. Kelly greeted me inside and I slipped between the red velvet curtains and looked at the art with an unobstructed view. Nude Nite celebrates the human body in art. The event was multifaceted with sculpture, painting, performance art, body painting and characters walking the floor. It was the largest figurative show in America. I walked over and started another sketch.

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival

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Clyde Moore, AKA I Luv Winter Park, invited me to sketch the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival from the second floor French windows of, Downeast (130 North Park Avenue). The second floor of the store, owned by Don and Lettie Sexton, has been dubbed “The Attic.” The attic features art from local Orlando artists as well as a wall devoted to Winter Park themed art. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is a huge three day event that features art from talented artists from around the country.

I had never been to “Downeast” before so I watched building numbers closely. When I saw 130, I walked upstairs, but the place didn’t have a retail vibe. I felt like I was entering a home. The kitchen had dishes stacked in the drainer. I walked down a hall towards an office. It was a lawyer’s office and the elder statesman informed me that his firm was at 130 South Park Avenue. He said North Park Avenue started one block further north.

Downeast had racks of women’s clothes out on the sidewalk. I walked inside and quickly found the staircase to the attic. Clyde greeted me upstairs. He pointed out what he felt might be the best sketching angles. I chose to sit in the center French window which had an unobstructed view over the vast field of artist’s tents. It was a beautiful day. Foot traffic was light as I started, but by the time I finished the sketch, there was a steady stream of pedestrians. Some women crossed the street to flip through the racks of clothes simply because the building cast a nice pool of cool shade. A piano player was tickling the ivories the whole time I worked, adding to the festive feeling of the day.

A huge stuffed Teddy bear named Parker stood in the window next to me. Occasionally children would notice Parker and they would shout and point. A couple of people noticed me sketching and they stopped and waved. I don’t have the anonymity I once had. I could hear Clyde taking an endless series of photos as I worked. He must have enough photos to create a stop motion time lapse of this sketches creation.

I had to get to work at Full Sail as soon as my sketch was done, so I only was really tempted to linger for a moment to inspect the quirky and fun found object sculptures of John Whipple. Anna McCambridge Thomas was there and she introduced me to her mother in law who actually has one of my calendars. That made my day. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival continues today Saturday, March 17th, from 9 AM to 6 PM and then on Sunday, March 18th, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Be sure to stop into Downeast and say hi to Clyde or Lettie who were so gracious to share their “Room with a View.”.

Cotton Club

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The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem New York that opened during prohibition. The club featured some of the greatest African American entertainers yet it generally denied admission to African Americans. Boxer Jack Johnson first opened the club in 1920. Full Sail students helped convert Full Sail Live into the Cotton Club for the night. Robin Nicole, dressed in a sleek white dress, announced that she was the president of the Full Sail Black Student Union. Cliff, the VP, had a natural gift in keeping the audience charged. When he got on stage he asked everyone to come up front and fill up all the round tables that had been set up in front of the stage. Robin asked for a moment of silence while they showed a video of African American performers who had recently died. Images of Bo Diddly, Don Cornelius, Ertha Kit, James Brown, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston flickered on the screen.

Then it was time to sing! “Adonis” was the house band that had formed just 2 months prior, consisting of Full Sail students. The music paid tribute to Black History Month. The performances were passable but I wasn’t blown away. After the jazz-themed portion of the evening ended, the Producer’s Guild would transition things into 2012 with a Beat Battle Competition, in which producers went head-to-head with their tracks, allowing the audience to choose the grand prize winner. I didn’t stick around for the battle. I preferred to linger in the nostalgia as I packed up my antiquated art supplies and walked out to the parking lot to head home.

Dickson Azalea Park

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Dickson Azalea Park (100 Rosegarden Drive) is in full bloom. I couldn’t resist sketching on a sunny afternoon sitting in the dappled shade. Church bells in the distance clanged incessantly. The park was full of Azalea bushes blooming vibrant magenta, pink, red and white. When it came time to sketch however, I became fascinated with the huge moss covered roots of a live oak tree. The roots were exposed because a stream had washed away the dirt. Roots clutched and twisted, trying to reach out for new found ground. Fresh green shoots burst vibrant green on the opposite bank in direct sunlight.

I seldom do intimate studies like this. I’m usually preoccupied with sketching quick glimpses of events around town. Yet sitting and observing nature has its place. This cropped in vantage point began to feel abstract as I worried less about what I was painting and I got lost in how I was painting. I could learn much from slowing down more often and focusing on subtle intimate details instead of events.

The Salvador Dali Museum

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The Dali Museum is in Saint Petersburg Florida. The city has a definite “Artsy” vibe. The museum is right next to an airport. It was actually a bit chilly on the morning I was there. I got to the museum before it opened and decided to sketch the building and gardens before going in. The cement “bench” was in the sun. I leaned back against a light pole and warmed up as I sketched. The architecture of the museum is fascinating, with a glass dome wrapping around the back of the building like an octopus. The garden was arranged as a maze with surreal melting benches. A gentleman admired my work. He tripped on some grass and fell on top of me. I broke his fall. I got a comment from a reader the other day saying that my work is kind of literal, and they would like to see me work in a more surreal or impressionistic style. As soon as man discovered how to make art, there was the art critic.

In the lobby there was an old vintage car that had a mermaid in the back seat. Windows were dripping. The driver wore a heavy metal divers helmet. From the book, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” I remember reading about Dali showing up at a party in such a diving helmet. The faceplate got stuck and Dali almost suffocated to death.

A security guard made me leave my artist stood downstairs when I checked in. I wouldn’t be relaxing and sketching any galleries. The collection has work from Dali back from his student days. I respect the fact that Dali was expelled from art school because he felt he knew more about art than his teachers. Some of his paintings were huge. One piece showed a woman standing and looking out at an ocean through a cross shaped window. There was a small portrait of Lincoln hidden in a panel. Later from across the room I saw the painting again in a whole new light. The hole huge 20 foot high canvas was a portrait of Lincoln but I couldn’t see it from up close. These sort of inspired surprises are when Dali is at his best. I remember hearing that Dali got annoyed that the paper used at Disney Feature Animation had peg holes in it, when he was doing developmental work for Destino back in 1946.

Epic Burlesque Battles of History!

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Ruby Darling agreed to pose as Marie Antoinette at my home studio. Well, I decided to have her pose in the living room since there were some nice throne-like chairs. While she changed into costume, I downloaded a timer application for my iPhone. I entered in a five minute and 20 minute pose setting.

When Ruby came out as Marie Antoinette, resplendent in purple, gold and maroon, my pet cockatoo, Zorro went nuts! He fanned his tail and raised is crest in apparent surprise and anger. Her crest was taller than his! He shouted like a banshee! Ruby and I laughed, but I finally had to banish him to the bathroom so I could concentrate.

Ruby and I worked on three five minute poses before settling on this sensuous pose. Ruby made the costume from scratch using plenty of hot glue. She would do an amazing job designing period costumes for a film. It’s a shame most period pieces are filmed in England.

On March 31st, Skill Focus: Burlesque will take you on a most bodacious journey back through time with “Epic Burlesque Battles of History“. Come watch your favorite nerdlesquers shake, shimmy and grind as some of history’s most influential figures. It’s a sexy lesson in history unlike you’ll ever find in any textbook.

Blank Space (201 E. Central Blvd. ) will open it’s doors at 9pm, show starts at 10pm. Seating is limited, so order your tickets in advance or get there early and enjoy some of Blank Space’s enormous craft beer selection.

$10 at the door, 18+ only. Teachers get $1 off with valid faculty ID.

You can order tickets now at http://sfbhistory.eventbrite.com/

Marionette Making Workshop Stringing

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People worked at various paces trying to keep up with Hannah Miller who was teaching them how to make simple marionettes from fabric, string and beads. The hardest part was the stringing, and Hannah had to explain that in a puppet making workshop there was usually one person who was the master of stringing. Jeff Ferree restrung his puppet several times until he felt it was right. Hannah walked the people who were ready out of the conference room into the main floor of Urban ReThink. Mirrors were set up so people could see their puppets perform. People giggled as they saw their areations come to life. A couple faced each other and the puppets bowed and curtsied to each other. Jeff let me try his puppet which seemed bigger than most. The strings to control the hands were threaded through a hole at the front of the cross bars. I tugged the string and both arms rose. Walking the puppet took some skill but having the head look around brought an instant spark of life.

Marionette Making Workshop

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As part of ArtsFest, Hannah Miller offered a free Marionette making workshop at Urban ReThink. I heard that this workshop was sold out quickly and tickets were limited. Thankfully, Hannah, AKA Thunder Hag, understands my sketching obsession and she was open to having me observe. On the white board, Hannah had written the names of two puppet masters who’s work influenced the workshop. Albrecht Roser is a German puppeteer who believes that the puppet drives the motion, not the puppeteer. Robin Walsh had an affinity to using fabric, especially silk in the construction of her puppets. She explained that the puppets we would make today would be ugly but functional. Hannah pointed out that the puppets movements were based on a pendulum swing and each puppet would have its own way of moving depending on what it was made of.

Each participant had a bag of supplies. Inside was fabric, beads, string, and a control bar. The fabric was used as the body of the puppet. Beads were threaded onto the corners and became hands and feet. The head required special attention since three screws were positioned for mobility and control once the puppet was strung. April Tennyson was assisting Hannah. Both puppeteers once worked at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater in the Altimonte Mall. April asked me, “Where should I stand to get in the sketch?” “Well,” I said, “The best place would be to stand behind Hannah.” She stood behind Hannah and smiled broadly as she took a heroic pose, holding up some fabric. I laughed out loud and tried to ignore her until she “acted natural.” I hope Hannah didn’t think I was laughing at her lesson.

Jeff Ferree who is a puppeteer who had a show at Fringe last year in the smallest venue, a closet, sat next to Hannah and struggled with the head of his puppet. To me, he is a puppet master but even masters want to expand their horizons. The couple seated closest to me seemed like a married couple. They giggled like kids as their creations came to life. The woman was always two steps ahead of her partner, and she would step in and help out on occasion. Some folks arrived late and April tried to get them up to speed.

Flying Horse Editions

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I had been told to sketch Flying Horse Editions by several readers. When I contacted them, Theo Lotz quickly said, “Yes, come on down!” Flying Horse Editions is located in the UCF Center of Emerging Media building right across from the Bob Carr and the old Amway Arena. For some reason there was an old steam locomotive in the parking lot of the Arena. I was happy I didn’t have to pay to park. Simple pleasures. The hallway leading to Flying Horse Editions had computer workstations for student. Right in the entry there was an old wooden press that could have been used for the Gutenberg bible. I immediately wanted to sketch, but no one was using the press so I went inside.

Theo, dressed all in black, introduced himself and showed me around. The room was immense and immaculate, filled with dozens of presses both old and new. They do limited edition fine art prints here of the highest caliber. They had just finished 2 run of 15 prints by artist Carmon Colangelo. The boxed set was bought by the Saint Lewis Museum of Art. Student Ashley Taylor was working the press right in front of me. She was experimenting on a way to reproduce some spiral patterns by artist Tom Nozkowski using relief printing techniques. Elizabeth Moorefield was in constant motion, talking on the phone and working on her laptop. Larry Cooper was building boxes that would hold prints.

Theo asked me if I wanted a scoop for my story. “Of course I do!” I said. “Well, Ashley just found out she is getting a full scholarship at the University of Florida. We are all so proud of her!” he said. Ashley smiled shyly. I was fascinated by the large trays of old letterpress leads. The typeface was an old western font. I wondered what they had been used for. Theo suggested I come back when there was an artist in residence. Things get crazy when an artist is given free reign and people stop sleeping. This place was a treasure trove of sketch opportunities and I look forward to returning. I congratulated Ashley as I left.