Dead Men Chase no Tail

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I decided to go to Austin’s Coffee (929 W. Fairbanks Avenue) to join “Sketchy Broads” for an evening of sketching. It was pouring on my drive over from work. All day there had been tornado warnings across Central Florida. I made sure my sketch books were in plastic bags and then I sprinted through the parking lot to the back door. I ordered a Yak which is a frozen coffee with caramel and chocolate. Sean Moore, Austin’s owner and coffee expert, told me he had peaked over my shoulder the last time I had stopped in for a sip and a sketch. He liked what I was working on and invited me to exhibit my work on the coffee shop walls. I always get nervous when my sketchbooks leave my studio but I might take him up on the offer.

While I was waiting for my drink, Orit Reuben introduced herself. She was there to sketch as well. We both had arrived early and both of us were attending the Austin’s sketch event for the first time. Sean let us know he would be moving furniture off the front stage area to get things ready. I joined Orit when she started moving chairs. Sean and I moved the Victorian looking purple couch onto the stage as a prop. Soon the models, Jenny Coyle and Lindsay Boswell, arrived. They had a hamper full of pirate costuming and props. When Jenny pulled out an old bottle of rum, an artist remarked, “That’s no prop, she goes everywhere with that tharr bottle!” Everyone laughed.

As artists arrived, I added them to my sketch. I did some of the fast poses but then erased them and waited to add the pirates when they took longer poses. Orit had a concerned look on her face when she sketched. She had a large 18 by 24 pad for doing pastels but I think she needed an easel. Another artist arrived with a mini easel and he told her where she could pick one up. He did some very detailed pencil renderings of the pirates faces. I have just the one sketch to show for the evenings modeling session. As I left, I bumped into Swami Worldtraveler and he let me know about the weekly jazz sessions at Austin’s every Thursday night starting at 9pm. Sounds like I have to come back for another sketch!

Reading Between the Wines

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Reading between the Wines was a fundraiser for the Adult Literacy League. Sponsored by Bank of America, it was held at the Sheraton Hotel downtown across from the Bob Carr Theater. When I arrived I was given a program and a wine glass. I didn’t have time to sample the wines but I placed the wine glass in a pocket of my folding stool just in case. Terry was there chatting with a client. We immediately went to a small private meeting room where Bank of America guests were given a chance to meet and greet Carl Hiaasen.

Carl was born and raised in Florida. He began his writing career as a journalist for the Miami Herald before writing his first book, “Tourist Season” in 1986. Carl’s books highlight the many problems faced in Florida thanks to over development. I’ve read two of his books, “Stormy Weather” and “Basket Case” and they were both hilarious.

Chairs in the meeting room were arranged in groupings of six. It made it seem like there might be group assignments where we had to collaborate and write. I decided to sit on my own over by the cheese and cracker table. Carl spoke to the group directly in front of me for quite some time. Then he sat down for a quick book signing. Everyone lined up. The ten or so people in the room had each been given a copy of Carl’s most recent book, “Star Island.” I’ll read it once Terry is finished. She loves Carl’s books and happily posed for photos with him.

I started the sketch in the large hall before the audience filed in. Robyn Austin from WLOQ was the Emcee. She announced as different silent auction tables were closed out with a resonating gong. Joyce Whidden, the executive director of the Adult Literacy League, introduced a short film about what they do. Basically one in five people read at or below a sixth grade level. In Florida that number is even larger. Literacy has the power to reduce crime, unemployment and dependence on welfare. When the film stopped everyone in the room, several hundred people, stood and clapped. It was a heart warming moment that offered the hope that people do care. Perlis, the man who learned to read at the age of 42, was in the audience.

Carl Hiaasen was then interviewed by fellow journalist Bob Morris. Carl pointed out that writing and rewriting his work came easy to him because of the years writing articles for the Herald. He had deadlines for the paper and he would write even if he didn’t feel like it. In the question and answer session, Terry asked why the women in his books are so much more mature than the male characters. He explained that men are rather simple creatures that usually just want one thing. The audience laughed. Carl often incorporated real life events into his books. He had found that real life stories are often too bizarre to be believed as fiction. As an example, he pointed to a horrible car accident where a mans leg was severed off. The leg was forgotten. An EMT later found it and decided to feed it to his dog. This is far to sick to be believed.

Blowin’ Broadway

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I decided to go the dinner cabaret show titled, “Blowin’ Broadway” that is put on every Monday at Mr. Sisters (5310 East Colonial Drive near 436). The place is right near where I work. I was a little intimidated by the bright pink modern building. It is right on Lake Barton and the setting sun was painting the horizon orange. There was a bright pink zebra rug at the entrance. I asked where the performance would take place and I was pointed towards the stage with a chain link fence behind it and a pink zebra named Higgins poised in the corner. The place was empty for now but I wanted to start the sketch getting the background in position. The best view was from a bar stool right next to the piano. The bar stool wobbled a bit and the foot support didn’t move. This was going to be like sketching while balancing on a pogo stick, but I ordered a Carona with lime and got to work. Where I sat turned out to be a major traffic area for the sexy waitresses who brought out drink and food orders. A pleasant distraction.

Andrea Canny walked in just as I started sketching. I recognized her from the half page ad in the Orlando Weekly which had caught my eye. I politely asked if she was performing. She organizes the weekly cabaret bringing in new talent each week while also singing a show tune or two herself. I was surprised that she knew of my work. I later found out she is an artist and photographer herself. Soon there was a group of performers gathered. They began to rehearse with John DeHaas on piano.

Brenda Hamilton who is in Broadway Across America’s “Wicked” was the first to rehearse. I sketched Brenda in position as she rehearsed then added color much later when she performed. She had her own pianist named Spencer Jones. John DeHaas was behind the piano for everyone else so he ended up in my sketch. After the rehearsal the place quickly filled up. I love a good show tune, so I enjoyed every performance. There are two performances between 7 and 10pm but with my sketch finished I decided to head home.

Degas Sculptures at Tampa Museum of Art

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Chere Force put out an invitation for artists to join her on a field trip to see the Degas Sculptures at the Tampa Museum of Art. I knew I would want to sketch, and I considered bringing my digital tablet. I left it at home since I didn’t want to catch a guards’ attention. Chere and her husband Rory picked me up in their minivan and we headed west to get to the museum right as it opened. The Tampa Museum is part of a gorgeous riverside complex. There were several school buses of school children unloading as we arrived. Thankfully there is a children’s museum that the screaming hoard disappeared into. Curtis Hixon Park right next to the museum is a fabulous open public park with colorful terraced gardens. Across the river shiny metallic minarets adorned a building constructed in the 1800s as a hotel and it is now part of the University of Tampa.

The Museum is a modern block of a building that is covered in a grid of circular holes punched in sheet metal. At night the building lights up like a phosphorescent sea creature thanks to thousands of light diodes. The largely empty ground floor houses the gift shop and cafe while all the art is up on the second floor. Chere explained that design allowed for any storm surge from a hurricane to only damage the empty ground floor.

I branched off and explored the Degas sculptures on my own. On the walls there were some charcoal and pastel drawings that resembled poses from some of the sculptures. Degas worked on these small wax and clay pieces to help him visualize the fluid gestures he incorporated into his paintings and drawings. They were intended as studies, not finished works of art. When Degas died, his family arranged for 22 sets of bronzes to be made from all these studies while keeping the originals intact. All of the works in the exhibit were bronzes. Cards on the walls described how Degas was influenced by the classic sculptures he studied for three years in Rome and Florence.

Once I saw all the sculptures I started to experience the gestural work by sketching. Something about the way he explored form started to make sense to me. As my lines danced in around and through his sculptures, I started seeing the viewers looking at the art in the same light. The Little Dancer stood vigil in the middle of the room. Having the opportunity to study his art in person was inspiring. As I was finishing up my sketch a museum guard approached me. He asked what medium I was using. My stomach tightened and I said, “watercolor.” Thinking to myself, “It is harmless, really, it washes right out with water!” He said, “You can only use a pencil to sketch in here.” I didn’t argue. I just put my little kit away. I imagined the young Degas sketching sculptures in Italy and being told to stop.

In the next room was modern art. In the center of the gallery was an installation that had two windows set up in a false wall. Between and inside the windows rain was pouring down with the occasional lightning flash, and the recorded rumbling of thunder. I had to wonder if it just might leak, potentially damaging the other art in the room. It was pretty far from the Degas bronzes. They were safe from any further artistic scrutiny.

Edward James Olmos

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Alan Arkin was slated to appear at the Florida Film Festival along with a screening of “The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming!” This is one of Terry’s favorite films so she bought a ticket early. He was in a minor car accident which caused some damage to his inner ear so he was unable to fly.

Edward James Olmos stepped in along with a screening of “Stand and Deliver.” I arrived early and a staff member was just changing the marquee sign. The long pole had a suction cup at the end along with a string which, when pulled must have created the suction. Letters stacked on the ground were lifted up one at a time and slipped into the slots, a very analog setup.

I knew the event was sold out so I was nervous that I wouldn’t get in the theater. Just as I finished my sketch, the long line of people started filing into the theater. I went into the lobby with the other press and volunteers who were on stand by. As I waited, Edward entered the lobby. He warmly shook my hand and said how happy he was to be seeing the film again on the large screen.

“Stand and Deliver” was an independent film that was an instant and lasting success. It inspired and offered the hope that teachers can truly make a difference in their students lives. It offered the reassuring promise that if you believe in and trust those you teach, they become trustworthy.

After the film he sat down with Henry Maldonado for an informal interview. When Edward got on the stage, he asked the audience, “Are there any teachers out there?” I raised my hand as did a number of people in the room. He said, “You all should be making a million dollars a year.” People cheered. He went on to point out that the private education system isn’t working in our country. He felt a strong country should have a strong education system.

When discussing his time on “Miami Vice” he was completely honest, saying he didn’t like Don Johnson and he didn’t once look at the actor when filming the series. Olmos didn’t like to sign contracts that were exclusive, not allowing him to pursue independent films. He hated every minute he spent on that tv series and yet that contentious attitude resulted in his becoming a character the TV viewing audience loved to hate.

Speaking about “Stand and Deliver”, Olmos said he spent many hours with the teacher, Jaime Escalante, and he was struck by what an amazing man he was. He expanded the math program he started so he could take on more students. Escalante was visited by presidents and diplomats. His success over time was resented by the other teachers who felt they did not get the recognition they deserved. Because of these jelovsies he eventually had to leave the school and the students he loved. When he was on his death bed he told his wife that he wanted the names of his students placed with him in the casket.

In “Blade Runner” Olmos was the one who was making origami figures while on set, and that idea was incorporated into the film. When he was hired as Admiral Adama for “Battle Star Galactica, he at first didn’t want to take the role. He had never seen the original TV series and he didn’t want to be part of some cheesy science fiction show. After reading the script however he knew this was a project he had to be a part of. Written after 9/11 the scripts were dark and penetrating. At the time the show was written, blogs became prevalent for the first time. After a show aired, there would be a dynamic ongoing online discussion. The writers listened and commented themselves. Thus blogs helped generate new ideas.

His relationship with President Laura Rosling was a bitter contentious power struggle yet transformed into love. The shows theme of redemption and forgiveness resulted in his being invited to speak in the United Nations. The most important message he offered, expressed there and at the Enzian, was that there is no Latino race, there is no Caucasian race, there is no such thing as race as a cultural determinant. There is only one race and that is the human race. When Olmos got up to leave the Enzian stage he turned to the audience and shouted, “So say we all!” He shouted again and again till the whole audience joined in.

A Whole New Brawl Game

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I went to the Universal Skating Center, (866 South Goldenrod) to see the final Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls bouts of the season. I figured this was a prime sketching opportunity since the teams would be more likely to skate all out for their final brawl. When I entered the building I was given a wrist band with skulls on it and was told I had to wait for a minute before going out to the rink. Electrical lines and the course oval were still being duct taped down. I found myself waiting in the skaters’ locker room and they were waiting as well as they laced up their skates. I desperately wanted to sketch but then the buzzer sounded and all the skaters whipped around the rink to warm up.

I walked out to the opening in the rink wall where referees were lacing up their skates. The referees were just as beautiful and quirky as the skaters, with names like Scare, Vanilla Ice Pack and Anya Knees. The first bout matched up the Bellevue Bombshells against the Arkham Assailants. As soon as the magenta and day glow green shirted skaters got on the rink, four went down in a mini brawl before they even started skating. There are rules but quite honestly I don’t understand them. Basically one skater sets the pace and points are gained when another skater passes the skaters on the other team. There is plenty of body blocking and maneuvering. The announcer shouted out, “Malice in Wonderland is being followed by Cinder block!” Derby involves short spurts of fast paced action. I often watched the action and then sketched as the teams lined up for the next go around. The Arkham Assailants prevailed.

After the match, Ellen Rage lay on her back, a teammate held her head in her lap while another teammate held her hand. A referee waved a large score card to try and cool her down. She must have been suffering from heat exhaustion. She was given a bottle of water to sip. A good ten minutes passed before she could get up and with help, get off the rink. The crowd clapped when she got up. The girls were indeed skating all out.

The second bout was between the Serial Thrillers, all in black and the Sunnyland Slammers in baby blue. I moved to the sidelines behind the Serial Thrillers bench. Anita Priest with a black rose adorning her jet black banged hair coached the Serial Thrillers. Her number was 666. I began this sketch by sketching the sexy referee in the center of the rink who held a stop watch. The longest a single skating match could last was 50 seconds. Anya Knees stood with her toe pointed ballet style as she rested her weight on one skate. I really think Degas would have enjoyed sketching roller derby.

Coach Anita Priest shouted and made the hand signal for time out! Anya Knees didn’t notice so she ran up to the referee indignant and furious. There was plenty of bumpin’ and grindin’ as the skaters jockeyed for position. At top speed, if one girl was bumped and fell, then others would go down with her. The Serial Thrillers won. Pistol Whip, Nobody’s Hero, and all the women in black, formed a circle and shouted in victory. Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls are gaining momentum and are here to stay! Like artists, these girls skate for the sheer love of the sport and the roar of the crowd.

iDignity Fundraiser at Ember

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Terry told me about the iDignity fundraiser at Ember. Admission to the fundraising event was $15 which is apparently how much it costs to acquire one Florida ID. I was instructed to slip my drivers license into the lanyard I was given to wear around my neck. Everyone in the room wore their IDs with pride. I sport a full head of hair on my drivers license photo but no one noticed. I found Terry at the end of the bar. She was working the event hoping to find some promising leads. I took the seat next to her and started to sketch.

I had been introduced to the charitable work of iDinity once before by Hannah Miller. They get IDs for the underprivileged. Without an ID it is impossible to get a job so this is the first step in empowering someone. I have seen that crowds of people show up when the IDs are being processed. I hope to get out to sketch the process soon.

The woman next to Terry was talking about how she had once tried out to be a Magic dancer. She didn’t approve of the process and she dropped out. The Magic were playing the New York Knicks that night. It was a home game, so there was a crowd at the Amway Center a few blocks away. After a beer and tasting the food, Terry and I decided to leave early to avoid the mad traffic congestion that would happen when the game let out.

Animated Shorts

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Each year, I have to see the animated shorts at the Florida Film Festival. This year Bill Plimpton had a display of artwork from around the world used in his Global Jam. He invited artists to each tackle a scene in their own style from his Academy Award winning film Guard Dog. The invitation went out via the Internet. Bill waited an hour, no response. He waited another hour with no response. He went home depressed. The next day he was told that too many artists responded causing the server to go down. The resulting film was hilarious being even quirkier with all the different looks. Bill said the film cost him $20 to produce with animators around the world volunteering their time.

Anyway, the Animated Shorts screening was sold out. The line stretched back as far as I could see. There was a chance I might not get in, but house manager, Brian Feldman, stepped in and made sure I got a ticket. I found a seat in the very first row. Brian joked and said I should sit on the stage and sketch the audience. I was tempted but really wanted to see some animation. I leaned back and let the screen filled up every inch of my glasses. Tales of Mere Existence by Lev Yilmaz is always in the lineup and is always funny. This year he talked aimlessly about how he had imagined relationships with women in the Ukraine via Facebook. There were a few artsy shorts with no apparent story. I always get annoyed at these aimless films.

My favorite film of the night was “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore“. Though it could use a shorter title, the film is magical. It basically stresses how books offer refuge bringing color and life into people’s lives. The main character was modeled after Buster Keaton. One of the co-directors daughter died, and his wife became paralyzed during production of the film. Moonbot the new studio that made the film is located in Louisiana, so when Hurricane Katrina hit, it ended up becoming a major part of the story. There is something very sad about seeing peoples books in among the rubble of destruction. Several of the story and visual development artists were originally from Orlando but unfortunately I didn’t know them. They asked if anyone in the audience worked at Disney Feature Animation. I started to raise my hand but stopped halfway up thinking “well, not anymore.” Seeing no hands he said, “Damn Michael Eisner.”

Louder Than a Bomb

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I began my evening by going to the Regal Cinemas in Winter Park. I arrived an hour and a half early in order to have some time to sketch before watching films. I walked back to the two theaters that were set aside for the Florida Film Festival. In the hallway student volunteers were waiting around between screenings. Their job was to collect tickets and hand out ballots so the audience could rate the films. While I sketched, Jeremy Seghers and a friend stopped to say hello. Jeremy told me I HAD to see Louder than a Bomb! He was adamant, and he told me I would love it. With a spirited review like that, I had to see this film. I rushed from the Regal to the Enzian theater.

Mr. Happy Man by local filmmaker Matt Morris was screened first. I met Matt, Emma Kruch and Betsy Dye in the theater lobby. Matt wanted to get in early to get a seat for his screening. The volunteers turned him away offering no VIP treatment. This offered me the chance to meet him and shake his hand. He complained that the shoe laces on his sneakers were too long. Betsy dug into her bag and pulled out a crochet needle. She kneeled down and shoved the needle under the crossed laces and then she pulled the looped ends of the knot down underneath. It was a sudden inspired solution that very well could cause a national fashion trend. Mr Happy Man was about an inspiring character, named Johnny Barnes in Bermuda, who stood at a busy intersection each morning shouting out his love and blowing kisses to everyone who drove by. People came to depend on him and were reassured by his constant presence. A sculptor did a life sized bronze statue of him to commemorate his message of love. Here was a man with a simple message we all can learn from. Life is beautiful, don’t waste it being upset or stressed. Let people know you love them.

Louder than a bomb was a documentary about high school students who compete in a spoken word competition. The film followed four students from two different high schools as they prepared for the competition. Steinmetz high was located in an underprivileged section of Chicago. In their neighborhood there were few opportunities. The first year they competed in the slam, they won. They hoped to repeat that performance. Oak Park high school was in the quiet suburbs, a privileged school in comparison.

What made the film so vibrant and vital was the creative spirit and drive of the students. Nova Venerable, a young Indian girl had a father who was a substance abuser. She basically had to raise her little brother since her mom had to work multiple jobs to keep the kids away from the father. Nova had not spoken to her father in years yet her poetry about him was filled with both anger and love. She started high school angry, often fighting with other students. She said, “My life seemed to fit once I started writing.” Her brother, Cody, had special needs, with a form of autism. Her poem about him was filled with the purest love and yet she feared he might forget her when she went away to college. Her poetry was so raw and honest that it would silence the audience.

Adam Gottlieb felt he had grown up privileged since his parents supported him allowing him to pursue his dream. A poem he wrote about the simple act of writing sparked with life. Every line flowed forth, a constant stream of expression, the words piling up in the rapid need to be expressed. The poem poured out of him with such force that he was short of breath. Then he paused for the longest time and said, “poet breathe now.” The audience breathed with him. The audience on the screen erupted in applause as did the audience in the Enzian theater.

Because of the challenges faced by the students from Steinmetz, I found myself rooting for them. Five judges scored the poetry from one to ten points. High and low scores were removed. The final competition came down to a matter of one tenth of a point. There were tears of joy and sorrow. Nate from Steinmetz stressed that the world is bigger than a poetry slam, that the poets should not be afraid to step beyond the papers edge. All the students were learning to be inspired by people that were different than them. They were becoming true students of life. Louder than a Bomb explored the pure joy of students striving for creative expression. They left their hearts on the stage and that is inspiring, a gift to anyone who would listen! The movie audience stood and applauded. I wanted to jump and shout ready to wrestle my own need for creative expression. You need to see this film!

The Florida Film Festival

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I went to Italian cinema night at the Enzian. First I did a quick sketch at the bar. After picking up a free Peroni beer, I went in to see La Pivellina (The Little One). This was an Italian film with subtitles. The film opened with a stout middle aged woman with fire engine red hair searching for Hercules. She shouted the name again and again. What she found instead was a two year old girl sitting in a swing. No one else was around so she pushed the swing. Then together they looked for the little girl’s mother. A note in the girl’s pocket indicated that the mother had to abandon the child and she would come back for her. Not knowing what to do the redhead took the little one back to her trailer.

The willful little girl is the true star of this film. She is adorable in every scene, from imitating a babysitter’s expressions to the pure delight of walking through a puddle in big rubber boots. Because she is so natural the hand held footage began to feel like a documentary. All the heartwarming drama of the scenes must have been built around letting the little one just be herself. She didn’t like the redheaded woman at first and she would willfully shout, “No!” I got the feeling the older woman had never had children.

She and her husband were part of a small traveling circus. They aren’t perfect characters. When Hercules, their dog finally returns he is slapped. A goat wandered into the bathroom. They break down the small circus stage, when they realize that no one had stopped to see the act all day. The little one helped by carrying a chair. She slowly and surely became part of the family. What is precious about this film is that the director let the camera linger when needed. There is one scene where the little one is falling asleep while the couple discuss what they should do with her. The camera lingered a solid minute or two as the girl’s heavy eyelids flickered shut with her finger pressed to her cheek as if she wanted to keep that one eye open. Later a second note is found and they realize they will have to give up the girl up, which is heartbreaking since she had brought out the best in the both of them. If you ever get a chance to see this film, I highly recommend it.

Outside the theater, Olive Garden put out a spread of free Italian food samples. I bumped into Mary Ann deStefano, who had already seen eight films focusing mostly on the shorts. Pete Dipietro the Enzian’s technical manager, invited me to sketch in the projection booth. There I met Tom Procyk who was getting ready to show Fredrico Fellini’s Armacord. Tom let me know he would be splicing together the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” while Fellini’s film was being projected. The film was shipped to the Enzian divided up into a number of small reels. Tom had to splice together all the small reels making one large master reel. The whole time he cleaned the film checking for imperfections. He handled the film like a precious thread. The projector made a clattering noise. Turning he said, “That doesn’t sound right.” He opened a panel on the side of the projector and made adjustments. At times he has had to get creative like using a rubber band to keep the machine running until a new part was ordered. Tom started this job when he was in high school and he has been a projectionist for 13 years. It is an art form, a craft, that is quickly being lost as the film industry turns digital. Before I left he gave me a souvenir, a reference frame from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” I tucked it into a sleeve in the back of my sketchbook.

“In every art form it is the emotional content that makes the difference between mere technical skill and true art.”
-Frank Thompson