I first heard of Confluence from Brigen Gresh at an opening she had of her work at a show called Lot 1433. At that opening she began talking about a collaboration among 4 women artists. Having tried to collaborate with an artist myself in the past and having failed miserably, I was intrigued by this idea of 4 artists all working on the same paintings. I arranged to meet these four artists at McRae Art Studios in Winter Park as they began to work on these huge paintings. The 4 artists are Brigen Gresh, Dina Mack, Anna McCambridge and Vicky Jones. It was a typical steamy Orlando afternoon and the industrial studio space did not have air conditioning, but that did not slow down these women. Anna immediately got to work mounting a drawing to the panel. Vicky had previously drawn in the feet and Anna used her judgment to balance the two works together. Brigen placed tape along the top edge of the panel and painted in a thin band of light blue reminiscent of a sky. Dina started painting in the corner of the panel a bold warm cascade of shapes with the rhythm and flow of jazz. Vicky is Anna’s mom and these two have a similar narrative, representational feeling to their work. Dina and Brigen both work more abstractly with gentle color harmonies and a delicate balance of shape and form.
It started to rain outside and things cooled down. A train rumbled by outside. Anna backed away from the panel and started to dance to the music playing on the radio. She pirouetted and leaped like a ballerina. When she had finished dancing and everyone had stopped laughing, she said something that really resonated with me. “Collaborating with other artists, when the work is really going well, feels just like being in love.”
Confluence will run from September 25th through November 1st at the Maitland Art Center. They will host a gallery walk on Sunday October 18th at 1PM.
The Social Chameleon
Sometimes I experience an evening so enjoyable that I wish I could relive it. The first time my wife and I were at the Chameleon was with all the actors and crew of War of the Worlds. Let me tell you, actors know how to party. I didn’t sketch that evening, instead I drank, ate great food and enjoyed pleasant conversation. I ended up staying until 2 AM to close the place down, not wanting to leave.
The Social Chameleon is located at 2406 East Robinson Street in the Milk District. I returned because I needed to organize places to go for the 24th Worldwide SketchCrawl which will be September 19th. I figure the Social Chameleon is a perfect stop on the crawl so I decided to have dinner and get a sketch before heading off to Infusion Tea for a poetry reading. The infinite detail to all the clutter in the room however left me working on the sketch a bit longer than expected and I missed the poetry. There is plenty of poetry in soaking up the Social’s warm inviting environment however.
I sat a a small corner table with a good view of the front room. In front of me a British couple who were trying the restaurant for the first time. They tried some beers they had never tasted before and ended up leaving with a 6 pack of some raspberry flavored beer. The bar keep was talking to a costumer about something called an Electro Guinness. They electrocute the beer to give it extra carbonation. I had never heard of that and I suspect I will be back to try it out.
The Social Chameleon serves food tapas style with an emphasis on flavor and small portions. The first time at the Chameleon I tried the tomato basil pizza which was fantastic. This time I ordered a Mediterranean plate and a glass of Pinot Noir. The stuffed grape leaves were very tasty and the crispy pita was topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, Olive oil and a perfect blend of spices.
In the kitchen was Brett Ashman who owns the Social Chameleon with his wife Serena. Through the window to the kitchen, Brett related to the British couple that he had worked for 100 days as a provisions master on a ship called the National Geographic Explorer. This ship traveled the world showing passengers some of the Geographic’s most famous research sites. Though he worked hard, he had enough time off the ship to shoot 2000 pictures which display automatically on the HDTV above the bar. As the place filled up around 8 PM the TV was switched to Obama’s speech on health care. I decided that when the speech was over so was my sketch.
Karie Sue Creations
I arranged to sketch Karie Brown of Karie Sue Creations at work creating her one of a kind hand bags from all recycled materials. I met her at Roho Coffee and Art downtown where a group of a dozen or so people had met to brainstorm and talk about upcoming arts events. At the coffee shop Karie asked the proprietor is she would be willing to recycle her used coffee bean bags. The proprietor of course agreed and offered Karie some bags on the spot.
When we got to Karie’s studio, she cut away the edges of some Gillies Coffee bags to use just the gold and silver outer lining with the coffee growers logo. She then started going through wall paper sample books which were also recycled. Her plan was to use the wallpaper samples as the inner lining to the bag.
After much careful measuring she used the sewing machine to stitch the two inverted fabrics together, and to stitch the zipper in place. Then came the more complicated task of folding and stitching the corner sections. Once everything was done she had to delicately turn everything inside out and then the bag took on its final form. With one bag finished she had an errand to run for a friend and since I hadn’t finished my sketch yet I agreed to join her on this task. She drove to the friends house and took the 4 dogs out for a walk in the yard. One dog was a huge dark beast the size of a horse and when he charged down the hallway at me I was sure I was going to die. He just barked a bit and sniffed me however.
With the dog sitting out of the way she then wanted to go to a local coffee shop where she had gotten many of the supplies she had used that day. She asked for the manager and Karie gave the manager the finished bag. The manager loved it.
Most of this sketch was done when we got back to her makeshift studio and she began to experiment with new sizes and handles. The work was rather fast paced and I ended up erasing more than I drew. But I still had a great time getting to meet this vibrant local artist.
Stardust Video and Coffee
I drove to Stardust Video and Coffee thinking I would sketch the Audubon outdoor market but the market was nowhere to be found. Rather than call it quits, I went inside and ordered a Coke. Stardust is a quirky artsy hangout located at 1842 East Winter Park Road.
One room had a wall stacked with VHS videos and large tables made from old doors which have been varnished and smoothed. The room I sat in has a small stage area with red glittery curtains. A group of five or so people sat at tables busily tapping at their laptops. The central area of Stardust has the food counter which I sketched. I ordered a pita plate and I was handed a VHS video titled “Pushing Tin” starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. The waiter used this to find out what table to deliver the food to. My plate arrived within minutes. The pita was warm and toasty and the humus delicious.
A woman who had been focused on her laptop walked by and noticed me sketching. She started to tell me about how as a child she used to draw with her left hand. Back in those days parents didn’t want their children to be left handed so anytime she would pick a crayon up with her left hand her parents would slap her hand. Today she is right handed. She said she could still draw a bit with her left hand but if she tried to draw with her right hand, Nothing.
Oil paintings hung on the wall by Jennifer Payne. Exhibits seem to change fairly often. The light in the room slowly got darker as the sun set. By eight PM the place was getting packed. The core group of laptop users in my room were still at work when I left to go to Will’s Pub.
A Gift for Teachers
After covering an event at Lake Eola called Push Play, I decided to find out more about the organizers who were from A Gift for Teaching (AGFT). AGFT offers FREE school supplies to Central Florida’s disadvantaged school children. This organization is located off of John Young Parkway at 6501 Magic Way. The building is a nondescript brick warehouse. When I walked in I was impressed by a store filled with vibrant color that rivaled any Office Max or Staples.
I met with Audrey who has worked for AGFT for five years and is the longest running employee of the company which was formed 11 years ago. She gave me a tour of the facility. She explained that more than half of the students in Orlando schools are on the free or reduced price lunch. The reduced price for lunches is just 40 cents. Students that can not afford that are often faced with the choice between food or school supplies.
This is where AGFT steps in, they seek out local businesses to donate surplus supplies, the kind of stuff that otherwise would end up in a landfill. The company also has fundraisers, events and some grants to keep afloat. They have never relied on government grants because all the paperwork would be overwhelming.
Audrey said that in some ways things are getting harder because of the slowing economy. However many companys are going out of business and all the supplies are being donated to the cause as a tax write off.
The gorgeous facility is entirely staffed by volunteers each afternoon. AGFT has founded a work woman’s prison program where large stock paper is cut up and packaged into bound journals, flash cards puppets and craft supplies. Many of these inmates have children who benefit from the program. One area of the facility offers new socks and underwear. Some children can not afford new clothes and wear the same outfit every day of the week.
Teachers enter the facility each afternoon and “shop” for their students in need. Teachers can take advantage of $517 worth of merchandise when they shop. There are limits on how many items a given teacher can take of any given item. This allows all the teachers to benefit from all the supplies. AGFT has donated over 45 million dollars worth of supplies to students for free over the years. They have given away over 4 million pencils and over 130 thousand teachers have visited the facilities.
Artist or Anarchist?
It had been a great day. I had done two sketches one of which was at “A Gift for Teaching” learning all about this groups amazing charitable work from Audrey. My wife had invited me to another event called “The Art of Fashion” at Neiman Markus in the Millenia Mall. I really don’t like going to the mall, the place makes me uncomfortable but I decided to be a good sport and go. Besides the word Art was in the title so it must have some artistic merit. Terry and I met outside and walked in together. She was all a flutter checking out the event Tee Shirts and jumping from rack to rack.
There were tables from local restaurants offering small food samples, all of which were delicious. We got some Blue Matini’s made with Van Gogh Rum. I started to wonder if Van Gogh would have liked this event. We shared a cupcake and had a photographic flip book animation made which is quite humerus. Tall slender models strutted around among the racks of designer clothing. Other women looked like they had far to much plastic surgery.
Terry wanted to do some shopping so she left me to do a sketch. While I was sketching a woman named Kelly, who runs Nude Nite in Orlando and Tampa introduced herself. She described her event and I can’t wait to go there to do a sketch for the blog. A mother asked if I could show her daughter the drawing. The little girl asked “Are you going to color the drawing?” I promised her “Yes, of course”.
Then things got surreal. A woman dressed all in black walked up to me and said I really shouldn’t sketch the lady having her make up done due to privacy issues. I pointed out that the woman I sketched had already left and I was drawing the make up artist. I pointed out how the blouse and hair style were different and continued to work. The woman left. I started to draw faster. Later Terry found me and wanted to see if I had finished. The line work was done and I just needed to add a few washes of color.
Then another woman in black showed up with a young security guard, and said I would have to stop sketching or I would be escorted out of the building. I asked why and she said it was store policy. I was sure the store policy didn’t say anything about sketching. I was told I could not name the store or post the drawing I did because Neiman Markus needs to control how their store is portrayed. I do not feel I portrayed the store in a bad light with my sketch. You be the judge. The managers actions however are another story. Rather than make a scene, I put my sketchbook away knowing the sketch was already done. I found this display of authority funny and besides I have no real desire to return to do more drawings. Terry however was fuming. She had bought hundreds of dollars worth of perfume and other items and decided to take them all back. We went from register to register voiding out all the transactions and telling the stunned store employees about the policy.
On the drive home my anger started to build deep in my chest. I had never been stopped from sketching before and yet this week I was stopped twice, once at Lake Eola and now at a Mall of all places. Orlando is starting to feel like a different country. The next morning Terry showed me her Neiman Markus credit card and with a flourish she cut it in half.
Hospice of the Comforter Fundraiser
I went to the Ritz Carlton to sketch the fund raising party for Hospice of the Comforter. I had been to the Hospice up in Altamonte the previous week to meet Melissa Silvers the communications manager, and there is a possibility I might begin to sketch patients at the Hospice who want to tell their stories. Patients at the Hospice of the Comforter know that they only have a few weeks left to live. The prospect of this series of sketches both excites and frightens me.
The Ritz fundraiser was a whirlwind of non stop activity. There was a silent auction outside the ball room with many objects of art as well as jewelry and other fashionable bling.
I stood in the middle of the hallway to sketch the bar which is always an active area at the beginning of such an event. Waitresses walked around with platters of hours-devours but I didn’t sample the food or drink since I needed to finish the sketch.
Once in a while someone would walk up to me to find out what I was doing. One woman checked in on my progress 3 different times so she got to see the full progression of the sketch. Just before they opened the doors to the dining room, I had stated the carpet pattern. With the halls now empty, I finished up the color pattern I had started. I worked fast because I wanted to be sure to find my table before the food started coming out. With the sketch finished I felt relaxed knowing I had a decent sketch under my belt, I now could enjoy the event. I introduced myself to the people next to me at the table and sat back to enjoy the show.
Night Hawks Orlando Sketch Crawl
The 24th Worldwide Sketch Crawl is going to take place in the Milk District of Orlando. This is a Night Hawks Crawl where we will close down one establishment and then move on to the next. Die Hards like myself will stay up till 5 in the morning, finishing up the evening at Pom Pom’s which is open 24 hours that day.
Sportstown has a huge room full of pool tables and other games. Bull & Bush had darts and a rustic old world bar with plenty of character. The Social Chameleon has delicious pizzas and tapas style menu items with an emphasis on flavor. They have a huge beer selection as well. Pom Pom’s is a cup cake shop for the folks who never sleep.
Don’t know how to sketch? That is fine, come along and lift a few pints.
Taco Truck Taste Test Two
Mark Baratelli of the Daily City organized a second Taco Truck Taste Test this truck is located at the corner of Conway and Curry Ford in a gas station parking lot. The trucks main dish is Monfongo Relleno which is from the Dominican Republic. Monfongo is made from fried green plantains or yuca which is mashed and seasoned with garlic, olive oil and pork bacon. As I walked up to the taco truck someone approached me and said “Hey if you want to get your truck cleaned be sure to call me, I do good work.” He handed me a business card that read: Rambo’s Car Cleaning. About a dozen people gathered for this taste test. After saying hi to Mark, I immediately sat down leaning up against a tire air compressor. I sketched as quickly as possible to try and catch the individuals who had shown up. I found it odd that one man stood on a milk crate next to the truck so he could see into the truck and presumably talk to the chef. A second truch weas located behind the gas station and many of the cooking impliments were strewn around on the ground. I presume they were retrofitting or upgrading the Taco Truck.
There were just two of those generic white plastic chairs that you see everywhere. People ended up sitting on the curb and leaning up against the gas station walls while they ate. The prices at this truck were on the high side. For instance a shrimp Monfongo was $12, you could also get a lobster Monfongo for $14. Because of the prices I decided to pass on sampling the food. I finished up my sketch and headed home.
Crimes of the Heart Callbacks
This sketch shows Kylie Kusco and Heather Leonardi on stage with Beth Marshall and Aradhana Tiwari watching. Some monologues from the auditions were quite memorable. One fellow had a monologue about being strip searched. The whole time he was talking he was angrily throwing items of clothing on the floor, first his shoes, his socks then his belt. I stopped hearing what he was saying and started to wonder just how far he would go to get the part. The director put her hand over her face in amusement and embarrassment. Another actor rather than recite lines from a play started talking about how he ended up in Orlando after a student work exchange program for Disney and about his first love. I enjoy hearing slices of life like that but I don’t think it got him a part.
Actors who made it to callbacks were in serious consideration for a part. They would pair up and act out scenes from the play. Some scenes I must have heard close to a dozen times yet certain performances had me laughing out loud or swept away in the romantic drama while some left me unmoved offering me time to focus on the sketch.
Any time actors would leave the stage Beth and Aradhana would turn to each other and discuss how certain actors really worked well together or how several actors bought different energies to a particular role. I do not know how they would ever decide since every actor bought something new to the table.
One actress named Kylie Kusco, really stepped up to the plate and she was asked to perform an exercise where she and Beth could only say two lines “Their is not enough time” and “their is enough time”. Each actress had to convince the other she was right using body language and raw emotion. It was like watching two matadors in a ring each circling and moving in for another emotional exchange. The director let the exercise go for a long time and I thought the performances were some of the best I had witnessed that day. There is magic in moments like this.
Near the end of the day Beth and Aradhana placed all the photos out on the table and began to organize them into groupings of possible cast scenarios. They talked about the possibilities for the longest time. I’m reminded of a line from the play Sunday in the Park with George “a blank page or canvas, so many possibilities”. I finished my sketch and packed up to leave. As I left the endless discussion continued and all the actors who had made it through the day were coming back at 5 PM to continue the process. I had to go out to Sanford to do a sketch For Orlando Home and Leisure. Here is the final cast and cheers to what should be a great show!