Mark Baratelli at the Daily City.com, organized a spontaneous taco truck taste test for avid readers of his blog. This Taco Truck is located in front of Trinidad Auto Repair Center at 815 South Sermoran Blvd. Mark had wonderfully colorful bumper stickers printed up and a small color program and menu. Since the Orlando Sentinel wanted a photo of me sketching they were going to send a photographer to the TTTT to shoot me while I worked. I figured this was a great chance for the alternate media in this town to get some traditional media coverage.
Then it rained starting first thing in the morning and lasting all day long. The Sentinel decided to cancel the photo shoot but I went to the taco truck site anyway hoping that there might be a break in the rain. When I arrived there was no one in site. The rain was a fine mist and it slowly stopped. I saw Mark drive up and park behind the Auto repair shop where the taco truck was parked. Then slowly people started to arrive. Logan Donahoo was the first to place an order so I placed him front and center in the sketch. In all perhaps 10 people showed up for the taste test and they were rewarded with some very fine food. I worked frantically on the sketch trying to keep the few rain drops from destroying the lines as I put them down. Once in a while a huge drop would fall from the power pole I was leaning against and it would slap down on the sketch giving me a fright. With the truck filling my field of vision I didn’t get to sketch everyone waiting in line, but trust me there was a line that flowed off the sketch to the right.
Mark interviewed people after they finished eating to compile an in depth review of the samples offered. I was still placing watercolor washes on the sketch as people started to leave. The cook running the truck speaks no English so ordering was a challenge, I asked a few people for advice as to what was good and I settled on Arepas with Camarones or shrimp. They came in a soft corn shell cooked with salt and olive oil, packed on top was plenty of Swiss cheese. For a drink I had a Colombiana soda which had a vanilla kick and was quite good. As I was eating I spoke to a Spanish woman who had ordered the exact same menu items as me. She travels all the way from Apopka to come to this little mobile stand. She said she comes here several times a week. I decided to show the stand owner the sketch to see what he thought. He made a scribble gesture with his hand and pointed to me and I nodded yes. He smiled and handed the sketchbook back. Good food and art are universally understood.
Earthy Habitat
I was offered a tip from KC that Earthy Habitat was having a grand opening and there were going to be belly dancers! I couldn’t pass up an offer like that. The store had just moved 3 weeks ago from it Thornton Avenue address right next to Dandelion Communitea Cafe. The store is now located at 990 North 434 in Altamonte Springs. I had some trouble finding the place since strip malls and stores in Florida don’t do a great job of displaying the street numbers. I have a GPS and with trial and error I finally did find the store just when I was ready to give up and head home.
It was pouring rain when I arrived. I ran toward the store and ducked under the store front overhang. As soon as I shook out my umbrella a young woman approached me and told me I could have any item on the outdoor table for free. I chose a hand woven green bracelet that I think my wife Terry will love. Earthy Habitat offers hand crafted jewelry from around the world. Items can be found from Africa, Tibet, India, Ecuador among other places. Gloria Beharry and Sandra Burgos are the owners. Sandra has many of her own paintings decorating the store walls. KC’s daughter is working in the store for the summer. So the whole family was out to see the opening. KC introduced me to Bob who is the love of her life and looks just like Ernest Hemingway. I then met KC’s youngest daughter Liz who at first seemed a bit unhappy to have to sit through the event but she later livened up and turned out to have a fun sense of humor. Kit was busy talking to clients and selling like a pro. She never stopped working the room.
The 3 belly dancers arrived late. They are called the Magi Dance Troupe and they were amazing. Their arms moved like snakes and they had perfect balance which was demonstrated when the lead dancer, Melanie LaJoie, balanced a flaming candle in a bowl on her head and began to dance. This dance actually made me a bit nervous, I immediately imagined the bowl falling and igniting the carpet and people screaming as they ran towards the exits. I suppressed those thoughts, quieted my nerves and finished the sketch.
Interview at Infusion Tea
Monday, I met Elizabeth Maupin the theater critic for the Orlando Sentinel, at Infusion Tea. Elizabeth wanted to interview me for the print edition of the paper, and I am always happy to talk about this blog and how it is changing my life.
As is my habit I showed up early and ordered some lunch and an iced tea. I decided I would try and get a sketch done before she showed up. But like a true professional, she had the same idea of showing up early so she ordered and we ended up having lunch together. I did not sketch her since I wanted to focus on our conversation and getting the facts right. Yes even I know when to put the pen down.
I admired her analog approach to the interview, she took notes with a pencil and paper and she came up with questions as we talked. I hope to learn from her example and improve my own interviewing skills for the blog. I might not have related all the joys and heartaches that have come about on this journey but I think she understands the pleasure to be found from taking the time to listen and sketch in a world that is moving way to fast.
When she left I sat back and continued this sketch. The guy working on his laptop was there when I arrived and he remained when I left. Several others sat staring at laptop screens and working in this relaxing setting. Perhaps it is a sign of the times that people are now truly mobile and work where they feel most comfortable. I feel like I have joined those ranks, minus the laptop.
Ignite Orlando
I went to Slingapour’s on Wall Street Plaza downtown to find out what Ignite Orlando was all about. In the first part of the event speakers were invited to give creative presentations with the limitation being that they had to give the presentation in 5 minutes and the slides would be on a timer and would change automatically. Some of these presentations were quite entertaining and the fast pace kept the evening lively. One presentation I particularly liked was about toys and play. He pointed out that people do not find enough time in their adult lives for play. This may be true for artists as well. I may start a sketch with the most serious of intentions, but it is only when I let loose and just relax and play with the lines and values that things fall into place.
The last speaker was the woman in this sketch named Jessica Mariko. Being the last speaker I realized I had to catch her and fast. She stood before the microphone and I waited for her to start to talk. Instead as music began to play, she slowly rose up on her toes and then broke into dance. The music had a voice over by her describing her creative process, her thoughts about art, thoughts about the need for artistic collaborations, and a lament that many artists do not know how to market their talents. All the while she danced. I sketched her at the beginning of her routine and towards the end. All of her commentary resonated with me and her playful presentation left her and many in the audience breathless at the end.
After the Ignite Orlando event was over, the MP3 Experiment began. Everyone in the bar had an MP3 player and had downloaded an MP3 from the Internet. I had also figured out how to use my wife’s MP3 player and had downloaded the file, but I suddenly realized that I had left the MP3 player on my kitchen table next to the users manual. I was forced to observe the experiment as an outsider. In the bar everyone stretched and then began pointing at different places in the bar. All at once they silently walked out into the street toward the park in front of the History Center. When in the park they all hid behind trees. A man ran around dropping packages on the ground and all the while people tried to keep him from seeing them behind the trees. People then opened the packages and handed the items to each other. They began blowing up balloons. On one side of the park they all had red balloons and on the other side blue balloons. Then as in opening scenes of 2001 a Space Odyssey they began violently waving the balloons around and making threatening growls at each other. Suddenly the groups charged at one another and a game of tag began. Those who were tagged fell to the grass. At one point they wandered the field in slow motion acting like zombies or monsters. At the end they all shook hands laughing and exhausted. To tell you the truth I have no idea what it all meant since I still haven’t listened to the MP3. The homeless that usually sleep in the park must have been equally baffled.
Lot 1433 Opening
I followed a facebook lead and went to a gallery opening in a private residence on Lake Minnehaha. Yes the is the actual name of the lake, would I make that up? On display were 30 or so paintings from artists Brigan Gresh and Andrew White. These two artists had totally different approaches and looks to their art. Brigan painted very light paintings with multiple layers of paint. Sometimes thick textural brush strokes would show through thin layers of white paint. On top of this were thin spidery impressions which almost would form a discernible shape but remained abstract and elusive. Andrews art on the other hand was dark and brooding. There were stormy clouds looming over dark landscapes and images of screaming monkeys on large dark canvases. The two artists couldn’t be more dissimilar yet later that evening I heard Megan talking about how she and Andrew are considering collaborating on a show in which they would both work on the same pieces of art. It is a fascinating idea and I really want to find out how that works out.
At this opening I spoke with another artist named Louise Bova who is a figurative painter from Brooklyn who moved to Orlando 4 years ago. She lamented the fact that Orlando doesn’t have as much culture as NYC. Last year I might have agreed with her but I found myself arguing the point, trying to point out all the culture that I discover each time I head out to sketch. Orlando certainly isn’t perfect, but it does buzz with activity. After I finished this sketch, I wandered down to the lake to watch the sun set on the opposite shore and then I drove back home.
Brian Feldman Reads The Orlando Weekly in its Entirety
I arrived at Frames Forever & Art Gallery 941 Orange Avenue Winter Park, to find a small crowd seated in front of a glass storefront window watching as Brian Feldman read the Orlando Weekly in its entirety. He not only read the body copy but also the ads, captions and he would even describe any pictures and art. Three of the people were from the Orlando Weekly Newspaper and they sat and watched for over an hour. Brian spoke into a microphone and the sound mixer Tommy Wingo (in the yellow shirt) supervised as Brian’s voice was amplified crisply on two speakers outside.
The performance commemorates WMFE’s canceling of their newspaper-reading service for the blind on its station due to funding issues.
The store window was masterfully decorated with the current issue of the Orlando Weekly taped up behind Brian and even strewn about on the floor. A classy Greek column was on hand where Brian perched a cup of water for his parched voice. One audience member tapped furiously on his laptop computer and others occasionally texted friends on iPhones. Some people had the newspaper and read along tracking Brian’s progress. The owner of Frames Forever & Art Gallery, Katie Windish, was tweeting about the event to about a thousand people on Brian’s behalf. Katie was also the one who tailored the classy vest Brian was wearing which was also made of newspaper. She confessed that the vest was made from another local rag called the Orlando Sentinel.
The drive home from this event was quite eventful, While driving through Parramore, I was pulled over by a patrol car. “Can I see your License and Registration”, blinking lights, and a flood light in my rear view mirror, the whole deal. After waiting 15 minutes while he looked up my long criminal record he came back and informed me my left brake light was out. He asked if I knew about that, and I did, but I said “no officer”. He said he could give me a $96 ticket for that but he would let me go with a warning this time…
United Arts Board Meeting
Yesterday the United Arts Board of Trustees voted to decide if United Arts would help in an attempt to keep Opera alive in Orlando. The Orlando Opera company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 24th, and the Orlando Philharmonic has offered to help produce limited staged productions where opera singers could perform before the Philharmonic. This endeavor would cost an additional $200,000 and United Arts is offering to help. Over a thousand people had subscribed for Opera season tickets and they were shocked that they could not get their money back when the Opera went bankrupt. Of the $200,000, being invested by United Arts, $50,000 will be used for vouchers to allow the subscribers to attend the Enzian Theater’s “Opera on Film Series”, and OPO’s semi-staged concert Operas.
I had heard that this meeting might get heated since some board members feel that United Arts should only support existing organizations and since the Opera is bankrupt it no longer exists. It was pointed out that all arts organizations are struggling in the present financial climate and the money might be better put to use if it helped keep existing organizations afloat.
The board meeting was actually quite civil. Both sides stated their causes and then a vote was taken by a raise of hands. In the midst of the heated discussion, trumpeting Elephant calls could be heard emanating from the next room in the Shakespeare Theater. This rather surreal moment tended to lighten the mood among the board members. In a final plea, Mark Hagel summed up all the arguments with a simple question, “Do we want Opera in Orlando?” The votes tallied were 20 votes for helping produce limited stage Opera productions, and 3 votes against. With this vote an executive committee will further look into the particulars of the plan and by August 15th the plan will either be a go or no-go. Orlando was once able to boast that it was the only city in Florida with the “big 3” professional companies for Opera, Ballet and a Symphony. Today a crippled Opera continues to tread water.
Cigarbox Newsstands
Jeff Kunerth loves the thrill of the hunt. He has rummaged through antique shops model railroad stores miniature shops and ebay to find many of the items in his News collection. He compared finding a new item to the feeling a 49er might have felt when he discovers a rare golden nugget.
The collection used to reside throughout the house but when his sons moved away to college his wife insisted that he consolidate the collection so he moved everything into his sons room. Every square inch of every shelf and wall is covered with newspaper memorabilia.
In the sketch you can see some of his news paperboy figures. He even has a GI Joe war corespondent complete with a typewriter. Some of his hand crafted newsstands can also be seen. There is the “Seuss News” with the Cat in the Hat selling papers, Goofy is selling papers in the “Toon News”. In the “Bear Country News” newsstand a bear sell honey along with the news. Each stand has an amazing level of detail that can only be appreciated when you hold the box and truly peer inside. He has a magnifying glass on the shelf with the newsstands in case you want to read all the headlines. And trust me all the headlines tie in to the given newsstand theme.
The Orlando Newseum
I went to the home of Jeff Kunerth who has a sizable collection of all things news related. Jeff has worked for the Orlando Sentinel for 35 years and his life’s work has always been journalism. His father taught journalism for 30 years at Iowa State University and at an early age Jeff was hitting the streets before sunrise to deliver the local paper. Since he didn’t like having to collect paper money door to door, he recruited his brother who enjoyed the work. His brother now runs a small paper in Idaho, of course handling all the finances.
Jeff collected press passes and desk name plates from employees as they left the Orlando Sentinel. He has about 30 press passes and 50 name plates. He finally stopped collecting as reporters were being layed off 30 to 40 at a time. Instead he has the long lists of names that appeared in the paper the week of the layoffs.
Jeff builds miniature newsstands with humorous themes out of cigar boxes. Here he is making an Obama election day themed newsstand. In the box in his lap are hundreds of newspaper front pages which were reduced multiple times on his laser printer. He carefully cut and trimmed these until they fit into the overall newsstand layout. The newsstand he is building is sitting on the card table. You can see the small shelves he has built on which the newspapers will be stacked. A small TV set is on and a black and white Film Noir movie is playing. Jeff never glances at the TV but the period music perfectly compliments the nostalgic feel of the news related miniatures.
Downey Park
On Saturday I drove to Downey Park on the East side of town. I went with the hope of seeing Capoeira Martial arts as they relaxed for a picnic and an afternoon of practicing this Brazilian martial art. I had no idea where in the park to find them but I ended up parking in a space right next to where their picnic table was set up. I walked up and 5 people were playing long bow shaped instruments, called Berimbaus, and a drum while others whirled dodged and did somersaults and handstands. As I sat down to draw…you guessed it, the music stopped and everyone packed up to go home. That was my fault I had arrived late, having come from another sketch location.
Rather than consider this a wasted trip, I wandered down to the lake where children and adults were splashing in the water. I sat in the shade of a beautiful old tree and vicariously enjoyed the company of a Hispanic family on siesta. A small Hispanic boy became infatuated with my haversack and he boldly walked up to me and started yanking on it. His father had to rush over and pull him away. Several other times kids wandered up to me and would put their hands on my knee like I was placed there to keep them steady on their feet.
This relaxing day in the park reminded me so much of old sepia colored photos I have of my mom in her youth. In every image she is seen smiling in a bathing suit and always close to water. Her father was a second generation Irishman who managed to buy a boat with his plumbers wages and the family was always near a beach or lake. I am left wondering how I lost that heritage.