Congress Hotel

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I believe this is the last sketch I have from the Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach Florida. Pam and I joined a sketch tour and the Congress Hotel was the first stop. Across the street from the hotel was a wall of tents with merchandise and since the street was blocked to cars, people were walking up and down the street. It was crowded.

The Congress Hotel, (1036 Ocean Drive Miami Beach FL) was built in 1935 designed by Architect Henry Hohauser. The bold round shapes of the Congress Hotel’s lettering evoke a machine-age aesthetic. The hotel’s architecture, like many in the neighborhood, combines Art
Deco’s vertical emphasis, in its ascending central fin, with streamlined
horizontal features, such as the projecting “eyebrows” and corner
ribbon windows.

Though some artists did park themselves on a curb across the street, it seemed the best view was found by sitting  right on the street. While working on the sketch, one of the vendors from the tent behind us walked up not to admire the sketches we were working on, but to ask us to move, since people were looking over our shoulders apparently rather than looking at his tent. He reminded is that he spent $1000 to set up his tent at the Art Deco Festival. We were no where near his tent and certainly not blocking foot traffic, but I shuffled up a foot or two basically sitting on the yellow center lines on the street. This forced is up close and personal with the building facade. We had one hour to work. Frederico Giraldo, a Miami Urban Sketcher sat with us and created a bold rendition of the building. Before we were done, the tent merchant returned but this time praised what we had put on he page.

Art Deco Weekend Classic Car Show

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Art Deco Weekend is the longest running free community cultural festival in South Beach Miami. Orlando Urban Sketchers, Tampa Urban Sketchers and Miami Urban Sketchers teamed up to offer free demos and sketch walks during the festival. The Breakwater Hotel was one of the buildings that was on the sketch walk I hosted. Walking up and down Ocean Avenue I became infatuated with this car parked in front of the Breakwater.

The owner sat in a lawn chair behind his car and other car owners chatted with him for the longest time. A guy and his girlfriend sat on the grass in front of me while I sketched. When they got back up, the guy asked what I was doing. I think he suspected I might be drawing his girl. When he saw the sketch of the car he offered a compliment. He turned to his girlfriend and brushed her butt with his hand saying, “Your dirty.” He did this three more times, laughing as they walked away. At the outdoor patio across the street, guests were enjoying drinks and “The Best Cuban Food” at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine South Beach which is also known as the “Cathedral of Cuban Mojitos.” Now I kind of wish I had ordered a drink to sip while I sketched.

Art Deco Weekend

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On the last day of the Art Deco Weekend I was slated to give a demo before the drive back to Orlando. I believed that there was to be an Art Deco Doggie Costume Contest to the held at the Barbara Baer Capitman Memorial at 13th Street and Lummus Park in South Beach so that is where I planned to sketch. It sounded quirky and fun. All of the demos assembled at the Urban Sketching tent on 10th Street and Ocean Drive. We held up poster boards with our names on it so people could go to the demo of their choice.

I had two attendees join my group and Pam Schwartz decided to join us. We made our way up to where the doggie costume contest was to be held and just before we arrived, a parade of dags in costume and their owners walked down the street in the opposite direction. Well this was an impossible sketching situation. Even if I followed the puppies I would just be drawing butts. There were some mighty fine puppies in costume but they were on the move.

We made a quick change of plans and walked over to the outdoor stage where the FIU Studio Jazz Big Band was performing live.
The 15-piece big band, directed by Jim Hacker, performed new and well-known jazz classics by
Stan Kenton, Thad Jones, Thelonius Monk, and more. The members of the
FIU Big Band are full-time graduate and undergraduate students.

One of my attendees only spoke Brazilian, so anything I said was lost in translation although Pam related some info using Google translate.  I discussed how I block in a scene, perspective and the challenge of capturing the energy of a scene. What I left out of the sketch is as important as what I included. When the band conductor made it sound like they would be taking a 15 minute break, I worked frantically to catch the band in pen and ink. I know from experience that a 15 minute break can stretch out to an eternity if you are needing to sketch in the moment.

The guy in the lawn chair to the right was on the phone for most of the performance. It is strange how people can go to a live performance and then be distracted the whole time. Lisanne Lyons Vocal Studio students also sang live on this afternoon of great jazz. Strangely when the band took it’s break, that is when people began to get up and dance to the piped in music. Catching a couple on the dance floor became my last order of business. It is hard to know when to stop when people are watching every move you make as you sketch, but I asked for any questions and then folded up my sketchbook.

South Beach Drink and Draw

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After a long day of sketching at Art Deco Weekend in South Beach Miami, the Urban Sketchers then met for a drink and draw a block away from the beach at Abuella’s Cuban Kitchen. A group of us ate dinner downstairs and then the plan was to to hold the Drink and Draw upstairs. There was some confusion with the restaurant owners who seemed unaware of the plans that had been made weeks before. The dinner we had was sub par. An 18% tip was
already in the bill and I decided to fill out the digital form to give a
20% tip instead. After seeing someone else fill out the form I realized I had
given a $20 tip rather than 20%. The waitress gave me a $20 bill back.

One sketcher came downstairs and said the space upstairs was cold and weird. That made me want to go up and see for myself. Ultimately we did all go upstairs to an outdoor patio that overlooked the street. I liked the curve linear cornice in front of which many of our group sat. It was indeed spacious and weird, I liked it.

To my right the discussion turned to mixing music as a DJ. Several of the group were into mixing beats. James Richards spoke to an artist at length and Pam spoke to James’ wife. I focused my attention on finishing this sketch for the duration.  One artist was told she would have to order something other than a water or she would have to leave. She had just paid for a very expensive tasteless diner downstairs. She stood her ground. This evening left the impression that South Beach Miami is cut throat and rude.

Locust Apartments in South Beach Miami

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The second stop on the sketch crawl I was hosting was the Locust Apartments (918 Ocean Drive South Beach Miami Fl) built in 1925 by Architect A. Frasier Rose. The sun was getting low on the horizon and we had to stare directly into the sun to look at the facade.

The building is in a Mediterranean Revival style with Gothic Revival influences. Four pilasters divide 3 bays. Thin, twisted ornamentation at at the corners and there are low relief panels at cornices. Pointed arches can be found above third floor windows. There is a highly ornamented pointed arch above primary entryway. Inside there is a large tiled fireplace with twisted columns separating arches and a molded ceiling.

I sat a bit further back so I could catch some of the tents set up for the Art Deco Weekend. One tent offered hammock chairs that people were always trying out. I was first fascinated by the crowd of people seated on top of the building to the right of the Locust Apartments. Both of my fountain pens stopped putting down lines so I started sketching with a colored pencil. It was fun working fast and furious, knowing there wasn’t time for any second guessing.

The theme of Art Deco Weekend was Sheroes, Women who Made a Difference. Pam had the idea of posing women like Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells and Mary Brickell on each of the balconies of this building as the poster. I should have followed up and created that image. It could have been a strong image evocative of Evita.

Captain Barry’s Art Deco Adventure

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Once my Art Deco Weekend demos and sketch walks were finished, I decided to join a group of artists on a sketch walk along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. The first stop n this sketch walk was the Versace Mansion. I had sketched the mansion twice already, once in my sketchbook on the first day, and once on a large sea grape leaf for one of my demos. Instead of once again drawing the mansion, I decided instead to sketch the artists perched curbside working on their sketches.

Captain Barry came from Virginia to join us documenting the festival. He attended my leaf sketching demo and he finished a sketch of the mansion on a leaf as well. We hung his leaf in the Urban Sketchers tent and someone wanted to buy it but we were not sure if he wanted to sell it. He is the most enthusiastic artist I have met. He appreciates the talents of all the artists around him and he loves getting up close to the action when he sketches. In my sketch he is leaning up against the New Times paper dispenser.

After I had blocked out the composition of this sketch, a woman walked up to Captain Barry and she leaned over him chatting. She stood there for the next hour or so apparently telling Barry every detail of her home renovation saga. Barry was in the awkward position of not seeming rude, but still having to finish his sketch. I was proud of him for keeping his focus and keeping his hand moving while still nodding occasionally to let the woman know he was still listening.

In Virginia, Captain Barry runs Back Bay Cruises which offers hands on Eco-Expeditions. He sets sail on the Chinoteague, on a flat deck pontoon boat that becomes a floating classroom and research vessel offering hands on aquatic lessons. Participants get off the bots at one point on the sand bars to dig   in the mud for sea creatures. The cruise continues with crab pots and for those that are brave enough, learning how to hold a crab without getting pinched. They then navigate to shell island for shell collecting and then the illusive hunt for jellyfish. The adventure used all the senses, hearing, touch, taste and smells. Should you find yourself in the neighborhood be sure to contact Captain Barry.

Beach Patrol Miami Beach

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Pam and I went on a sketch walk with
Gaston McKenzie of the Tampa Urban Sketchers group at Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach. The Beach Patrol Headquarters were built in 1936 by Robert Taylor.  Backside of the building is a prime example of Tropical or Nautical Deco, a style that mimics the lines of 1920s era ocean liners with port holes and ships railings. It would make sense to see people lounging on the top deck.

The MiMo (Miami Modern) facade along Ocean Drive fronts the Oceanfront Auditorium which is home to the Miami Design Preservation League’s Art Deco Welcome Center, designed by Leonard Glasser in 1954. In the center is a nautical flagpole flying the flags of the U.S. and Miami Beach. Inside are public bathrooms and concessions for visitors. The Urban Sketcher’s tent was just a block away, so this became home base any time I needed to rest. A woman rushed into the men’s room one time screaming as she rushed towards a stall. Maybe she was rushing to get her son, or maybe she just had to go, but staff forced her to leave. It seems Miami beach would be the perfect place for unisex bathrooms.

It started to rain towards the end of the sketch so Pam and I ran for cover where many of the other sketchers were huddled under a sea Grape Tree. The large leaves of this tree offer good cover since the leaves are so large acting like mini umbrellas.

Art Deco Weekend VIP Photo Booth

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At the Art Deco Weekend VIP Reception, I decided to do a second sketch of the Photo Booth which was in an old air stream trailer. Guest in 1920 outfits would stand n line waiting for their photo opportunity. Once inside they would sit at the back of the trailer and have their picture taken.

Charlotte, one of the event organizers stopped by our table to chat. Her father lives in Toulouse France and is trying to get an Urban Sketching group organized. Pam offered advice on ho to get a group off the ground. In the background the art deco buildings were illuminated a bright green and hard to define orange violet color.



Greg Bryla another Orlando Urban Sketcher was documenting the event as well. His focus was on capturing as many people in costumes as he could in one sketch. He complained bout my digital medium because it seemed unfair tat I could see what I was working on since the screen was illuminated. He worked traditionally on paper and had to guess at some points since he could not really see the page in the dark. As e were leaving I used my cell phone flashlight to see what he had created and it was impressive. He was having a conversation with a gentleman in a top hat about art, so we just waived goodbye and headed back to the hotel. It started raining as we walked back and we dashed from awning to awning to try and keep from getting soaked.

Art Deco Weekend VIP Reception

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Art Deco Weekend is held in Miami Beach each year. Art Deco Weekend was created nearly 43 years ago by the Miami Design
Preservation League (MDPL) to showcase the beautiful Art Deco buildings
of South Beach, saving it for future generations. MDPL’s early work was
the catalyst that created the vibrant, world-class city we live in
today.

This year, Orlando Urban Sketchers, Tampa Urban Sketchers and Miami Urban Sketchers were invited to offer sketch tours and demonstrations during the festival. Day 1 was problematic. It rained much of the morning as we tried to set up the tent. Tensions were high and sketch equipment got muddy. The Florida Urban Sketchers had a tent where guests could try their hand using watercolors and it became mission central for  sketch tours.

Pam Schwartz prepared historical information cards abut each of the Art Deco buildings that were being visited on the sketch walks. She teamed up with James Richards on the first sketch walk and was the historical tour guide before artists sketched the scenes. Day 1 there were two sketch walks and three demonstrations. I gave a demonstration sketching the Versace mansion using as my canvas the large Grape Leaves that are so prevalent beach side in Miami Beach. This turned out to be a fun experiment and others grabbed leaves to try sketching themselves. The leaves are thick and leathery and I was told they can be sent as post cards through the mail. I may try to mail one of the sketches back to Orlando.

In the evening there was a VIP reception for board members. It was insanely windy. Women’s hair and palm tree fronds blew horizontal. Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra performed on stage. The wind blew into the microphones creating extra sound effects. The dancers were all amazing. That is because they were mostly a local dance group. We had several drink tickets and Pam ordered several sangrias. I usually like sangria but this stuff was pure alcohol or rocket fuel. I could not down my drink.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for January 18 and 19, 2020

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Saturday January 18, 2020

10am to 6pm Art Deco Weekend 1001 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Fl 33139. Free. A free community cultural festival with more than 85 events during “the best 3 days on Ocean Drive” each year. Come sketch with us! For those who enjoy sketching or would like to learn how. All skill levels are welcome! We
are thrilled to include for the first time the Urban Sketchers in our
Art Deco Weekend program with a series of Sketchwalks, urban sketching
demonstrations and “drink and draw” events. Join
us as we draw the architectural gems of the Miami Beach Historic Art
Deco District and the essence of the 1920s Art Deco Weekend Festival
Events.

Instagram: @urbansketchers @urbansketchersorlando @uskmiami

10am to 4pm Free. Camellia Show. Orlando Garden Club Clubhouse at Loch Haven Park 710 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL (between Advent Health and US 17).

7am – 10 a.m. Enter camellia blooms (ANYONE)!  Volunteers available to assist with registration. (Location: Orlando Garden Club)

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Camellias plants for sale.  (Location: Clubhouse Area)

10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Camellia 101 Class – Robert Bowden, director of the City of Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens (Locations: in Clubhouse Library)

1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Camellia Show is officially OPEN to the public.  See thousands of competition blooms up close! (Location: Orlando Garden Club

4 p.m. Camellia Show closes

6pm to 9pm Free. Chair-ity Auction. Wayne G Sanborn Activity Center, 815 S Alabama Ave, DeLand, FL 32724. Bid on one-of-a-kind chairs creatively altered by local artists to
benefit the Art in Public Places Program. Join us for music, silent
auction, beer and wine tastings, food and fun! Tickets can be purchased at City Hall/ 3rd Floor or online.  For more information call 386/626-7112

Sunday January 19, 2020

10am to 5pm $18 to $21. Otronicon Interactive Tech Expo. Orlando Science Center 777 E. Princeton St. Orlando, Florida 32803. Otronicon is a celebration of the intersection between science and
technology and shines a light on innovative technology being developed
in Central Florida. Otronicon highlights resources available through a
collaboration between educational institutions, the tech and
manufacturing communities and their impact on our lives and their
potential to drive the future, individually, regionally and globally.

10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Lake Eola Park 512 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801.  Local produce and goods. A great start to the morning downtown.

1pm to 3pm $9 FREE for Enzian Members! Film Slam. Enzian Theater, 1300 Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. Central Florida Film Slam (CFFS) is a program designed to provide
filmmakers in the Central Florida region an opportunity to showcase
their work on the big screen at Enzian Theater! Held six times a year, the Central Florida Film Slam is an unrated,
independent film showcase and competition open to all regional
filmmakers and students.