“The journey IS the destination”.
I met Dina Mack on the 23rd Worldwide Orlando SketchCrawl. Dina teaches a journaling class called Destination Journal. This class was held in the beautiful home of Summer Rodman. At the beginning Dina passed out cellophane packets that would help in the session. Inside the packets was some graph sheet writing paper and scented business cards that outlined the points to consider when journaling…..
Be curious.
Take in the setting – micro or macro.
Try and use all of your senses.
Be beautifully imperfect.
Explore a thought or idea.
Experiment with materials.
These simple ideas seem to reflect how I try to remain joyfully receptive every day. Early in the evening we discussed how the post office is having to shut down branches. I have decided to make it a personal goal to send friends more letters. That is right paper and pencil lovingly folded up and placed in an envelope. Dina asked us to listen to the cellophane as it crinkled and unfolded. I am listening to it now since I need to get at all the notes I took on the paper Dina gave us. We were reminded to keep our sense of wonder and to see the world through the eyes of a child.
Everyone introduced themselves. Malinda keeps dream journals. Sonya, an Aquarius, is a graphic designer and she designs her own line of Artisan Jewelry which she sells on Etsy. Her top selling item is a small bird ring. Michelle was an art teacher and over the summer she worked at a bike repair shop. She just got back from a trip to Canada and in her lap was a travel journal stuffed to overflowing. I wish I had seen what was in that journal. She is also an artist and uses mixed media. Summer who I know through the Kerouac Project is a poet and as it turns out an avid journal keeper. Dina showed one of Summers journals and it joyfully experimental. I could learn for her example. Corine arrived a little late and is a hairdresser and takes classes like this just as she might keep a gym membership to stay in shape and to explore new ideas with her art. Finally Dina showed us some of her journals. She carried them to class in a dark leather brief case which snapped open with a business like k chunk, k chunk. One journal was filled with leaves sewn onto the pages. Others were filled with notes and sketches about art works she is working on or simple everyday items like the wrapper from a fragrant soap. On New Years Day each year she spends the day going through the last years journals and couldn’t imagine starting the New Year any other way. Since I started this sketch a day blog resolution on January 1st I really identify with this practice and I hope to start off the next year by flipping through my books and journals.
To kick things off Dina asked everyone to walk around Summers yard and garden. The sun was setting and the garden was dark and mysterious. Summer offered me a round sunflower seed that was hard to chew at first and then it had the texture of bubble gum. It had a mellow peanut like taste that I liked. I grabbed a few more off the vine. A huge owl landed in the dark branches above everyone and he made a strange soft cooing sound. He seemed to just be watching all of us and then he spread his enormous wings and took flight silhouetted against the dim dusk sky.
Inside on the second floor everyone started sketching and journaling. There was a palpable creative energy in the air. As I worked I felt a euphoric glow, a feeling of love for everyone in the room. Actually this glow was a feeling I simply seldom understand or acknowledge, I was happy. Everyone was focused yet playful. They would joke and laugh while the lines and colors flowed. I am so lucky to meet such vibrant creative people even in passing. Thoughts and images put down on paper suddenly become more tangible and important. For the moment life’s worries and concerns vanished as we all captured and preserved what matters most, fleeting moments that are so important.
Dr. Sketchy
Dr. Sketchy is held the first Wednesday of each month at Tatame Lounge which is located at 223 West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park. The place had an unassuming glass storefront but inside I found a huge crowd of young artists. The event only costs $5 so it is a cheap and fun sketch opportunity. I found a spot near the front windows and squeezed in behind a table. This location offered me a view of most of the artists in the room. I noticed that the young girl in the stripped shirt and purple beret was a really good artist just from the doodles she was doing before the model posed. I began my sketch watching her work. Her friend had bright pink hair. Quite honestly I would have been happy just watching and sketching them working. I ordered a peach sake and on this night if you ordered a sake you got another for free. The sake came in a small white pitcher shaped like a woman’s figure. I drank out of a small thimble of a porcelain cup which requires you to raise a pinky just to hold it. The model was dressed like a 1940’s pin up girl and she took some challenging fun and provocative poses.
Just as I was finishing up drawing all the artists and photographers, the model took a break and I realized it was getting near the end of the event. I used the break to start throwing down some watercolor washes. The artist sitting next to me started joking that I had spent all my time drawing the artists and I might never get to draw the model. For the next pose the MC announced that the following sketch was a competition. The artists in the room were asked to incorporate the theme of “Ghost Busters” into their sketches. Whoever won would get a Making of book for Pixar’s CG Movie “UP”. Since I was knee deep into my blog sketch I didn’t compete. The model was the judge of the competition. The winner was the girl in the striped shirt and purple beret. I coulda been a contender. My sketch wasn’t finished, I hadn’t even sketched the model yet!
After 2 sakes, I was feeling pretty good and the lines were flowing freely. The model took one final 10 minute pose and I sketched her into position as fast as I could. I was lucky and thankful that I had finally caught her.
This is a fantastic informal gathering of artists in a hip fun setting. The next event is August 5th at 8PM at Tatame and I can’t wait to do it again.
War of the Worlds – Jessica Earley
Jessica is soft spoken, humble yet vibrantly creative. When she speaks I always lean as close to her as I can to hear what she is saying. She is almost always laughing and has a innocent charm that can be seen in all her video work.
When I arrived at Jessica’s studio, it was pouring rain outside. I climbed the slippery metal staircase and struggled to close my umbrella to get in the door. Inside was warm and cozy.
She is the creator of the amazing viral promotional War of the Worlds video. Here Jessica is preparing to animate the stop motion titles to me used in a possible second video. Her huge cat is named Mein Kampf (my struggle) and he had a habit of stretching every few minutes and he knocked the Crayola Crayons off the Coffee table twice. Occasionally Jessica would accidentally brush a piece of paper against his fur and this would wake him up and make him look around wide eyed in alarm. Jessica said it is a bit embarrassing when the he gets out and she has to wander the neighborhood shouting “Mein Kampf” to try and find him.
She quickly drew all the letters on brightly colored craft paper then cut out the letters with scissors. These letters were then taped on the world map behind her and she then incrementally moved them until they formed the title over North America. She then animated the flying saucers which entered the scene and blew up the title with lasers. Her tripod is the pile of books to the right and the individual shots were taken with the tiny digital camera perched on top. It was fun watching her work her magic. I decided my sketch was done when her second camera battery died. Her work and mine was done.
Toni Taylor Studio
I sketched Toni Taylor in a clandestine way as she worked on a painting at the Orlando Fringe Festival. After talking with her that day, I discovered that she lives and works less than a 5 minute drive from my studio. I asked if I could see her at work and she agreed. Driving up to her suburban home there is no clue outside to indicate what is to be discovered once I entered the front door. I did notice several exotic flowers and I thought they might have appeared in her art. I picked up a fed Express package that was on Toni’s porch and rang the front doorbell.
Every room in Toni’s home has paintings stacked sometimes 2 high on every wall. I just wandered in amazement from room to room taking in all the gorgeous art. Toni joked that she is running out of wall space and she might have to start hanging art on the ceiling. Every piece has a gem like quality. This was the finest art show I had been to in quite a while.
The last room we visited was her studio. She set up in the corner of the room with a window looking out to the pool on her left. All her brushes and supplies are neatly stored in a bookcase right next to her. She explained that the paint box had been given to her by her boyfriend when she was just 14 years old. She later married this childhood sweetheart and he also gave her the easel she is using. She said she was upset about the easel at the time because her ex-husband had used the rent money to buy it and she likes to stay on top of bills and commitments.
Toni plays relaxing music while she works. After nervously attacking the pages for a while, I felt myself relax and settle into a zen like state where every line and tone landed where it belonged. I stopped thinking and just reacted to the environment with affection and care. Toni and I worked in silence for several hours. I lost track of time. When I felt I was just noodling, I called it quits, and we compared notes. Toni opened the package I had dropped off and it turned out to be a book in which her work is featured. A painting in that book is one of my favorites. It showed a woman from the back with multiple arms outstretched reaching out in a circle. I find I am hungry for conversation with other artists and Toni and I joked and laughed for along time and I was sorry when I had to leave.
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.
Stilt Walkers World Record Set
The folks at La Nouba set a new world record for the largest number of people standing on stilts. The event was held simultaneously in Las Vega, New York, Montreal (Canada), Fortaleza (Brazil), Lisbon (Portugal), Macau (China), Nagoys (Japan) and Tokio (Japan). In Orlando 119 people gathered for this short yet festive occasion. People from all over Orlando gathered in order to help set this new Guinness World Record. The stilt walkers paraded around the Disney Marketplace and then they gathered in the square in front of the La Nouba tent. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer stood before the crowd and declared the day “Cirque du Soleil Day” in Orlando”.
119 stilt walkers seems to represent Orlando’s culture at its best. It is ironic that Cirque got its start with small street performances, because in downtown Orlando street performance artists are outlawed. Probably with the way the law is written, I am breaking the law every time I sketch in public. From Disney I drove straight to a Friends of the Philharmonic meeting. When I arrived David Shillhammer, the Philharmonic’s Executive Director, was lamenting the death of the Orlando Opera to the crowd that had gathered. The Opera declared bankruptcy last month. He then outlined ways that the Philharmonic is working towards helping bring a limited staged Opera Production back to Orlando.
Maitland Art Center
The Maitland Art Center held an open house. I was told there would be an opportunity to sketch from a model, so I jumped at the chance. I had not been to a figure drawing class in ages. The drawing workshop was held in this small outdoor courtyard. It was a beautiful day and the mocking birds were chirping up a storm in the trees. In all there were about 10 artists including myself sketching from the model.
I stood by a small green wooden gate just outside the courtyard so I could see everyone. The moderator asked me if I could tell any passers by to pick up a flier if they were curious about the class. Sure enough quite a few people walked up to me to ask about the class and I was happy to talk and give them a flier.
Besides this class there were also many tents set up with artists showing their work. A sculptor was working in wax and the patron who had won the sculpture in an auction was there to see the work in progress. After the sketch workshop was over I wandered the event and wished I had more time to sketch but I had to get to another sketching location.
Crealde Sculpting
I avoided looking directly at the welding arc as I did this sketch. Several finished pieces can be seen to the left. Crealde is right on a lake and I could hear some Moore Hens as they swam by. As usual, I tucked myself into one of the few shady spots when I sat down to sketch. When it was lunch time I walked to the Publix which is next door with one of the artists named Heather. She explained to me why she became a representational artist. Her mother was schizophrenic and she would sometimes tell Heather it was time for bed even though it was far to early for bedtime. This caused her to question many things from a very early age, the most important being, “What is reality?” I thought this was one of the more interesting reasons for becoming an artist.
The activity in the workshop was loud and constant. Artists were grinding, filing, welding, burnishing and hammering. I could have stayed all afternoon but I decided two sketches was enough for a hot day in the Florida sun.
Crealde Welding Workshop
I got a tip from a friend of Mary Ann de Stefano, named Lynn Warnicke that I might find a Crealde Welding Workshop and interesting subject for sketching. Lynn was right on the money, the workshop was a feast for the eyes.The instructor, David Cumbie, welcomed me and said I could sketch anywhere with one warning, “do not look directly at the welders arcs”. Well that gave me a bit of a fright so this first sketch involves no welding. Here an artist is fitting metal pieces together trying to discover the shape they are meant to form. Metal bits and pieces are lying everywhere, resembling a junkyard. One mans junk is an artists palette. In the foreground a horses ears are formed by railroad spikes.
While doing this sketch a photographer set up an old accordion camera in the entry to the workshop. You can just barley see the camera in the upper left corner of the sketch. Later the photographer showed me a Daguerreotype he had taken of me while I was sketching. It was a beautiful image in rusty browns and my head was slightly blurred from my glancing my subject then the page. It is one of the best images I have ever seem of myself at work. It gave me a ghostly appearance like I had materialized from another time.
Meg Kat Studio
Over the weekend I went to sketch the studio of Megan Lee Katauskas. Megan left a comment on my blog stating that she had grown up with many of the landmarks I have been sketching around town and that seeing the sketches has bought back fond memories. I found out she has a fantastic blog called “Imperrfections” which chronicles life here in Orlando. She paints bold images of Hollywood stars that I really like, so I asked if she wouldn’t mind if I sat in and sketch while she worked on one of those paintings. She was working on a commissioned portrait the day I stopped by. Rather than use an easel, she simply sits cross legged on the floor on some puzzle piece foam mats. Megan is in constant motion while she works. She wrestles the canvas turning it constantly. Megan often posts vlogs on her blog and she was shooting video and photos of me as I sketched her. You can see the video camera on a large box by the window. The camera is right at the vanishing point in the drawing.
Two weeks ago Megan and her husband, Mathew, had their identities stolen and every last cent was withdrawn from their bank account with Wachovia. Right now Wachovia or Walk-all-over-you, has been saying there is nothing the bank can do to help the couple. They were left with a balance of negative $170 and this morning Mathew had to sell his Wii video game console to help pay the rent. I dropped my computer off at Mathew’s Radio Shack on Orange Avenue south of downtown and the tech, Don, has been really helpful. Megan has prints of her Hollywood stars for as little as $25. Quite a good buy.