ODD on the Eve of 49 Portraits being Exhibited at Gatlin

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On the Eve of the opening of 49 Pulse Portraits at The Gatlin Creative, (4940 South Orange Avenue Unit D, Orlando, FL 32806), artists gathered for drinks and a chance to sketch and chat. The Orlando weekly had listed the event in their event calendar and I was pleased that a couple stopped out as a date night. On the walls were the original portraits created by 16 local artists of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. All the portraits were done in one night just as all the lives had been taken in just one night.

Approaching Gatlin Creative, there was a gorgeous sunset to the west. Interrupting the skyline was a billboard that announced the upcoming gun show at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. It was Odd to host this event in the shadow of that billboard. We live in the Gunshine State.

The Gatlin Creative, is an art
production house and creative space. Its creators, Tiffany Windsor and Ralph Ballentine
have made a
second home. Both working independently and also as partners in the film
industry, they base all projects out of their studio here. The Gatlin
offers other individuals and groups a place to create art, to teach, to
learn and to build; a place for people who wish to make things happen.
 

It’s
comprised of both personal studio space but also incorporates an
additional 1,000 sq ft of space to rent. Whether it be art classes,
crafty courses, small photo shoots or a
place to meet and work; The Gatlin has much to offer.

As a way to meet each artist who attends ODD, I like to have artists face off and sketch each other with a five minute time limit. All of my sketches were done in that short time window. I like the rush of trying to block in the sketch and get just enough information on the page so that the person might be recognized. I get to take chances and let go a bit and the results aren’t very pretty but they are interesting. Part of the challenge of doing sketches every day is to be able to accept whatever is created. There is no time for erasing or second guessing.

Artist Colin Boyer regularly attended ODD events. He went on to be a portrait artist at Disney World and he did some amazing work there. His digital illustrations are stunning. It kind of makes me want to slow down and spend more time on paintings myself. he recently had a beautiful child, so there might not be enough time for these sketch outings for him. I still hoist these ODD events each month. If artists show up that is great but if I am on my own, I still sketch, sample the drinks and food and write up the experience. It is my chance to become a foodie once a month.

The In between Series at Avalon Island Gallery.

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I had scheduled an Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) event at Joysticks bar downtown. However when I got to the bar, I suddenly discovered that they aren’t open on Mondays. Joysticks is right across the street from the Gallery at Avalon Island, and I noticed a crowd gathering. I decided to go inside since I needed to get a sketch regardless.

The In between Series are concerts that happen in between the hanging of shows in the Avalon Island gallery (39 S Magnolia

Orlando,

FL

32801). The evening featured an experimental music performance by Tiger Fawn. She wore Klingon Ears which was a fascinating visual touch. Behind her were hung cotton ball clouds that has violet lights inside. One warm cloud was embraced by a halo. As the sun set, the light in the space grew dimmer and dimmer. The tribal psychedelic electronica  music was mesmerizing and unexpected. Largely instrumental, she also incorporated audio loops of vocalizations rather than lyrics.

I sent out a quick Facebook message letting any artists know that Joy Sticks was closed and that Avalon had a great sketch opportunity. Colin Boyer showed up at the tail end of the show. He does incredible digital illustration and has probably attended more ODD events than anyone. I enjoyed the challenge of capturing the fading light and the music certainly inspired me. I had to run to the airport right after the show, So I didn’t linger.

Inspiration Orlando Mural to be unveiled at Pulse.

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Mural artist Michael Pilato came to Orlando shortly after the awful night on June 12th, 2016 at the Pulse Nightclub. He and  Yuriy Karabash have been working non-stop on research and development as well
as producing a piece of art with some of the stories of the 49 victims
the survivors and beyond.

Barbara Poma owner of Pulse, announced that on the one year anniversary, the mural that Michael and Yuriy are working on will be on display at Pulse before it goes to a destination not yet decided. Some hand prints and messages will be added. The panels are starting to pull together nicely as a unified whole.

A number of local artists have contributed to the mural.On Tuesdays, artists are invited to the studio above Anthony’s Pizzeria on colonial Drive and Mills Avenue. I sketched as artists arrived. Angel Jones, an arts activist, and owner of a fashion bazaar talked to Michael and committed to return and add elements to one of the panels. Colin Boyer stopped in to paint on one of the portraits he did for the 49 portrait project I had organized. All the artists who participated in that project were invited to work on Michael’s Inspiration Orlando Mural. There was a $100 stipend for contribution artists.

Loose Lips at lil indies.

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I hosted a Drink and Draw at lil indies (1036 N. Mills Ave,, Orlando, Florida 32803). As an added bonus, Tod Caviness was hosting a literary reading event called Loose Lips which began later in the evening. Three landscape architects showed up, along with Colin Boyer. We sat at corner table to get a good view of the room which felt like a grand parent’s basement. The room slowly filled with authors. I sketched Tod at the microphone as he introduced the first author. Karen Price read a fiction pie set in Paris France. It was a story about an artist who had to deal with a flooding of the Seine River. Today, no artist could afford to live right on the Seine. When visiting Paris, I sketched the art studio of one of my favorite artists, Daumier. His studio had a gorgeous view over the Seine.

Just yesterday, I moved into a two bedroom apartment in Thornton Park. My lease had been terminated by a snow bird that returned to Winter Park two months early. With my lease terminated, I had to find an apartment fast. I posted my predicament on Facebook and amazingly a friend offered an apartment that is right downtown and the first evening after the move, I walked to the venue I was going to sketch. I think this is the first time in 22 years where I didn’t have to drive to where I wanted. to sketch. I walked through the beautiful downtown neighborhood full of quaint 1940’s restored bungalows with a friend. It was an ideal evening.

ODD 8 at Ten 10 Brewing.

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The tenth Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) was held at Ten 10 Brewing (1010 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL) . I arrived a bit early, because I had done one of the 27 Blue Box Initiative sketches earlier in the day and it made no sense to drive all the way back to the studio. When I entered, David Charles, who used to run Blank Space across from the Orlando Public Library, was working on a new brew that was simmering over a burner. He enjoyed how one of my articles shook up Orlando’s arts community. We had a laugh about how some artists get so upset when other artists hit the mainstream. I prefer to celebrate the accomplishment. David had organized a Ten 10 Brewing Art Market, but after a lackluster turn out of interested artists, he has decided to put the market to rest for a bit while he lives his life. When I asked his advice on a new beer to taste he made me a beer sampler with four shot glass sized sips of beer tucked into a wooden stand. 

The beers I tasted as I worked on my sketch were, Dinkey Line, which is an original light brew dedicated to the exercise trail that runs past the Brewery. Westphalia Alt was a German beer which is what I drank for the rest of the evening. Chronically Mismanaged was a coffee flavored dark beer that I rather liked, and Havakow was a dark beer that didn’t suit my taste. 

Colin Boyer was the first artist to arrive, and he joined me in sketching the bar as artists arrived. What I love about ODD is that different artists stop out each time, so I get to meet artists of all types. I do my usual Urban Sketch and then I get to learn from other artists experiences. ODD is half sketching and half social. Tom Schneider and his girlfriend Erin Marie Page were the next to arrive. I like that ODD has become a creative date night experience. Erin went to school for illustration and she appreciated getting her feet wet by sketching again. Tom works security but loves to draw. 

I was very happy when Brendan O’Connor,  who writes for The Bungalower, stopped out with his brother. I had seen pictures of Brendan dressed as a Merman at the Gasperilla Festival in Tampa. Brendan was joined by Godzilla at Gasperilla an he said it was quite the experience. Having huge inflated muscles guarantees that you will be molested all day. When he begged for some time to go to the bathroom, people got insulted. If that is what fame tastes like, he had enough, thank you very much. He had a wonderful Chinese watercolor set with bright vibrant colors. Unfortunately the O’Connors, could only stay for part of the night. They had another party to hit. 

To mix things up and get everyone sketching fast, I suggested we do 5 minute ruthless portraits. Artists faced each other and sketched. Since everyone was sketching there was no one posing. If you wanted to catch someone’s eyes you would have to wait for their quick glances up. I don’t really sketch portraits much, so it is new territory for me. There was a change of the guards as Brendan and his brother left and Rob showed up with his posse of artists. They jumped right into the 5 minute sketches. Artists shuffled around the table to meet someone new and sketch. I asked everyone to pass their sketchbooks around and sign any sketches of themselves.This is a good way for me to learn everyone’s names, but so me of the artsy signatures are hard to decipher.

Afterwards, we all settled in to work on our own projects. Stephanie Kell had a wonderful sketchbook full of exotic demons and creatures. She renders these drawing slowly over time adding infinite detail and an incredible valve range. She had a case of art pens that is truly enviable. The sketchbook had grey paper and she worked the lights and darks from this grey base. Some artists came from a cartoon background while others came from a traditional life drawing background. Colin’s drawings sparked to life during the 5 minute sessions. He accentuated the deep shadows on peoples faces leaving detail to the imagination. Rob talked about his recent divorce and how his art remains a constant as he starts all over again. He filled a page with light blue pencil studies of wooden totems and people. At Universal Studios he helped create a large totem pole that was coated in cement and painted to look like carved wood. The studio wants to bring him in full time but he prefers the freedom of freelance. We talked about finding time to discover a personal style and the inner conflicts that tend to hold artists back. As he said, “We are our own worst enemy.” It is refreshing to share a beer with someone who knows that art isn’t easy.

Mark your Calendar. The next ODD will be March 7th from 6pm to 9pm at The Grand Bohemian Hotel  (325 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida).

ODD3 had about 15 artists drinking, drawing and collaborating.

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The third Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD3) fell on Labor Day. Artists were to meet at Redlight Redlight (2810 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL). I was afraid there might be holiday hours so I searched the web and found out the bar would be open from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Since artists would start arriving around 6pm, I could relax. I went to see the movie Mission Impossible Rouge Nation, so I ended up arriving about an hour late. When I arrived,I bumped into Gay Geiger who was getting napkins from the food truck parked in front of Redlight Redlight. The building used to be a refrigeration sales store and the signage is still out front. The bar signage uses the same colors so it all blends in.

Gay was in the back room of the bar with her daughter. I glanced through her daughter’s sketch journal latter that night and there was a stunning collage of characters from the Japanese animated film “My Neighbor Totoro.”  I ran my fingers over the image to feel the amazing depth created. After that image I explored every page as if searching for Braille messages. This is what I love about this monthly event, I always get to discover and meet amazing artists.

In the front room Carlos Basabe was at a long table in the corner along with about 6 other artists. There was one seat available but when I sat in it, I found myself blinded by a projector which was projecting an image on the wall behind me. The blinding light wouldn’t do so I set up at a table near by. Colin Boyer and a friend sat at my table. I’m learning names slowly and sent around a sign in sheet that I forgot about, so it was left behind. Once I started my sketch I was lost in thought. I started my sketch by drawing Brian OHalloran at the end of the bar lightly in pencil. A young couple sat at the table in front of Brian blocking my view. They became my center of interest. Brian did a digital sketch of the beer he was drinking. Later in the evening he took a picture of the bar maid and he took a shot of me at work. Brian is now doing a series of sketches of people.

I made a small accordion sketchbook and invited any interested artists to fill a page or two. When the sketch is unfurled you can see the stream of consciousness as each sketch builds off of the sketch preceding it. I’ll bring the sketch to the next ODD event since it is a work in progress. Two young women were visiting Orlando from Walla Walla, Washington state and they heard about the event and joined us for the evening. They had bright markers and they added a splash of color to the nights sketch. Artists came an went in waves. All told I would say about 16 artists came out to mingle, drink and draw. I got to meet artists I’d never met before so to me the evening was a success.