Chasing Jonah

On January 10th, Terry and I went to “The Dapper Date: Celebrating the Art of Fashion” at the Maitland Art Center, 231 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland Fl. Other People’s Property, which specializes in vintage clothing, showcased fashions from each decade, and clothing was on display and
for sale. One hundred percent of the proceeds were donated to the
Art and History Center. Terry was looking forward to seeing models sporting the various vintage outfits. We got there pretty early and immediately did see some slender models sporting their makeup cases.

Culture Pop!” is a monthly, one-night-only pop-up exhibition of Central
Florida artists and artisans. Guests took part in interactive art
happenings, listened to “flash fiction” and literary readings
performed by Maitland Poets and Writers, and relaxed in the museums’
Mayan Lounge with music, mingling, beer and wine. Someone had a barn own that he was showing to guests. A native owl swooped down out of the nigh sky, curious to see the owl perched on then guys arm.

Cuban born artist Jake Fernandez gave a quick talk about his work on exhibition, “Constructed Landscapes”. He works with a wide range of media including, collage, drawing and
painting. His work moves between
realism and abstraction with mechanical precision as he documents the
beauty and mystery of the landscape. This show is on display through February 28th. He used thousands of photos and cuts them apart and reassembled them like an intricate mosaic in his final pieces. The final art resembled aerial photos of vast landscapes. Larger pieces are built using a grid which remains visible. Terry was curious about the shadow box frames he uses for his work. Apparently this is the way most museums frame and store work. Jake will be in isolation in one of the at the Maitland Art Center studios for the month of March. The windows will be blocked up so that he gets no sense of night and day.  web cam will be set up so people can see how this isolation affects his art. I sketched Robert Ross in this studio and can vouch fort the face that the room has now windows except a tiny window in the bathroom.

Though I spotted a few models in the hallways, I never noticed them doing anything resembling a runway show.  Chasing Jonah performed in the Mayan courtyard. The bass player, Brandon Miller, recognized me because I had sketched him performing onstage for the play, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  Ashley Dudukovich, had a strong earthy singing voice as she performed mostly original songs. One person from the audience asked for them to do a cover, but they kept sharing original tunes. Sketching became easy as I lost myself in the music. I was seated right in front of the spotlight that illuminated the performers. Mayan base reliefs glowed in the stage lights as the night sky became a deep dark purple.  Ashley was curious about my sketch between sets. She let me know that an animation exists that was done for one of her songs. Chasing Jonah is now recording their first album so it is an exciting time for the group.


Terry joined me listening to the music but lost patience and left. As I sketched, she explored the artists studios. I texted her when the sketch was done and she texted back that she was posing nude for a sculptor. I feared that my sketch had taken to long to finish. I started searching the studios to see what she was actually up to. I asked a couple of friends to keep their eyes open just in case they saw Terry nude somewhere on property. The search posy expanded. I eventually found her in Dawn Rosendahl‘s studio and she was fully dressed. Disaster averted.

Hindu Cowboys

On the second Friday of every month there is Culture and Cocktails at the Maitland Art Center. In May, the band was the Hindu Cowboys. I had seen this band once before at a Friends of the Philharmonic, Jeans and Jewels fundraiser. This was my first opportunity to sketch them. Terry planned to join me, but she was late, so I started sketching even as band members set up speakers and equipment. They played an assortment of originals and covers. My wife, Terry Thorspecken, arrived and spread open a blanket on the grass beside me. I was working in one of the larger Stillman & Birn sketchbooks, so it took a bit more time to splash down color washes. I managed to finish by the time the band finished their first set.

Terry wasn’t in the mood to see any art, so I walked into the Maitland Art Center on my own. On display was student work all of which was of cropped in forced perspectives of home exteriors. The work was painterly and bold. Much of it was quite impressive so the teacher must have had a strong and definite premise. I then went across the street to the Mayan courtyard where there was a poetry reading. The lit page illuminated the poets face from below. Folding chairs were arranged in the courtyard and an audience of perhaps 20 people listened intently. The poet read about the irony of being called a “domestic partner”.

The Hindu Cowboys began to play again. Terry was gone. I listened to several songs and then decided to leave.