Screening of The Ah of Life.

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The Ah of Life. Written and directed by Banks Helfrich in 2010 is a feature film about theoretical mathematician, Nigel Kline who finds himself the subject of his
own vertical time study. Entering into Einstein’s relativity, three
versions of Nigel face off with each other, weaving time and space in a
world of fluid moments.

Banks himself plays Nigel at age 40 while Andrew Knight and John Archer Lundgren pay Nigel at the ages of 18 and 70. The co-producer, Dina Peterson introduced me to the locally produced feature film which was screened at Taste (717 East Smith Street College Park Fl) which has since shut down.

The three versions of Nigel all wake up with the same gestures and mannerisms. They start their day in overlapping moments in the same small home. The sound of a second hand ticking sets the cadence through the whole film. That incessant ticking became a bit maddening. Now is always. In a world where time is vertical, Nigel, stumbles upon his past and future. The weaving of time lays the
foundation for Nigel’s acceptance of his own mortality.

At this moment in my life, I am making a digital archive of all the sketches I have done since starting this blog in 2009. The sketches have become a point of contention in an equitable distribution of assets. They must be appraised and given a value in dollars and cents. Each sketch marks the tick of moments of my life. Unpublished moments like this one will surface from my past as I prepare to start life anew.

Oscars at the Enzian

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The Enzian Theater held a “Red Carpet, Bright Lights Oscar Watch Party.” Terry got dressed up in high heals that structurally resemble the Eiffel Tower. I decided to dress up with a suit and black shirt. Although the Enzian parking lot was close to full, there were only a few people at the Eden Bar. Terry had read somewhere that the theater wouldn’t open till 7:30PM so we had a half hour to kill. The bartender didn’t notice us waiting to order a drink but he did notice a 20 something pair of college girls who sauntered up to the bar after us. I wanted a beer but all the beer taps were out. The bartender was very apologetic. I settled on a white wine. Dina Peterson greeted us at the bar. She was meeting friends who were saving her a seat inside.

It turned out that the Enzian was already packed. I wanted to sit on the sides of the theater so I could sketch the audience. All those seats were reserved for members.  There were only a few seats in the far back corner of the theater where I would have only been able to sketch the backs of peoples heads. I decided to stand at the front of the theater to sketch the patrons in the pit. When the Oscars officially began, the theater went black. I fished a book light out of my bag and continued working. About the time Brave won as the best animated feature film, my sketch was done.

I joined Terry at the back of the theater. We were sharing the table with another artist named Dan Tilstra. He does watercolor certificate borders for Florida Hospital. The intricate work is a market I had never considered. His son wants to someday become a Disney Animator so he asked me to show him my sketchbook. His son seemed to think that working for Disney was an impossible dream. I assured him that anything is possible if you work hard enough.

 Kristen Stewart arrived at the Oscars on crutches. Rumor is that she stepped on a glass that cut her heal. Presenting, on stage, she looked completely wasted on pain killers and smiled with disdain. Her hair stylist did a horrible job, making her look like a hot mess. My favorite moment was when

Jennifer Lawrence won the best actress award and then tripped trying to climb the stairs in her Dior Haute Couture dress that billowed out from her hips like a parachute. Hopefully the designer will take note and realize that women do have to be able to move when wearing a gown.

The ceremonies went on agonizingly long and by the end of the evening there were more car commercials than winners. When Ben Affleck accepted his award, he said in a flurry of emotion to Jennifer Garner, his wife in the audience, that, “I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases,” he
said. “It is work but it is the best kind of work, and there’s no one
I’d rather work with.” You just knew he would be sleeping on the couch that night. By the time Argo won as the best picture, I couldn’t wait to escape the theater. My ass was in agony from sitting so long. Dear Academy and advertisers, Argo f*#ck yourself.

Sam Rivers Memorial Tribute

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I heard Sam Rivers play within months of first starting this blog. He performed with his band at the Maitland Art Center at a closing party for the Florida Film Festival. For me, sketching as he played, it was a liberating experience. Lines flowed and danced on the page with abandon. The sketch became about expressive vigor not clinical accuracy. Sam’s music was about the freedom of loose improvisation. He was a dynamic, creative saxophonist, flutist, bandleader and composer. He died December 26th here in Orlando Florida. He was 88 years old. Over the course of his career, Sam played with many jazz legends in smokey lofts and bars including Dizzy Gillespie.

An open call went out for any musicians who had played with Sam as part of the Rivbea Orchestra, to gather for a Tribute Memorial concert at the Social in downtown Orlando. I arrived fairly early and found a table to sketch from. As band members set up, a microphone was placed stage left and people were invited to get on stage and talk about Sam and his music. One man got up and said that he found himself always holding a beer at Sam’s concerts. When it came time to clap, he would slap his bald head with his free hand. Sam saw the gesture and took to clapping his head as well when he finished a set. A band member felt honored and a bit intimidated being in Sam’s orbit. In one rehearsal Sam stopped and asked him, “What’s that note your playing?” He responded, “E flat.” “We aren’t there yet.” Sam said. There was a long silence, then Sam laughed out loud. He was joking with the performer. Dina Peterson had met Mr. Rivers a few times. He tended to take an interest in what she was doing and she was pleased when he picked up the conversation right where they left off many months later. Genevieve Bernard admitted that she used to go to Rivers concerts on her own when she was single because she loved the music.

The stage became crowded with musicians. The music was driven, spontaneous, raucous and free flowing. Anything was possible. Performers danced the razors edge, taking endless chances and reaching out. Cameras flashed and someone held up an iPad above his head, like a glowing billboard to catch the scene.

Sam’s wife Beatrice died in 2005. The orchestra played “Beatrice” named in her honor. The gentle music filled the room. You could feel the love. This song is now a jazz standard. After that song one of Sam’s daughters got on stage. She thanked all the musicians for playing his music, keeping it alive. She said that “Sam’s still playing, and he’s watching you.” With the funeral and memorial behind her, she had to return home in the North East. I started to well up. The room was getting smokey.

Members of the Rivbea Orchestra stood in turn launching into personal solo improvisations. The focus of my sketch switched from one performer to the next as they played. The energy in the room crackled and built. Everyone swayed to the beat. Lines flowed and splashes of color were thrown down with abandon. The whole band joined together and built to a cacophonous yet structured crescendo. The room went wild. The spirit of Sam’s music still ignited the crowd. The room was on fire. “Keep perking Mr. Rivers.”

Seven Lives of Chance

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Dina Peterson told me that a film was being shot at Urban ReThink (625 E. Central Boulevard). I had several hours open before I went to Full Sail that night. She told me that an entire room would be filled with balloons and that there would be a line of extras waiting to get inside. There were no actors around when I arrived, so I sat across the street and started blocking in the architecture. The last time I drew this building it was the Urban Think bookstore which had to close because of the recession. It was a vibrant artists hub then and it is even more vibrant today. This is where I would experience a fraction of Seven Lives of Chance.

As I sketched, Banks Helfrich, the writer and director, parked his car and pulled out a dozen balloons. He and an assistant were dropping off some equipment at Urban ReThink. He stopped over to say hello and let me know that the cast and crew were right down the street shooting outside a Publix supermarket. I don’t know the story behind Seven Lives of Chance but there are plenty of balloons involved. Banks described the first day of shooting which involved recreating a digestive tract using urethane foam. As he spoke the balloons he was holding kept getting blown in front of his face. He batted them aside.

Rather than rush down the street, I decided to keep working on the sketch I had started. Banks let me know they were coming to shoot at ReThink next in half an hour. They were a little behind schedule. Actor, Richard Regan Paul, said hello. He seemed to know me, yet I couldn’t place him in my rattled brain. He was in a scene with Jodi Chase. The scene was shot from inside a ReThink conference room looking out at the actors on the sidewalk. After a take, Banks ran out to the actors on the sidewalk and he described their motivaion with animation and plenty of gesturing.

Dina Peterson waved hello and she shouted out the shooting schedule to me. The line of extras wouldn’t arrive till after I was gone. Dina directed several extras who walked behind the actors in the scene. As one shot was being filmed, Dina raised her arms in panic. A pedestrian was walking right into the shot. She couldn’t stop him. This was a small production that couldn’t afford barricades. Perhaps this unsuspecting extra will end up in the film.

A giant red balloon was inflated in the conference room. It must have been incorporated in the shot somehow. The sound man kept the mic above the actors out of the shot. I couldn’t hear the dialogue, but it looked like Jodi was ready to leave and Richard wanted to tag along. When I finished my sketch, I crossed over to thank Dina for inviting me. She was discussing schedules with the extras and she looked like a thousand derails were buzzing in her brain as yet unresolved. This was a 90 minute feature film being shot in seven days. They had just one chance to get it right.

Ethos Kitchen

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It was Dina Peterson’s birthday. She invited friends via Facebook for an Ethos dinner and conversation celebration. I arrived early straight from work and started blocking in this sketch figuring she would push some tables together to eat with friends in the main dining area. I was wrong. I was halfway into the sketch when Dina arrived and told me she would be sitting outside. I never abandon a sketch but the dining room was absolutely deserted. My heart sank. Thankfully a mother and daughter sat at the table in front of me.

Outside several tables were pushed together and Dina’s friends began to arrive. Maria, Tia and Sophia were at the far end of the table. Denna Beena was there with her fiance Travis Fillman. It was a creative, holistic, fun group. Travis had a brand new 3-D smart phone. He took a photo of Denna as she held her hand out menacingly towards the camera. The 3-D image was impressive. A train whistle blew in the distance and Travis ran to the train tracks to shoot a 3-D video clip.

Amanda Chadwick read excerpts from a diary she kept from elementary school days. The entries were blunt and hilarious. Terry arrived late and when she arrived we split a plate of vegan tacos. Terry gave Dina a birthday card with a painting by John Sloan. The painting depicted a social gathering much like this birthday celebration except the intellectuals in the painting wore turn of the century outfits. I realized that the artist must have been seated at a table away from the main gathering. I looked around and saw a table with a good vantage point but decided to relax and enjoy the conversations instead.

No Dosa for You!

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Brian Feldman staged a project inspired by Taco Truck Taste Test called “Dosa Vu.” It took place at the Apna Bazaar supermarket which is located who knows where, someplace way south on OBT. Around the same time, Dina Peterson was showing a friend of hers from Boston named Ian the Parliament House Sunday Piano Bar. I stopped into the bar but the place was pretty quiet and Dina and her friend hadn’t arrived yet. I texted her to let her know I was going to try and get a quick sketch at Brian’s event.

The Indian supermarket was impossible to find. Nestled between car dealerships, the place was set far back from the road and building numbers were impossible to see. I drove in circles and got to the place about half an hour late. I thought Brian had said it was inside an indoor flea market. I wandered the aisles of the flea market looking for Brian. There was a booth of used furniture, a booth of pillows and a huge assortment of brick-a-brack at bargain prices. There must have been 50 booths but no Indian food. Outside, I looked at the event page again on my iPhone and it said the dosa dealer was in a store NEXT to the flea market. UGH! I rounded the corner and there was Brian, his girlfriend Sultana and Angela Abrusci.

Sultana introduced me to Joe inside and ordered a dosa for me. Joe stood in front of a cabinet case full of colorful shampoos and soaps. As he prepared my food, I sat down and started sketching. The food was finished before my sketch and Brian took it to the small table outside. There was a steady stream of customers. One man walked up to Joe and started whispering to him. Later the same man stood in front of me and started asking questions. “What are you doing?” I thought to myself, “Here we go again,” and said with a smile, “I’m sketching.” “What kind of art is that?,” he asked. I turned the sketchbook around to show him the sketch and and rattled on about illustrative journalism. He frowned at the unfinished sketch. He wasn’t impressed. “Did you ask permission?” he asked. I though, “If I asked permission every time I wanted to sketch, I would never accomplish anything.” What I said was, “Who should I ask?” He explained that the store was private property. We continued this power struggle for some time, as I kept looking at the details behind him and sketching. I thanked him for his interest and rushed to finish the sketch before he called the police.

With the hasty sketch finished I went outside to find Brian and his entourage. They were gone. The much anticipated dosa was gone. I suddenly felt very hungry, but didn’t feel welcome back inside so I left. I drove back to the Parliament House where Dina gave me half of her sandwich from lunch. Dina and I sang Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” together into a diamond studded microphone and the crowd joined along swaying with the chorus. Now the place was packed. Later we all sang “Oh Happy Day” with our hands raised as we danced. I felt the warmth and fellowship of being among friends. Where I felt misunderstood, I now felt accepted. The dosa was forgotten.

Jambando

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The Plaza Theater (425 North Bumby Avenue) held a Woodstock revival. Terry had scored some free tickets at a previous event. When we arrived I saw speed painter Tony Corbitt with his black and white paintings set up outside. After getting our armbands, we shoved through the glass doors and entered the inner throng of people who were pressed inside the lobby of the theater. Dina Peterson was getting a flower painted on her face. We wandered the room seeing each of the vendors set up inside and I finally decided I should sketch the band Das Vodoo that was playing Credence Clearwater Revival music on the lobby stage. I pulled out my small three legged stool and sat down to sketch, only to have the chair rip and collapse. A spectator said the chair was a good idea if it hadn’t busted. I dragged my but off the floor and marched over to a trash can and thrust the chairs parts in. I was annoyed.
The trash can was next to the bar area and I soon realized this was the most active bustling area in the theater. There was an empty bar stool, and I sat down. I was right next to the cash register and I figured as I sketched that people might just figure I was a manager taking notes. The wine and beer orders cam in a a constant and breakneck rate. The staff members were in constant motion but I found they repeated positions rather often. I have no idea why there was a brass fish sculpture near the register.
With the sketch finished I joined Terry inside to see Janis Joplin, as performed by Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters. She was amazing. She took deep swigs from the booze being passed around on stage and her voice cut like a knife. She shouted out that we shouldn’t take the pink acid. The crowd half of which were standing in front of the stage, went wild.
Crosby Stills & Nash was performing in the next room. I was kind of distracted since a young couple was making out hot and heavy the whole time right in front of me. I really should have sketched them, they never would have noticed. Sigh.

Thrill Hill at the Lazy Gator Bar

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Bike week has been going on in Daytona Beach for the last week, and when I heard there was going to be a bike week party at the Lazy Gator Bar, I had to go. I met Leslie Lormann, the lead singer of Thrill Hill, the band playing that night, at the Parliament House singing Karaoke. The Lazy Gator Bar is located right on Lake Jessup which is supposed to have the highest population of alligators of any lake in Florida. I have heard that any gator trapped in any other small lake is transported here. The bar is a tight intimate space which had to use space heaters since it was cold outside. The second I walked in Thrill Hill was taking to the stage, so Lesley said hello real fast and took to the stage.
As I sketched I realized I didn’t have any pencils, so I had to work directly in ink, and worse, I found I didn’t have my watercolor brushes. I had left them back at the studio! Dina Peterson showed up and joined me at the front table I had scouted out as a good place to sketch from. She said she tends to usually sit at this table. Since I was struggling with the sketch, she offered me a drink and I decided to get a $ 3 bud which came in a Lazy Gator mug which I later got to keep. To add color to the sketch, I poured some beer onto my palette and mixed the colors with my fingers. That is right, this one is a Budweiser finger painting, and after all is said and done, it didn’t turn out half bad.
Thrill Hill is a cover band, and Leslie sang a full assortment of modern pop songs. Several time she announced that she was going to sing a Carrie Underwood song. I kept thinking she was going to say Carrie..oke. Once my sketch was finished Dina and I shouted back and forth, leaning in to try and hear what was being said. I pointed out that it was embarrassing to have to take to a karaoke stage after Leslie had performed since she was obviously a pro. When Thrill Hills set was over, I showed Leslie my finger painting and she then started showing it to just about everyone in the bar. I was a bit embarrassed since, well, it was a finger painting. I found myself surrounded by people curious about what I do. The nice thing is that I got several leads on other possible events where I might sketch. Dina said she wasn’t sticking around for the second set, and since my sketch was done, I decided to leave as well.

ZOOm Air Adventures

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03-07-10ZipLines
As I was sketching at the Lazy Gator bar, Dina Peterson told me about the Sanford Zoo which as a Zip line course set up. I had seen the course set up a few months ago when I went to the zoo for a party hosted by one of Terry’s clients. I realized that this was something I should sketch and possibly experience. Dina and a group of friend were going to do the course Saturday or Sunday and I figured I should sketch before they all showed up. I went to the zoo two hours early to give myself a chance to get a sketch under my belt before people arrived. It was a beautiful day and I walked the course for a while trying to decide where to look. People were in constant motion as they progressed over the ropes wires and suspended logs. I finally set my chair down and leaned back against a tree and got started. Where I was seated, people would actually tight wire walk right above me. One young boy shouted out, “Hey look I am over the artist.” I shouted up, “Don’t fall now.”
A children’s birthday party was going on at a picnic table behind me. Ten year old boys chased each other around. One boy stopped right in front of me and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was sketching and he pointed at the page and said, “you drew that?” I pointed up to the platforms in the tree and than he looked up and back at the page again then ran off.
A woman and her husband were struggling to get across the wire line above me. He went first and she followed. She started shouting out, “Stop shaking the wire you are going to make me fall. That isn’t funny.” He said, “I’m just heavy, I can’t help it.” She shouted back, “I’ll shake the f*#^%* wire when you are over the pavement then we will see how funny this is!” She wasn’t a happy camper.
The course takes quite some time to complete. People who were just starting the course when I started sketching were not back on the ground until several hours later. I am betting that this is a good work out. An older husband and wife team came up to me after they had finished. She said, “I kind of wish I had worn hiking boots or shoes with a real solid soul. It was a real challenge at first, but after a while you get over the fear and it is fun.”
The friends I was waiting for never showed up, I must have heard the date wrong. But I got a decent sketch so I returned home satisfied. Who knows someday I might find myself in the treetops.