Ed Myers – Analog Artist Digital World

This was the 60th Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. I arrived on the first day to do a quick sketch. I entered by the rose garden and realized that it was the perfect spot to slow down and observe before entering the tight crowded walkways.College girls took selfies in front of the iconic peacock statue. One girl must have shot over 50 photos of herself in her constellation pattern skirt.

The first local artist I saw was Robert Ross but I never did find his tent. There are so many paths set up with wood chips through the park that I suspect I must have missed a few aisles. Someone walking the event was on his cell phone was saying to a friend, ” It’s 9 to 5 or some mess like that.” I always like seeing the quirky work of Ed Myers who integrates hidden digital phones and tablets into his creations to add blinking eyes to some paintings.

There was a hand made book binder that intrigued me. It reminds me that I should create my own sketchbooks if I want to work on paper that I love in the size that suits me. I have never found just the right sketchbook for my work. I make due with what I can find mass produced.

Local artist Mathew Cornell had a booth on Park Avenue. He creates small and incredibly realistic oil paintings. I like that he doesn’t crowd his booth with tons of work. He just had a few paintings appropriately spaces like in a gallery. The painting on display were called roadside attractions being from his travels across the country. He is trying to relate what America means to him as an artist.

There was also fashion accessories, photography, mixed media, ceramics, metal, leather, jewelry, digital art, fiber, glass, clay and sculptures. It was a chance to see a wide variety of art as inspiration. Of course it is illegal to sketch on Park Avenue in Winter Park. I hoped that the city ordinance had been rescinded for the duration of the festival. I also knew that Central Park is considered a safe zone, where freedom of expression is permitted.

Art Under the Stars in Maitland surrounds Lake Lily where Maitland Boulevard forks off from Orlando Avenue. Run by the Maitland Rotary Club, the art show runs today from 10am to 4pm. I met a friend and quickly tried to decide where I should sketch. My first thought was the foot bridge that straddles the lake. From there all the tents and stages were visible with the lights reflecting in cascading patterns. An illuminated fountain glowed yellow in the center of the lake. I decided against in view, though, since I felt it was too far from the action.

After crossing the bridge, I simply planted myself on a grassy knoll and started sketching a few tents. A painting of sunflowers byFiona Collins caught my eye. Fiona and her husband moved from Canada to Florida, and this is her first Maitland show. Her work is painted with thick bold brushwork. Besides the large paintings she also had coasters and trivets with her art printed on it. Her husband runs a printing business that specializes in printing art on useful household items.

We ran into Dawn Schreiner and her husband, Eric. Dawn didn’t have a tent in the show, but just came from the VIP party. She does magnificent loosely painted portraits, usually on recycled cereal boxes. We shared our thoughts on the work of Toulouse Lautrec, and the healing process Orlando is still going through since the Pulse shooting.

It was a cold night and I decided to get a hot pretzel. I hugged it to my chest to warm me up before trying the first bite. It had a garlic-parmigiana flavor and was softer than expected but it tasted great.

Linda Saracino introduced me to the sculptural ceramic work of Cheryl Mackey Smith, a former McRae artist now living in Ashville, NC, who really impressed me. She creates small shards that look like fossilized shells or exoskeletons, and mounts them on a white board in shadowbox frames. Other forms fold over on themselves like ocean waves with tiny peas interspersed. Every piece felt like it belonged in a museum.

Ed Myers did the poster for the show this year. All of his paintings have a narrative, often touching on how communication is changing in the future. He works digitally and prints the paintings on large canvas panels, often assembling several panels to form a whole. For example, Thomas Edison had a light bulb where his brain would be; and a painting of a beautiful young woman had typewriter keys arching across her forehead. Some pieces incorporated video, like a portrait with one eye blinking. People are naturally attracted to motion.

Head on over to the festival today, and see all the art in the light of day. It is a show well worth seeing. Live music, art and a festive atmosphere will make for a very pleasant afternoon.