Pop Up Discos in Miami try Stayin Alive.

Posted on by Thor

Terry’s friend Elaine Pasekoff organized monthly Pop Up Discos in Miami. Her thought was that 50 somethings aren’t interested in the modern club scene, but they have fond memories of their disco days. Elaine had a birthday Disco party that was a blast, and she wanted to keep the party going. She used to work for the Miami Herald, so she called in favors to get ad space for her Pop Up Disco concept. During Art Basel, this disco had a fair attendance, but it was to far from the main arts scene to really pull in a huge crowd. The venue changes month to month and this one was in a small back room of a bar. A friend of Elaine’s was the DJ.

When the evening was over, Elaine confided that she is about to give up on the Pop Up Disco concept. It is a full time job to promote the event on social media and the newspaper. Attendance was never as high as she had hoped so the profits don’t justify all the hours she puts in to keep the concept alive.  A young crowd had been offered a discount on the cover charge since they livened up the dance floor. Unfortunately most 50 somethings are content to stay at home rather than kick up some dust on a disco dance floor.

The Miami Project tent at Art Basel offered plenty of surprises.

Posted on by Thor

This sketch of the entry to the Miami Project tent at Art Basel in Miami Showcases a sculpture by Mei Chin titled Cabinet of Craving. The large spider, 9 x 14 x 14 feet, was made of white oak, antique English bone ware (circa 1843), footed silver tray, steel, pigmented dye, and shellac.The sculpture is an homage to Louise Bourgeois, a Houston artist and friend, Jesse Lott, and Victoria artist, Madeline O’Connor. It
assembles cross cultural adaptations found in furniture, ancient motifs
mix bred with nationalist symbols, all under the influence of
addictions that shape historical destinies. This crouching spider like
monumental sculpture pushes it’s abdomen to the ceiling. Just behind this
decorative mongrel visage, of an English bulldog and ancient Chinese
“gluttonous” taotie mask, is Victorian-style glass case revealing it’s
curious diet, an antique 1843 teapot upon a silver serving tray. The
sculpture is a hybrid monster born out of addictions and manipulations
of empires, in this case, the Victorian English craving for tea and
porcelain, the Chinese desire for silver and the insidious and illegal
trade of narcotics that lead to the Opium War.

A lounge chair and coffee table contrasted the sinister theme inherent in the spider. Catalogs where placed on the coffee table periodically that showed many o the artists works. I never picked up a catalog since I didn’t want to carry around the weight. I was already carrying 3 sketchbook ins in my art bag.

I had wandered away from the crowd I was with so that I could find a quick sketch subject. Re-finding my friends was a challenge since every tent was packed with patrons. It was easy to develop “art burn” after a few hours at which point very work of art seems pretentious and homogenized. Most of the time I was focused of winding my way through the crowds rather than focusing on the art. I also rather enjoyed the fashionable people watching.

Terry’s friend Elaine Pasekoff, had parked at a local parking lot, but Terry and I decided to stay later and then we took a bus back up to the condo in Miami Beach. Traffic is crazy at Art Basel, so taking the bus was a relief.

Art Basel is a yearly crucible to experience the art market.

Posted on by Thor

Once a year, Terry and I drive down to Miami Beach to experience Art Basel. Art Basel draws tens of thousands of visitors, collectors, gallerists,
artists, curators, and other art enthusiasts from across the globe,
all coming to experience the highest quality of Modern and contemporary
art. Terry and I stay with friends Elaine Pasekoff and Derek Hewitt. Elaine and Derek purchased three apartments in the same Miami Beach building, and they decorated them with themes from their world travels together. I believe this is the Africa suite. There is also a Paris themed suite. All of the floors were resurfaced and the kitchen was opened up by removing part of a wall to create a corner counter. The amount of work that went into these units is amazing, especially since Terry and I have had color swatches on our living room walls for the past decade.

The drive to Miami beach is a long one and we had to drive through torrential rain and the infuriating impatient Miami traffic around rush hour. By the time we arrived, we just wanted to relax. Elaine always has the Miami Herald, which is a good place to research which Art exhibits were generating some buzz. It is also fun to read about which celebrities were in town for the exclusive all night parties. Elaine and Derek know where all the best local restaurants are, so we eat out when we are there. The apartment is just a few blocks from the beach, so walking down to the beach as the sun sets is always an appealing way to end the day.

Renninger’s has a stage for concerts.

Posted on by Thor

On February 20th I went to Renningers to tag along with my wife Terry, Elaine Pasekoff and Bob Newlin as they shopped for deals among the hundreds of outdoor vendors offering antiques and knick knacks. There was an entrance fee which garnered us each an arm band. Within a hundred yards of the entrance gate was this rustic log stage. The giant guitar had tubing which could give it a neon glow at night. There were no performers during the antique fair, instead there were folding tables covered with porcelain bowls cups and figurines. There was also an ice cream churn along with a yarn spool and large jug.

There was a fairly steady stream of people who walked up the steps to get on stage and then exit on the other side of the stage. I’m not certain if more people looked at the items compared to a table out among all the others.  When this sketch was done I texted to find out how to find our troops.

The annual Renningers antiquing outing.

Posted on by Thor

Every year, Terry’s friends Elaine Pasekoff and Bob Newlen come to Central Florida for a Renningers Antiques shopping extravaganza. Elaine drove up from Miami and Bob flew in from Washington DC. Bob has a very responsible job at the Library of Congress, but when he gets to Florida he is all fun. When I got home from work, I found Bob asleep on the couch. He must have had an exhausting flight.

Terry was busy preparing dinner for our guests and Elaine kept her company as they caught up. There is always plenty of laughter when this crew gets together. After dinner, Bob went down to Sand Lake Road to stay in a brand new hotel that opened just last year. We dropped him off and peeked at his suite. He was living like a sultan rather than slumming it on our couch or guest bedroom.

Terry, Elaine and Bob drove up to Renningers in Mount Dora the next day. The intended to shop until they dropped all weekend. I had a class to teach, so I had a pass the first day. I drove up that night and we all sat on the porch of the Mount Dora Inn for a show and tell session. Everyone had a pile of loot and I got to play judge deciding what was the most unique, quirky and beautiful in the lot.I would make up a new category if an item called for it. I particularly liked a travel booklet for Cuba from the 1950s. That Elaine had picked up. There was an ad inside for Cuba’s only Jewish Deli.

A Digital Artist in a Digital World

Posted on by Thor

Terry took of for a weekend to shop with her friend Elaine Pasekoff in Miami.While she was gone, I spent my Sunday trying to figure out a new digital paint program called SAI. The program is pretty intuitive and it allows for quick spontaneous mixing of colors right on the sketch. Several times last week I was sketching in theaters where the house lights were out for the duration of the show. That meant sketching and painting in the dark. On one occasion I used my cell phone as a light source but that meant I had to hold the cell phone with my left hand which made it impossible to hold the palette. I’m coming up with a simple clamp, lamp stand device which could hold the cell phone but haven’t figured out the design yet. It would have to fold up to be put back in the art back once the sketch is done.

SAI Paint Program could be an alternative for dark theaters as well. The tablet obviously generated its own light. It would however likely be considered intrusive however if there were other audience members in the theater. You might recall that someone was shot and killed for using their cell phone in a movie theater down here in Florida. SAI offers me the ability to apply saturated colors behind the line sketch and a quick way to paint gradations and highlights. As a paint program it is superior to Sketchbook Pro which doesn’t allow for mixing colors.

There is a major problem however in that SAI doesn’t have pressure sensitivity on my Motion Computing tablet. This means that lines don’t start out thin and then grow thicker as pressure is applied to the stylus. It is a major drawback. Sketchbook Pro does have pressure sensitivity so putting down lines is intuitive and fun. I spent the whole day trying to figure out how to switch drivers and or turn on the sensitivity. After a solid eight hours or so of research online, I was no closer to an answer.

When Terry got home and started to watch a movie, I decided to do a sketch using Sketchbook Pro and then I imported that sketch into SAI and started to paint. Bold brush strokes don’t necessarily always need pressure sensitivity but because of that, I spent far too much time switching brush sizes to go back and forth between thick and thin.

Wacom has a new Cintiqu Companion that is just like my tablet in that it can be used as a digital sketchbook. I looked up several videos that show it using SAI with all it’s sensitive features in use. My Motion tablet was designed for field technicians and nurses so it wasn’t designed with the artist in mind. For now I’ll continue to use the Motion tablet with this two program workaround. If I keep doing digital sketches I might be able to speed up the process so that it can be used every day. It basically makes it possible to have rich color quickly and apply light opaque paint over a dark base. I might start using gouache paint in my sketchbook to get a feel for a similar effect using real paint. If I switch to doing digital sketches, then there is no longer any original sketch to sell. The original would only be a computer file and I would have to sell prints. It is a catch 22, I love the look that is possible digitally, but there is a definite advantage to having an original sketchbook which can be stored away on a book shelf. I’ve had computers and tables die before and when that happens all the digital sketches disappear on the lost hard drive. I would have to get much better at creating and backing up a digital bookcase. Technology keeps changing which makes archiving work a constant challenge. When I first started this blog, my intention was to switch back and and forth between traditional and digital sketches. I might be bringing that experiment back again.

After two days of endless research online, I finally found an article that helped me resolve the issue of no pressure sensitivity. I deleted the Wacom driver and downloaded and installed  the latest European version of the Wacom driver. Since SAI was written by a Japanese company, it makes sense that a European driver would work.  I was amazed and elated that it finally worked.

Decorating Ideas in Miami Beach

Posted on by Thor

Elaine Pasekoff and Derek Hewitt purchased several condos in a high rise in Miami Beach. They are a short walk to the beach and the balconys of the condos offer an amazing view looking south towards Miami. The first condo they decorated was in an African theme. Derek’s mom did a large painting of an elephant for the spot above the couch in the living room. Crown moldings, a fresh paint job and a carefully planned window seat gave the place an old world feel. Patterns for draperies and pillow covers make the place feel like an African retreat. Over dinner at Smith and Wollensky, the interior designer offered more options and insights.

Another condo was given a French flavor. Elaine hits antiques fairs to find French knick knacks. Whereas the African suite was filled with warm earth tones, the provincial French suite has a cool blue tone throughout. Elaine found a series of French paintings that incorporated three layers of glass. The foreground elements are on the top glass layer, then middle ground items are on the middle sheet of glass and the background elements are on the lowest level.  This gives the paintings a simple parallax that hints at depth. This is easy to accomplish and I’m considering trying it out with some of my sketches. Elaine and Derek are generous and open the second condo as a guest room when Terry and I swarm down to Miami for Art Basel.

Renninger’s

Posted on by Thor

On Friday February 14th I joined my wife Terry and her friend Elaine Pasekoff as they explored Renningers Antiques Fair. This is an Annual pilgrimage that has been going on for decades. Usually Bob Newlin would fly in from Washington DC, but he was snowed in by an intense snowstorm. We stayed in a Best Western the night before and got up at the break of dawn to hit Renningers. Elaine always makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and she used the hotel jelly packets to complete the task at breakfast.

We parked in the grass being directed by two attendants who were arguing with each other. There was a small entry fee and our hands were stamped. I immediately started hunting for a sketch while Terry and Elaine shopped. I settled on this antique sign dealer. His name was Rick Shields and the company was called Southern Pickers. The company slogan was “we buy rust.” This lot was in the valley just as you entered. Up the hill were all the food vendors with an ice cream cone being the most obvious landmark. Elaine and Terry found me and they left their purchases next to my chair so they didn’t have to carry them around.

I was seated in front of “Rustic Stuff of the South“. Jerry Douthit was building wooden cases that could encase snugly fit coolers. The hammering attracted costumers and the rustic looking cooler stands were quite attractive and functional. The hot sellers had Gator and Seminole football logos. Since I was sitting in the direct sun, I rushed the sketch so I could find some shade. With the sketch done, I approached Rick and asked him if he had a business card. He said he had handed them all out. I then showed him the sketch and he reached into his pocked and pulled out a card. He explained that he had to ration them. He asked me for my card an I told him that I had handed them all out. Later in the day, I discovered a bunch of business cards in my wallet.

Positions

Posted on by Thor

All the guests who had gathered in Miami Beach for Elaine Pasekoff‘s birthday went down to the convention center together. There were eight of us packed into two cars. Admission to Art Basel in the convention center is expensive. As we all stood in line for tickets, Terry realized that there was a group rate discount for ten people. The couple behind us in line joined us to get in on the deal. With the discount, the ticket price was $26.

I wasn’t allowed to enter the exhibit hall with my art supply bag. I had to check it. I pulled out one sketchbook and stuffed it in my belt and pulled my shirt over it. My pallet went in my front pocket along with one brush. When we got in, my plan was to immediately settle somewhere and get a sketch done. I quickly was drawn to this astro turf lawn with undulating hills. It came complete with fake trees and there were always people sprawled out and relaxing. This little corner in the vast sea of gallery exhibitors was called “Positions.” This area was a platform for galleries spotlighting a single emerging artist with one existing project. Visitors could discover ambitious new artists from all over the globe.

With the sketch done, I texted Terry and searched the maze of galleries to find her. This year  Art Basel had more Representational art as opposed to abstract art. A New York gallery had a wall full of paintings by Edward Hoppers. Terry had the premise that since the economy is picking up, that galleries are pulling out great art works because they feel they can get the proper price for them. She asked the gallery owner about this but was told,”If you have a Hopper, you sell the Hopper.” I joked that last years show was all about hair and mirrors. Literally every other piece used human hair in some way or a mirror. This year however I was delighted with much of the work that I say. Execution matched concept.

After a few hours of seeing endless art and getting lost, gallery burn out sets in. Elaine and her friends went out to lunch while Terry and I kept looking. We set a time to meet back at the parking garage. Terry and I got there on time, but the rest of the group lingered at lunch. Terry and I decided to get lunch ourselves and then take the bus back to the condo. This gave us a chance to visit another satellite fair that had nothing but prints. We paid close attention to how work was framed since I need to frame work soon.

Miami Beach

Posted on by Thor

Every year Terry and I go to Art Basel in Miami Beach. We drove south on December 4th and returned on December 8th. Art Basel showcases the world’s top galleries. I read that over a billion dollars worth of art is sold here in one week. We stay with Terry’s friend Elaine Pasekoff and Derek Hewitt. Elaine is the host of a syndicated radio program called “The Book Report.” The couple have several condos in a high rise overlooking Miami Beach. The first thing I did when we arrived was to grab my sketchbook and take in the dusk view from their balcony.

This week was also Elaine’s birthday so plans were in place for a big Disco blow out of a party. Friends and relatives were all driving into town along with the Art Basel throngs. We all decided to go out to diner at a Cuban Restaurant only a few blocks from the condo. Although I have gotten press passes in the past, I didn’t manage to convince Art Basel management that I was a journalist. For that reason, most of my focus would be on the smaller art fairs that were scattered in large tents all around Miami.

Looking through the Art Basel pamphlet, I ran across a page that I had used to clean off my brush because I had forgotten a rag. It was one of the more abstract and expressive pages in the publication. Dinner with friends and watching the moon rise over the ocean made for a nice end cap to the day.