The Composers Salon Concert at the White House.

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At the 4th annual Composer’s Salon Concert, held at the Timucua White House, (2000 South Summerlin, Orlando, FL 32806) I was tasked with hanging the 49 Portraits done by 18 local artists a month after the mass shooting at Pulse. The portraits were created in one evening at Falcon Bar with each artist creating a bout 4 give or take. The portraits were hung on wooden ceiling beams in the entry the home. drink wine and share potluck dishes. It was a challenge climbing up and the ladder multiple times to try and get the portraits hung before the doors opened. The 49 portraits to exactly fill the beam space.

The concert featured seven local Central Florida composers: Eric Brook, Stan Cording, Paul Harlyn, Dr. Chan Ji Kim, Dr. Seunghee Lee, Sharon Omens, and Rebekah Todia, who featured original compositions including local and world premieres in a diverse array of musical stylings. Instrumentation included, piano, violin, flute, saxophone, bassoon, bass guitar, percussion, and electronic music. The most magical and relaxing sound came from a large Tibetan meditation bowl.

After the concert it was rewarding to see people talking about the portraits floating above them. People took iPhone photos of familiar faces. The show came down much faster than it went up but I had to work around people who lingered to the bitter end. Betsy Brabandt helped by removing the electrical dips from each sketch, and slipping the sketches back into the used to carry the collection. It is kind of nice to be the last one to leave such celebration of creativity and community.

#DisarmHate Art Expression at Falcon Bar.

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#Disarm Hate is an art show at Falcon Bar, (819 E Washington St, Orlando, FL) in which local artists address the issue of rampant gun violence in America. Since the 49 Pulse Portraits of Pulse victims was created at Falcon Bar, it seemed appropriate to hang them for this show. Melissa Marie hung the portraits clothes line style on string I had provided using electrical clamps. She didn’t peal the name tags off the backs of the sketches, so I did the when I arrived at the opening. People would stop and linger, looking at all the faces be for they would make their way to the bar to order a drink. 

Artist Plineo Pinto sold a watercolor of someone who was shot by an arrow and the Pulse logo was under the wound. H had a red dot when I arrived. The commission that The Falcon collects on art sales will be donated to 501(c)(3) Nonprofit http://PulseOfOrlando.org/


Artist Holly Tharp was at the opening. She had two pieces in the show, one of a woman collapsed over a gun’s bullet cylinder and the other of a Buddah. Melissa Doskotz had a beautiful rainbow colored heart made from thin Strips of paper curled with interlacing spirals in a shadow box frame. That piece as just $270 which is a steal. All of the 49 Portraits can be seen in the short video, “Finger o the Pulse” but there is nothing like seeing the art is person. The art will continue to be on display until September 9, 2016.

The first exhibit of 49 portraits at the Orlando Science Center.

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On July 3, 2016 Orlando artists gathered at Falcon Bar to create portraits of the 49 victims of the Pulse tragedy. The goal was to create 49 portraits in one night. Eighteen artists answered the call and the portraits were completed. It was an emotionally charged and creative labor of love. On July 19th, the collection of portraits was exhibited for the first time at the Orlando Science Center during their OneOrlando fundraiser.

I dropped off all the portraits and the hanging hardware. The sketches were simply hung, clothes line style on fishing line with electrical clamps to suspend them. I had prepared labels the evening before, but the museum printed even better labels on vinyl. I got choked up just counting out all the clamps. Precious human life was reduced to the number of clamps needed to showcase the art.

When I arrived at the museum, staff were quickly putting up the name tags. Each person’s name was listed along with their age. I have re-written the list of names several times and the shear number is always overwhelming. People would stop in groups to look at the display. Plenty of cell phone photos were taken, One woman walked by and purposefully touched a portrait which must have been someone she knew. Terry, my wife, stopped by to let me know that the portrait exhibit was a good idea. I was at a loss for words so I continued to sketch.

Siclaly M. Santiago-Leon, is the sister of Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon whose life suddenly ended along with his partner Jean Carlos Mendez Perez at Pulse. Siclaly came to the exhibit to see the portrait done by Plineo Pinto of her brother for he first time. I was excited to meet her since she has followed the portrait project from the start. I was about to leave the exhibit to go upstairs and sketch another aspect of the event. I bumped into her on the steps. She held out her hand and said “People call me Lolly.” She introduced me to her husband and then they went down to see the exhibit. Her brother’s portrait was right on the bottom row next to his partner. Lolly walked up to the portrait and then leaned against her husband as she cried. He held her close. I got choked up as well and wiped my eyes on my sleeve. I looked at Jennine Miller, who had helped coordinate the exhibit, and we both smiled as we fought back the tears.  The couple continued to embrace and I finally realized I should slip away so they could soak up the exhibit in private. This moment made all the hectic planning worth while. Lolly later found me as I was sketching a rainbow colored dinosaur. She hugged me and thanked me for the exhibit and once again I had to wipe away tears. My contribution seems so small compared to the unimaginable loss.

Latin Night, Pulse Fundraiser.

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Wild Side BBQ (700 E Washington St, Orlando, FL) hosted a Pulse fundraiser. Like the night of the horrific event that left 49 dead and 53 injured, this event will have a Latin theme. The funds will benefit employees, and many of them are expected to be at the event. Performers and DJs from the bar will also be on hand, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

I arrived fairly early. Rainbow table cloths covered folding tables that had raffle items in the center of Washington Street. Rainbow flags also adorned every flag pole. The Wild Side slogan is, Peace, Love, BBQ. The crowd slowly got thicker as the sun set. Roxy, a real estate broker, really wanted to get into the sketch. Since the lire word was inked, there wasn’t a spot to place her. My scene was fully populated. She wore a bright pin flower on her shirt and had a matching pink flower  in her hair. People with dog were quite popular, and a photographs staged a photo of children petting 2 dog.

With my first sketch done, I went back to the large stage set up behind Wild Side in the parking lot. The Rico Monico Band was playing. They were playing covers of rock and roll standards. Their set was almost done so I had to rush to get them in the sketch.  I ordered a Bud light to loosen up the lines.

There was a presentation to the owner of Pulse, Barbara Poma, by two openly gay men, Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens, who were the first men to get married while serving in the military.  They had a “color run” at McGuire Air Force Base which they dedicated to
the victims. They brought a rainbow-colored wreath from the run to
Orlando, and a copy of President Obama’s pride month proclamation
signed by all the runners.

More urban Latin acts followed and the sub woofers in front of the stage caused any bones to rattle. Though I didn’t understand the lyrics, the beat was catchy. People were just start: to dance. I walked down the street to Falcon Bar to pick up some art from a show I exhibit in last month. I was pleased to discover that my piece which was a print of an illegal sketch done in Winter Park, had sold. To celebrate, I ordered a lemon infused Shanty beer.

The Falcon and Gallery is a haven for local artists.

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The Falcon Bar and Gallery (819 E Washington St, Orlando, FL) always has local art to see. The shows usually have a theme. There was recently a Bill Murry themed show and I sketched a local actress and dancer for a show titled Porn. I went to the first social media Round table hosted by Mark Baratelli at IZEA and Melissa Marie, the Falcons owner was there. As a local business owner, she realized early on that social media is the way to promote business. Her bartenders are encouraged to use Snap Chat to share happenings at the bar with friends. I didn’t even realize snap chat existed. Social Media keeps changing so fast, I need to keep up.

Mondays at the Falcon is for the men. Tuesdays are for locals, there is trivia, Uberbahn, open mics and DJs on most days of the week. On Sunday nights at 9pm there are the “Fear the Walking Dead” watch parties. You have to love a bar that caters to zombie loving patrons like myself.  If there is a zombie apocolipse, I’ll be ready with a sharp sword and a sketchbook. Once a month, Mystery Sketch Theater, now hosted by Plinio Pinto, is a great way to loosen up and sketch cos-play models for $5. If you are a voyeur like me, the Falcon will satiate that guilty pleasure and your thirst. Now that I’m hosting Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) on the first Monday of each month, I need to find out if the Falcon will host the growing band of vagabond artists one month.

Mark your calendar! The next event at the Falcon is DJ Lavidicus on Sunday September 11th starting at 9pm. Come out to hear the very best in Industrial, Goth, EBM, Synthpop and Darkwave. Everyone knows where they were on September 11th of 2009. If you drink enough this night, you might not remember as clearly. Never a cover, always a good time! (21+) If you check my AADW calendar, you will always find Falcon events in the mix.

Purple Pride immediately siezes Orlando.

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I was going to Falcon Bar (819 E Washington St, Orlando, FL) or Mystery Sketch Theater which has a cos-play model taking poses for artists once a month. Streets were blocked off and I found myself walking besides runners in a 5K race. Everyone was wearing purple tee shirts. I heard an announcer and walked towards the noise. A finish line was set up on the East side of Lake Eola Park on Washington Street.

A Food Truck Bazaar were set up beyond the finish line and hungry runners lined up for food. I sketched the purple Orlando Soccer truck. Soccer has been promoted with a vengeance and   Orlando City Soccer Club logos, murals and stickers are all over town. Lion heads appear everywhere. The renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium is now packed for every game. I haven’t figured out who to contact yet about sketching a game. I feel I need to report on a team that has quickly become as known as the Orlando Magic basketball team. With the US team doing better in the international soccer competitions, the fan base keeps growing.

Mark Baratelli of the Daily City had organized all the food trucks. He showed me a paper that he now publishes that shows where to find each food truck bazaar all around Central Florida.  I admire the marketing prowess of the Orlando City Soccer Club and Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit. After I finished my sketch I walked over to the Falcon Bar to squeeze a few more sketches into my day.

The Mills 50 District heralds the Mills 50 Community Market.

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Every Tuesday from 5:00 pm until 9:00pm the Mills 50 Community Market (between Will’s Pub and Track Shack) brings together a variety of artisans and local vendors to share food, ideas and community resources. Our vision is to foster weekly community engagement and to provide support for local businesses in the Mills 50 District and all of Central Florida. By providing this open platform, we hope to empower local residents with a more resilient, sustainable and healthy place to live.

I went right after work one night to sketch. On the side wall of Will’s Pub was the controversial mural by Dolla Short. It depicts a drunk satyr floating in a noxious cloud. The detail that a few local residents have an issue with is that the cloud is implied to have come from a fart symbolized by a word balloon and a skull and cross bones. Because of this, the city is trying to come up with a way to censor future murals. They want to create an ordinance that re-defines murals as signage which suffer strict jurisdiction. Murals keep popping up in the neighborhood like mushrooms.

The Market is a small affair with local goods. The closest vendor had meat on a stick and I was offered a sample which was pretty good. Doughn’t Be Cruel was directly across from me. Senior Baker and Artist David McWhertor was at the helm. He pointed out that we had exhibited our work together at the Falcon Bar‘s “Porn” show. David’s painting was of a nude man with a unique way of hanging his jacket. For that show, I did a sketch of 2 actors in an intimate embrace. At the opening, I sketched a guy hitting on a girl for several hours in front of my sketch. David offered me a sample of one of his doughnuts, placing it in a paper bag. The bag sat on my kitchen counter for the night and in the morning it had been engulfed in a grease stain. I couldn’t bring myself to open the bag. Perhaps if bacon was packaged in paper bags, I could give that up as well.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday January 11, 2014

1pm to 3pm $5 Science Play Festival. Mad Cow Theatre (54 West Church Street, Orlando, Florida 32801).  “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. Adapted by Lauren Gunderson from a book by Bill Bryson. For the first time ever, Mad Cow Theatre creates a unique play festival exploring the world of science plays through a weekend of staged readings and discussion forums. Join us as we explore the worlds of science, technology and history through imaginative stories.

7:30pm to 9:30pm $5  Science Play Festival. Mad Cow Theatre (54 West Church Street, Orlando, Florida 32801). “Photograph 51” by Anna Ziegler. For the first time ever, Mad Cow Theatre creates a unique play festival
exploring the world of science plays through a weekend of staged
readings and discussion forums. Join us as we explore the worlds of
science, technology and history through imaginative stories.

9pm to Midnight Free Falcon Soundraiser. The Falcon 819 E. Washington Street, Suite 2, Orlando, Florida. Soundraisers are a series of live shows presented by The Falcon, over the next couple of months. We will be actively accepting donations at each event and throughout the coming months at The Falcon, in hopes of generating enough funding to purchase a simple Sound/PA system for The Falcon. This will enable LIVE music on a more frequent basis at an already KICK ASS hang, and give local talent yet another venue to share their art! The first in the series will feature: audiotourism (members of SC Accidental and LostGhosts) http://audiotourism.bandcamp.com/ Instrumental/non-vox/two piece “90’s-esque inde-guitar swing ala wall of sound!” Come on out and support local business and local talent!

Sunday January 12, 2014

7:30am to 9pm Free Gallery Fresh Art Markets. Orlando Fashion Square 3201 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida 32803. On the 2nd Sunday of every month Gallery Fresh Art Markets and Orlando Fashion Square proudly present “Show Your Art.” This free to the public, indoor, non-juried art event showcases 60 to 90 local artists and fine crafts persons and is located throughout Orlando Fashion Square.

1pm to 3pm  $5 Film Slam 14′. 1300 S Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. FilmSlam will usually be held on the second Sunday of each month at 1PM at Enzian. Come celebrate independents day! Experimental Films, Puppet Films, Art Films, Bartenders throwing bottles, Gangsters, a Music Video….this has to be the most amazingly eclectic line we’ve had for all of 2012. Q&A with the filmmakers to follow screening. http://www.enzian.org/film/filmslam-14

7:30pm to 9:30pm $5 Science Play Festival. Mad Cow Theatre 54 West Church Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. “Isaac’s Eye” by Lucas Hnath. For the first time ever, Mad Cow Theatre creates a unique play festival exploring the world of science plays through a weekend of staged readings and discussion forums. Join us as we explore the worlds of science, technology and history through imaginative stories.

Sketching in the Attic

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I used to attend sketch sessions in the Attic of the Martin’s home in Winter Park. Mary Martin was always there to supervise, but Bernie Martin was never there. I guess he prefers to work from models alone. In these sessions the models were nude with shorter one minute sketches in the beginning and longer sketches later in the evening. I always enjoyed these sessions but there is usually some event going on the same evening so overtime, I stopped going, preferring to sketch the chaos of everyday life.

On one occasion I bumped into Bernie Martin while I was sketching in Falcon Bar. He decided to sketch as well. I found out that models cost about $12 per hour. I’m considering the notion of hiring models to start producing more finished paintings. Sketching on location is rewarding, but any event seldom goes on for more than two hours. Some painters can work on a painting for months. It would be nice to give myself the luxury of models and more time. Perhaps that should be my goal moving into the New Year.

On New Year’s Day, Terry and I are hosting an all day black and white themed party celebrating Analog Artist Digital World’s 5 year anniversary.  We supply the beers, bagels, lox and cream
cheese and food. Kelly DeWayne Richards will be performing on the piano.
The party starts at 1pm and goes to 11pm. Consider this post an invitation. Please call 407 810-4189 to RSVP and come on out.