The Cardboard Art Festival

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In 2016 the TheDailyCity.com’s 4th Annual Cardboard Art Festival was held in two empty storefronts at the Sodo Shopping Center (80 W Grant St, Orlando, FL 32806). On Community Construction Night 100% of the admission ($5 adults) went to
the OneOrlando Fund. A large piece was being created to be installed at a
select tribute location and we need the community’s help with creating
their own cardboard heart. Also we are celebrating the life of a
local-lover Colleen Burns from YELP who passed away at the Grand Canyon just
last week. Guests could each take a star and decorated it.

I focused my attention on this cardboard rhino which was pieced together like a 3D puzzle. Next to him was a sculpture that looked like a section of a reef created by Jean-Claude Rasch. As I was preparing to leave, I noticed a long empty stretch of was above a map of Orlando that guests could sign. I  contacted the event organizers, Mark Baratelli and Denna Beena and suggested that I could hang the 49 portraits of victims of the Pulse massacre that had been created by local artists at the Falcon Bar.

I hung the portraits on fishing line using electrical clips. The result was they seemed to float high up near the ceiling. This was more work than expected since I had to climb up and down the ladder every time I needed a new portrait, or more electrical clips. Betsy Brabrandt showed up and cut the work in half by handing up portraits.

Social Media Think Tank.

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Mark Baratelli of The Daily City, organized a social media think tank at IZEA in Winter Park Village in which participants would outline one thing that worked for them to promote their business, and then they would ask a question of the other participants to learn Some thing new. New social media platforms are popping up every week, so it is impossible to stay on top of all social media platforms. Some people spread themselves to thin, not getting the most out of any one platform.

Melissa Marie who owns The Falcon Bar and Gallery, now has her bartenders using snap chat which raises awareness about what events are going on in the bar. My question had to do with the ways to promote events to media like newspapers and magazines in town. A week after the meet, I got an email from one of the attendees that had a list of all the media contacts in town. I am slowly getting those contacts entered as a list in g-mail so the I can sent out press releases to everyone.

Mark was proud that he had used Twitter to stay in contact with every media that shared his mission of enlightening and entertaining. It became clear that there is much I need to learn about social media but there are only so many hours in the day.

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.

Jingle Eve offers gift options in Ivanhoe Village.

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Jingle Eve happen every December in Ivanhoe Village. All the shops on Virginia Avenue are open late and Mark Baratelli‘s Food Truck Bazaar supplies the food. I had to pick up a painting from Bare Foot Spa which is on Virginia so I got a sketch and an errand done with one trip. Artist John Glassman Gardner discussed a project he started in which he pays artists to fill a page in a sketchbook. I offered to fill a page, but the sketchbook is still making the rounds in some artists studio.You might notice that even in December, Orlandoens dress in T Shirts, shorts and sandals. You gotta love that.

I didn’t buy anything on this sketch outing but I discovered a glass shop that had all the tools and supplies needed to create stained glass windows. Bare Foot Spa (801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida) always has exhibits of local artists in the front room. An exhibit curated by Parker Sketch will be opening this Saturday September 9th from 6pm to 9pm. The show is titled Television and it features art of television personalities, art of televisions, art of anything related to televisions. Here you will see classic television shows, cartoon characters, Atari, the evening news, and more. This show features 30 pieces of art by 17 different artists. I submitted one sketch done of Brian Feldman on the evening that all the analog signals were switched off. He had one analog TV for each station and one by one the sets switched to static. On that day if you had an analog TV, it became a relic and you had to go out and buy a digital TV. I wonder how much TV sales spiked around the country on that day. Anyway, stop on out to the opening if you are in Ivanhoe Village that day and say hi.

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.

Artegon Grand Opening opened my eyes to the creative potential of this new market.

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I went to the grand opening of Artegon at the north end of International Drive across from the Outlet Stores. Retail spaces are being made available to artists and artisans to sell their wares for as little as $6 a day. As an artist, this prospect of getting my work to be viewed by tourists is an exciting option. All the market spaces are surrounded by wire fencing. When I toured the empty space, with little light it reminded me of an asylum. The grand opening however changed my perspective.

165 artist booths and stores offer an amazing variety of art and crafts. I was surprised to see The Daily City had rented a prime space near the cinema. I talked to Mark Baratelli who is using the space as his office and a permanent Pop Up Shop.  He had art by local artist Boy Kong and he pointed out some metal elephants that he had an artist make. The woman next to me remarked that they would make nice stocking holders for Christmas. Mark loved the idea. The elephant’s trunk made a nice hook and the sculptures were heavy enough to support a stocking stuffed with gifts.

What has kept me from renting a space is the fact that I don’t want to commit so much time to staying in a retail space. I might be called to do a sketch at any time of the day and since I work on location, I’d have to leave shop. I told Mark about my idea of buying a used vending machine to dispense post card sketches. The problem with the vending machine is that I would still have to open shop in the morning and close shop at night. We also spoke about the possibility of my setting up a card display in the Daily City Shop. This might be a good way for me to at least dip my toe in.

I was enthralled by the place. A large rope, sky maze was set up in the central hub of the market. Occasionally people could be heard screaming as they zip lined across the divide. Better still an enterprising vendor was renting out motorized plush puppies which an adult or child could ride around the market. Two puppies pretended to crash into each other at their very tame speed, and the two riders spilled off in slow motion to the floor. A stilt walker walked over and inquired if they were OK. They laughed and got back on. A balloon artist had life sized balloon sculptures scattered among several vendors. A soap shop had a balloon woman taking a balloon bubble bath. Stilt walkers stood behind me and watched the sketch evolve. I found it funny that they were trying to see from that great height.

Houck Talent had brought in the stilt walkers and African Acrobats for the grand opening. I sketched the acrobats as they did their routine. They  created a human pyramid with a flourish and then one acrobat stacked chairs until he could almost touch the ceiling with his toes when he did a handstand. A sizable crowd clapped and whooped. It is almost impossible to see every artists booth. I got lost finding myself distracted by unexpected wares and bright colors at every turn. Not every booth was occupied, so it seems that there are still opportunities for local artists to make this space their own. I decided not to look at every artist booth. I decided I wanted to share this shopping experience with my wife. If the Artegon Market maintains this level of excitement moving forward it will certainly prove to be a required shopping destination this holiday season.

Media Panel Discussion

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I went to a panel discussion about media in the age of the Internet. Mark Baratelli, who founded The Daily City blog was part of the discussion, so I wanted to support him and learn a thing or two. The other panelists were Lora Daiz, a journalist from Local 6 News and Catherine Brown from Clear Channel Communications. Social Media is offering opportunities to reach an ever increasing audience if you have a message to share. New platforms keep appearing and media need to keep on top of the curve to keep track of what is trending. Yesterday I tarted using instagram for the first time and I was shocked at the response when I posted my first blurry photo of a sketch in progress. Now I need to set aside time each day to fire off some instagram image. The problem is of course that involves devoting more time to marketing rather than creating art. My iPhone always spins for a few minutes thinking about what it wants to do. I am beginning to think I am spending too much of my life waiting for software to click on. When the technology works it is magic. I need to find the right balance so that I’m not overwhelmed by the demands of having a virtual social life. When I’m sketching everything comes into focus and I feel that my life is being fully lived. Social media is my way to find sketching opportunities that get me fully involved in the world around me.

Judy Garland: Is it Just Me or is it Just Me?

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At the last minute, Clandestine ARTS had to pull out of the Fringe. Their show, Tuesday Morning, was replaced by the incomparable, Judy Garland performed by Mark Baratelli of thedailycity.com. Many of the seats in the Blue Venue had small questionnaires, asking which Judy Garland songs people might want to hear. The MC warmed up the crowd and Judy stumbled around back stage. Then she began to slur the lyrics to a song and she came out, greeted by thunderous applause. Props on the stage were covered with dark fabrics and she stripped them bare as she sang. Yellow medicine bottles hung from her necklace.

Her legs were often crossed or akimbo as she wavered in the spotlight. Her high heels caused her to stumble and fall more than once. Misplaced mascara gave her raccoon eyes and the lipstick was smeared all around her lips. The dark wig often hid her face and the baggy man’s dress shirt hid her supple figure. Judy is 93 but she still belts out those tunes with a vengeance.

The MC announced that local artist Thomas Thorspecken was in the audience drawing. He wasn’t talking about me however. Chase Padgett was in the audience posing as me. Chase did a sketch of Judy but he was supposed to imagine her nude. I couldn’t bring myself to go there. Judy’s medicated antics were laugh out loud funny. At times she was on the floor slayed out as she sang and other times she tried to escape into the shadows to avoid the spotlight. Some songs were just improvised on the spot to hilarious effect.

Don’t miss Judy! She is hilarious and the shows are selling out. The remaining show times are…

Tuesday May 20, 11:30pm to 12:15pm

Friday May 23, 10pm to 10:45pm

Saturday May 24, 1:30pm to 2:15pm

Sunday May 25,  8:15pm to 9pm

Tickets are $8 and Judy can be found in the Blue venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St., Orlando, FL.) If you are trying to find information about Judy in your printed Fringe program, she isn’t listed. She was a last minute replacement for Tuesday Morning.

16th hole at the Bay Hill Invitational

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On March 22nd Jesse Newton invited me to a Green Party at the 16th hole of the Bay Hill Invitational. My North Bay neighborhood is right near the Bay Hill Country Club, so we were issued neighborhood access passes for the car to guarantee we would not be turned away since parking for the golf event is a logistical nightmare. My sister Pat Boehme was in town to go to my gallery opening. Mark Baratelli of The Daily City was up for an adventure as well, so the four of us drove towards South Bay and thanks to the neighborhood car passes we were able to drive through check points and avoid traffic tie ups.

The South Bay home was absolutely gorgeous. It was a casual but very fashionable affair. A bar was set up behind the home next to the pool. Many of the people at the party were restaurant and bar owners and it was a crowd of beautiful people. Right behind the pool deck, a small grassy hill sloped down toward a small pond. Just beyond the pond was the 16th hole. I ordered a soda and turned my back to the golf because I needed to sketch the beautiful people. One woman had a white paddle with “Quiet” written on it. Whenever an important putt was about to happen she would raise the paddle and hush the revelers. Once the ball was in the hole the party conversations would fire back up with plenty of laughter and joking. The “Quiet” sign holder posed provocatively for me several times but I knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the poses long. I sketched her when she least expected it. Several times during the party the “Quiet” paddle was used like a fraternity butt spanker.

A short path to the left lead to a spot right next to a TV camera tower where the putting action could be viewed from up close. It was possible to get closer to the action than any of the spectators on the greens behind their ropes. I glanced over my shoulder periodically when I heard the crowd on the green murmur or applaud. But honestly, the gorgeous people on the hill captured most of my attention. Mark and I joked about how this must be what it feels like to be part of the “in” socialite crowd.

A women introduced herself and watched me work for a while. She analyzed my composition and decided that the woman in the black tights and shapely hips was the primary focus of the sketch, the rest was just supporting detail. I laughed. “Guilty as charged” I had to admit.With the sketch done, Terry, Pat and I retired to a shady spot in the pool area. I had to sit in the direct sunlight to get the sketch, so my neck got sunburned. I have no idea who won the golf tournament. The last balls plopped into the holes and the golf greens slowly cleared as the sun set. With so much to see and sketch the tournament scores were the least of my concerns.

Amanda and Matt Simantov Wedding

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On January 19th Amanda and Matt Simantov were married at Congregation Ohev Shalom Synagogue (613 Concourse Parkway South, Maitland Florida). Terry and I had attended a dinner party as well, but that was on the day of rest, so I wasn’t permitted to sketch. All the men at the wedding were encouraged to wear yamakas which are small caps that just cover the bald spot on a man’s head. Each yamaka came with a hair pin to help hold it in place. I buzz cut my hair, so there wasn’t anything to attach the hair clip to. At the reception before the wedding, I walked around the room like there was a text book balanced on my head. I ordered a soda however and realized that I would have to tip my head back when I drank. A straw would have solved the problem, but I didn’t see any. Whenever I drank, my yamaka would flop off onto the floor.

Plan B. There was a sushi bar. I’ve always found sushi rice to be rather sticky. Rather than eat the sushi I picked up, I dissected it, removing the raw fish and sea weed.  I then took the rice and molded it into a Frisbee shaped disk which I then placed inside the yamaka. I pressed it onto my head and regained my head mobility. As the rice dried, it must have lost its stickiness because just as I entered the Synagogue and looked up at the immense sun lit vaulted ceiling, it popped off again. I sat rice less through the service and avoided tilting my head as I sketched.

Terry and I sat sandwiched between Mark Baratelli and Brian Feldman both of whom claimed that they first introduced the wedding couple. During the service, one of the brides maids must have locked her knees because she nearly fainted and had to be moved to a pew by the brides maids around her. The officiant must have missed all the activity because he didn’t miss a beat.

The reception was also in the Synagogue. The photographer was testing out huge flash umbrellas, one of which war right next to the table Terry and I sat at. The flashes were blinding and constant, so I got up and sat across the room on a couch until the green spots stopped dancing in my vision. Elizabeth Drake Forbes gave a moving speech in which she listed all the amazing events Amanda had attended or helped organize while she was here in Orlando. Amanda had just moved to Seattle to be with Matt and that is where they returned to after the wedding. Amanda hasn’t acclimated herself there yet, so Elizabeth’s speech caused her to cry since she has had to let dear friends go to strike out and create a new life across the continent.

For the first dance, Amanda lip synced to a song by Debbie Gibson titled “Lost in Your Eyes” as she danced with Matt. Couples and friends crowded into a photo booth for regal commemorative shots, and of course there was dancing. When Matt was raised up in a chair for the traditional couples dance, he began to slip forward because the four guys couldn’t support his weight evenly. Terry shouted that I needed to help so I squeezed in and lifted it back up just in time. I wonder what kind of bad luck would have haunted the couple had Matt fallen from the chair. All the guests were given sparklers and they created a tunnel leading to the car as the couple ran from the reception to start their new life as husband and wife.