Blog Con

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Blog Con, organized by Bess Auer of Central Florida Top 5, was held at the Orlando Science Center on Saturday September 15th. The event was sponsored by Florida Institute of Technology and it was even bigger then last year’s event with about 120 attendees. I arrived a bit late and ended up missing the keynote speech by Lou Mongello in the morning. When Bess greeted me she helped me upload the conference schedule onto my iPhone. It was an impressive little program specially designed for the conference. The first talk I attended and sketched was Marketing Yourself – How to build Your Media Kit by Callie Cowen. Callie was a working mom from Venice Florida who blogs about her journey to a healthier lifestyle and hopes too inspire a few other “wannabe athletes” along the way. I had never considered making a media kit for my blog although I had seen many kits when I worked in the magazine business. She offered plenty of food for  thought.

Different rooms were set up so break out groups could attend different sessions running simultaneously in different rooms. Mark Baratelli who runs thedailycity.com gave a funny and cynical look at how he finds content that leads to a passionate following. He ironically noted that attending “Tweet Ups and other social media gatherings is a waste of time. Mark used to organize the Mobile Art Shows in Downtown Orlando and he had people gather at local food trucks to sample the menu. The food truck angle eventually morphed into the very successful food truck bazaars that he sponsors now. He lamented that getting people to contribute content t thee blog was usually a wasted effort in which time was spent with meetings to get people involved but in the end the contributions would dissipated since, well, people don’t put in much effort when asked to work for free.

My favorite talk was by Josh Murdock who showed us a whole bunch of fun widgets and gadgets.  There were gadgets for animation, film editing and all of them were free or cheap. Who could ask for more? Justice Mitchell gave a great talk on Storytelling and Problem Solving: The Keys to the Infectious Blog. He made it clear that as bloggers, we are all contributing to an ongoing dialogue by telling stories which is a tradition that began way back in the days of the cave man. He advised on creating content that helps people solve problems noting Myth Busters as an example. On Myth Busters they begin with a premise, they apply science and they form a conclusion. There was one session on Analytics that went way over my head. Apparently there is a numbers crunching attribute to this blogging business that is something I have been blind to. Blogging isn’t easy. But this day was a great way to get informed to try and catch the social media train before it leaves the station.

Denna and Travis Update their Relationship Status

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Denna Beena and Travis Fillmen were married Saturday August 4th in the Winter Garden Theatre. It was pouring rain as I drove straight from work. Terry let me know that she saved me a seat. The Winter Garden Theater has been the home to some amazing theatrical productions such as “The Diviners“, and “Driving Miss Daisy“. This wedding had a flair of the theatrical and plenty of Pink. Denna’s hair has always had a shock of pink, orange and purple. Her brides maids each had a pink dress of their choosing and long streaks of pink in their hair. Groomsmen and the ring bearer, manikin Hans Hausboi, all had pink bow ties and flowers. Groomsman, Mark Baratelli had a crazy, day filled with drama leading up to the ceremony. But that is a story for another day. Bridesmaid, Amanda Chadwick, with a bright pink coil of hair on her forehead, had flown from Seattle to be in the ceremony.

Before the actual ceremony, the theater curtains opened and friendly trivia was projected on the movie screen. Denna and Travis’s first date lasted ten hours. They met thanks to OKCupid.com. Denna kept getting Travis’s bio and she ignored it five times. She finally decided that the guys she usually dated were all wrong for her, so she took a chance. They might be bipolar opposites politically but deep down the found happiness and creative unconditional love. There was a small canvas center stage and as part of the ceremony, the couple painted a heart together. Young Chloe and Naomi Borchers recited the lyrics to “Personal Penguin.” Mike Carr explained, “Why Love is Like Owning a Dog.”

It was a ceremony in which laughter was a fine compliment love. The officiant, Mike Carr, earned his ability to unite this couple from the internet. When the knot was tied, Denna and Travis took out their cell phones on stage and updated their Facebook status to “Married“. The audience cheered. As everyone filed upstairs for the reception, I rushed to throw color on the sketch. A black and White film flickered onto the movie screen as the projectionist got ready for that evenings showing. As the colors dried on the page, I went upstairs for plenty of awkward yet enthusiastic dancing.

Tasty Tuesday Shut Down by Police

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On June 19th, Mark Baratelli, of The Daily City, gave me a tip that a food truck event in the Milk District was being shut down by police. He felt that all the proprietors in the neighborhood were behind the event since it brought in a crowd. Apparently a business in the neighborhood did complain and there were reports that Code Enforcement was there. In Miami, food truck corals draw huge crowds to the trendy gallery district. I immediately drove over to see what was going on. As I approached the Milk District, I noticed a food truck driving away. The event was called Tasty Tuesdays and involved food trucks in a parking lot at the corner of Robinson and Graham. There was a small crowd of 20 to 30 people milling about. Some people were finishing off plates of food. Two police cars were parked in the middle of the road blocking traffic. Officers stood in the road with their arms crossed waiting for the food trucks to pack up and leave. Melissa’s Chicken and Waffles food truck closed up and pulled out of the parking lot as I sketched. A camera man from Fox 35 News started shooting video.

Saigon Sizzle on the left side of my sketch packed away a table and supplies and then backed out of the lot. I asked  the guy who was helping guide the driver why they had to leave. “The police say we are blocking traffic.” he said. “We assumed the organizer had all the right permits, but I guess not.” Slowly the crowd disappeared as the sun set behind the T.G. Lee’s Milk towers. A mosquito kept tickling my left elbow. I rushed to finish the sketch before I lost all my light. The Flattery, a black food truck was parked on the sidewalk and was the last to leave.

The Daily City contacted Commisioner Patti Sheehan and this is what she had to say. “City
staff is working with Tommy to try and get the issues resolved.  There
was a complaint from a nearby business.  I was aware of parking
concerns, and I had spoken to OPD about it, but I was unaware of the
code provision that does not allow sales from the city right-of-way. 
The trucks were warned, but a few decided to pay the fine and continue
selling. I would
rather work this out so that all of the codes are understood and
followed, and the event can continue. I do not think this is a bad omen
for food trucks in general, just a hiccup with a group trying to
promote an event that needs to be a little more familiar with our
rules.” Read the rest here…

Tasty Tuesdays in The Milk District had this to say on Facebook, “One
of the businesses on the street complained one too many times. Worst
case scenario, next week the trucks will be in the Spacebar/Sandwich
Bar, Etoile Boutique/Milk Bar, and Doggy Day Care parking lots. Best
case scenario, we’re back on the street – we will keep you all updated.
Small businesses for the win!”

Yum! Yum!  I drove home and had a hot dog for dinner. I was starving.

Prop 8

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Beth Marshal Presents brought Prop 8 to the Orlando Shakes. Prop 8 was passed in California stating that marriage can only be defined as the union of a man and woman with the goal being to procreate. Protesters lined the entry walkway towards the theater entrance. They shouted their protests of equal rights to love. There was a surreal irony to the demonstration since most Prop 8 demonstrators would be shouting their judgements and hatred.

This play, written by Lisa Cordes, used court documents in the case to overturn Prop 8. When I got to the theater, Beth showed me where I would be sitting, right next to other bloggers and tweeters on the sidelines. I didn’t have a good line of sight to the judge, so I ended up sitting on my artist’s stool a bit further away from the stage. Daily City blogger Mark Baratelli had been out in the lobby curious about what was going on. He had been at an event across the parking lot at the Orlando Museum of Art but he was drawn to the hubbub at the shakes. I was alone in the theater blocking in my sketch before the actors got on stage. I texted Mark suggesting he join me in the bloggers section. When the play started, I finally realized that the bloggers were actually actors. Silly me. Their fingers floated above the keyboards to make it look like they were typing without creating noise. As it turns out, I was the court artist.

Lisa Cordes herself played a witness and I caught her in my sketch. Her wit and irony made it clear that she believed in the cause of any one’s right to marry. The lawyers who defended Prop 8 did a very poor job and defense witnesses were often weak minded bigots. The bloggers were able to summarize otherwise mind numbing testimony so it could be easily digested with humor and wit. The most compelling testimony came from witnesses who longed to be able to publicly celebrate their love yet were denied by law.

In the end, the play remained unresolved since legislation is still pending. The testimony and evidence certainly left us all with hope that love could outlast bigotry. Chad Lewis and Jason R. Donnelly were to be married in the theater after the performance. Members of their families took up much of the second row of the theater. We all were asked to wait in the lobby as the theater was converted into a chapel. Nicki Equality Drumb and Rachel Equality Gardiner stopped over to say hello. An actor came over and thanked Rachel for being such a good audience member. He explained that he had been exhausted near the end of the play, but her enthusiasm fueled a second wind. She was a bit embarrassed, but that is what makes theater in a small town like Orlando special. The actors truly appreciate the audience. Every year on Valentines day they host “The Human Heart.” Hundreds of people gather in Lock Haven park holding hands and forming a large heart shape. Candles are lit in the name of love and equality. I also love this couple since they go to the courthouse regularly to ask for the right to be married. Hopefully someday soon the tide will turn and the court clerk will finally say “yes.”

Food Truck Bazaar

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Mark Baratelli sent me an e-mail letting me know that he had a framed “Best Of” award for the Mennello Museum mural that I did. He was hosting an Orlando Food Truck Bazaar at Fashion Square Mall and he said he would have the award with him. I of course would travel any distance for such a major award. The sun had set by the time I got to the Bazaar. About 35 food trucks were circled up, like western covered wagons. The first two trucks, Firehouse BBQ and Twisted Cuban were the brightest trucks in the bazaar with flashing lights and bright red paint. I sat down in the middle of the “coral” and started sketching.

Unfortunately, by the time I was finishing the sketch, many of the food trucks were running out of food. Viveca Averstedt of “swedeDISH” food truck looked over my shoulder to admire my work. Her blue truck with yellow stripes was also running out of food and they were cleaning up. She offered me an onion and cheese pie dish. I asked, “how much.” And she offered it to me on the house. It was absolutely delicious. The crust was light and flaky and the cheese and baked onion pie was sweet and rich. It came with a side salad with a tangy vinaigrette dressing. I might be tempted to come out to the next food truck bazaar to see what else she has on the menu.

Mark Baratelli found me and gave me the award for the Mennello museum mural. He said it was a good turn out with 1,500 people stopping out during the course of the evening. These bazaars are spreading throughout Central Florida and the trend continues to grow. People love to come out on cool winter nights to sample the food and relax in lawn and camping chairs. A few days later, I saw the swedeDISH food truck parked beside Tom & Jerry’s Lounge near the Enzian. It seems quite a few food trucks park there in their off hours.

Terry’s Office

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After a day of searching for Citrus Floats, I decided to meet Terry at her new office at Merrill Lynch. The firm is located on the eighth floor and Terry’s office has a view of the new Amway Center. Terry was one of maybe four or five employees who were in the office between Christmas and New Years. Terry looked up a press release on the computer for me and then went back to work. Amanda Chadwick said she had something planned that she wanted to do that night. She wanted to keep the destination a secret from Terry. We all decided to meet at a Mexican Burrito joint on Colonial.

After dinner, we all piled into Amanda’s car to first pick up Mark Baratelli and then go to the final destination. On the drive south on I-4 we passed the neon rainbow studded Bungee Sling Shot on International Drive. We convinced Terry that was the destination but Terry insisted she would keep her feet on the ground. A “Screaming Gator” zip line adventure over the teaming swamps around Gator Land elicited the same response. Our true destination however was Disney. Amanda was concerned for my mental health, fearing I might experience flashbacks. Mark had a season pass which got us into parking for free.

We took the Monorail to the Polynesian Hotel where wWe sampled some pineapple slushies, called Doles, before heading out to the beach. There we sat on wet beach lounges and waited for the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. Boats on the lagoon kept honking their horns and we screamed back at then to “Keep it down.” It’s not like there is any traffic on the lagoon. The fireworks were stunning, with Saturns, cascading waterfalls and immense blooms. The piped in music was faint and the explosions came long after the flash catching us off guard.

After the display we began a quest for hot chocolate and soft serve ice cream. There were plenty of photo opportunities with the huge Coronado Christmas tree. We laughed endlessly as we searched the Coronado Springs Resort. As Mark put it, “Its not the journey that is important, it’s the destination.” The drive back had us all singing like Young Frankenstein to pop hits on the car radio.

Sound Scape Park

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After a solid day of viewing art at Art Basel, our group decided to meet up at Sound Scape Park, just a block from the Convention Center. Mark Baratelli and I arrived first. Videos were going to be projected on the side of the New World Center which is a performance space for the New World Symphony. The palm trees in the park were all fitted with speakers for a surround sound experience. I started sketching near the projection booth at the back of the lawn. Orange and purple been bags were scattered all over the lawn for people to lounge in. Mark and I gathered three been bags for our group. Mark was thirsty so he walked to Washington Avenue in search of sodas. I was left to guard the bean bags as I sketched.

Every few minutes people would interrupt me asking how much it cost to rent the bean bags. I guess, since I was seated next to a group of bean bags they assumed I was in charge. I would explain that seating was free. They would then reach for the bags next to me and I had to explain I was saving them. One guy grabbed one and said, “You aren’t going to miss just one.” It wasn’t worth getting in a fist fight over a damn bag. They would have to make due. I decided it was easier to say “The bean bag chairs are $50 to rent” any time someone approached. Finally Terry and our friends arrived. They all squeezed together on the remaining bean bags, joking and snuggling.

The video I sketched was called, “I’m not much, but I’m all I think about”, by Marilyn Minter. Dimensional sculpted “ME” kept falling into a viscous fluid which splashed and then enveloped the letters in slow motion. I would have to guess that it was a film about narcissism. The next film was called, “God bless America” by Martha Rosier and it featured a woman saluting who struggle to pull the saluting hand away from her face.

After the screening, Derrek Hewitt rushed off to get the car in a parking garage. Terry, Mark and I lost his group on the way. Mark and I quickly walked through an abandoned store front that was full of stitched art. Female nudes were outlined with stitching on large six or seven foot canvas sheets. Two girls sat on the floor stitching. “Great sketch opportunity”, I thought but we had to find the group. After phone calls and texts, Mark and I piled into the car and we were all off to find a restaurant.

Art Basel Video Kiosks

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The sheer volume of artwork to be seen in the convention center is mind boggling. These large video kiosks build out of plywood were constantly occupied not only by people curious to see the videos, but by people just looking for a chance to rest their feet. I sat on my portable artist’s bench and started sketching. The video pods were playing 22 films selected by Artprojx and they played on a continuous loop. I watched one for a short while. It was a black and white film that showed a Marlyn Monroe look alike as she wandered aimlessly in a deserted city lot. I lost interest quickly and moved on.

In the background of the sketch is a black sculpture hanging by a chain from the ceiling joists. It is “Untitled #1176” by Petah Coyne made between 2007 and 2010. The piece consisted of a chandelier which was covered with taxidermy birds, candles silk flowers, hair pins, felt, thread and Velcro. I don’t know where someone would want to hang the thing.

I walked around with Mark Baratelli for a while and we came to the conclusion that this was the year of broken mirrors and hair. Just as we agreed on this, we came across four woman’s wigs framed on the wall. One small piece mounted inside a clear plexiglass box looked like a bar of soap carved out of a piece of wood. Mark read the plaque and discovered that the wood grain was actually a long strand of pubic hair. He enjoyed explaining the piece to two women who wandered by.

One artists work did capture my imagination. There were large plexiglass dioramas mounted on the wall. One diorama depicted a giant swirl in the ocean with two tall ships getting sucked into the “Maelstrom” by Mondongo. The colors were small strips of Plasticine. It reminded me of a 3D version of a Van Gogh. I loved how the work danced a fine line between painting and sculpture.

We went to the Wynwood Arts District in the evening to check out the vibrant galleries and graffiti art. We went to an Absolute Party, sipping Coconut Vodka while listening to musicians performing in front of a shipping storage container. Art covered every imaginable surface. The whole neighborhood was a riot of sound and color. A sketchers dream, but I was being escorted on a lightning tour of the neighborhood. We stopped in an empty lot full of food trucks. I suspect the neighborhood would be partying all night but it was time to crash.

Art Basel Miami

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Terry, Mark Baratelli and I drove down to Miami to see Art Basel. Basel is a city in Switzerland where art galleries from around the world gather to show their art. This was the tenth year that the art exhibition has taken place in Miami as well. Terry’s friend Elaine Pasekoff was gracious enough to let us stay in one of her South Beach Condos. When we arrived in the late afternoon we all relaxed and read the Miami Herald entertainment section to get an idea of what we might like to see. Art Basel is centered in the convention center but also has satellite tents and exhibitions all over town. It is impossible to see everything.

I was intrigued by a performance piece by Glenn Kaino. In a park near the convention center he was asking people to help him levitate a 20 by 20 foot platform with a representation of the 1934 Worlds Fair perched on top. Called “Levitating the Fair“, it was to be held up for the entire four day duration of the Art Basel. Derek Hewitt dropped Mark Baratelli and myself off in the park. As Mark photographed desert food bikes, I searched for a crowd holding up the Worlds Fair. I never found it. I did see the platform but it didn’t appear to be levitating. Perhaps everyone was on a bathroom break.

Star Wars paratroopers were guarding the balconies of an apartment complex across the street from the park. Picasso held a house painting brush loaded up with bright pink paint. “Love is the answer” billowed in the ocean breeze. A huge Mr. Potato Head had a green Swiss alps hat on and for some reason he was pleased to be holding a squeeze bottle of ketchup. “Brainwash” was printed above the doorway. After I finished my sketch, I hiked over to the convention center. The art marathon had begun.

Wave Awards

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Terry found out about the Wave Awards ceremony happening at Mr. Sisters (5310 East Colonial Drive). I had never heard of the Wave Awards so when my class was over at 9pm I drove down to Colonial. Terry sent me a text saying parking was tight. I lucked out and found a parking spot right under the giant LED Mr. Sisters billboard. As I walked towards the club I saw Billy Manes, a journalist for the Orlando Weekly. He was carrying a plaque and he nodded to me. I seem to keep bumping into him at events around town lately. I later found out he had won an award as the favorite local writer/journalist. Inside, I said hello to Mack Dixon. He had been voted the greatest straight ally to the local LGBT community along with his wife Margo. Since I knew nothing about the awards ceremony, I asked him a few questions. The Wave Awards were awarded by Watermark, a local LGBT newspaper. There was a copy of the paper on each of the tables. I thumbed through one and it looked like a great resource for finding fun local events.

Terry and Amanda Chadwick were seated at a table out on the patio overlooking the lake. Every table had a black and white painting of a celebrity on it. I could see a large eyeball staring up at me, but I couldn’t make out the face hidden behind the ketchup, plates and glasses. Airport lights flickered on the horizon. A beautiful spot, but removed from the bustle and activity inside the club. Actually the place wasn’t that crowded. People were starting to leave. I grabbed a plate of crackers and cheese before it was put away. Mark Baratelli joined us. He was holding his award as the favorite local LGBT blog. His blog, thedailycity.com, also won third place as the favorite LGBT website.

Rather than focusing on the event as a whole, I decided to sketch Terry and Amanda as they had dinner in the gay club. Amanda shouted, “You’re not drawing me eating chicken wings, are you!?” I erased her arms. My sketching habit seems to be a burr in the saddle, an annoyance that people tolerate. Billy Sisco arrived and hugged Mark from behind. He showed Amanda his new Windows phone and started hammering it’s screen with a knife handle. As hard as he hit it, the darn thing didn’t break. I snagged a few of Terry’s fries but was happy enough with my root beer.

When it was time to go, Mark asked us all to pose for a celebratory photo in front of a green screen. Mark and Billy stayed behind wanting to celebrate much later into the night.