Out on a Limb

Posted on by Thor

I was arranging a sketching opportunity with Mark DeMaio who is doing amazing work harvesting food for the hungry.

Anyway the day before he had been working at the Mennello Museum of American Art and cut down this tree limb which was threatening to scratch employee cars that parked in the lot.

The added benefit is that a long obscured section of the mural was brought back into the light. Vines have been snaking their way across the top of the mural, one having crawled right across journalist Seth Kubersky‘s face. The vines were pulled off but the tiny vine suction cup marks remained behind. The crowd at the back of the mural line are more saturated with more contrast to the colors. The shade of the tree limb had protected the paint from the harsh Florida Sun. Though others in the sun were bleached, they still hold together as a whole.

It is interesting to watch the mural age. Michael Mennello who is seated, is no longer with us, he died of COVID-19, nor is Harriet Lake who is seated in her wheelchair reading Catcher in the Rye. I am seated at the end of the line sketching. I hope that has no bearing on my limited mortality. It makes sense that I would be hiding in the shade of a big tree limb.

Big Dog by Dale Rogers 2013

Posted on by Thor

This very fast sketch was done as a demo to show a student how to block in a sketch and quickly add color. I tend to work faster with students since they haven’t yet developed the patience needed for a prolonged study.

As simple as the sketch is, I used it to demonstrate how to dirty up the colors, mixing ochres and greens or adding red to the dark greens to neutralize the color.

This day was spent at the Mennello Museum sketching around the property. We did several sketched. I usually spend two hours on a sketch but these were done much faster since my student would finish and not know what other details to add.

We live in a fast paced society. Movies and TV only allow for a shot to last one or two seconds before cutting to another shot. Many beginning artists seem to think that art should happen just as fast.

I might do a sketch at an event and someone will be shocked saying something like, “You did that here, just now, you must be so fast!” However the sketch was done over the entire course of the event which is usually 2 hours. Most events are paced to last as long as the average movie. After that people start to loose interest.

I am loosing vision in my left eye or that vision is being distorted. I am having surgery next week to try and repair the damage to my retina. I have always tended to close that eye as I sketch. I thought it was to help flatten my view but perhaps the damage to my eye was there much longer than I was aware. Right now if I look at something, I see multiple versions of it. It is sort of like the cliche drunken vision shown in movies. Perhaps my sketches will start to embrace this warped view of the world. Right now I correct to draw what I know it must look like. Even as I type this there are twice as many words on the screen than I need to see. I close one eye to actually read what I have typed.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for February 22 and 23, 2020

Posted on by Thor

February 22, 2020

9am to Noon Free. East Polk County Plein Air. Lake Alfred Historical Society Museum, 210 N Seminole Ave, Lake Alfred, FL 33850.  

Pioneer Village  •  Chuck Wagon
Native American Exhibit
Civil/Seminole War Exhibit
Outdoor Market and More
Artists of all levels invited.
Bring your own painting supplies and join us for a morning of outdoor painting/drawing.
Meet other area artists share ideas and tips and find out about other local happenings.Show and Tell 12:30
behind the Historical Museum
Lunch following
Pack a lunch or purchase food at the “Good Ole Days Diner”
where everything is $1


7:30pm to 9:30pm 25 Premium Seating (Includes seating in the first 3 rows of the theatre and a complimentary concession item)

$18 Standard Reserved Seating. From Here. Book/Music/Lyrics by Donald Rupe. Additional Music and Orchestrations by Jason Bailey.

From Here is
an original musical written by our own Director of Theatre, Donald
Rupe. The production originally premiered at the Orlando International
Fringe Festival in 2019 to enthusiastic crowds and rave reviews.
Expanded to a full-length musical, the story follows Daniel, a
30-something gay man on his journey to find love, fulfillment, and his
tumultuous relationship with his mother. Daniel, born and raised in
Orlando, is surrounded by a loving community of friends, and the musical
also explores what life was like as a gay man in Orlando during the
tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in 2016.

From Here carries
an important message for our community, and for this show we proudly
partner with the One Orlando Alliance, an organization that unifies
and empowers  LGBTQ+ service organizations in Central Florida. Donations made while purchasing tickets for From Here will benefit the One Orlando Alliance to help members of our community. 

*This
production contains adult language and themes and may not be suitable
for all audiences. It also contains themes surrounding the Pulse
Nightclub tragedy, which may be upsetting or trigger a traumatic
response in some audience members. Viewer’s discretion is advised. 

Please feel free to step out of the theatre if you need to, and please be understanding of others’ reactions. 

10:30pm to 12:30am  Get food and drink.Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801. Hot blooded flamenco dancing set to acoustic guitar.



Sunday February 23, 2020

9 am to 11am Admission: $10 for Guests, $5 for Mennello Museum Members. Yoga in the Mennello Museum Sculpture Garden. Mennello Museum of American Art 900 E Princeton St, Orlando, Florida 32803.

The last Sunday of every month is Yoga in the Sculpture Garden at Mennello Museum of American Art!
Start your Sunday morning out blissfully with a relaxing lakeside flow.
Practice is suitable for beginner to moderate levels and will be led by
certified instructors from Full Circle Yoga, Winter Park. Don’t forget
to bring your own mat and water to practice.

Your
practice also includes a complimentary pass to enjoy the museum’s
indoor exhibitions at your own leisure during our operating hours. Full Circle Yoga Instructor: Sarabeth Jackson.

2pm to 4pm Free. Panel Discussion Power Myth and Memory in Africana Art. Hannibal Square Heritage Center, 642 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Collector CJ Williams, Curator Kristin Congdon, and Haitain Artist Patrick Noze. Moderated by Andrew Browne.

10am to Noon. Get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out and laugh, or give it a try yourself. 

Weekend Top 6 Picks for December 13th and 14th.

Posted on by Thor

Saturday December 13, 2018

6 AM to 1 PM.  Free.  Parramore Farmers Market.  The east side of the Orlando City Stadium, across from City View.  Beginning on January 6, the Parramore Farmers Market will be open
every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the east side of the Orlando
City Stadium, across from City View.Purchase quality, fresh and healthy
food grown in your own neighborhood by local farmers, including Fleet
Farming, Growing Orlando, and other community growers.

10 AM to 5 PM.  Daily through January 16th.   Admission to Otronicon is free for OSC members, $20.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors and students, and $14.95 for youth (ages 3-11). Otronicon: Interactive Tech Expo.  Orlando Science Center (777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803).  Otronicon will celebrate its 13th year as Orlando’s premier technology event you can’t afford to miss!

At Otronicon, guests walk on the cutting edge through state-of-the-art gaming and simulation technologies, including military and medical simulators not typically available to the public.

NEW THIS YEAR:

• See and feel what it’s like to pilot a plane in OSC’s new and permanent Flight Lab experience on its opening weekend!
• Learn all about drones by meeting drone experts and seeing live demos
• Go on a virtual test drive with Motion Sphere, where you’ll experience 7 G forces with six “Degrees of Freedom” – back/forward, right/left, up/down and roll/yaw/pitch

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:

• Interact with industry leaders and educators and learn about STEM careers
• Experience the future of games and design
• See the latest in medical and military technologies, plus video gaming, art and more
• Check out workshops and presentations led by industry pros
• And so much more!

Regardless of your background, whether you work in the tech industry or just have a passion for learning, Otronicon will engage your mind and spark your curiosity.

Visit Otronicon.org to see what’s new and check out our list of exhibitors!

Noon to 4 PM.  Free.  Winter Music Series.  Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards 19239 US 27 North, Clermont, Florida 34715.  Each Saturday afternoon during the month of January, Lakeridge Winery
holds its famous Music Series, featuring live music on the outdoor
stage, and inside at our Wine & Cheese Bar upstairs in the winery.
The musicians selected are all fantastic performers, hand-picked from
the wealth of talent located throughout Central Florida. Lakeridge wine,
beer, soft drinks and a variety of food is available for purchase,
along with complimentary Winery tours and tasting.

BAND SCHEDULE:

OUTDOOR STAGE

Jan 13, 2018 NOON – 4pm The Nightly Grove Band

Jan 20, 2018 NOON – 4pm Shawline

Jan 27, 2018 NOON – 4pm Mike Quick Band

WINE & CHEESE BAR

Jan 13, 2018 NOON – 4pm Bobby Koelble

Jan 20, 2018 NOON – 4pm Bobby Blackmon

Jan 27, 2018 NOON – 4pm Jeff Whitfield

Sunday December 14, 2018

 Noon to 1 PM.  Donation based.  Yoga.  Lake Eola at the field near the red gazebo. 

1 PM to 5:30 PM Free.  Family Day on the Second Sunday.  The Mennello Museum of American Art (900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803).  The make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents
are available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in
the galleries until 4:30 p.m.

2 PM to 5 PM $5. Film Slam.   Enzian Theater (1300 S Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751).  Originally a project of University of Central Florida’s Downtown Media
Arts Center, Enzian became the home of FilmSlam when DMAC closed in
2006. Now in its fifth year at Enzian, FilmSlam continues to be a
popular outlet for indie and student filmmakers throughout the State of
Florida.

FilmSlam will usually be held on the second Sunday of each month at 1PM at Enzian.

COME CELEBRATE INDEPENDENTS DAY!!!

It’s so hot outside our brains just melted! So, this month we’ve booked the craziest FilmSlam line up of the year.

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.

Program starts at 1pm sharp. Q&A with the filmmakers to follow screening.

Mr. Harley entertained at Kids Fringe.

Posted on by Thor

On May 23rd, Mr. Harley was the first act at the Kid’s Fringe tent at the Mennello Museum. My mural, “Whose line is it anyway?” was at my back as I sketched. It offered a colorful backdrop and it was nice to see it with so much vibrant activity around it.

Mr. Harley played light hearted music for the kids. This sketch was a quick demo for my student on how to use a few quick blocks of color to cover the whole sketch. The Kids Fringe tent was the perfect spot to start each day’s Sketch Tour since the kids would do early morning stretches to start their morning. While they were stretching it made sense to get sketching. The green lawn of fabulousness in Lock Haven park is very quiet in the morning. This is probably because it rocked so hard the night before.

 Since I was hosting the Sketch Tour, I was able to do far more Fringe Sketches than I usually would. I’ve trained myself to just get one sketch a day at any event I go to so that I can have some kind of home life as well. There are so many free acts at the outdoor stages so you could spend a whole day at the Fringe without paying to go to a theatrical production. The Shakes, Rep,Orlando Museum of Art and the Venue all have air conditioning however, so the temptation to sit inside a cool theater eventually takes hold.

As part of the Sketch Tour package, I offered Fringe buttons so it made sense to eventually introduce the idea of sketching the shows themselves. Sketching in a theater has it’s challenges and I pointed out my tips and tricks to get a sketch even when the house lights go black.

WTF? (What the Fringe?)

Posted on by Thor

The 2014 23nd Annual Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival takes place May 14th-27th in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Venue locations are within Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Rep (corner of Princeton and Mills)-812 East Rollins Street, and The Venue (Virginia Dr.). Kid’s Fringe is located at the Menello Museum (across Princeton from Loch Haven).

The Fringe is…

100% UNCENSORED

100% UNJURIED

100% ACCESSIBLE 

100% of $ from ticket sales go directly to the ARTISTS

Fringe volunteers manned the information table inside the Orlando Shakespeare Theater while Jeff Ferree promoted his puppet show “Girl Who Fell Up a Chimney” in his bright conical Gumbyesque outfit. Jeff waved to me, and I gave him a stiff armed wave in return. At the information table you could buy the $9 buttons which are needed to get into any show as well as the Fringe program which lists all the shows.  There are about 100 shows so the choices are daunting. The best way to find out what you have to see is to hang out at the beer tent and ask around to find out what people have seen and loved.


While doing this sketch, I was given two tips. Nashville Hurricane is “Frigging Amazing” according to Curtis Meyer. I was also told by Karen that Take Out the White Trash was laugh out loud funny. Actress Michelle Knight walked up to the information table. Michelle just completed a run of Disenchanted which is a take on Disney princesses who didn’t exactly live happily ever after. This hilarious musical comedy was first premiered at the Orlando Fringe several years ago as Bitches of the Kingdom, and now it is headed to off Broadway in NYC. This is a great example of how the Fringe is a great place to launch a creative concept.

If there is a show you feel I should see and sketch, please leave me a comment!

Orlando Folk Festival

Posted on by Thor

On Sunday February 9th, I went to the 12th Annual Orlando Folk Festival at The Mennello Museum of American Art 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl. The had rained the previous day so everyone was happy for the sunshine. After talking with Tod Caviness and his wife Christin for a moment, I immediately focused on the kids painting a fence Tom Sawyer style. Of course Tom Sawyer only had white paint while these kids had their pick of the rainbow. Some kids would focus on a small area with laser beam attention to fine detail while others used the brush with bold bravado. I believe this fence is re-used every year and the paint is growing as thick as the continental crust. A volunteer would fill plastic cups with paint and put an artist’s smock on each child. Don’t mock the smock. Parents stood guard to be sure that the paint went on the wall rather than on other children.

The two stages for folk singers were behind me, so I got to relax to their gentle harmonies. People set up blankets and lawn chairs in the shade to listen. A family on a blanket near me had a bunch of kids who were getting antsy. I boy threw a stick that hit me in the back. The mom said, “Say your sorry Bobby.” He remained silent. “He really is sorry” she said. The kids started playing tag and I began to feel I was in the middle of a war zone. One little girl tripped over my art bag. They really weren’t looking where they were going. With the sketch done, I retreated to a quieter neutral zone.

I spotted Emily Empel and her friends and I sat to chat with them for the last set. Emily had been a presenter at Pecha Kucha on the same evening I had presented. It was interesting to hear her take about how the evening went. From my perspective Emily’s presentation had been flawless. But she confided that she had been very nervous that night. I think I had been to committed to what I had written and Emily felt the same. Other presenters memorized their talks while others just knew key points that they wanted to cover. Becky Lane, a speech coach at Full Sail had encouraged me to just have key points but I was already too committed to the exact words I had written. Regardless, looking back at the video, the presentation went pretty well. I’m glad I stepped outside my comfort zone. I need to do that more often.

When the band finished playing I headed home. l bumped into Carl Knickerbocker who had his “Art Car” at the festival. He used large magnetic sheets to cover a car with his bold Suburban folk images. He has a short film in this year’s Florida Film Festival titled “The Last Orange Grove in Middle Florida.” I can’t wait to see it.

Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Sante Fe Art Colony

Posted on by Thor

The Mennello Museum of American Art (900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl.) kicked off it’s 15th anniversary season with the opening celebration of the first exhibit in their series devoted to “The Art of the American West.” Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Santa Fe Art Colony considers the development of Santa Fe as an art colony through the artists who visited there and helped establish the city as an artistic center, tracing the colony’s formative years from approximately 1915 up to 1940.

When artists from eastern locales began to settle in the Santa Fe area, they discovered a rich culture and a wealth of picturesque imagery. Southwestern Allure focuses exclusively on the art and artists of the Santa Fe colony, presenting the best of the artists’ work and showing the distinct artistic climate of this unique locale and the qualities that distinguish it apart from the rest of the state. The city has a majestic landscape and multicultural environment, which proved a matchless blend of inspiration.

The exhibition presents a thorough picture of which artists went to Santa Fe, what they found compelling about the environment, the work they produced, and the prevailing artistic trends, from Realism to Modernism, which they applied to Southwestern subject matter.

Through the works included in the exhibition, a range of styles are presented, encompassing the Santa Fe Old Guard, such as Carlos Vierra, Gerald Cassidy, and Warren Rollins, the Realism of Robert Henri, Edward Hopper, and John Sloan to highlight only a few of the prominent artists.

I was so pleased to see so many of the Ash Can artists I admire on display. Southwestern Allure features almost 50 outstanding artworks carefully selected from leading public and private collections. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue is organized by the Boca Museum of Art in conjunction with independent curator Dr. Valerie Ann Leeds, a specialist in American art of this period.

In the corner of the back gallery, a kiva (bee hive) fireplace was set up. Close to a dozen candles flickered while images of Madonna and Christ gave it the feeling of an alter. Genevieve Bernard pointed out to me that the candles were actually flickering diodes. From where I sat they looked completely real. A Robert Henri portrait of a beautifully chiseled Indian woman looked on with her eternal gaze. Several chiefs with their prominent head dresses flanked the other side. A gallery goer paused to finger his phone and he forgot about the art. Mark your calendar! This show is on exhibit through April 6th. Don’t miss it. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $1 for students.

Mennello Museum

Posted on by Thor

I have been returning periodically to the Mennello Museum (900 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL) to do sketches of the exterior. This is my favorite sketch so far. I had to eliminate a tree to help streamline the composition. Trees have been disappearing at an alarming rate at the museum recently. The property is owned by the City of Orlando and they maintain the landscape. A large hole that looked like a grave marked the spot where one tree once stood. A wedding was happening that day and I imagine the happy couple posing for photos in front of the open grave where the huge root system had been dug up.

Another day I came to draw, bright yellow caution tape marked off a large area behind the museum.  A tree branch had fallen and the yellow tape was meant to protect an unsuspecting public. I hope the tree isn’t cut down to spite its branches. There is a huge Live Oak in front of the museum with sweeping long branches that swoop down and touch the ground. It must be hundreds of years old. It is a gorgeous tree. Spanish moss hangs lazily from many of the trees as a reminder that we are in the deep south.

Now on display in the Museum you can discover the Everglades through art. In 1935 American artist Eugene Francis Savage made the first of many
journeys into the Florida Everglades to study the Seminoles. Inspired
by his observations over two decades, he created perhaps the most
extensive painted record of the Florida Seminoles from the early 20th
century. These works reflect Savage’s concern for the plight of native
culture as tourism, land development and environmentalist debates
threatened their traditional way of life. Capturing the natural rhythms
of the Everglades, these works present a vision of Seminole life and
seek to awaken the imagination and inspire the spirit. This is a great series of paintings. Be sure to see this rare collection before it leaves on January 5th. Its a great place to bring family over the holiday. 

Admission for adults is $5. Members get in free. Get a loved one a museum membership this holiday season. It makes a great stocking stuffer and is a gift that keeps giving all year long. I have two free tickets to the museum for the first person who can name the artist whose pen and ink drawings with watercolor were published in 2000 as the book “Crackers in the Glade.” His work is now on display in the Mennello through January 5th. Just post your answer in the comments section to win, or e-mail the answer to analogartistdigitalworld@gmail.com.

The museum will be closed December 23-25 and December 30-January 1st.

White Wolf Cafe

Posted on by Thor

Paul Horgan posed for the mural I did for the Menello Museum. I had to reconstruct the mural for a book I’m writing on Urban Sketching since the original file was on a now dead hard drive. Paul purchased the sketch I did of him on the evening of the mural’s unveiling. Since he is prominent at the front of the line I felt I deeded to get the sketch back to re-scan. He agreed to meet me at White Wolf Pizza.

White Wolf Cafe, (1829 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL) was once an antique shop but is now a cafe and bar. I sat at the bar and sketched the line of nude ballet sculptures. The bar was empty until Larry finally sat down and started checking his phone for football scores. I ordered a German beer with an orange slice. It as quite good. A saxophone player, Gregory, who is Larry’s son, began to play. He plays at White Wolf just about every Saturday.

All that remains of the antiques are a series of Tiffany styled lamps scattered throughout the establishment. The bar tender was quite intrigued by my progress and wanted to shoot a photo but no one’s smart phone was working. When the sketch was done, I realized that Paul still hadn’t shown up. I got a text from him explaining that the pizza place was down the block. I met Paul and Ed Anthony, half way between the establishments. I believe they were going to check out a show at the Venue. I rescanned his sketch that night and got it into the book. A few days later, I returned the sketch to him by leaving at the Shakespeare theater box office. He is so well known in the theater community that he said I could leave it with anyone and they would know how to get it back to him.