Out on a Limb

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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.

A Drink with Country Joe at the Fringe Beer Tent.

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Joe Rosier had hopes of get in into the 2016 Fringe Festival. Unfortunately his name wasn’t picked in the Fringe Lottery. In the past, he had performed solo shows as a country doctor telling ghost tales, and Odysseys S. Grant relating Civil war stories. With his grizzled age and shaggy white beard, Joe was perfect for such historical roles.  Shortly after the lottery, one of Joe’s eyes closed up and minor age discomforts became serious health issues.

Chemo therapy resulted in hair loss and the need for a neck brace. That didn’t slow Joe down. He was at the years fringe and I got to spend some time with him at the beer tent. Joe posed for my Mennello Museum  Mural and I’ve sketched him a number of to the in costume. Producers, actors an directors greeted Joe like the celebrity he is. the last time I saw Joe was in December and I bumped in him while walking towards the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Joe was dressed as Santa Claus of course. As we walked past the Harp and Celt, a young woman seated outside shouted to Joe to come in. There was z private party and they needed Santa Clause. I regret not follow.’ Joe inside. I heard he was the life of the party, and all I young women sat in his lap to whisper their Christmas wishes.

Mr. Harley entertained at Kids Fringe.

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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.

Patterns in Life

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Mark your calendar, the Mennello Museum of American Art (900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl) is  bringing back a series of one-time classes
for adults (and mature high school students). The classes are taught by
UCF art students and include coffee in the morning sessions and a glass
of wine in the evenings.

 
Wednesday, July 24 (6-7:30 p.m.)
Thursday, July 25 (9-10:30 a.m.)

Class Description:

Patterns in Life

Explore intriguing designs created by the Florida Seminoles. Their
native patterns are often inspired by plant motifs and other aspects of
the natural world. Try your hand at designing symbols of your world.

Cost: $20 per session, $15 for MMAA members
Reservations: 407-246-4278
Genevieve.Bernard@cityoforlando.net

Kids Day at the Folk Festival

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The Mennello Museum Folk Festival was three days this year. The first day on Friday was set aside just for kids. I arrived in the early afternoon to see what was going on. The place was quiet with a small encampment of white tents set up under the overcast sky. I decided to lean against a flag pole to do a sketch. Dawn Schreiner and her husband, Eric, arrived to set up her tent. Dawn did the poster for this year’s festival with a nice painting of Earl Cunningham whose folk paintings comprise the main focus of the museum’s permanent collection. I always look forward to seeing Dawn’s colorful and whimsical work.

Genevieve Bernard pulled up in her VW Bug and she explained to me that there were about 50 school children running all around that morning. Ibex puppetry was there with puppets from “Panther and the Crane.” Frank Holt, the museum director, pointed out that there was a new puppet of a manatee. These puppets were life sized and a few children were scared, but when they were allowed to touch the puppets they were OK. There were crafts activities using recycled cardboard. Kids could paint a Valentine heart or lace a cardboard disk with an intricate pattern of yarn.

Unfortunately my mural was hidden by go carts, cars and mobile storage units. Very few people attending the festival would ever know it was there. Regardless, I made my way through the maze of machinery and signed the mural with a sharpie above the list of school children and parents who had helped. It rained lightly when I began the sketch but never hard enough to force me to run for cover. Then the sun came out and I sweated and baked since I hadn’t thought about shade. When the line work was done, I walked about ten feet back under the shade of a live Oak tree. I’m looking forward to seeing “Style & Grace”. These paintings are from the private collection of Michael & Marilyn Mennello. I saw them when I visited his home and they are from some of my favorite “Ash Can” artists, like John Sloan, Robert Henri and George Bellows.

Farewell Margot Knight

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Autumn Ames called and asked me to do a painting to celebrate the ten years of service Margot Knight gave to the Orlando arts community as the President of United Arts of Central Florida. There was a farewell dinner in Margot’s honor at the Orlando Repertory Theater. Autumn wanted me to execute the sketch and bring the five foot panel to the party so people could lay in the first colors. Autumn was the first person to step up to the painting, and she painted in the red guitar. The party was just two hours long, so I knew the painting would not be finished that night. I spent the evening thinning down acrylic paints and offering suggestions to the people who painted. I didn’t put down a single brush stroke that night. In a conversation with Mary Hill, I came up with the idea of renaming all the colors after wines. I used sharpies to add the names to the cups of color. Not everyone noticed but those that did found it fun to paint a guitar with Merlot, for example. At first it was a challenge returning to the painting after so many people had touched it. Then it became liberating as it forced me to make bold decisions.

Every aspect of this painting was pulled from my Orlando sketchbooks. Most of the people in the painting were sketched for the Mennello Museum Mural. They didn’t make it onto the mural for various reasons, so I consider this painting the blooper reel. I was blessed to find that so many people came out to pose that I couldn’t fit them all on the 48 foot long wall. It is good to have too many choices sometimes.

That evening Margot brought with her all the silent auction items she had never used. We were given raffle tickets. I won an evening in a Maitland police patrol car! I can’t wait. What a great sketch opportunity! I was rushing around so much filling cups with color that I forgot to eat. I grabbed a plate after most everyone was gone. Margot and Autumn were sitting together. I got to see pictures of the beautiful rustic home that Margot is moving to in California. She is taking a new job at Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside California. In a list of ten things to keep in mind about the Orlando arts community, she said, “We have some of the most out-of-the-box, talented artists. And we don’t appreciate or compensate them proportionate to their talent. Artists illuminate the human condition. We don’t always like what they show us. But they take more risks in a week than most of us take in our lifetime. They deserve our respect. They deserve to be paid.” She is a true artist’s advocate and I wish her well in her new adventure on the Golden Coast.

Mennello Museum Mural Unveiling

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So many things had to fall into place for the Unveiling of the mural. I ran to Sky Craft to get 80 alligator clips which would hang the original sketches done of each person in the line. I also managed to forget the power cord to my tablet PC in the classroom at Full Sail. I drove over there and thankfully Nina had the keys to get me into the room. I was a sweaty mess after running all over town but I arrived at the museum an hour earlier than expected. This gave me plenty of time to set up. I borrowed a folding table from the museum’s garage and set it up under the tent I had used as shelter from the sweltering sun the entire time I worked on the mural. I hung many of the original studies, clothes line style on the iron gates around the museum. Kim Robinson let me borrow some nice folding walls on which I hung a dozen more sketches.

I set up a printer and the tablet so I could make prints for people on demand. Anyone who posed for the mural could get a free print of the sketch done of them. The originals were all on sale for $50 each. I made a few prints of the whole line as well. As I was finishing getting everything in place, Terry arrived to help out. She assisted me as I duct taped down electrical cords so no one would trip. It was a cloudless beautiful day in the low 80’s. I couldn’t have asked for a more picture perfect night.

When everything was in place, I started the sketch. The first people to arrive were volunteers for the museum. I sketched them quickly in front of the mural. Soon there was a steady stream of people and I explained over and over again how the idea of the mural had been generated. Genevieve Bernard and I visited a high school art class in Narcoossee and asked the students what they felt defined Orlando. One girl said she was always standing in long lines when she went to clubs downtown. We spent the rest of the class discussing who stands in lines and why. A Facebook event page invited people to come to the museum to be drawn in the line. Over 64 people from all walks of life came to be sketched. At the unveiling many of the people who modeled returned wearing the same clothes they posed in. It was fun taking pictures with the models next to their depiction on the wall. All the photos made the mural an interactive experience. The evening was a whirlwind as I made prints, finalized sales and socialized non-stop.

Tisse’s Birthday Bash

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I had to leave after Tod Caviness did his spoken word performance at Urban ReThink. I went to the Mennello Museum to transfer several sketches on to the mural. The work went quickly so I decided to rush back to Tisse’s birthday party. When I re-entered Urban ReThink, I saw a dancer stretching.

There was home made birthday cake so I grabbed a slice. I grabbed a seat at a table with authors Karen Price and John Connelly to see what was next on the Urban ReThink stage. Chaz Yorick came in after having seen all the downtown gallery openings as part of Third Thursdays.

Tisse first met Elise Frost through various mutual friends in the Orlando dance circle and they finally had their first full conversation at Michael Sloan’s going away party.Elise took to the stage wearing a dogs mask and holding an umbrella. Elise moved and spoke in a childlike manner. She reminded me of Totoro. Her monologue had a child’s sincerity with dark undertones. The lantern implied a character lost in the woods. She spoke of her grandmother dying, yet she didn’t like her grandmother. Was this an infants Kabuki? A sinister bedtime story? I remained mystified and bewildered.

Tisse got on stage and started talking about how she gradually discovered Orlando’s arts scene. She moved from Chicago with her parents to Celebration Florida. She hated Celebration’s theme park facade and the clutter and chintz of 192. She missed the big city. She eventually moved downtown where she began to discover the true Orlando scene. The importance of any city is in the people you surround yourself with. Orlando is a small enough city where individuals can really make a difference. The theater scene is small enough where the performers truly appreciate the audience members. The people that stand out in her life are the people who have a passion for what they do and love to help out.

Suddenly she was talking to me, calling me the “Where’s Waldo” of the Orlando arts scene. She praised my work and persistence. I stopped my sketch to listen. It felt like all eyes were turned towards me. My right eye welled up, I’m not used to so much direct praise and adulation. I don’t know how to process it. Chaz was busily taking notes. Later as Tisse praised Jessica Earley she became overwhelmed and choked up, feeling thankful for the people in her life. Chaz took that emotional pause to start singing happy birthday to Tisse. Everyone joined in as she wiped away her tears. When the song was finished and the clapping died down, Tisse said, “Thanks I needed that moment to recover.” The room was filled with love.

Ivanhoe Village Art Stroll

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Angela Abrusci the executive director of Ivanhoe Village, has helped turn the neighborhood into a vibrant artists hub. On the first Friday of every month artists gather as the sun sets and they set up display tents to showcase their art. The September gathering took place on Orange Avenue between New Hampshire and Princeton. I arrived after spending the day working on the Mennello Museum mural. I was sweaty and tired but the air cooled as the sun sank to the horizon. This was the first sketch I did outside in a long time. I realized I had left my artist stool at the museum, so I leaned against a real estate sign and stood to do the sketch.

The Washburn Imports antique shop had old furniture on the sidewalk. Artist’s tents quickly sprang up and artists relaxed in lawn chairs waiting for people to stroll by. A girl waited on the corner for a friend. The girlfriend arrived with two hula hoops. A small folk group set up speakers and began to sing. The hula hoopers shook their hips to the music. This Art Stroll is a great relaxed place to go on a date night.

Angela stopped over to say hello. A mechanical voice announced how much time pedestrians had to cross the street. It counted down, five, four, three, two, one. She beat the mechanical countdown by one second. She told me all about Ivanhoe village. I’ve been to events that Angela attended and helped organize but I haven’t had much time to talk to her since I am always sketching and she was working. It was nice having the time to talk. My sketch was complete.

Angela volunteered to help with the painting of the Mennello Museum mural over the weekend. She had posed for the mural, adding some Hollywood glamor. She brought along music and it was great to paint to disco beat. Several children showed up to paint that day as well, and Angela helped me keep them on track. She is a gifted artist as well and once I explained my working methods, she applied them with confidence. Over the course of the day I got to learn so much about her. She is a true advocate of the arts and active in charitable work. Orlando and Ivanhoe Village are lucky to have her.

Tonight there is a Mayhem Street Party on Virginia 2 Blocks west of Mills Avenue starting around 6pm to 10pm this event happens every 5th Friday. Be the first to catch a sneak peak of Orlando’s most talented performing artists and their upcoming shows. Be inspired, awed and amazed by a myriad of local performers: dancers, singers, musicians, actors, and other talented wonders. Enjoy the carnival atmosphere while exploring Virginia Drive’s array of shopping and dining. It’s a ballet, a play, a concert, a party, and it’s all on Virginia! Food, activities and amusement for all ages. Admission is FREE.

The Mennello Museum Mural

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It was brought to my attention that some readers haven’t seen any sketches relating to the Mennello Museum Mural. The mural is 48 feet wide by 7 feet high on a wall outside the museum. I have been sweating away for weeks getting this mural painted. High school and middle school students were invited to help. There was a show in the museum of paintings done during the “New Deal.” During the depression, artists were commissioned by the government to create murals and paintings for government buildings. The idea behind this mural came about when Genevieve Bernard and I traveled to a high school out in Narcoossee Florida. There were cows just beyond the parking lot fence. In the art classroom an animated discussion happened when Genevieve and I asked, “What defines Orlando to you?” One girl said, “I’m always standing in lines when I go to clubs downtown, theme parks or even the bathroom.” The discussion then changed to, “Who stands in lines and why?”

I created an event page on Facebook inviting people to come to the museum and be drawn in line. At first groups of people showed up and I sketched them all at once. Since each sketch took at least an hour however, I usually sketched people one at a time. The watercolor sketches were then assembled and blown up on the wall. At least 60 people ended up posing in line. People from all walks of life were bought together.

It was a challenge keeping the rough spontaneous look of the sketches when the wall was painted. I used acrylics and exterior house latex paint. I found a wonderful gel medium that thinned the acrylics down making it transparent and thin like watercolors. It is a shame I couldn’t step outside myself to sketch the mural in progress. People who stopped out to help shot plenty of photos of the work in progress.

The mural will be unveiled October 14th between 6 and 8pm. All of the sketches will be on display clothes line style outside. I can see the end of the tunnel but right now I need to head out and work on the mural for the rest of the day.