DRIP is currently developing an exciting new rock show called Riff, “a wet, raw, sexy Rock and Roll experience.” The event is happening in the DRIP warehouse (4502 Old Winter Garden Road); which is now easy to find because out by the sidewalk there are huge Styrofoam letters spelling out DRIP. After parking, arrows lead me to the entry at the back of the warehouse. A makeshift bar was set up and people were mingling before the show started. Tony Corbitt, speed painter, had his easel set up right in front of the entrance. He slipped his shirt up over his head and started attacking the black board with bold strokes of white paint. Each painting took less than five minutes to finish, so I had to work extra fast to catch him in action. I had talked to Tony the night before and learned that he dreams of one day studying drawing and painting in Florence, Italy. Before the conversation was over I found myself with the same longing. Another artist stood beside me and sketched the painting in progress. Before my sketch was really complete, the stage door was opened and people filed into the warehouse. There was an area right by the door where people could check their shoes since all areas of the warehouse were considered a splash zone. The room was packed and I had some trouble finding a spot from which to sketch. I finally settled on a spot close to the band right next to the speakers.
The room went black and then the band started to belt out a hard edged rhythmic beat. I immediately realized I was a bit too close to the speakers. My right ear was starting to hurt. I decided to take one of the erasers off the end of a pencil and I used that as an ear plug. It worked like a charm. Soon the dancers in the center of the staging area began to move. They used two ropes hanging from the metal girders of the warehouse high above to start swinging. Paint buckets full of water were thrown at the dancers as they gracefully gyrated.
The next routine involved a large platform which was used to hold a transparent “canvas.” As I sketched I realized that my sketch was getting covered with the constant rain of day-glow red and blue paint. Anyone in the audience with a white shirt suddenly glowed a mysterious blue. If my sketch were to be placed under a black light you would see clearly the red and blue day-glow paint splatters. The sketch shows Danny Millan and Nate Skaggs filling the dark space with loud music.
After the performance was over, people lingered outside and talked. Jessica Mariko was explaining that she hopes to find a hotel or similar venue that would be willing to offer DRIP permanent home.
You can still experience Riff in Orlando June 17th to 19th from 8 to 10 PM at 4502 Old Winter Garden Road. The show is also going to be in Miami July 22nd and 23rd from 8 to 10 PM at Easy Street Gallery (3501 NW 2nd Avenue Miami).
The Plaza Theater
Terry loves Cajun music. We have learned a number of the dance moves which can keep us hopping and swinging our hips to the rhythmic Cajun beat. She managed to get tickets to see BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucett at the Plaza Theater (425 North Bumby Avenue). This sketch is of the opening act that played before BeauSoleil took to the stage. They were playing when we
entered and believe it or not I never wrote down the bands name. So if you recognize this group, could you give me a shout out? They were a high energy group and they were a blast to draw.
The Plaza Theater is a great venue. While waiting outside I usually stand and watch the Ballet lessons being offered at the Russian Ballet school right next door. The school had large plate glass windows making it easy to watch as the dancers stretch and pleat. The theater space inside the Plaza is intimate and warm. While I was doing this sketch, Patricia Charpentier, introduced herself. She runs a writing workshop called “Writing your Life“. I later contacted her and arranged to sketch one of these classes.
Beyond Beat – David Amram
David Amram returned to Orlando to be a part of, “The Turning Point, a Symposium on Jack Kerouac in Florida.” This multi day event took place at different locations around Orlando like, The Grand Bohemian, the Kerouac House, and as pictured here , the White House. The wite house was built by the music director for Circue Sole and he opens his living room each month so people can listen to talented musicians for free.
David played piano as authors got up on stage and read from excerpts from Jack Kerouac books. The performances ere part jazz and part smooth unexpected improvisation that flowed with the words lifting the spoken words to a heightened meaning. A drawing hung on the wall behind Dave as he performed playing a Peruvian wooden flute. Jack though always vibrant seems to always have a sad searching gaze. I had to keep drawing Kerouac even thought he was located behind the spot where Amram was standing. I enjoyed watching the painter on stage as she worked on a painting of Kerouac for the duration of the set.
I feel Kerouac would have likes this event. He would have jumped up on stage with the rest of the authors and shouted his words out to the waiting audience slipping his syntax to the slippery beat.
Tanqueray’s
Leslie Lormann, her cousin “Bane”, Dina Peterson and I met at at Ceviche for Tapas Tuesday’s. Ceviche is at Church Street Station. The servings were small and varied. A light salad with beans asparagus and tomatoes was wonderful. A baked salmon was delicious with it’s light sauce. The Mojitos were really tasty and I drank 2. I was surprised to discover both Dina and Leslie had been inside Disney character costumes in the past. I wonder how many other locals share this dark yet fun past.
Dina Peterson introduced me to Tanqueray’s (100 South Orange Avenue) where Damon, Warsing and Wynn were going to play. Tanqueray’s is located around the block from Church Street. The historic building houses the Mercantile Bank and the bar is located in the basement. In the corner of the room where the band was to play, the old bank vault could be seen behind an iron grate. We met Dina’s sister, Kristin Lippens before heading downstairs. The place wasn’t very crowded when we go there. The Orlando Magic was playing at the Amway Arena and the band wasn’t going to start playing till the game was over. The Magic was ahead by like 40 points so it wasn’t a game worth watching though it was on the big screen TV. After the game was over, the bar started to fill up. A table right in front of the band was available so we all ordered drinks and sat down. When the band took their places I got up and sat at another table so I could find an angle where I could fit them all on the page.
This sketch was created over the course of 2 sets and 3 beers. I had sketched Thomas Wynn before at Enzian Theater. He had played for the Florida Film Festival’s opening night party with Thomas Wynn and the Believers. Tonight half of that group was playing. The players were Thomas Wynn, Todd Warsing and Thom Damon. The music was loud, vibrant and exciting. “On Cripple Creek” had my head bobbing. Thomas Wynn was smoking most of the time and the smoke would billow out of his nose highlighted by the blue stage lights. They were as lost in the music as everyone else in the room was. A young couple sat in front of Dina’s table and started talking loudly. Dina got them an extra chair and let them know there was a much quieter table at the back of the room. The couple took her advice and were making out later that evening.
Dina worked on an Independent film called “The Ah of Life” and she hopes that “The Believers” will contribute a song for the sound track. Rick Lane, and old time friend of Dina’s, sat at the front table and was constantly moving to the beat. Later that evening he was invited to accompany the band on his harmonica.
When my sketch was finished I put it away and just enjoyed the good music. At a break Thomas asked to see the sketch and it was passed around for everyone to see. Others asked to see my work as I was sketching and I gave them the sketchbook I wasn’t using to flip through. I managed to spill a bottle of Becks on one of my sketchbooks when I came back from a bathroom break. I saved it and the beer before the pages got to soaked. Thomas really seemed to like what I am doing and he asked me to stay for the last set. I agreed. I wandered out of downtown at 2AM feeling great, smelling of smoke and proud to have been introduced to a true Orlando Dive.
Timucua – Brazilian Night
Terry and I went to the White House (2ooo South Summerlin Avenue) to experience some Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova. The White House is the home of Benoit Glazer and his family. I know from past performances that he often plays with his children to start the show off. The performance space is in the Glazer living room, with its high ceilings and a spiral staircase that allows the audience many levels to watch the show from. Terry and I had a late start so we missed this opening act. When we arrived people were loading up their plates with the assortment of food in the entry. There was also a table where guests put their bottles of wine. The place was packed. I heard later that this was the highest attendance that the Benoit family had ever experienced. Terry grabbed a plate of food but I was anxious to find a place to draw from. I waited for her and when we entered the living room we could see that there were no chairs to be found. People were standing all along the walls. We made out way to the spiral staircase but Terry got a small case of vertigo and didn’t want to go up. She encouraged me to go on with out her so I climbed up to the top floor where there were only four spectators and I had a great view of the stage from the top of the landing. I started to sketch.
On the stage Edison Campos and Katherine Brodeur were working on a large portrait painting together. The painting gas of a beautiful woman and they worked very fast. The proportions were quirky yet the overall treatment was photo real. The painting was sold as soon as the show ended. Louiz Emiliano brought in two groups to play. The first group was a bit off key, but the lively beat was fun to sketch to. I finished my sketch between sets and went down the spiral staircase to see where Terry was. At the base of the staircase I bumped into Lisa Bates who told me she follows this blog. I am always shocked that there are people out there who read this stuff. Terry was close by so I introduced her to Lisa and left to get a glass of wine. I heard they had a lively conversation and had to be shushed by a woman trying to hear the music. The second group was fantastic and Terry wanted to dance. We got out on the tiny space in front of the stage with a tight crowd and let the music move us. The trumpet player was right in front of me and I could see the sweat pouring off of his brow. This is where I should have sketched from, with the music loud and clear. This sort of high energy concert in an intimate setting is what the White House is all about.
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
On Friday March 19th, the 51st Annual Winter Park Art Sidewalk Festival started. I decided to go right after work at Full Sail when Kathy Blackmore told me that there was going to be a jazz band featuring songwriter Peter White kicking off the night’s festivities on the main stage. I knew I had other commitments over the weekend, so this would likely be my only chance to sketch the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. I would be exhibiting my art at the Outsider Art Fair at Frames Forever (941 Orange Avenue Winter Park). There, I plan to sketch Doug Rhodehamel, who makes his unmistakable mushrooms out of brown paper bags, and Brian Feldman, who will be performing “sleepwalk 2, i walk over you”. Both of these are priceless sketch opportunities.
When I arrived at the festival, I wandered and soaked in the energy and excitement of all people gathered for the event. The outdoor cafes were packed. Conversations were buzzing. My pace quickened. As I looked through several artists booths, I ran into Terry and Rick Loewen. Terry and Rick are old friends from ORCA which stands for Orlando Reef Caretakers Association. Terry and Rick informed me that ORCA would be hosting the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America this September, so this is certainly an event I hope to sketch. They told me I could get a hotel room discount at the Marriott Resort, which didn’t make sense at first. But then they told me they would have a Margarita making machine in their room and I agreed, a hotel room was a great idea! If you happen to work at the Marriott, I made that last piece of business up.
I was anxious to find my way to the Winter Park Arts Festival jazz, so I told Rick and Terry I would see them by the main stage. The lawn in front of the stage was already crowded. I walked down the sidewalk and found a spot between artist’s tents where I could sit. I of course started sketching immediately since the sun was setting. A couple asked if they could sit in the spot next to me and, of course, I agreed. When I was about halfway through the sketch, the man seated next to me who was sipping a red wine, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I love your work, can I see the sketch?” The watercolor was still wet in spots, but I handed it over. He shared it with his wife and they agreed, that they wanted to buy it. I gave him my card so he could check out the blog and told him to leave a comment if he still wanted it. I hope I have found another reader!
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival continues at Central Park in Winter Park through March 21st at 5 PM.
Analog Artist Digital World 2009 Retrospective Opening
The opening for the Analog Artist Digital World 2009 Sketchbook Retrospective was a lively and crowded five hour event at Dandelion Communitea Cafe. The ten sketchbooks created last year were framed in shadow box frames I had built myself. I had Frames Forever frame several assignments I had done for Orlando Home and Leisure as well. The number of pieces framed was just enough to fill out the space, and one sketch wasn’t hung.
On opening night I arrived early to set up a tablet PC, which I hung on the wall to play a flickr slide show of all the drawings posted to the blog in 2009. Patrons who were from the various arts boards were some of the first people to show up right after work. The band called Hymn for Her set up to play alternative folk music for the people arriving later. The cafe is used as an unofficial after party for the people who go to First Thursdays, which is a monthlt themed art event at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Dandelion Communitea Cafe was packed all night. People who I had sketched during the year kept arriving and introducing themselves. Once the music started it became impossible to talk, so at that point I got the sketchpad out to document my own opening. An artist/author from the last Sketch Crawl also stood in a corner of the room furiously working in his pad. The little child at the table playing with the crayons is the performer’s child. He had a large headset on to protect his fragile eardrums. The rest of us experienced the music full blast. I asked the performers to place one of my framed sketchbooks on the amplifier behind them. It frames Pierce’s head in the sketch as he plays banjo. Maggi is playing a cigar box with a broomstick attached. The instrument actually has a really good sound.
When I finished this sketch, someone showed me a sketch on their digital camera and he said it would be a blast from my past. He said the sketch was mine, and for the longest time I didn’t believe him. My eyes started to tear up from the strain of staring at the musicians and drawing. Julie Norris, co-owner of Dandelion, asked if I was Okay, as I kept rubbing my eyes with my sleeve. Perhaps there was an emotional reason for the tears as well, rediscovering a sketch from a vibrant and exciting time in my life. The lines on the sketch he was showing me digitally, were vibrant and flowing, dark and confident. I really liked the sketch, yet couldn’t believe I had done it. It showed a New York City street scene with a crowd of people. He finally explained that it was from a sketchbook which had been passed around the Florida Disney Animation Studio. I had done that drawing on the backlot of MGM (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) more than fifteen years ago. Darn, I was a good draftsman back then!
All night, people offered new ideas on places I could sketch in 2010. By the end of the night my head was spinning. I only had one white wine. With all the conversations and activity, I never had time to take a sip. Eventually, a large crowd of us had to be asked to leave so the place could be cleaned up and closed down for the night. What an exciting night! The show will hang at Dandelion Communitea Cafe at 618 North Thornton Avenue Orlando through January 30th. Go by, grab a tea, and enjoy the events, places and people that defined Orlando culture in 2009.
Muni String Quartet
Terry and I met for dinner one evening in Winter Park. As we ate dinner the sun set and the street lights came on. We ate in an outdoor patio area with a view of the New England Avenue. This city block was recently gentrified in the last several years. All of the store fronts are brand new. The street was blocked off by police. Walking from Terry’s car, a man asked me why the street was blocked off and I had to reply that I honestly didn’t know. Art galleries and stores were open late. Terry saw a bull dog inside a clothing store and she went inside. The store owner was just outside the front door talking to a friend. Though Terry lavished attention on the dog, he never once looked away from his owner. He quietly stood vigil. The owner explained that every first Monday this street would be shut down to traffic so people could stroll through the stores shopping for the holidays.
Outside a violin store this quartet began to play Beetles songs and holiday music. Terry left me with the quartet to sketch while she shopped. There were many folding chairs set up in the street but besides myself there were only maybe four other people seated. Only in Florida could you get to see a quartet playing outside the warm glow of a music store without jackets on. When they finished I started walking back to my truck. Terry had already decided to go home. I heard music coming from Central Park so I changed course and went to investigate. An old Doris Day film was being screened in the park. Young couples cuddled for warmth under blankets. I considered trying to finish a second sketch, but I was tired and who knew how soon the film might end. What a gorgeous night, full of surprises.
Aloha Holidays
The Maitland Art Center hosted an event called Aloha Holidays. The street in front of the arts center was blocked off making way for an assortment of crafts tents and food vendors. I wandered the tents looking at all the tropical delights. My attention was immediately drawn to the music act and a fellow who had to be the real Santa Claus. His beard was real and his Hawaiian print shirt and shorts fit in nicely with the tropical theme. Periodically children of young families would pose with him.
Aloha Productions was the name of the music group and they played non stop. At one point two chairs were placed in front of the musicians and two Polynesians demonstrated how to weave a basket from palm fronds. There was a lively Hula dance demonstration as well. A Polynesian rendition of Over the Rainbow was one of the more memorable numbers. The song is very relaxing and for a moment the rush of the holidays no longer mattered. The producer of the group saw me working and he gave me his cards saying I should sketch at weddings. He said that with the economy going south, that more couples are getting married. I would have thought the opposite would be true but he should know.
The Singing Menorah
Brian Feldman had been ribbing me for some time about all the Singing Christmas Trees sketches I have been posting here on Analog Artist Digital World. At an 8 AM Meeting of MOOM (Meeting of Orlando Minds) on Friday, Brian suggested he might stage a performance of the Singing Menorah at the Track Shack which is at 1104 North Mills Avenue right in the area where I planned to host an Artists and Writers Crawl. He pointed out that Track Shack had one of the few storefront Hanukkah displays in Orlando. The Crawl was only a day away but Brian managed to throw together a stellar performance. He had help from Omar Delarosa who co-wrote many of the lyrics and performed on guitar. Knowing the times of the stops along the Crawl route we agreed that he could start his performance around 8PM when the Crawlers were moving from the first stop, The Peacock Room to the Second stop, Wills Pub.
The Crawl developed a glitch from the start, when Tisse Mallon and I arrived at The Peacock room to find that it would not open for another two hours. I wrote a note and stuck it on the door so other Crawlers would know to go to the second stop, Will’s pub. Because I wandered around and introduced myself to all the people who arrived at Will’s, my sketch was not a very focused. When it was time to wander up to the next stop, I was still splashing watercolors on the sketch. Other crawlers headed out but I kept working. When I arrived at Track Shack where Brian was to perform, there were a crowd of Crawlers sitting in lawn chairs on the sidewalk looking into the storefront window. Omar was playing guitar. At the appointed time Brian walked out having to squeeze in the space between the plate glass and the display wall.
The performance was hilarious and fun. New Hanukkah lyrics had been written for a number of pop tunes. The Menorah that Brian was sporting consisted of cardboard tubes wrapped in tin foil. There were Hanukkah cards leaning up against the storefront window and for some reason a small Mickey Mouse sat watching the audience. Emma Hughes handed out dreidels to everyone in the audience when Brian sang a dreidel song. For the final number, Brian called in his back up dancer named Willoughby Mariano. It seemed most appropriate that she had a cast on her left leg from her foot up to the knee, but she still performed and gave a new meaning to the saying, “Break a leg”. Later, Emma handed out sparklers and when the performance was over everyone lit them up and the lights and sparks danced. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a sparkler since I was still scratching away in my sketch book.
Several times, cars stopped dead on Mills Avenue to see what the excitement was about and several cars honked. However, my attention was sharply focused on the show. This is without a doubt the greatest Singing Menorah performance I have ever seen. Well, yes, it is the only Singing Menorah performance I have ever seen. For the remainder of the Crawl I heard people commenting on how surprised they were that Brian had such a good singing voice. Brian truly gave the Singing Christmas trees a run for their money.