Ollie’s Public House – Analog Artist Digital World

I have been hosting a monthly art event called Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) for the past year. Artists gather at a new bar each month to well, drink and draw. This ODD event took Place at Ollie’s Public House (3400 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, Florida 32804). There is a social aspect to the event and artists get to share their experiences and sketches. I am fascinated by other artists hands. Some are slender and delicate with thin skin showing every sinewy tendon and veins. My hands seem bulky in comparison.

I have artists do quick five minute sketches of each of he facing across the table. With the Sketch done, all the artists change seats to face off against another artist. My thought is that this is a quick way for artists to meet and interact, much like speed dating just with sketching. I like that couples come to ODD as a unique date night. Once everyone has been sketched, we share sketchbooks, and the artist who was sketched, signs the portrait. That way everyone has a record of the artists they met that evening.

With all the portraits done, we went on to play, Truth or Sketch. An artist would be asked to tell the truth or do a sketch. Basically every artist chose to do a sketch rather than tell the truth. My challenge was to sketch a woman riding a pterodactyl. I was also challenged to draw a garden gnome carrying in a life size girl. I will not bother you with that sketch, you are better off using your imagination.

ODD 17 is happening tonight, Monday November 7th at 7pm to 10pm at Dexter’s in Winter Park (558 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789).

Terry and I went to Ollie’s Public House, on the corner of Edgewater and Par, on Saint Patrick’s day. Terry had two free tickets for some reason. The parking lot was packed when we arrived. There were green shirts everywhere. Terry brought a beach chair and I had my artist’s stool. We sat fairly close to the outdoor stage. We both ordered a Shepard’s pie which was good and quite filling. Neither of us drank any beer, but there was plenty of Guinness all around.

The first band on stage was “Off Kilter“. They performed Irish traditional songs like, Danny Boy and then went into rock and roll cover songs. We bumped into Kathryne Sullivan, Mike Underwood and their friends Joe Busdecker and his wife Leann Siefferman Busdecker. I spoke with Katheryn a bit but it was impossible to hear over the bagpipes. Women started dancing in front of the stage.

After Off Kilter, the Orlando Fire Department Bag Pipes and Drums Band gathered in front of the stage. There were maybe a dozen bag pipe players and just as many drum players. The crowd gathered around them. The loud shrill sound was quintessentially Irish. The crowd clapped to the beat as the firemen picked up the pace. They played “Amazing Grace” and then doubled the beat. The book light I was using to see my sketch died, so I decided the sketch was done.

It was a fun night. Some people staggered and fell while dancing. One woman had to be helped into the passenger seat of her car by a security guard. T-Shirts read, Kiss Me, Pinch me and I’ll punch you. There was a long break after the Firemen so Terry and I headed home. Just as we drove off, the bag pipes started up again.