Bookmark It is Orlando’s Best New Bookstore

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Bookmark It (3201 Corrine Drive Orlando FL) was the editors pick in the Orlando Weekly “Best of Orlando” issue. Located on the second floor of the East End Market, this bookstore offers books by local authors as well as books that further the markets mission of offering locally grown produce for restaurants and shoppers. While I was just starting this sketch, Adonal Foyle, an Orlando Magic basketball player stopped in to sign some of his books. He wrote a children’s book titled  Too-Tall Foyle Finds His Game (Volume 1) along with, Shiyana F. Valentine-Williams and illustrated by Toni Pawlowsky. Too-Tall Foyle has trouble finding a sport that fits his abilities
and the other kids keep laughing at him. He faces give up sports
entirely but hopes to find his game. The book is set in the Caribbean and features
vibrant illustrations, the book is based on the life experiences of the NBA veteran player. Proceeds from sales go to support his Kerosene Lamp Foundation which uses basketball to
engage and empower at-risk youth to grow into healthy and well-educated
leaders in the Caribbean and USA. Foyle’s very presence made the bookstore feel small.His huge meaty hands gave a firm warm handshake.

I decided to take my tablet out to sketch. I worked in a bit of a panic since I didn’t know if the battery would last. The computer offers too many choices which slowed down my workflow. Kim Britt, Bookmark It’s founder, was experiencing technical difficulties with her laptop and smart phone.  Her phone kept turning off and then gave her the “blue screen of death”. She was petrified that she would loose all her photos and contacts. She looked up an Apple Store and discovered she would need to drive up to Altamonte within the hour to get the phone repaired. Although her assistant Moriah Lorraine Russo had the day off, Kim had to call her in because the store was staying open late for a “Sip and Stroll” event. The great thing about the sip and stroll is that I got to sip white wine while I sketched. Moriah told me about Wednesday night figure drawing classes at “The Space” and I plan to stop over there soon. She was going out to dinner, so she was only able to watch the store for half an hour. Patrick Greene came in to fill in after she left. Rather than making life easier, technology caused a frantic panic as it sputtered and faltered. As I sketched I got a warning that the battery was running low. In a panic, I saved my file and sketched faster. Before my sketch was done, my computer screen blacked out. The battery had died. As I researched this article, Facebook crashed. I suspect that relying on technology for answers is not a great idea.

Shin Sushi

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On Friday February 28th, I went to meet Julie Anderson at Shin Sushi (803 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL) to discuss the Orlando Sentinel‘s new “HypeOrlando Blogs.” This can be found on the Sentinel website on the “Home” tab at the top of the page. Several months ago, Terry and I bumped into Julie and her husband Lars at an outdoor cafe in Winter Park. Over drinks, Julie first described the “Hype” concept. A newspaper in Chicago first developed the idea where a large group of bloggers all contribute to the same blog site. None of the contributors is paid, so the newspaper online site gets plenty of creative content for free.

In return, “Hype” contributors would get, a daily newsletter from an experienced blogger
on how to build audience (Search engine optimization, optimizing
Facebook, writing headlines that make people click, etc.)

Offline blogger community meetups. 

Free platform and technical setup.

Ongoing technical support.

Monthly incentives and contests for writing and audience-building.

I got to the Sushi restaurant a bit early since I had just done an interview with Seth Kubersky a few blocks away for a write up in the Orlando Weekly. The head waiter at Shin Sushi told me I would have to wait an hour before I could get inside. I had hoped to sketch the interior and fill the sketch with patrons as they arrived for the lunch hour. Oh, well, it was a nice day outside, so I sat across the street and sketched the barren exterior. As I was finishing my sketch, I saw Julie approach the restaurant and go inside. I packed up the supplies and rushed across the street. The restaurant was bustling now. I ordered some sushi combo which turned out to be much more food than expected.

HypeOrlando in it’s first weeks had about 30 contributors. Julie hopes to push those numbers up into the hundreds. My impression is that “Hype” is a great opportunity for beginning bloggers. All the layouts for the blogs are identical making it hard to tell one blog from another. The one established “Hype” blogger that I recognized was  Kristen Manieri who runs Great Dates Orlando. Over lunch, Julie pushed for the idea of having me channel all my future content over to the “HypeOrlando” site. This seemed like an extreme notion which would likely result in my loosing many readers in the transition. I can’t imagine giving up a site that I’ve built up over 5 years. Kristen still maintains her original site while occasionally contributing to “Hype”. The fact that I post creative content every day means that I would have to write a new article any time I wanted to contribute to “Hype.” I would have to add an 8th day to my work week! I asked about just posting an article on “Hype” that already ran or simultaneously ran on Analog Artist Digital World. Julie said that the Google search engine would label any re-purposed article as spam thus all content would have to be new.

I fired of a long list of concerns. I didn’t like having to give up a large header on the new site. Apparently the “Chicago Now”  site learned that letting contributors create their own headers resulted in some very bad and amateurish designs. The “Hype” site limits each contributor to a one inch square avatar. It results in trying to create a recognizable brand on the size of a postage stamp. I was also concerned that there is no right click copyright protections making it easy for Sentinel Surfers to copy any sketches I post to the site. This is an ongoing concern since even the Downtown Arts District and the City of Winter Park do not realize that it is wrong to copy and republish work without permission. The Internet is a lawless Wild West for theft and ripping. The fact that City organizations have no clue about copyright makes it appear that Orlando is a second rate city. Terry seems to feel there is no advantage to posting on “Hype”. Even the name seems to imply vacuous content with little substance. I’m still weighing the options. I might even cut back submissions to Analog Artist Digital World to 6 days a week and submit one article a week to “Hype”. I’ve been making adjustments to try and allow for more family time and contributing free content to “Hype” could be a step backwards. I was surprised and pleased that Julie paid for lunch.

Let me know what you think. Should I stay the course and keep AADW a daily, or should I also contribute to the “Hype”? Leave me a message below. One last note. Something I ate at Shin Sushi didn’t agree with me and I had the runs all afternoon. Not a good sign.

Imperial Wine Bar and Beer Garden

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The Imperial Wine Bar and Beer Garden, located in Ivanhoe Village, (1800 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL) specializes in boutique wines and craft beers. Located in the back of an antiques store, the bar offers an exotic, comfortable yet elegant pub atmosphere. Terry and I went here one night to meet Wendy Wallenberg and her entourage. When we arrived, we spotted Genevieve Bernard and some of her girlfriends. Genevieve works at the Mennello Museum, is the founder of Voci Dance and runs Kid’s Fringe. Needless to say, she is very involved in the arts and always busy. Her husband Seth reports on the arts for the Orlando Weekly, so I bump into him quite often in my explorations. One of Genevieve’s friends knew of my blog. She introduced herself saying, “You might not know me, but I certainly know you since I read your posts.” Another friend said she read Analog Artist Digital World when she moved out of town to check back and see what is happening in Orlando. It made me happy to think I am providing some kind of service with my obsessive sketching and ramblings.

That reminded me, I hadn’t done a sketch yet today. Wendy and her friends arrived and we exchanged places with Genevieve’s friends as they left. The place was packed. The Imperial has over 40 beers and 45 wines to choose from, with something to offer every beer and wine drinker, from the
novice to the adventurous. I muscled up to the crowded bar to get a drink for Terry and myself. I got a German beer, Weissen-something, and Terry wanted a hard cider. Though I risked seeming anti-social, I sketched. A huge blue Buddha sat crated behind our table. Outside, a food truck generator purred. Wendy’s friend Denise ordered some sort of sushi or volcano roll from the truck. As the conversation darted from journalism to fashion to sports cars, my eyes darted about trying to lock people into a composition. Wendy has to be the most animated person I know. She is a constant blur of motion.  When we left, Wendy gave Terry pointers on how she needs to customize her new Porche. The car was called “Baby” for a while but now she is called “Enterprise“.

Banished from Sketching Polasek’s Eden

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In the Orlando Weekly, I read about a free oil painting demonstration at the Albin Polasek Museum as part of the Winter Park Paint Out. I talked to a docent inside and checked to be sure it would be alright for me to sketch the demonstration. He said it was fine. I had met him once before at an art critique at Barefoot Spa. He does paintings in the style of Frank Frazetta. It was good to catch up with him. Last year I had been asked to do a series of sketches during the Paint Out for Winter Park Magazine, being given full access, but Terry scheduled a vacation to Panama that week and I had to back out. It was a good trip.

I still hadn’t done a single sketch of any Paint Out festivities, so I was excited to finally get an opportunity to sketch and promote the event. I was just beginning to ink in this sketch when the docent came out and said that someone higher up had decided I couldn’t sketch. I politely packed up my sketchbook and left, fuming. The artist demonstrating hadn’t even started to put paint on the canvas yet.

Back at the studio, I quickly finished the sketch I had started. Since the sketch lacked detail, I decided to play with it in Photoshop. I suppose this sketch now makes me a Digital Artist in a Digital World. If the “No Sketch Policy” was put in place to protect the identities of people attending the workshop, then this  image solved that issue. I always finish a sketch once it is started. Had I posted the sketch and article the next day like I wanted to, more people would be aware of all the wonderful artists gathered in Winter Park. I suppose I should have arranged a press pass beforehand, but I didn’t think it was needed since the workshop was free. I only found out about the Paint Out the day before.

Terry said that the Polasek staff might have had Boston Marathon bomb jitters. I suppose my sketch supply bag can look quite ominous but it never left my side. I was profiled as a deviant artist even though no one could have seen what I was doing. I had my back to a hedge to be sure there were no curious bystanders. It is odd to feel like a criminal for taking notes with interest and putting lines on a page. I can’t imagine sitting through a workshop without keeping my fidgety fingers active. I learn better that way.

The next day, I contacted the event co-chair Hal Stringer, and he he wrote, ” We have a very strong policy that the gardens are reserved exclusively
for paint out artists during this week. Our staff was not aware of the
nature of your sketching and the relationship it has to your blog. We
would welcome being featured in one of your articles. Feel free to come sketch during one of the remaining three demos if you
wish. But, please stop by the front desk and ask for me or Debbie
Komanski so we know you’re on property. We’ll make sure the staff
knows you have our permission to sketch the demo for your blog.”

This was the state of the sketch when I was asked to stop.

I really don’t understand the policy of asking an artist to stop sketching. Anytime I am asked to put my pen down, I feel my right to self expression has been compromised.  There were cell phone photos being flashed all over the web promoting the event. I doubt any phones were confiscated from attendees. I’m still annoyed that the staff member that made the decision, whoever that is, did not approach me directly. I could have reasoned with them, but the volunteer that was sent to stop me was blindly following orders. The Polasek is private property however, and they can enforce any rules they like. Hal, the co-host of the Paint Out has been a dear friend and did everything in his power to help me the next day. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to go back for a second attempt at the sketch.

If the ghost of John Singer Sargent, or Sorolla, offered a painting workshop in Winter Park. I might sit with my hands folded neatly in my lap to watch them work. Then again, I consider it a sin that no one ever sketched these masters as they painted. It would be my moral obligation, a chance of a lifetime. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in a world where large groups of artists could gather together and sketches weren’t discriminated against?

Parking Lot Blues

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On February 5th after getting off work at 9pm, I decided to go downtown to One Eyed Jacks to sketch Korndog’s Rock Band Karaoke. The Orlando Weekly listed the event as free so I figure it was a fine spot for a late night sketch and a drink. As I walked to the bar, I noticed these two musicians jamming at the entrance to a parking lot. “Darn”, I thought, “Those guys would make a great sketch”. I decided to keep on task and kept walking to One Eyed Jacks.

At the entrance to the bar I was carded even though my salt and pepper hair is a dead give away that I’m over 21. My ancient beat up license, which was probably issued before the bouncer was born, caused him to do a double take.  He called over another bouncer to take a look. I was finally given clearance and as I was walking in he said, “That will be two dollars.” I turned and said, “Your kidding, right?” Well, the Weekly was wrong. I wasn’t about to pay a cover for bad Karaoke, so I left.

I made a bee line back to the parking lot which is right behind the Greek Orthodox Church near Lake Eola (150 East Washington Street). Cole was teaching Kenny new riffs on the guitar. I leaned against a light pole and sketched them. Cole told me that he had been an artist once. He went to Hawaii with a portfolio and left it in a hotel room by mistake. He turned to his second love which is music. Kenny sang a solo at one point and he had a great voice. It in amazing where talent crops up in Orlando. Kenny helps organize the homeless feedings behind the church where there is often music.

Some lady was walking her toy sized dog and it took a crap on the wood chips while Cole and Kenny and myself watched. When she realized she was being watched the women said, “You wouldn’t happen to have a plastic bag would you?” She and her dog slipped away to her luxury condo. Cole and Kenny laughed at her expression afterward. “She never planned to clean up after her dog.” Was their conclusion.

Peacock Trivia

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I decided to go to the Peacock Room following a lead in the Orlando Weekly that said there was going to be a trivia night. Believe it or not this was the most sketch able event that evening. Someone suggested I call such events Thor-Able. Anyway I arrived right after work, ordered a beer and started sketching the five or so other patrons. By the time I finished my sketch, I realized there wasn’t going to be any trivia.

A Rob Leaman flower was outside on the sidewalk, a remnant of The Corridor Project. The bartender let me know that they had to take it inside several times when it rained. Some of Rob’s day glow green branches were also above the bar. Art on the walls was all by tattoo artists. Some work looked like what you would expect to see on skin, but some was highly polished black and white oil paintings that I thought were great. One showed a rabid Easter Bunny attacking screaming children.

Best of Orlando 2012

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Press here to Vote! 

The Orlando Weekly “Best of Orlando” poll is active through June 27th. I of course hope you will vote for Analog Artist Digital World as the Best Local Blog. They ask for a name and address, but that wasn’t a big deal. You have to vote in at least 15 categories, and you can’t use the same answer in more than 5 categories. The list is dauntingly large, so I am writing down my votes in this blog post to help you get a jump start. Most of my votes go to places I have sketched. The sketch above was done in Tanquerey’s, which got my vote as the best local dive bar. If I left out any notable local establishments,  then please leave me a comment. You can vote from anywhere in the world, and encourage your friends to vote. The following list is not all inclusive, it is just intended as a jump start. Of course your tastes might vary.

Food and Drink

Best French……………Chez Vincent

Best Greek…………….Mediterranean Deli

Best Tai…………………Viet Garden

Best Vietnamese…….Viet Garden

Best Barbecue……….4 Rivers Smokehouse

Best Cupcake…………Rhapsodic Bakery

Best Tea house……….Dandelion Communitea Cafe

Best Pub Grub………..Fiddler’s Green

Best Vegan……………..Loving Hut

Best Food Truck……..Big Wheel Food Truck

Best restaurant when someone else is paying…Chez Vincent

Arts and Culture

Best Art Night (recurring)…Mystery Sketch Theater

Best Art Gallery………………Gallery at Avalon Island

Best Arts Advocate…………Parker Sketch 

Best Dance Company………Drip

Best Arts Event/Festival…..Fringe

Best Local Playwright……..Aradhana Tiwari

Best Local Artist……………..Dawn Schreiner

Best Movie Theater………….Enzian

Best Mural………………………Who’s Line is it Anyway?

Best Museum…………………..Mennello Museum

Best Poet/Spoken Word Artist… Tod Caviness

Best Theater Company……….Orlando Shakes

Best Theater Space…………….Jamie Mykins Theater

Music Nightlife

Best Club DJ……………………..DJ Nigel

Best Folk Act…………………….Jubal’s Kin

Best Jazz Act…………………….Monday Night Jazz at the Grand Bohemian

Best Music Club………………..Back Booth

Best Music Festival……………Southern Fried Sundays

Best Mainstream Rock Act…Andy Matchett and the Minx

Best Open Mic………………….Tom and Jerry’s

Best Pop Act……………………..Britt Daley

Best Bar (smoking)…………….Will’s Pub

Best Craft Beer Bar…………….Redlight Redlight

Best Dive Bar…………………….Tanqueray’s

Best Gay Bar………………………Parliament House

Best Pub/Taproom……………….Will’s Pub

Best Sports Bar……………………Sportstown

Local Color

Best Kept Secret………………….The Timucua White House

Best Local Charitable Group…Second Harvest Food Bank

Best Local Cheerleader…………Jeffrey Pfaff

Best Local Website………………The Daily City

Best Local Blog………………….Analog Artist Digital World

Best Local Publication…………..The Orlando Weekly

Best Local Radio Personality….Julie Norris

Best place to take visitors from out of town…Stardust Video & Coffee

Best reason to live in Orlando…Sunny days in Winter

Best reason to leave Orlando…..Sunny days in Summer

Best use of public money………..Fixing Lake Eola Fountain

Best waste of public money…….Speakers around Lake Eola

Goods and Services

Best Adult Entertainment Store…Fairvilla

Best CD Store…………………………Park Avenue Cd’s

Best Comic Book Store……………A Comic Shop

Best Farmers Market……………….Audubon Community Market

Best Garden Center…………………Palmer Feed Store

Best Spa…………………………………Barefoot Spa

Best T-Shirts……………………………Mother Falcon

Best Tattoo/Piercing Parlor……….Black Chapel Tattoo

Best Vinyl Records Store………….Park Avenue Cd’s

Sports and Recreation

Best Billiards Hall……………………Sportstown

Best City Park………………………….Lake Eola

Best Day Trip…………………………..Cocoa Beach

Best Sports Team……………………..Psycho City Derby Girls

Best Place to Bike…………………….West Orange Trail

Best Place to Canoe/Kayak………..Wekiva Springs

Best Sports Complex………………..Amway Arena

Best Yoga Studio………………………Yoga Matrix

Best Zipline……………………………..Zoom Air Adventures

Scherenschitten

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Lesley Gondeck Silvia offered a free after hours course at Full Sail explaining the art of Scherenschitten. She pointed out that in America very few people carry on traditions and crafts from their home country. She began exploring the art of paper cutting as a way to re-find her roots. Recently Lesley did a cover for the Orlando Weekly using Scherenschitten. She showed preliminary sketches and explained her process. I always learn something when another artist explains how they work.

As Lesley wrote, “Scherenschnitte means ‘scissor cuts’ in German, and it is the art of paper cutting design. Founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 1500’s, it was brought to Colonial America in the 1700s by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania. I am enjoying working with paper. It’s cheap, hands on, less commonly seen, and makes me feel like I’m learning a bit about my German/Swiss heritage. Cindy Ferguson’s style is a big influence as is the works of Rob Ryan.”

The art studio was a room I had never been in before. I felt immediately at home among all the drafting tables and the wide assortment of art on the walls. Tom Buzbee, Grace Kurth, and Hugo Giraud were also in the studio as instructors and backup. Tom said hello and explained that the art lab is made available for students who want a place to be creative. It is a place they can escape to if they are tired of writing code and taping keyboard commands. He said that the Dada artist ideals are promoted.

After Lesley’s talk, all the students were given xacto blades and black construction paper. I cut out paper in the shapes of the black metal struts to the art desks. I flipped the black paper defining the shapes already established in the sketch. I glued the bold black shapes to the sketch. It was fun playing with a new medium. I think it is time for me to add black to my palette.

There Will Be Words

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There will be words featured local authors reading excerpts from prose they had written. The event happens on the second Tuesday of every month at Urban ReThink. When I arrived I spotted Darlyn and Brad Kuhn who had recently been married. I congratulated them and hope to attend a celebration in their honor at the end of the month. I then sat next to Leslie Silvia to talk visual art as the stage was set. Lesly did the cover and all the headers for the “Best of Orlando” issue of the Orlando Weekly. She executed the assignment using silhouetted paper cut outs.

When the authors were ready to read, I went upstairs for a birds eye view. Jana Waring was introduced as being the “Best Local Author” as voted by Orlando Weekly readers. She read a short story in which the protagonist didn’t like pets. She described manic and unpredictable pets from her childhood. With plenty of tongue in cheek humor, she indeed convinced me that owning pets is insane.

Jared Silvia read a hilarious piece about Lobster Fest. I laughed the whole time realizing I’m just as much of a misguided geek at heart. Darlyn Finch read a touching story about a present she had brought for her ill brother. Knowing he had recently lost the battle, often forgetting those who loved him before he died. Darlyn has a way of writing from the gut that I admire. Small collectible books called “chapbooks”, were hand bound of each of the author’s stories. The evenings host, J. Bradley, announced that we should buy them now before the authors died and the value of their words escalated. There is something very rewarding about being in a room of people sharing their stories. Events like this remind me that Orlando has a thriving literary community.

Orlando Weekly “Best of Orlando” Party

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Each year the Orlando Weekly publishes a “Best of Orlando” edition. There is a category for Best Blog, but this year I threw my AADW votes to The Daily City. Even with my support, The Daily City only got 2nd place. Some Republican political blog won 1st place. Anyway, I was asked to submit an illustration to this edition of the paper and part of the compensation was two comp tickets to the big bash at The Beacham Theater. The Beacham is newly renovated, and I was curious to get a glimpse inside. When I arrived, Brian Feldman was getting ready for his performance piece, “The Boxer.” He was going to hand out copies of the Orlando Weekly from inside on of their red newspaper boxes. Since I was early, Brian walked me inside and up to the balcony where I had a view of all the action below. He said, “This is the first time I’ve been in this theater since I was 11 years old.” He went back outside to continue setting up, and I started sketching on my digital tablet.

The bands were doing soundchecks. One group had urban tap dancers and plastic paint cans as drums. As I sketched, people started to trickle in. Busty barmaids in slick black dresses vogued as they shot photos of each other. Soon the place was packed. The bar became a hive of activity. Blackjack tables started getting busy. Entry to the event entitled each person to 1,000 units of Casino Chips, which could be turned in at the end of the evening for prizes.

With my balcony sketch finished, I went outside to sketch Brian. Terry was at the bar trying to shoot photos of Brian Feldman and Mark Baratelli’s awards as they popped up on a large video screen. Outside, Brian was in the tiny red box right at the entrance. That meant I had to sit on the sidewalk to get a view of him. I wedged myself against the red velvet rope and got to work. There was maybe two feet of space behind me to the curb and I had to shove forward several times to let caterers by with huge vats of food. I think Brian’s presence threw people for a loop and some searched around for another way in. One woman cooed to Brian, “Oh, you’re so cute.” When she was gone he pointed to the back of his throat and gagged. He had trouble keeping his head up and he napped between groups of people entering the club. People kept offering him food and drink. He always refused. I , on the other hand, was actually quite hungry and parched.

The sketch was going good, the ink work finished, when I heard a voice behind me. It was a policeman on a bike. “Oh no, not again .” I thought. He asked me to, ” Move along.” Since I wasn’t finished with the sketch, I asked, “Can I sit out in the street to avoid blocking pedestrian traffic?” “No,” he said, “Then I’d be concerned you might get injured.” I just sat for a moment, thinking. He said, “Is he on a time out?” It took me a moment to realize he was referring to Brian in the box. I explained that it was performance art and for a second I thought he was going to ask Brian to move along as well. He didn’t. He asked me to move again, then biked off. He didn’t say I couldn’t stand where I was, so I stood and started quickly throwing down watercolor washes. I worked fast since I figured the bike cop might just go around the block and check back in on my anarchist sketch in progress.

David Plotkin, the new art director at the Orlando Weekly, introduced himself to me just as I was finishing up the sketch. I flipped through my sketchbook to show David and his lady friend my work. I was still rattled thinking the police might return. My wife Terry had just left and I was feeling guilty for not spending more time with her inside the party. I went back inside and made myself several soft tacos from the decimated food table. The stage was empty. I wolfed down the tacos and typed a text message on my cell to Terry, “Heading home.” I left, still feeling persecuted by the law. Besides, I wasn’t a winner.