Sara Knee-ds You!

Posted on by Thor

On August 13th I went to Redlight Red Light (2810 Corrine Drive, Orlando, FL) to attend a fundraiser for barkeep Sara who had an unfortunate accident. While working out at the gym, she tore the lateral meniscus in her right knee almost in half. The injury left her unable to work, walk, or bike (which is her only form of transportation). The surgery and physical therapy required to get her back on her feet is going to cost between 7,000 and 10,000 dollars. While she has the love and support of friends in the time being, surgery is imminent and will need to take place in the near future to avoid permanent damage. Being that the price tag is a wee-bit heavy, Redlight Red Light hosted a benefit in her honor to help her raise the funds she needs to recover to get back to slingin’ beers and stealthy biking.

Some special kegs were tapped and all of the proceeds were donated to her surgery. Since I’m a fan of drinking for a cause, I ordered one of Sara’s beers to sip as I sketched. Erica Abalos-Hernandez, formerly of Bee’s Knees had some huge chocolate chip cookies for sale. She explained that there was a dash of sea salt on them which compliments the sweetness. I had to try one. It was so good, especially washed down with the beer. Later she walked the room with someones child on her hip. Sarah took her place behind the chocolate chip station with her crutches leaning up against a table next to her. I spoke with her briefly about biking in Orlando. She lives downtown and used to bike everywhere. She knows all the back roads routes to Redlight Red Light. She described her knee injure in some grizzly detail and I was glad I could help out in my way. The room grew crowded as I sketched. It was heart warming to see so many people coming together to help someone in the community.

When I ordered a second beer, my sketch started looking pretty good. Donated beer bottles filled a pew and several tables. There were silent auction items such as gift baskets, a meal for two at The Table (a value of $240) and $100 meal at Eola Wine Company. Donated items also came from Black Bean Deli, Will’s Pub, Dear Prudence, Oblivion Taproom, Wild Ocean Seafood, the Enzian, the Gnarly Barley, College Park Yoga, Stacole Fine Wines, Imperial, Sushi Lola’s, Lineage Coffee Roasting, and others. Artwork was also being auctioned off.

The Sara Knee-ds You! Fundraiser was a huge success. With everyone’s
generosity,  $6,500 was raised towards barkeep Sara’s
knee surgery and physical therapy. Sara said, “To
everyone who attended on Tuesday, donated, raffled, drank some beer,
brought me coffee, drove me around, made me food, offered me a piggy
back ride, or sent some thoughtful words my way, my sincerest gratitude.
Because
of the overwhelming amount of support I’ve received from friends,
patrons, and small businesses in our community, I will be able to fund
my surgery. I wish I had more than words to express how
thankful I am. Witnessing the generosity in people has been a wonderful,
humbling, life changing experience. There is no feeling more amazing
than realizing you are not alone. Thank you.”

New Moon Circle

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On August 5th, I went to Dandelion Communitea Cafe (618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando FL) to sketch the New Moon Circle. Each and every New and Full moon, people gather to celebrate the cycle of time. The Moon Circles are non-religious, and open for people of any walk,
faith, race or creed to come and enjoy. This a sacred space where you
can express your true self with music, rhythm, dance and trance. These rhythm circles are geared for musicians that play softer drums
like frame, tabla, jugs, bells or any other type of light percussion
instruments. Guitar, sitar, didgeridoo, signing bowls, flute, harmonica,
signing and laughter also have a home under the Bodhi Tree which is in the garden beside Dandelion Communitea Cafe. The circles are a way to celebrate harmony in the community.

Borrowing from Native American, East Indian, Middle East and Celtic
traditions the music experienced here excites, sooths and nourishes
and your mind, body and soul. The Drum circle is organized by the Florida School of Holistic Living. The school, seeks to connect our community with the planetary cycles that affect all of us, even in urban environments, such as seasonal cycles, planting cycles, and lunar cycles. They believe that by living in greater harmony with the natural cycles that guide us, we develop a greater relationship to the planet and thus it becomes easier to walk our path lightly upon her.

On this evening several dozen people gathered in a circle which was lit with an LED light strip. In the center of the circle was a  metal bucket full of candles. A young woman lit the candles as it grew dark. Storm clouds gathered darkening the sky early. I used my weather radar app on my iPhone and it looked like a small storm cell was heading our way. I sketched as fast as I could. It began to rain with sporadic large drops at first and then a waterfall. I put up my umbrella and kept working. A tent was erected and the remaining musicians huddled under it. Despite the thunder and lightning several women danced in the rain lifting their arms to the sky as they spun. The candles had long since been snuffed out by the rain, but when the rain stopped, they were dried off and re-lit. The drumming and dancing continued as I left with my soggy sketchbook.

Mark Your Calendar! On Saturday September 21st, 
the Largest Drum Circle in the World  will happen as people around the world drum on Peace One Day 2013. Drumming in Orlando will begin at 10:30am. The exact location has yet to be determined.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Weekend Top 6 Picks

Saturday September 7, 2013

7pm Silent Auction, 8pm Show PLAY-IN-A-DAY 2013 (Season Kick-Off). $15 Lake Howell High School Theatre (4200 Dike Road, Orlando FL). Beth Marshall Presents is thrilled to once again be in partnership with Lake Howell High School and Penguin Point Productions for our second year to be kicking off our 2013-14  season with a long-time theatrical community event: PLAY-IN-A-DAY! A group of 100 artists coming together to write, direct, act and fully produce 9 different short plays all with the same theme (given 24 hours in advance) to present an evening of fun theatrical enjoyment for the community.

11am to 6pm Big Bang Bazaar.  $5 Maitland Civic Center (641 S. Maitalnd Ave. Maitland FL). Local Arts and Crafts.

8pm Orlando Drum Circle. Free.  Orlando Brewing (1301 Atlanta Avenue Orlando FL).

Sunday September 8, 2013

Noon to 4pm Raul Colon Show. Orlando Museum of Art (2416 North Mills Ave Orlando FL). Children’s book Illustrator. On view through November 3rd.

1pm to 3pm Film Slam. $5 Enzian Theater (1300 South Orlando Avenue  Maitland, FL). Films by local film makers.

10pm to Midnight  Sick Of It Presents: Rancid Karaoke Cover Set. Will’s Pub (1042 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl). You come up out of the crowd and sing your favorite Rancid songs with a live band…YOU’RE the singer!

FAVO

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On the first Friday of each month, artists gather at a former motel to display and sell their work. Faith Arts Village Orlando (FAVO) is at 221 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Florida).

    FAVO is a free Event open to the public. There were 21 studios of amazing artists. The FAVO Market outside had even more artists and vendors. This is a Family Friendly Event with Activities for Children,  plus Food Trucks and  live music.

  

Will Benton organizes the event and I visited his corner studio. He had a large abstract on the wall that he had done. He suggested I show my sketchbooks in the market and I’m considering the idea.

  

Julio Sanchez Julsan had bright folk art on display. A brightly painted chair was both charming and disturbing. It resembled an electric chair. Rodney McPherson told me he was working on a mural on the ceiling of Twist Hair Studio. It makes sense to have something to look at as you lie back to get your hair washed in those custom sinks. Todd Fox had intricately decorated cigar boxes that resembled primative alters with shells and other found objects. Brian Barnett from Deltona was showing quirky abstract line art that reminded me of paintings by Miro. Richard Perez Messina (Jano) showed me his splashy abstracts. Hidden within were images of faces and a dragon. He paints with his hands, smearing the paint with abandon. I defiantly liked his bold approach.

None of the air conditioners seemed to be working very well. As it is now, artist set up for the evening and then break everything down the same night. Only one or two artists actually work in the motel rooms. The buildings are undergoing renovations to bring them up to city codes.  The dream is that this will one day become a thriving artist’s community. As I sketched, I noticed a large diptych of a heart was sold as well as some potted plants. There was a guitar player playing a rhythmic beat over and over. Someone began talking to him and the rhythm continued. I kind of envied the woman getting a massage. I was tense and sweating.

Mark your Calendar! The next FAVO Art Exhibition and market is Friday September 6th from 5pm to 9pm.

Drip Fairy Body Paint Jam

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0n August 1st, I went to Drip (8747 International Dr. Suite 102, Orlando, Fl, right behind Senor Frogs and Denny’s) to sketch the Body Painting Party after the Drip show.  Painters and models began around 7pm. They gathered in the back stage dressing room and storage area. With eight body painters and just as many models, it was going to get tight. The body painters were, Mandi Ilene,
Lori Babson Jessup,
Tanisha Morgan,
Tracy Purple, and
Cody Saults. All the body painters hat gathered to celebrate Mandi’s birthday.

Jessica Mariko, the founder of Drip welcomed me when I arrived and she went into the dressing room to be sure that models and the artists were all OK with my sketching them.  The painters had a three hour window to get a jump on their body paint creations before guests would get to see their work immediately after the Drip dance show. I focused my attention on the model directly in front of me who was already painted white from head to toe and covered in glitter. She became a stark silhouette in front of the light on the wall. An intricate pattern spiraled around her gluts.

Other models got undressed and periodically, everyone would shout “Nipples!”, followed by laughter. Pasties and thongs would be seamlessly painted to hide any anatomy that was required by social code. An urban graffiti painting shouted “Unity!” I was seated in the only chair in the, closet-room. Often my view was obstructed by models bare backs. It seems ironic that I spent much of my time trying to look past the nudity to see the figures I had started to draw.

The sketch was pretty much done when I saw Terry enter the dressing area. I stood to go meet her. She should have lead me out by the ear, but she seemed delighted to be backstage among the chaos. We got a drink at the bar and soon the Drip dancers were pouring free beer into the open mouths of guests. The live rock band began to play and the hip urban dance began. The dancers spilled drinks on each other and their relationships became clear as they moved among the crowd and teased one another.

The show follows a story line of love and betrayal. The main characters are blue and yellow as hinted at by their Drip rags covering their hair, and the paint they get covered in. When the couple embraced, their colors mixed to become green. I was wearing my Drip T-shirt which was already stained from past shows. In previous shows, paint filled water balloons had been handed to guests. Now the cast took charge, exploding the balloons by hand all over the audience. There might have been incidents in past shows where balloons had hit people in the face. The new approach guarantees everyone gets wet and messy without the dodge ball angst. Even so, a burst of paint in my face managed to loosen a lens in my glasses and it popped out as I sipped a drink later. DRIP is an in-your-face explosion of color and movement backed by a live
rock band, all in an industrial dive bar. You may get wet … you may get
messy … you WILL have an awesome time.

Mark Your Calendar! Shows are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm. What are you waiting for? This is the most fun you can have with a date, loved one, or friends in Orlando.
Tickets for the show available at www.ilovedrip.com.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Weekend Top 6 Picks

Saturday August 31, 2013

10am to 2pm Avalon Skateboard Fest. Free. Avalon Park Town Center 13001 Founders Square Drive Orlando FL. facebook.com/avalonskateboardfest

1pm to 5pm Norad Boran Assisted Asana Practice. $20. Shine On Yoga 619 N Thorton Ave, Orlando, Fl. Move even deeper into your Yoga flow/practice, actively enjoying the alignment benefits of assisted Asana Practice, derived from the Ancient practice of Norad Boran translated as reverent touch, known to us as Thai yoga massage!

8pm to Midnight The Holy and Obscene: Artwork by Morgan Wilson. Free. The Falcon 819 E. Washington Street, Suite 2, Orlando, Fl. The work is meant to create a meeting place for the elevated and degraded, the holy and obscene.Morgan’s most recognizable theme, through all mediums, is a pervasive sexuality.

Sunday September 1, 2013

Noon to 3pm Music at the Casa. Free, donations accepted. Guitarist
and Vocalist George Grosman will be performing.

9pm to 11pm Comedy Open Mic. Free. Austin’s Coffee: 929 W Fairbanks Ave Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

10pm to Midnight  Sick Of It Presents: Rancid Karaoke Cover Set. Free. Will’s Pub 1042 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl. You come up out of the crowd and sing your favorite Rancid songs with a live band…You ‘re the singer!

Di-Verse Word

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0n June 30th I stopped by Dandelion Communitea Cafe (618 North Thornton Avenue Orlando FL) for the Di-Verse Word Poetry competition hosted by Shawn Welcome.  The eclectic spoken word poetry event exposes everyone to all types of styles in writing and performing to this
city. It offers inspiration for not only poets but for those who just
enjoy the art. Poets quickly filled the outdoor patio area as the sun set. The event became more crowded than I expected with people bringing lawn chairs so they could sit in the driveway.

Terry wanted to go to a concert at a cowboy bar so I didn’t have much time to sketch. Several girls with extremely high heels sat on a bench just before the poetry competition began. I later saw them in the cowboy bar. Poet Sasha Nichols Rivera said hello. Her mom and brother were there as well. A young poet was extremely anxious about getting up to perform his poem. There was a cash prize on the line and this was a cut throat competition. Sasha took him for a walk around the block to calm his nerves. I was asked to judge, but I had to refuse since I knew I would have to leave early. Besides, now I knew a poet competing and thus would be biased.

Melissa Kasper and her friends sat beside me. Melissa is a writer, artist and poet but she doesn’t want the stress of performing as a poet in competition. She said she has enough stress in her life with her two jobs. Her ex-boyfriend kept encouraging her to compete, but she would rather enjoy the poetry which remains personal. By the time the first poet got up, I had to leave to meet Terry at the concert where I got to watch several people collapse on the dance floor because they were so drunk.

Mark your Calendar, Di-Verse word is held every Tuesday starting at 8pm outside Dandelion Communitea Cafe.

Differing Views

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On June 22nd, I went to the opening reception for “Differing Views” at the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida (946 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803). This was a  group art show featuring:
Parker Sketch, Jon Glassman Gardner,
Patty Sheehan  and
Karen Cate.

When I arrived, a little early, John Glassman Gardner was still hanging pieces. He had these wonderful one inch square  pieces of glass with vibrant patterns that looked like aerial views of river valley topography. He told me that the pattern had been discovered by accident when 2 pieces of glass had been pushed together with a small drop of paint between them. Like a microscope slide, the paint spread. When pealed apart, this organic pattern would appear. John then glues magnets on the back. He was placing dozens of them on a metal support column. He gave me one of these pieces and it is proudly displayed in my home. It isn’t signed unfortunately so someday I hope to catch him to sign it.

Commissioner Patty Sheehan had a show the previous week at the Peacock Room. She had sold 75% of all the pieces there. She therefor had to do more than a dozen paintings in a weeks time to have something for this show. All her paintings were of black cats with wide eyes and a Cheshire grin. She called them “Bad Kittys” and they sell like hot cakes. She gave me a button with one of these kitty’s on it and a pink equal sign. Of course this was “Equality Kitty”.

Parker’s Sketch’s work is ubiquitous to the Orlando art scene. His pieces use pop commercial imagery portrayed with bold brush work and a liberal display of spattering. The boldest piece was of a faded American flag. He was voted the Best Arts Advocate in this years Orlando Weekly. Karen Cate only had a few pieces in the show.  I had never seen her work before.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Weekend Top 6 Picks

Saturday August 24, 2013

8am-10pm Secret Lake RunYak Free to watch $30 to Compete.  200 N. Triplet Lake Drive Casselberry 2.3K run and a 3K paddle. $50 gift card to male and female winners. runyak.com

8pm-10pm 9th Annual Red Chair Affair. $22. VIP $225 individual. Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre 401 West Livingston Street, Orlando, Florida. A kick off of Central Florida’s arts and cultural season. Don’t miss an exceptional evening with dynamic performing groups and local visual artists. Performances by: Brass Band of Central Florida, Central Florida Community Arts, Enzian Theater, Florida Opera Theatre, Garden Theatre, ME Dance, Inc., NuLook School of Performing Arts, Orlando Aerial Arts, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Gay Chorus, Orlando Philharmonic, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF.

9pm -11pm I Believe In You: Performance, Art, and Dance Party. $2. A one night only performance driven event with a committed group of experimental artists who love what they do and love you too. Featuring performances by: Jessica Earley, Jack Fields, Ashley Inguanta, Melanie Lister, Stephanie Lister, Hannah Miller, Jorgen Nicholas Trygved. Visual art by Winter Calkins.

Sunday August 25, 2013

7am – 9pm Mudd Volleyball Challenge. Fundraiser for March of Dimes. Free to watch, $550 per team to compete. Lee Vista Center 7600 TG Lee Blvd. Orlando FL. marchofdimes.com/florida

10am – 11am. Super Joy Riders. Free. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love.

9pm – 11pm Dead Parrot Comedy Show. Free. Peacock Room 1321 N Mills Avenue Orlando Fl. thepeacockroom.com

Key of E Load In

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 On August 20th, I went to The Venue to see the Key of E load in for their one week run. I got there about the same time as Helen, the tech for the show. As I sketched the empty stage, Andy Matchett pulled up to the theater with a truck full of set pieces, wood, monster parts and fabric. The garage door was opened on house right and several guys in the truck helped unload. One of them was wearing a boy scout uniform and I wondered if he would earn an apocalyptic merit badge. Soon the stage was cluttered.

Since there needed to be room for the band, a platform was constructed house right that essentially extended the stage. The first order of business was to hang huge black curtains on both sides of the stage to create very small wings where actors could not be seen when off stage. The tiny wall at the back of the stage was at a quirky angle because it sloped along with a wheel chair ramp that had to be installed to comply with city codes.

A large back lit screen had to be put on top off the wall, so a plank and two by fours were needed to level off the TV platform. Chaz Krivan and Evan Miga tackled the task. Chaz actually had an iPhone app that acted as a level. All the actors gradually trickled in and Brittany Wine, the stage manager, got them busy running lines and going over dance moves. Her task was to keep everyone on task so they could do a run through of the show at 8:30pm. Corey Volence was worried that some scenes would need to be re-blocked since there was no actual backstage where actors could go when not on the stage. There are close to a dozen actors if you count the band and special effects crew. Andy decided to run one exit scene where all the actors needed to get off stage. There was a major bottle neck as actors tried to get down the wheel chair ramp. They realized that at times some actors would literally need to exit the theater. It will all work out in the end. Christie Miga asked Andy how he would rate his anxiety level. He said it had leveled off at a solid 7.

Brittany Wine was pleased that she finally appeared in one of my sketches. She asked why I put her in a garbage can. The garbage can must be a stage prop and it was just chance that she stood behind it. As I finished my sketch, the cast was ready to do a run through of the show. As I left, I heard Andy begin to sing “I Just Can’t Wait for the Game to End!” The Key of E Kickstarter fundraising drive was a success so the full cast soundtrack is available!

Get your tickets for the return of the show at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM

Saturday: 8/24 8 PM

Monday: 8/26 8 PM

Thursday: 8/29 8 PM

Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.