Fill the Grill Cook off 2

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The second “Iron Chef” style Cook off at Whole Foods matched chef Tuan Tran from Crave against chef Steve Saelg of the Crooked Spoon Food Truck. The chefs were given $2o to spend and 20 minutes to shop. They then had 20 minutes to prepare a healthy summer meal using an electric grill. The event was again held at Whole Foods Market at Phillips Crossing (8003 Turkey Lake Road). When I arrived the chefs were arranging their respective cooking areas. With a minute to the start of the throw-down, two shopping carts were rolled out for the chefs. An announcer began a countdown to the start of the competition. As the chefs shopped I sketched the grilling area.

Chef Tuan Tran arrived at his grilling station first. He prepared a Korean grilled beef marinated in soy sauce with a pepper paste, sesame seeds and sugar. He also made cellophane noodles marinated in soy, sesame seed oil and garlic, all grilled in butter. He also grilled tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and minced cilantro. The crowning touch was that he also bought several bottles of Vietnamese beer to serve with his dish.

Chef Steve Saelg was busy preparing a chili crusted chicken thighs with ginger, fennel served with couscous. He also grilled avocado and sliced orange wheels sprinkled with a ginger fennel vinaigrette. The chefs moved with swift deliberation. Before I knew it they were done.

I continued sketching as the three judges tasted the dishes and deliberated. Chef Steve Saelg was declared the winner. He will go to the final competition against the winner of the previous throw-down, Alec Cheak of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

Drinks at Taps

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A friend of Amanda Chadwick’s named Matt Rankin was in town visiting from Washington D.C. Amanda arranged for a group of friends to get together to meet Matt. First we were to meet at Mitchell’s Fish Market (460 North Orlando Avenue Winter Park). Terry was there when I arrived. It was raining. Amanda and Matt arrived soon after my Martini. I had met Matt a few times around Orlando before he went to D.C. to apartment sit. He and Terry started telling jokes. Outside there was a musician playing guitar and singing cover songs. He was pretty good. Terry and I ended up ordering the same dinner. It was a delicious cod with a crab stuffing over asparagus shoots all baked in a light butter sauce. Everyone else was running late and they planned to meet us later at a bar called Taps. When we finished dinner we went to search for Taps. Google maps on Terry’s iPhone indicated it was within walking distance. We walked out the door and it was directly across the street.

We sat at a table outside and soon Wendy Wallenburg, Nikki Mier and Sarah Austin arrived. When I wasn’t sketching, I spent most of my time talking to Nikki. She had some wonderful suggestions about places and people I should sketch. Wendy kept asking for the darkest beer in the bar. She claimed there was a beer so dark and thick that it was impossible to see light through the glass. Several servers tried to find this dark beer for her. Samples littered the table. Terry, Nikki and I all ordered hard ciders. Mine was sharp and a little bitter like green apples. Nikki’s cider had a buttery after taste that was nice.

Nikki showed me an adorable picture of her as a child and some really sweet pictures of her dog. One photo of the dog eying a treat on a table was hilarious. Only his eyes and ears were visible and the treat was located where his nose would have been. Another photo showed the pup asleep with his nose tucked into a corner. The black oval spots on his coat receded as if in perspective. She called it her Escher shot. We were all finished with our drinks before I could finish my sketch. I ended up adding watercolor washes at home.

Piano Bar Cabaret

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Amanda Chadwick gathered some friends together for brunch at Dexter’s (808 East Washington Street.) Tables were pushed together to accommodate everyone. Everyone ordered Mimosa’s or juice. My omelet was reasonably good but lacking in spices. After we ate some of us went to Parliament House (410 North Orange Blossom Trail) for the Sunday Piano Bar Cabaret that occurs every week from 1pm to 4pm.

When Terry and I arrived, Kelly Richards was still setting up. He draped a black cloth over two small tables and used that to support his electronic piano. A tall tips chalice was rimmed with Mardi Gras beads. Amanda, Denna Beena and Travis Fillmen were already there. Mark Baratelli arrived soon after us. Mark performed early in the line up. He sang a Jason Robert Brown song but he improvised all the lyrics. It was pure genius and hilarious. I was surprised when Terry got up to sing. She sang “Send in the Clowns” tentatively at first then with feeling. It felt as if she was singing to me. I kept tearing around while she couldn’t move. As life throws it’s challenges at us, we are finding ways to laugh and tear up this town together.

Once again I was coaxed up to sing “Somewhere Out There” with Amanda. I’m always surprised when the whole audience joins along with the chorus. Amanda did a little soft shoe shuffle between verses. The most heart warming moment of the day came when Kelly asked all the singers to stand together on the small stage. We all sang “Seasons of Love“. All our voices blended and harmonized beautifully. Terry lowered her head to my shoulder as we sang. It was a simple glorious moment but soon forgotten in the crush and demands of everyday life.

Blank Canvas at OMA

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On the first Thursday of every month the Orlando Museum of Art opens it’s front gallery for local artists. It is an evening of art, food, drink and entertainment. This evening featured ten artists who would begin with a blank canvas offering patrons a chance to see their creative process. Walking the room, there were several painters, a print maker, jewelry maker and a sculptor working in the center of the room with a model. The model was all legs in a bikini. I circled around the sculptor and his model several times but I couldn’t find a place to plant myself so I moved on.

The print maker was using leaves and other natural found objects to begin her multi layered prints. A painter blocking in a traditional portrait didn’t appeal to me. A young woman strummed her guitar. I finally settled myself next to a jewelry maker to sketch this group of artists working on three large space themed canvases. The closest canvas depicted a satellite circling Earth. The painter let a little boy put down some bold strokes of blue on the painting. The planets on the central painting began as faintly fogged in orbs on a dark canvas. As I sketched the planets were painted in thick impasto.

Denise Lebenstein a friend from college days was in town and she leaned against the wall behind me. I hadn’t seen her in 20 plus years. I interrupted the sketch to give her a hug. I told he I’d seek her out when I was finished with the sketch. She checked out the museum with her friend Patti while I worked. Joe Rosier took a break from selling drink tickets and he shook my hand. Laughing, he wanted to know why I wasn’t sketching the beautiful model in the middle of the room. A puppeteer from Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater introduced herself. She said she saw me sketching a performance of Aladdin’s Magic Lamp. I don’t remember ever sketching that show. As she spoke, I kept wracking my brain, confused.

As I finished up, Denise stopped back to check on my progress. I put away my sketchbook and ventured out into the rain with her and Patti to get some Vietnamese food at Viet Garden. We had fun recollecting memories about our times in art school in NYC. It’s odd how selective memories can be. She remembered that we once went to a Broadway show on New Year’s eve. Watching the play we could hear the crowds gathering in Times Square. The play over, we ventured out into the massive crowd. We tore up our programs and used them as confetti at midnight when the ball dropped. I had totally forgotten about that night. Neither of us could recall the play.

Dandelion

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I went to Dandelion Communitea Cafe after work with the notion that I would sketch their weekly potluck dinner. There was no potluck when I arrived so I ordered a chili and a cinnamon apple tea. I sat in the corner and surveyed the main dining room. I had just started the sketch when my chili and tea arrived. The chili was sooo good and piping hot. My iced tea was good as well. I always get intimidated when there are so many teas to choose from. I dread getting some weird hippie blend that tastes like dirt. Not that I have ever tasted a dirt tea mind you. The point being, I was pleasantly surprised.

Beside me a young college girl was talking to her mom about the challenging classes she was taking. She is also a DJ at the school radio station, playing music at some ungodly hour. I sketched the two couples, a child and young man seated around the table in the center of the room. I love the orange and yellow fabric ceiling which slopes up like a tent towards the globe shaped light fixture. I was delighted to see that one of my invitations for models to join the Mennello Museum mural line was up on the bulletin board in the hallway.

All the art on the walls was by Brian MacGregor. There were waves inspired by the Japanese wood prints of Hokusai, and exotic women floated in surreal skys. Brian described his work as figurative surrealism. The paintings looked like oil on a smooth surface like wood. They all had a high level of polish and they were very affordable.

Costume Contest

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Terry was at the bar with a co-worker when I arrived at Taste for the Anime Masquerade. When I started a second sketch of the cast of characters at the end of the bar, she decided to head home. Neither of us were in costume, so we kind of stuck out from the crowd. After the burlesque, there was a costume contest on the main stage. There was a cat lady with flaming red hair, that masked guy from Vendetta, some hooded guy who was perhaps a hangman, and some guy who I think was a Cheshire Cat. Lets face it, I don’t know enough about Anime or video games to know who was who. There were some choice prizes however from “A Comic Shop.” Next time I should make more of an effort.
The evening was a challenge. Everyone was constantly on the move in the tight space. Every sketch swam in a sea of uncertainty. I am starting to realize that I should ask people to pose. Some of the costumes were so complex and beautiful that I am certain that the creator would be honored to pose. I need to stop trying to catch the big picture sometimes and instead go in for the close up.

This was a very crowded and successful event. I’ve been told that these kind of costumed events happen fairly regularly in Orlando. If you know of such events please contact me here or on Facebook. I would love to keep sketching these types of events.

Anime Masquerade

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The Anime Masquerade was held at Taste to help raise funds for Japanese relief. At the bar people gathered in costumes to drink. Apparently there is a new phenomenon in which people dress as their favorite video game or anime character and then go places where others do the same. In the back room Anime themed paintings lined the walls. This was a difficult event to sketch since the people in costumes were constantly on the move, voguing for one camera and then another. I sat on the steps to the stage. On the table in front of me, a man and woman in kimonos, named Hai and Nhi, were displaying art work. A sketch that reminded me of self portraits by Egon Schiele was lying on the table along with a tip jar. A woman dressed like Speed Racer wandered the room.

A woman climbed past me to get on stage. She announced a burlesque show. Behind her a blue satin bolt of fabric hung from the ceiling. Honey Malone took to the stage and wrapped herself in the fabric. What followed was an aerial act and burlesque that had me mesmerized. I stopped sketching and just watched. She held herself suspended by just wrapping her legs in the fabric.

The woman dressed as Speed Racer also did a burlesque. She began in a car seat acting like she was driving. She got up took off the helmet and let her long blonde hair flow free. It wasn’t long before her blue costume was lying on the stage and she danced with tasseled pasties decoratively spinning on her chest. My reflexes weren’t quick enough to catch the action. Actually as I think back, I wasn’t paying much attention, since I was engrossed in finishing another sketch. Yes… That’s right, I didn’t see a thing.

Austin’s Coffee

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Austin’s Coffee (929 West Fairbanks Avenue) has become a spot where I can wind down after work. I often have an hour or two to kill before heading off to sketch an event and it would make no sense for me to drive all the way home. I usually order a Yak which is a cold coffee with caramel and chocolate. 0h, it is so good. That is my coffee with the plastic domed lid and a straw in the lower right corner. I like to sit up on the staging area in front of the front window. The wooden tables and chairs are fancifully painted. Then, as I sip my coffee, I start sketching fellow patrons.

This fellow was using Austin’s as his office. There is free Wi–Fi. He complained to a buddy about the job market and he refused to go back to an office where he was asked to work overtime with no extra pay. The odd painting behind him caught my eye. Larvae or grasshopper people were caught in a violent looking copulation embrace. The colors dripped and splashed with few features to define pleasure or pain. Each brick on the wall is individually painted in the entry area. The place is a constant visual feast.

Four Rivers

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I am now on a quest to sketch the longest lines in Orlando. I put out a Facebook status asking where I should look. I got thirteen responses and four of those suggested I sketch the line of people waiting for Barbecue at Four Rivers Smokehouse (2103 W Fairbanks Ave.) I had been to Four Rivers before and indeed the line went out the door. Excited, I decided I had to sketch that night. Terry was at a writing workshop in the same neighborhood, so I planned to stop by and visit once my sketch was done.

It was a hot muggy evening. I sat in the shade of a church across the street. Sadly there was no epic line of people waiting. There was a steady stream of people coming and going so I figured the line might develop and grow as I sketched. Dave from the Auto Spa of Winter Park diagonally across the street from Four Rivers took an interest in what I was doing. He said, “You know that place is the best thing to happen to this neighborhood in 20 years. The place was intended to just house a catering business, but people kept stopping by for BBQ. The owner is a religious man and he had a vision of eventually owning 24 stores. He never wants to franchise. So within one year, he now has a place in Winter Garden and another one opening in Altamonte Springs.”

When I finished my sketch I decided I had to order something. I got a “Burnt Ends” sandwich with beef brisket and pork together. I ordered a small side of macaroni and a Mountain Dew as well. The sandwich was good with a subtle lingering heat that warmed my throat. The macaroni and Dew helped cut the heat. I was full after finishing half of the sandwich. There were some hot sauces on the counter outside but I’m not that adventurous. Eight picnic tables were arranged out back and they were all occupied. I watched as people came and went from the gravel parking lot. Misters and industrial fans kept things cool.

Dead Men Chase no Tail

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I decided to go to Austin’s Coffee (929 W. Fairbanks Avenue) to join “Sketchy Broads” for an evening of sketching. It was pouring on my drive over from work. All day there had been tornado warnings across Central Florida. I made sure my sketch books were in plastic bags and then I sprinted through the parking lot to the back door. I ordered a Yak which is a frozen coffee with caramel and chocolate. Sean Moore, Austin’s owner and coffee expert, told me he had peaked over my shoulder the last time I had stopped in for a sip and a sketch. He liked what I was working on and invited me to exhibit my work on the coffee shop walls. I always get nervous when my sketchbooks leave my studio but I might take him up on the offer.

While I was waiting for my drink, Orit Reuben introduced herself. She was there to sketch as well. We both had arrived early and both of us were attending the Austin’s sketch event for the first time. Sean let us know he would be moving furniture off the front stage area to get things ready. I joined Orit when she started moving chairs. Sean and I moved the Victorian looking purple couch onto the stage as a prop. Soon the models, Jenny Coyle and Lindsay Boswell, arrived. They had a hamper full of pirate costuming and props. When Jenny pulled out an old bottle of rum, an artist remarked, “That’s no prop, she goes everywhere with that tharr bottle!” Everyone laughed.

As artists arrived, I added them to my sketch. I did some of the fast poses but then erased them and waited to add the pirates when they took longer poses. Orit had a concerned look on her face when she sketched. She had a large 18 by 24 pad for doing pastels but I think she needed an easel. Another artist arrived with a mini easel and he told her where she could pick one up. He did some very detailed pencil renderings of the pirates faces. I have just the one sketch to show for the evenings modeling session. As I left, I bumped into Swami Worldtraveler and he let me know about the weekly jazz sessions at Austin’s every Thursday night starting at 9pm. Sounds like I have to come back for another sketch!