The Manteis Project

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In the red room at Taste (717 Smith Street, College Park), Terry and I stayed to watch the music act that was setting up on stage after most of the artists had left from an event called Blend. The heart of the group seemed to be an Apple laptop computer which put out vibrant pulsating sound effects. There was a sitar, guitar an a wide variety of drums. A keyboardist also had a laptop open above his keyboard. They were known as the Manteis Project. Behind the group the screen displayed animated lighting patterns. The music was mesmerizing.
Kenneth Raduazzo was working the sound booth. I glanced up at the sound booth and his wife Teresa was there with him. She had recently introduced me to an ashram. A couple of artists were still working on the collaborative paintings in the room behind us. I was seated in a chair right at the foot of the stage looking up at the performers. After the performance was over, Terry and I walked back to the car and on the way we bumped into Teresa. She had decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air. I thought she and Terry must have met before at the Kerouac House but I made the introductions anyway. We talked for a while but then Teresa had to get back inside to help break down.

Tomorrow Thor will sketch an Acrylic painting demonstration at Sam Flax on Colonial Drive near Mills between 3:30PM and 5:30PM.

Sensual Saturday

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Torria Hudson, who I had met at the Grand Bohemian Jazz Jam, invited me to attend a sensual, sultry evening of smooth Jazz and R&B music at Tavern on the Lake (6996 Piazza Grande Avenue). VIP tickets to the event were $55 and money raised went to an organization called Miracle of Love that raises awareness of AIDS and offers free HIV tests. Terry decided to join me. When we arrived, a woman was scrambling around trying to arrange seating for people. Since she was occupied I just walked into the seating area and started looking for where I would want to sketch from. Rather than sitting at a table, I decided the best spot was right in front of the sound board. A video camera was also set up in this area. I set my stool down and was ready to go. The woman arranging the seating found out I was there to sketch and she graciously arranged to get chairs for both Terry and myself.
When I started my sketch Live Hart was doing a sound check. I used that time to block in the composition lightly in pencil. Only a few of the tables were occupied so I knew I would have to add audience members to the sketch when they arrived. After the sound check it was another hour or so before the performers came back to the stage. I had to put my sketch aside and order appetizers. Someone came around offering raffle tickets for some original art work and Terry bought a few. We didn’t win, though we did help a good cause.
Live Harts silky smooth voice was a joy to sketch to. Her alternative soul filled the room and swayed the spirits of everyone. The music was gentle, lyrical and heart felt. The lines flowed quickly to the beat. When Live Harts set was over, my sketch was complete. I packed up and started heading for the door. Torria stopped Terry and I before we left. She said I couldn’t leave because I would miss the headliner act, Miki Howard. I don’t follow the Smooth Jazz scene so I was unaware that Miki is a huge deal and she was flown in from Los Angeles for this show. Once we realized our mistake we ran back in and sat down. Miki was astounding. Her songs swept over me with a maturity and grace that left goose bumps. During one of her final numbers Miki had back up singers. She sang a song about the hard knocks of love. She wandered into the audience and asked a woman, “Are you in love?” The woman replied, “Yes I know I am in love?” Miki shouted out , “See, we are so certain about love yet it always finds a way to kick us in the butt.” She asked the back up singers how old they were and one responded, “Twenty Two.” Miki shouted, “This song is older than you!” Then her song educated us all on just how hard love can be and how we always come back for more.

Tomorrow Thor will be sketching the Emotions Dance Massquerade at the Peacock Room between 9PM and 2AM.

World Cup

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I put out a request on Facebook asking where would be the best place in Orlando to watch the World Cup Soccer match. Someone responded Graffiti Junktion (400 East Washington Street in Thornton Park) so that is where Terry and I decided to go. When we first entered there was literally not a seat available. Terry wanted to go to a quieter bar down the street, but I knew this is where I needed to sketch. When we went back in the bar area, I found a spot in the corner of the room and I leaned back against the wall and started sketching. This meant I would have to stand for the duration of the game, but I thought it was worth it. Terry couldn’t find a seat so she asked me for my car keys and went back to get my portable stool. Right after she left a table opened up and I sent her a text to that effect. It turns out she had left her purse with me and her phone was in the purse. She ended up walking the 4 or 5 blocks and when she got back she realized she didn’t need the stool anymore.
At the table right in front of me there were several lesbian couples who were very affectionate. I found out that the two countries competing, Spain and Portugal, both recognize full marriage equality for all citizens. In other words, marriage need not only be the union of a man and woman. The fellow with the face paint was very boisterous. He was shouting and screaming the would game which then set the stage for a very loud crowd. He noticed me sketching and he climbed over to see what I was up to. The ink work was finished and I was about to start adding watercolor washes. Thankfully he loved what he saw and he took the sketchbook from me and started showing around to friends. When I got it back I started painting.
There were several moments where everyone in the room jumped to their feet and shouted. The moment the game winning goal was scored the place went ballistic. People were shouting and hugging, it was pure pandemonium. Since the people in front of me were rooting for Spain and had on orange and yellow face paint, I thought the team with the orange jerseys were from Spain. When the game was over I found out I was rooting for the wrong players the whole time. The orange jerseys belonged to Portugal.

Tomorrow Thor will be sketching “From Dust to Life”, the art of Jason Lee, at the Peacock Room (1312 North Mills Avenue) between 8PM and 11PM.

Blend

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Blend was a live painting event held at Taste (717 West Smith Street in College Park). Frankie Messina and Tracy Burke helped organize this unique collaborative event. Blend bought together artists from a wide variety of disciplines and had them all work on a series of canvases together. When I arrived with Terry, we made our way back to the red room where the lights were blazing and we could hear the conversations of all the artists at work. Jeremy Seghers and Amanda Chadwick were in the restaurant and I suggested Terry join them as I finished up a sketch. Plastic was draped over the walls and floor to avoid paint getting everywhere. Even with these precautions, someone stepped on a palette and stomped red paint everywhere. The mess was quickly cleaned up. The art styles were varied and in some ways disjointed when placed side by side on a single canvas. It took some time and effort to see some of the canvases find a unified vision. A man wearing a Viking helmet had horns which had diodes inside that would light up and move up and down to the beat of the music. After the event, I learned that the artist in the foreground of the sketch is Maisy May Marrs. She did a fun quirky painting of a serious redheaded girl in the cornet of the canvas she was working on. She stares up at a stick figure girl on top of her head. the image is strangely unsettling.
Since I hadn’t been invited to join the effort, I just concentrated on my sketch. I later found out that both Terry and Amanda had contributed to a piece so I suppose I should have made a contribution. Louise Bova whose work is expressionistic and representational, decided to just add swirling brush strokes which added to the pattern of a painting. Once I finished my sketch I joined Jeremy Amanda and Terry out in the restaurant. I ordered some tater tots and a drink. The dinner conversation was lively and well greased with some drinks. Jeremy and Amanda had to get to an 11 o’clock SAK comedy club show so they took off. Terry and I stayed behind and waited for the band to start playing in the red room as many of the artists packed up and left.

Mellow Mushroom

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Every Monday night at about 8:30PM the Mellow Mushroom (11680 East Colonial Drive), holds an event called Drink & Draw. I heard there was prize money for the best sketch, so I couldn’t resist going out for a pizza in the name of art. A waitress seated me at a booth at the edge of the room. I didn’t notice any sort of staging area so I asked her about the event. She pointed to the sound system set up on the opposite side of the room. She said a DJ would announce the contest and then a model would pose on some chairs for 3 five minute poses. The prizes were as follows:
1st place would be a $25 Mellow Mushroom gift certificate.
2nd place would be a $10 Mellow Mushroom gift certificate.
3rd place would be a Wild Garlic Ball appetizer.
I ordered a vegetarian pizza with the works and a Mountain Dew. The announcer walked around to all the tables and handed out paper and pencils. I took a sheet of paper to be polite but I had already started the sketch in my sketchbook. The model, dressed as Bat Girl stood on a couple of chairs and took heroic poses. The lighting left her in the darkness and with so many tables in front of me I seldom had a clear view of her. I finally had to get up and walk to the front of the room. I leaned up against a 10 foot tall fiberglass mushroom and quickly jotted down her pose. When it came time to judge I of course was still adding watercolor washes. I didn’t win anything since I was still at work.
KC arrived and joined me for a second round of sketching. She ordered a soda and I offered her some of my pizza which I couldn’t finish. The second model was dressed as a rock and roll musician and she held a guitar. I was still working on the color washes but this time I took perhaps a minute each to jot down the poses. I wasn’t inspired by the stiff poses and the drawings sucked. KC moved to a closer table and worked diligently while I went back to my sketchbook. When the prizes were announces for the second set of poses, KC was the grand prize winner. She used the certificate to pay for the pizza and drinks so my sketching adventure that night cost me nothing!

Paxia

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I went to Paxia (2611 Edgewater Drive, College Park) to see the start of a $30 wine tasting crawl. For $30 these folks could order a wine at each of five different bars on the route. As I approached the Mexican themed restaurant and bar, I noticed a crowd of women strutting towards the place in tight low cut dresses. Inside I was told that tonight was also five dollar tequila night. The crowd gathering for the bar crawl congregated down at the far end of the bar. I sat in a cushy red leather chair in the corner of the room and started sketching. A waitress came over and asked me if I wanted anything, I decided to order a tequila so I would blend in. I didn’t know what tequila to order so I let her pick one for me. A few minutes later my dainty little glass arrived half full of a clear pink fluid. I tool a small sip and swallowed. I had to exhale at it went down my throat and my eyes watered. I would take another sip periodically allowing the liquid to evaporate on my tongue. I avoided the whole, swallowing step, for as long as possible.
The crowd that had gathered for the crawl soon left for their next stop. Singles would sit at the bar periodically and order appetizers and a drink. Eaves dropping I found out one woman had worked as a waitress in Vail Colorado and she told the couple next to her all about how beautiful Colorado was. The couple had been to Vail and they thought it would be an expensive place to live. The woman assured them that if you know where to shop, Vail is very affordable. I started feeling like I was among jet setters. One woman ordered a drink then started counting a thick wad of bills as she sat at the bar.
Terry called from work and she agreed to come to Paxia for a drink since I was almost finished with my sketch. When she joined me she ordered a Margarita and an appetizer. I put my sketch away and turned to my cup of tequila which I had barely touched. Terry was shocked that I had ordered a tequila and she asked the waitress if she could water it down with Margarita mix. The waitress agreed to do so at no extra charge.
The TV was showing some game show where a woman was trying to blow a soap bubble through a hoop a few yards away. Three people at the bar were watching intently and shouting encouragement. The woman got the bubble through the hoop and won something like $75,000. She later lost everything when she was trying to blow a deck of playing cards off of the neck of a beer bottle without letting the Joker fall. I became mesmerized by all the close up shots of the woman pursing her lips and gently blowing. I am convinced this is card trick is impossible, and I am still annoyed that she didn’t keep the bubble money. Now I know what I am missing since I no longer have time to watch TV.
The food was good and the Marguerite Terry ordered was delicious. I swallowed my tequila plus mix in one last gulp. I was really tempted to order a Margarita but I had to drive home. I left satisfied with a sketch under my arm and I am so happy Terry decided to join me on one of my outings. I suspect we will return some day for a full dinner.

In The Heights – Opening Night Cast Party

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The Florida Theatrical Association the non-profit organization that presents Broadway shows here in town gave me a tip on where to find the cast party for “In the Heights”. I haven’t seen the show yet but I lived in Washington Heights for ten years when I lived in New York City. “In The Heights” therefor is already in my blood. The stage set photos I have seen look like it could be from a city block just north of where my apartment was. I could see the George Washington Bridge from where I lived. I can’t wait to see and sketch the show.
The cast party was held at Mucho’s Mexican Bar (101 East Eola Drive) in downtown Orlando. The bar is right across the street form two floors of office spaces that the Florida Theatrical Association just bought in the Sanctuary Building. There is over 20,000 square feet of space in the building. On the ground floor there is a theater which as of now still has dirt floors and on the second floor there is the huge empty space I sketched.
When I arrived at Mucho’s I was given an orange arm band and I immediately sat at a corner table and started sketching the room. Ron Leger came over and introduced himself. I was honored to find out he follows this blog and supports what I am trying to accomplish. Staff put out the salsa, sour cream and opened up the hot dishes. After 10:30 PM a large black Hummer drove up to the entrance of the bar and I knew the cast was starting to arrive. I got a beer and a plate of food before the room became packed. What followed was of course a feeding frenzy with many loud and fast paced conversations going on. The room was filled with excitement. Cast members were congratulating one another and discussing the finer points of the nights performances. Chris and Jennifer sat at the table next to me. He plays in the Orchestra for the show and I think she is his wife. We introduced ourselves but then I got lost in the sketch again and lost track of what they were talking about. A couple across the way started practicing some dance steps and then they both sat back down laughing. Much of the time as I tried to sketch I was faced with a wall of peoples backs, blocking my view. Rather than get frustrated I would glance off at some other section of room and draw that. Since I hadn’t seen the show, I didn’t know who any of the major players were. For tonight that wasn’t my concern. I just soaked up all the energy and excitement in the room and tried desperately to get it down on paper.
As I put the last washes down, people started leaving. The lights came back up and I closed my sketchbook and headed home.

Guitar Hero

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As part of Amanda Chadwick’s Seven Days of Celebration, she invited friends over to Rockin Joe’s Coffeehouse + Bistro to play Guitar Hero. January twelfth was the actual day of her birth so this day of celebration would count as the official birthday celebration. Rockin Joe’s is located in SODO (South of Down Town Orlando). I had never been to this part of town before and I was shocked by the huge Target store that greeted me as I tuned the corner. I could almost hear the heavenly hosts. This mega store stands out like a monolith beckoning shoppers to it’s doors. The coffee shop is located on the shopping district built around the Target. It is small and quaint. At the front of the shop is the eclectic sofa, arm chair and coffee tables shown. Jeremy Seghers is seated in the arm chair plotting to take over the world. Once again many of Amanda’s friends were SAK comedians so there was plenty of playful banter.
Having never played Guitar Hero, I could not tell you who was winning or who was loosing. Amanda seemed to hold her own but I think she might have had her ass whooped by the more experienced players. While I was sketching I decided to order a peanut butter cheese cake. It was sooooo good! I might go back again just for that cheesecake. Amanda was given a cupcake and we all sang Happy Birthday. As her friends started to leave, Amanda stood on a chair to show a very tall friend of hers what it was like to hug him. When I finished my sketch, people were already starting to drift away. Amanda said I should try Guitar Hero, but I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. She was encouraging and supportive, but I think Guitar Hero will have to wait for another day. I don’t think being a Rock-star is in my blood.

Hand Made Holiday

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12-22-09HandMadeHoliday
Lorri Ethridge is an artist who came to my Sketch Crawl around Lake Eola back in July. At 7 AM that morning as I sketched the sun rising near the Japanese pavilion, I could see her sitting on the dock in front of the Pavilion looking out over the lake and sketching the skyline. We talked briefly at the second stop on the Crawl which was at Panera Bread.
Several months later she sent me a message asking me if I knew Karie Brown who makes hand crafted handbags. I was thrilled to be able to bring them together. Lorri organized an event in Winter Springs called Handmade Holiday. She asked if I could stop out and document the occasion. Tables were set up in Huey Magoo’s in Winter Springs Town Center. Huey Magoo’s gave a portion of all food sales to Christmas Dreams for Children, a foundation in Christmas Florida.
The event was held inside since it was one of the first cold nights in Orlando this year. I stood and leaned back to one of the restaurant booths. The table right in front of me offered hand made teddy bears, woman’s purses and small wooden Japanese dolls. A UCF sports jersey was framed on the wall as “Art”. People who came to the event lingered perhaps not wanting to go back out in the cold or just happy to spend some time to talk to neighbors.

ChanuIKEA

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För åttonde natten Hanukkah, Brian Feldman värd en dynamisk händelse med sin mor i IKEA Orlando på 4092 Eastgate Drive. Jag kom några minuter för tidigt och hittade Chris Blanc, Jeremy Seghers och Mark Baratelli väntar inom restaurangområdet i butiken. De diskuterade om de skulle få lite mat innan Brian kom. Jag bestämde jag kunde inte skissa och äta på samma gång så jag väntade. Brian anlände sent. Den grupp människor som sakta samlades gick till ett bord på en lokal vid toppen av rulltrappan där vi kunde se posten vägen till affären. Seth Kubersky i Orlando Weekly sa att förra årets tillställning var mycket lika. För diner Seth beställde lox vilket är en mycket Judisk skålen med svenska köttbullar som säkerligen inte är. När Brian kom han sökte efter ett eluttag för att koppla in sin elektrisk Menorah. Den första kontakten fungerade inte och jag hittade honom ett annat utlopp. Fru Feldman delade ut dreidels för alla och förklarade spelen betydelse. Ett högt tillkännagivande om butiken intercom meddelade att restaurangen skulle stängas i 15 minuter. Strax därefter Brian reste sig och började göra tillkännagivanden av hans egna som översatt från hebreiska till svenska. Låntagare vid andra bord började sneglande över tänkande Brian skulle kunna tala i tungor. Brian leder sedan monterar folk på en rundtur i IKEA talar i hans översatta svenska manus. För att avsluta skissen jag var tvungen att stanna kvar. Porttelefonen meddelade att butiken skulle läggas ned i 15 minuter, så jag började jobba snabbare. När porttelefonen meddelade att butiken var stängd jag fortfarande dröjde tillsätta några sista tvättar. När jag gick ner till första våningen, fann jag gruppen i slutet. Jag frågade vad jag hade missat, och ingen kunde egentligen kan erbjuda en tydlig förklaring. Brian hade separerat från gruppen vid ett tillfälle och de förlorat kontakten med honom. Jag börjar tro att hela poängen med ChanuIKEA var för alla att uppleva semester rusa på turné i ögonblicken innan butiken stängd.