Gallery at Avalon Island

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On the Third Thursday of every month the downtown galleries have openings for new art on display. I tried to sketch the gorgeous architecture of the Gallery at Avalon Island once before but it was winter and I couldn’t finish the drawing with my cold hands. The green building is covered with intricate metalwork. The Rogers building was built in 1886 by architect William Mullins. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

As I sketched the sun slipped to the horizon creating a golden glow. When I finished I went inside to look at the art. On display were photo real paintings by Doug Bloodworth. Many of the slick glossy paintings were done with airbrush. Classic black and white movies seemed to be the predominant theme. If I had a home theater I wanted to decorate, then I suppose they would do the trick.

Terry Olson saw me working and said hello. He was off to see the Red Chairs which were being displayed in City Arts Factory. I had watched Genevieve Bernard as she decorated the Mennello Museum Red Chair with hundreds of red and gold buttons. There was a bustling crowd inspecting red chairs which were decorated by each of the arts organizations in town. Terry wanted me to join her for an Orlando Philharmonic event so I didn’t stick around to do another sketch. I quickly glanced at the artwork at Blank Space as I walked back to my truck.

CarVerations

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Mark Baratelli’s “Mobile Art Show” had a different twist this month. Usually, Mark rents a U-Haul truck and has an artist exhibit their work inside. When I arrived at the City Arts Factory this month I found Mark unloading wrappers, newspapers and assorted bottles from the backseat of his beat up 1996 Chevy Cavalier. He put a bottle of mouthwash on the dashboard and loaded everything else into the trunk. He and Brian Feldman, a local performance artist, had decided at the last minute to create an event called “CarVersations,” in which people could pay one dollar could sit in the passenger seat and have a five minute conversation with Brian.

Evan Miga showed up having heard about the event on Facebook. Mark had announced it only hours before. Evan showed me some wire that was wrapped around his backpack. At the end of the wire was a silver box with a switch. When he flipped the switch, the wire glowed a neon blue. As we spoke the neon flickered, fluctuating to the volume of our voices as we talked. He plans to use these wires to outline the corrugated robots he is creating for”Dog Powered Robot and the History of the Future” which will be in the Orlando Fringe Festival this May.He said some scenes will be in complete darkness with just the neon glow illuminating the scene. Evan wrapped the wire around the outer edge of the windshield of the car so when people spoke, the wire would glow.

Brian showed up with his portable marquee and he set it up on the roof of the car. Mark shouted to Brian through the windshield, “Three minutes to places!” For some reason, after getting in the car, Brain flipped on the windshield wipers which sent the neon wire twisting in all directions. Mark shouted, “Noooooo!” Brian couldn’t figure out how to turn off the wipers quick enough. He shouted back, “How do you turn the wipers off?” I laughed out loud. It was like watching vintage Laurel and Hardy slapstick.

Several SAK Comedy Lab volunteers came down during the event to speak to Brian in the Car. Orlando Live host Peter Murphy had an interview with Brian, which the cameraman filmed from the backseat. My wife stopped by, paid her dollar and spoke to Brian for five minutes. I am not sure I gave her a solid five minutes of my attention since I was struggling with the sketch on my digital tablet. Before I knew it, CarVersations was over. Mark drove off and I continued to throw down digital washes till I was satisfied.

Walkman Muse

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On the third Thursday of December, Asaan “Swamburger” Brooks was in the Redefine Gallery working on a series of canvases showcasing his brand of Urban Art. The evening before he had done a large mural on the wall opposite the one I show him working on in this sketch. Redefine Gallery is in the front room at City Arts Factory. I arrived early to find Swamburger busy at work on a large canvas. He was always willing to take the time to stop and chat when people like myself would interrupt. He gave me a warm handshake and briefly explained the premise of the show. None of the pieces hanging was completely finished. He continued painting throughout the evening and he worked in rotation from one painting to the next. He let the music inspire and guide him. The space in the gallery was tight and there was no where I could stand without standing right in front of a painting, so I stood outside sketching through the glass door. The RE logo was printed on the door. Swamburger used one of the printed invitations as his makeshift palette for the evening. The boom box was constantly playing.

The gallery got more and more crowded as the evening progressed but I kept my focus on Swamburger as he stood on a chair to reach the top of his painting. One of the outdoor vendors introduced himself saying he follows my progress here online. We became instant Facebook friends. Another artist started talking to me about a drum circle down in the Keys that I should get down and sketch someday. All the art in City Arts Factory was on sale for less that $200 that night. After the sketch was complete I wandered through all the galleries getting a bit depressed that artists were willing to sell their work so cheap these days. Outside the mobile art show which is hosted by Mark Baretalli in a rented u-haul truck had a large quilt titled HOARD, by Tess Bonacci which was made from hundreds of stuffed cat hides. For the first time Mark was charging people $1 to walk up the ramp into the truck. Someone lent Brian Feldman $1 so he could walk in and take a look. I didn’t go inside. I met Terry and we went out to get a bite to eat. After dinner, Terry went home and I wandered over to Avalon to see the Group show there. The place was pretty deserted when I arrived but a musician was still playing in the bar area. I considered sketching but figured he would most likely pack it up soon since no one was listening.

What Moves You?

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City Arts Factory for Third Thursday in August had an exhibition called “What Moves You” which featured installation art. In a far back room, Jessica Earley had an installation with two projectors which were decorated to look like space shuttles. On one of the two screens she could be seen crying animated tears. Brigen Gresh had an installation in which railroad spikes hanging from the ceiling caused a traffic pattern which directed viewers to a corner of the room where a whimsical sculpture with multiple wheeled modes of transportation looked like they were balancing on a high beam. In the hallway a toilet bowl was lined with firecrackers.
Outside Pine Street was shut down and the Mobile Arts Show U-Haul was parked with the back of the truck facing the City Arts Factory. White curtains were draped from the rear of the truck. Near the ramp leading up to the truck, three monsters had set up a kissing booth. Terry was feeling quite bohemian this night, but what happens at the Mobile Art Show stays at the Mobile Art Show. Inside the truck was the work of Karen Russell. I identify with her angst filled figurative work.
A large weather balloon was perched in the middle of the street. This was an installation called “Connections”. This sphere had video projected on it by students from UCF. I wandered the street because for a solid block artists were out and working on their creations for the duration of the evening. It had been raining rather hard at the beginning of the evening and most artists were under awnings. I followed their lead and sat down under an awning across the street from City Arts. Antonio Santos was painting right in front of me. He was working on a religious themed painting with the figures glowing in a mystical cloud. Jimmy Margary was painting two rather cartoony frogs.
Michael Moore was set up on Orange Avenue somewhat isolated from the rest of the artist crowd. His work uses stencils and spray paint for a quick effect. I started my sketch since I was trapped by the rain. I hoped he might work on his painting but he ended up talking to a friend for the duration of my sketch. Around the corner a woman and man were arguing. She yelled, “I’m waiting to have fucking dinner with you! That is what our fucking plans were!” The man was yelling back, “I show up and you’re all like…” I lost track of what he was saying as I walked away. A homeless man looked at me smiled and shook his head. I smiled back, amused.

Mobile Art Show

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TheDailyCity.com hosts the Mobile Art Show every month parked outside the City Arts Factory (29 South Orange Avenue) during “Third Thursdays.” On Third Thursdays, the downtown art galleries all open new shows allowing for a solid night of gallery hopping. In February Mark Baratelli of the Daily City decided to fill the truck with the posters of LURE Design. This was a simple show to hand since all the posters were about the same size and they could be hung with bull clips zip tied to the existing rubber bumpers inside the truck. January 21st is when this show of posters took place.
Mark drove the rental U_Haul to Frames Forever where Katie Windish had promised to help hang the show. Mark started taping huge sheets of brown paper on the side of the truck that was going to face the City Arts Factory, while Katie was hanging the posters inside the truck. As I sketched it started to rain. Katie told me I could borrow an umbrella from inside her show so I ran in and got it. So part of this sketch was done in the pouring rain while I hunkered under her umbrella. Then the wind started to pick up causing to rain horizontally and I dashed inside the truck. The windy deluge didn’t last too long and I soon went back out to finish up the sketch.
That night I went downtown to see the Mobile Art Show in action for the first time. Brian Feldman was outside the City Arts Factory doing his latest performance which involved charging peoples cell phones. Because of the pending rain, I decided against sketching that night. This sketch would have to do for the day. Mark had decorated the inside of the U-Haul with white Christmas lights and it was really festive. I am trying to convince Mark to allow me to plaster the side of the truck with ink jet prints all 365 sketches from last year and then have the 2009 sketchbooks and some matted prints inside the truck. At the FRESH performances this month I have figured out how to offer any print from the sketchbooks by using a tablet PC and an ink jet printer. As Mark said when he say this set up, “That is bad ass!” So keep your eyes open downtown on the Third Thursday of March!