Easter Proposal

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Over the Easter weekend my friend and I drove south to visit her sister. I met my friend at UCF. She was presenting her masters finals so she had pulled an all nighter to create a large map of Florida that showed the Trail that she had hiked. Orange blazes along the trail marked the mile markers where she had created etchings. The beautiful etchings had thin intricate line work and each had one orange note of color which was a trail blaze. She used the grass paper we had created the weekend before to create the map.

After her presentation, I drove south and she leaned back and fell asleep. I thought I had set my Google maps to allow for toll roads but we ended up traveling down isolated farming roads with sweeping vistas. I was enjoying the views of horse country so I didn’t correct my mistake. Since my friend was asleep she wouldn’t know the difference. I pressed forward and felt at peace watching sunset light cut across open fields.

When we were getting close, my friend suggested we go to a Spanish Supermercado where we ordered some food and drink. I needed the bathroom. I have been studying Spanish on Duolingo and I should have been able to ask in Spanish but I blurted out “bathroom?” instead of “bańo?”. Ugh.

My friend’s sister has a degree in equine science and in business,owns horses and a mobile Equine Halotherapy business. She lives with Tim and their daughter in a lovely home. Tim planned a huge party to propose to my friend’s sister but she was told that it was a birthday party.When my friend and I first arrived we sat at the dining room table with Carolina who was discussing things that had gone wrong at a past party. My friend reassured her sister saying, “This may be a party you never forget.” She looked at me and we smiled.

On the morning of the party my friend’s sisteer took their daughter to ballet class and an egg hunt and then spent the rest of the afternoon resting in her bedroom under strict instructions not to come out, while the house was filled with balloons and flowers by Tim and two of his cousins. My friend and I worked outside to make the back yard an inviting place for guests to gather. We set up a large lawn canopy and several tables and lots of lawn chairs. We get things done. For some insane reason I decided to hand pull all the weeds away from a large fire pit. There were 3 dried out Christmas trees near the pit and I placed one in it. I figured it might be nice to set a bonfire after the sunset. I am a bit of a pyromaniac I suppose.

As we were working, we heard someone shout “Fire! FIRE!” Sure enough, black smoke and flames were pouring out of the screened back patio. we ran to the water hose which we had just been using to clean off lawn chairs and she turned the spigot while I ran with the end of the hose into the back patio. The grill was engulfed in flames and I sprayed it down until the flames sputtered out. There was no major property damage, just a large puddle of water around the grill and some soggy ribs. It happened in a flash. Carolina in her room must have heard the commotion, but decided to stay put at the swift end of it.

After the sweaty yard work, I took a shower and got into my Sunday best. I then started working on the sketch while we all waited for Tim to invite Carolina out of the bedroom. The wait was excruciating.  I left an area of my sketch open where I knew the proposal would happen. In front of the bedroom door were red and white rose petals arranged in a heart shape and flickering electric candles that spelled out, “Will You?” Then, arranged on a table were golden balloon letters that spelled out “Marry Me?” Tim arranged white carnations and sun flowers of the floor to create an aisle to where he presented the ring.

When my friend’s sister came out of the bedroom, her hands shot up to her face. I could see her expression of shock. Tim got down on one knee as she walked towards him. She got down on his level and there he presented the ring as their daughter looked on. My eyes welled up, I couldn’t help it. Across from me I could see a young woman trying to fight back the tears. As isolated as I became after divorce, I still hold joyous hope that couples can find love and build a life together. Life is short and it is so rewarding to share experiences with someone, while bearing witness to the many ups and downs of life.

After Tim presented the ring they hugged and kissed. my friend’s sister must have said yes to Tim, but very softly. Then she shouted out “YES” and everyone in the room clapped and shouted their approval. Corks popped and my friend invited everyone to toast the couple. Then came a magnificent feast of Colombian foods, ribs, chicken and cornbread, that I had never tried before and far too much pink cake. I soaked in the fast conversations in Spanish and got advice from my friend’s family on what accents to avoid if I wanted to sound like a scholarly Colombian. It was a glorious day. I was so happy to be there with a sketchbook in hand.

La Niña

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I have been studying Spanish. Each time I eat a meal, I check in with Duolingo on my phone and do a lesson. My friend invited me to go to her sisters house where the family would be celebrating her sister’s birthday. Since I am studying Spanish, she felt it would be good for me to immerse myself in the family conversations, many of which would be in Spanish. She was absolutely right. I am thrilled each time the family speaks in Spanish. I catch maybe a quarter of what is said but the playful sing song exchanges are a thrill to listen too.

I met my friend at UCF where she was giving her finals presentation and then we hit the road. It was a long scenic drive on endless rural roadways. I loved driving through the wide open horse and cow country. She had pulled an all nighter to assemble a map using the paper we had created over the weekend. She was exhausted so she slept through most of the trip.

The original plan was for me to use a iPhone hot spot so I could teach a virtual student for most of the ride and I am glad that the class was canceled at the last minute. It would have been unfair to my friend to struggle to stay awake for that long drive.

She had a present for her niece. It was a curved long board. It is such a simple and sturdy toy that encourages balance. As soon as we arrived she and her niece played with it for the longest time in the living room. Stella lit up when she played with her niece. First she taught her how to straddle the board and treat it like a surf board rocking side to side.  Then it was turned over like a bridge and her niece jumped off with glee. Then her niece sat on the board and rocked side to side. This was certainly the safest and most balanced way to play.

A box of small animal toys was brought out and the animals hid under the long board bridge like trolls. my friend played with the animals allowing them to chase a ball. All of the interactions were in Spanish and it was such a good learning experience for me. Elephante was one of the first words I learned in Spanish and sure enough there was a small stuffed elephant. She also read a book to her niece in Spanish and I was on the edge of my seat hanging on every word. Playtime and pre-school learning are such a thrill for me as I slowly pick up a new language.

On the trip down we stopped in a Spanish supermercado. I needed a bathroom and like a dope asked in English. Afterwards I realized I know how to ask for a bathroom. “Yo necesito uno baño.” I need to get more daring in using the language I am slowly learning. As in art, mistakes are inevitable. I will learn faster if I take more chances and use what I have learned. I now have 2 days of absolute Spanish immersion. Every playful exchange my friend has with her niece is a gold mine of fluent Spanish. She reads the children books that are printed in English and translates them for her niece in Spanish. She created several movies with those translations and I want to look at the movies which should be another gold mine.

During her all nighter creating a map with the grass paper she discovered an online channel that has an endless stream of Colombia soap operas. She described the over the top villainous and sexy leading lady. Sweet innocent couples were forced into  turning to a life of evil due to circumstances. The plot twists were silly and unrealistic but that is what makes it sound so fun. If I were to watch this soap opera first with English subtitle and then without them, I should start picking up phrases and conversational Spanish. At least that is my hope.

Experimental Painting

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By Thomas Thorspecken

After attending Ilenia Colón Mendoza‘s Talk titled, From Paret y Alcázar to Bad Bunny: The Puerto Rican Jíbaro, I went to the Visual Arts building to see a wall of student work assembled by my friend Stella P. Arbelaéz Tascón. She has been teaching an experimental painting class as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and the student work from her students was on display.

What set this display of work off were articles written by the students that described their experiences in doing the assignments. The rest of the student work from other teachers were strictly paintings and drawings. Since I write articles each day about my experiences sketching, I was intrigued.

For one class, the assignment was Sumi painting using Japanese inks on rice paper. One student expressed how excited they were to try the technique. It was their first time using rice paper which is delicate requiring a gentle touch with the brush. Different values of ink application produced atmospheric perspective. The student found the use of the Japanese brushes to be calming. Another student found Sumi difficult, however she loved the result and plans o use what was learned in future projects. Projects pushed students beyond their comfort zones and that is where progress is made.

In another class, students worked in watercolor out in the UCF meditation garden. For most students this was there first time working in water color plein-aire. In the visual arts building undergrads are set up in tiny cubicles where they are tasked to create their body of work. I always find getting out of the studio refreshing. Sometimes the big concept can take the back seat to simple direct observation. One student noted that working with watercolor was challenging to start. With practice she began to understand how the medium worked. She began to use delicate layering of washes. Allowing the white of the paper to shine through was the biggest challenge.  Though challenging, the time flew by and she found painting in watercolor to be therapeutic.

I loved reading all the students thoughts. It grounded me to the simple joy of what if feels like to create something, every single day.

In the sketch above, Stella was working on labels for the wall display. She gave me a quick tour of the undergrad painting studio area. There were some very talented painters working in that area. A critique was about to start so we had to get in and out fairly quickly. Then she got to work adding labels to her student wall just as I had to hit the road, so I would be available for my online students back at the Lake County studio,

The Puerto Rican Jíbaro

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I went to UCF to attend a lecture by SVAD professor of art history Ilenia Colón Mendoza. She gave a talk about The Puerto Rican Jíbaro.” Which explored the jíbaro as a symbol of Puerto Rican identity, tracing its use by artists, political movements, and musicians.

In the context of Puerto Rico, “jíbaro” refers to a traditional, self-sufficient farmer or rural worker, often living in mountainous regions. Since I have been getting my hands dirty working the soil each day, my curiosity was piqued.

The lecture was at the UCF Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSC), 12405 Aquarius Agora Dr, Orlando, FL but a room number was not noted. I noticed an older man walking towards the Nickelson school carrying a guitar case. Instinct told me that he was likely going to the lecture so I followed him and sure enough he lead me to an auditorium. I was a bit late so I set up in the back row and immediately started sketching.

Puerto Rico was under colonial rule of Spain for over 400 years and in 1898 it was handed over to United States colonial rule after the Spanish-American War. The colonial rulers liked to portray the jibaro as lazy but the opposite was true. They were educated and industrious working extremely hard to tame the land. Ilena showed many examples of the jibaro depicted in art. The straw hat would resemble a halo and the plantains harvested would be held as a large bundle of sometimes stand in as a mustache of even replace the head of the person depicted. The machete used to harvest was a symbol of power.

Paret y Alcázar has been recognized as the most accurate Spanish interpreter of French Rococo painting. After studying at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, he was appointed painter at the Court of King Carlos III in 1762. He was banished to Puerto Rico for his bad behavior at the Court, he arrived on the island in 1775, where he remained until 1778. During the short period of his stay on the island he carried out commissions for the Mayor’s Office and played an important role in the education of painter, José Campeche, his only disciple. Among the works created in Puerto Rico his self-portrait, painted in 1776, stands out. Barefooted and dressed in the typical clothing of the Puerto Rican peasant, it was sent to King Carlos III so he would pity his situation and put an end to his exile. This image is held up as the standard of the jibaro living off the land. The self portrait is not of a peasant but of an accomplished court painter.

Images shown progresses to the modern day with the singing icon of Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio), who uses the imagery of the jabaro in how he presents himself. Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer. Known as the “King of Latin Trap”, Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve mainstream popularity in the worldwide market.

Ilenia Colón Mendoza built her thesis around the art of Puerto Rico and her passion for the subject certainly was evident in this hour long presentation.  The musician I followed into the presentation turned out to be a musicologist who was quite familiar with the history of Puerto Rican music. I am glad this presentation was open to the public.

UCF MFA Spring Midterm Critique

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By Thomas Thorspecken

I was invited to go to the UCF Spring Mid Term Critique. It was great for me to meet the graduate students and talk art. Artist Zoe Nestlie had invited me once before, but at the time I was recovering from a COVID-19 infection.

Zoe had two paintings on display. Both were self portraits. In one a clown in white face had red rings around her eyes and a painted on smile while she face reflected sadness. An extra triangular canvas sat on top extending the blue clown’s had upward. Actual blue pom poms adorned the hat. Above the  painting was a round canvas painted red representing a balloon. One professor advised Zoe to use an actual balloon while another advised against the idea. It is up to Zoe to figure out what would work best. A second self portrait titled Facade, had heart shapes rose colored glasses. On that piece red orange and yellow flowers acted as a physical bouquet. Her work is about the psychological impact of emotional abuse within an intimate partner relationship.

The previous time I had sketched the the UCF Critique, Zoe was showing off her first painted explorations. She is still a first year student and this is her third time showing her work to the School of Visual Arts and Design, (SVAD)  faculty at large, for a formal critique. I happened to do my sketch quite close to her work. All of her work had been digital at the first critique. She had done a very consistent series of digital paintings of large eyed girls in uncomfortable positions. I asked Zoe if she preferred working digitally or traditionally. She still does some studies for paintings in the digital medium but now prefers to work larger on canvas. She likes the physicality of working on large paintings that have three dimensional elements. It is interesting to see her work progress as she moves through the masters program.

One female artist was talking about how women artists have been marginalized throughout the history of art. She followed up with the fact that she was in the masters program and that meant that the tide had turned. There are 3 men in the masters program, but only one guy made into my sketch. He is looking at his cell phone.

As I was sketching, Anna Vic Webb asked if I could stop back and visit her studio when I was done with the sketch. When I got back to her studio, she was just wrapping up with several professors. She had a self portrait on display. The eyes were a disturbing red but impossible to avoid looking at. As I was talking to Anna. I kept glancing back at those red piercing eyes in the painting. Sections of the painting vibrated with florescent brightness. Hair was painted on the legs in a spiraling pattern similar to Van Gogh’s nigh sky. A lone wolf was peaking printed on her tee shirt in the painting. We had a long talk about art which was quite rewarding. I didn’t really critique the work but instead offered suggestions on techniques she might like to try to tie all the elements together. I lost track of time getting to chat about art. I finally slipped away when a professor came in to offer her critique.

UCF Studio Art MFA program Fall Mid-term Reviews.

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I got to experience a rare glimpse into what it might be like in a Master of Fine Arts program at UCF. Stella P. Abeláez Tascón invited me to stop in for the Studio Art Mid-Term critique.

When I first arrived, I saw all the students gathered around this common room table. I paused, not being sure if I was in the right place but then masked up and went inside.

Meeting each artist in turn was such a thrill. First Stella explained how she planned to engineer a huge outdoor sculpture she plans to assemble. She sketched her idea on a large newsprint pad which I can identify with since I communicate best while putting lines on paper. I will not describe the sculpture since I am hoping I might sketch the piece as it is assembled.

In my sketch there is a knot of red and pink tubes hanging on the wall. This was done by Abigail (@artby.AMF). Her studio was straight down the hall from the large knotted sculpture. The knotting represents the bitter discomfort when the reproductive cycle is off. Her work was largely about women’s reproductive issues. The multi media work glowed with bright pinks and reds. For some women the egg does not make the journey down the Fallopian tubes each month. This would result in the woman not having a period for that month. The eggs just congregate in the ovary like pearls. I say that since some of her soft form sculptures have pearls sewn onto the ovaries. The conversation was fascinating and her work helps bring to light issues that even many doctors are unfamiliar with.

Another artist, Alicia (@ally.artistic), had multimedia work that reflected her Japanese and Catholic roots. A sculpture of an angel reminded me of what the Greek goddess Artemis sculpture must have looked like when they were in full color. Another sculpt of a woman felt like Venus Rising from the Sea thanks to a found object of an opulent shell that she saves from the trash. Another sculpture of cakes was reminiscent of Wayne Thiebaud with the vibrant colors. She had magnificent golden sculpture by Bernini on her studio walls and perhaps someday she will produce work on that scale and grandeur.

I got to meet (@staciebecker) who is also a tattoo artist who works with women who have had breast reconstruction surgery after breast cancer. Stacie tattoos the reconstructed breast making it glow with new life.She explained that women who felt they did not need the tattoos were often the ones who came back into their own bodies thanks to the process. Another piece of hers showed crows flying. Each crow held a string and I was shocked when I saw severed fingers at the end of each string. Each finger has a letter tattooed onto it. I was searching for some meaning in the letters when Stacie held up her two fists which had the same letters tattooed onto them.

After I finished my sketch, I spoke to (@Anna.Vic.Webb). Her bright vibrant paintings were in the print lab area. Most of the pieces seemed to focus on the apparent comfort of the bedroom, while the neon colors alluded to something more. A modern day Cheshire creature grinned from under each bed. Her glowing enthusiasm for art was contagious and I spent much time discussing the artistic process with her because of that enthusiasm. Stella told me she was working on her Masters degree because it will allow her to teach college age students who are excited to learn about the lifelong pursuit of art. I have had many students who were going through the motions, and I must say it was so exciting to talk to artists who are pushing themselves in new directions.

There were about 22 artists in all, so it was a whirlwind getting to hear a bit about each of their artistic journeys. Since I have been locked away in my studio for so long, it was a thrill.

Macbeth Final

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The final version of the poster had MACBETH surrounded by a cast wearing black stocking masks as they lay their hands on the king. The hands on each side of his head imply that the crown had just been placed. it is a bit akimbo feeling not quite set in place yet.

Since the Shakes is under renovation, very few people drive to the theater and therefor they do not see the large posters hanging in front of the theater. I am not sure when plays will once again be stages in the theater.

This production of Macbeth is being staged at Fringe Art Space in downtown Orlando. The cast are UCF masters degree students.  Tickets.

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2024

Where: Fringe ArtSpace

54 W Church St Suite 201, Orlando, FL 32801

When:

November 1:

  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

November 2:

  • Matinee: 2:00 – 3:20 PM
  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

After Pulse: Olga Molina

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Advisory: Please note that this post is about the Pulse nightclub massacre on June 12, 2016. It contains sensitive and difficult to read content.

Olga Molina is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Central Florida (UCF). On June 12, 2016 Olga was in her car and turned on a Spanish speaking radio station. She heard announcements that blood was needed and that people were lining up at blood banks. Something terrible must have happened. For the longest time they didn’t say what had happened. When she got back home, she turned on the TV and started seeing the images of people coming out of the nightclub. She didn’t know how many had been killed yet. The community came together very quickly, bringing water to those in line to give blood.

Several days later she went to a conference in New York City. There she met the executive director of Hispanic Family Counseling who said that they were short of bilingual social workers. They were being overwhelmed with the number of clients they were seeing. There are not enough bilingual social workers in Central Florida. Olga volunteered. They were doing a lot of home visits since people were so frightened that they didn’t want to leave their homes.

Olga began a Spanish speaking support group for survivors. These were people who were in the nightclub on the night of the attack. About 6 survivors came into the group. They met for about eight sessions. Then people were transferred to therapists. That happened between June and October of 2016. The meetings happened once a week for about two hours. The stories were horrific. Confidentiality and safety and trust were important. It was about mutual aid. They were the only ones who had gone through this experience and so they would best know how to help each other.

Some could not sleep at night. Many lost their jobs. Several became homeless because the FBI was asking questions and the landlords didn’t want problems. Anxiety was high. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder had to be overcome just to go to the meetings.

They exchanged phone numbers, and began contacted each other during the week. After the group meeting they would go across the street to the coffee shop and talk for several more hours. They became friends, some attended church together, Some took English classes together. It was empowering.

After the eight weeks they decided they wanted to keep meeting and so a new counselor was brought in to continue the sessions. They worked with the new counselor for several more months and then decided to end the group. Progress was made as they shared and made their way back to society. The eight weeks were not enough for any type of full recovery but everyone made their own progress. People are still hurting and there are long term consequences of the attack. Bridges still need to be built.

Hurricane damage in Greenwood Cemetery.

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I drive by Greenwood Cemetery almost daily and after Hurricane Irma I was amazed at the amount of tree damage there was in the cemetery. I decided to return to document some of the trees that had snapped like twigs. The first stop was to the four headstones for victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre. This area of the cemetery had been largely spared. As a matter of fact one stone had rainbow balloons, rainbow flowers, a pin wheel and a rainbow colored teddy bear. All the memorial items were pristine. The day before had been Leroy Valentín Fernández‘ birthday. Clearly the family had come out and colorfully decorated his headstone to mark the occasion. All of the Pulse victim headstones now had color photos that were laminated in plastic and cut into the headstones. The photo of Cory Connell was had outstretched arms as if he were ready to wrestle the world. All memorial items had been removed form his stone, probably in preparation for Hurricane Irma. All 4 stone sat quietly in the shade of a large tree that had weathered the storm fine.

Pam Schwartz and I searched the cemetery for the tree I had seen while driving by the cemetery. Blanche Crews headstone
was knocked over by a fallen tree limb. It was wedged back up with
fallen branches making it look like the fallen angels had crutches.  Dozens of trees had snapped and branches littered the entire cemetery making it appear wild and overgrown. I settled into a spot near the headstone of Edgar Earl Hitchcock. I of course wondered if he was related to the film maker. Pam quickly did research and found out that Edgar was an important figure in Orlando’s medical history. He founded the Pediatric Associates of Orlando in 1939. He was shown in a photo giving the very first polio vaccine shot in Central Florida to a young boy. His wife Ruth died many years after him but her headstone was not in her family plot or perhaps there is just no headstone.

Across the lane from where I was sketching, a family arrived in several cars. Blue and white helium balloons bounced up out of the car behind them. They were visiting the headstone of Richard Marcano Trinidad who had died on August 19, 2016. He had died at the tender age of 36. His stone noted that he was a Stealers fan and the epitaph read…”For the best daddy in the world. We will never forget you…from your kids.” An Orlando Sentinel article reported that police had been dispatched to a home near UCF, where they found Trinidad critically injured. His 36 year old girlfriend was on the scene. I could not find any further reports about how or why Richard had died. The family released the dozen or so blue and white balloons and they silently rose into the sky.

Near the fallen tree I was sketching was the headstone for Harry P. Leu (1884-1977) and his wife Mary (1903-1986) of Leu Gardens fame. Their two granite slabs lying side by side, were pristine except for a few leaves. The Harry P. Leu historic home however has suffered damage from a huge tree limb that crashed into the roof, exposing the Leu bedroom to rain and wind damage. The ceilings and floor boards are soaked. Leu Gardens has closed indefinitely. Pam Schwartz, the Orange County Regional History Center curator went to the historic home to offer advice on preservation societies who might be able to help as well as FEMA contacts. 

The History Center off site storage facility had suffered damage when a roof access panel was blown loose and it gouged holes in the roofing as the heavy metal lid was hurled by the high winds, causing leaks over the historic collection. I was with Pam when she found the soaked warehouse and helped in removing soaked ceiling panels and now useless archival cardboard boxes. It look hours of work and in the emergency the sketchbook was ignored. Even though the floor were dried and artifacts were lifted to be  dried out off the floor, it was then discovered that the walls of the warehouse are fulled with mold. Now an effort needs to be made to save the collection form that mold which is inside the walls up to 10 feet high. The History Center is replacing all the inner walls in an effort to  protect and preserve Orlando’s History.

Brian Feldman presents, Dishwasher.

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Flying Horse Editions located in the UCF Center for Emerging Media campus across from the Bob Carr, held an open house with wine and cheese.

Flying Horse Editions is a collaborative research studio for visual
artists at the University of Central Florida. A non-profit publisher of
limited-edition prints, artist books, and art objects by
internationally renowned artists, FHE offers unique opportunities for
artists, students, and the Central Florida community.

Flying Horse Editions offers visiting artists the opportunity to work
with FHE technicians to push the boundaries of their work while
providing a unique educational experience for UCF students.

At part of the open house Brian Feldman presented Dishwasher. The premise is simple; Brian washed dishes for the first half of the evening and then gave a cold reading of a monologue from a play. Sara Segal , who booked the performance, picked the script. After his reading, the audience was asked if Brian was a better actor or dish washer. Brian began h is acting career when he was just 10 years old at the Shakespeare Theater at Lake Eola Park. His first non-acting job however, was as a dishwasher. So he has experience with both career paths. Several of Brian’s friends were at the open house and they joked with Brian as he did the dishes. When it came time to vote, they decided he was a better dishwasher. The rest of the audience voted for his acting.