Mark Baratelli of theDailyCity.com organized the first annual Orlando Improv Festival. I know he has been organizing the event for months so I had to stop by the Winter Park Playhouse and see how the inaugural night played out. When I arrived Mark seemed a little harried but from the start I could see that the event was a success. The lobby of the playhouse is warm and inviting. There are comfortable couches and a full service bar. It has what I consider a Parisian flair. I sketched the box office where Dina Peterson and Ileana “Blue” Johns, were greeting people as they entered. Dina would chime in with, “So, are you here to see a show?” The lobby quickly filled up. Hannah Miller who was also a volunteer sat with her handmade high heeled bunny slippers, working diligently at sidoku on her cell phone. Rabbits that resembled Betsy Die’s wonderful quirky creations were everywhere. I texted Betsy and she explained that Mark had asked her to create rabbits as improv mascots. She didn’t want to spend the 2 hours needed to sew each rabbit. Mark recruited the mom of a friend who ended up sewing the lookalikes. Betsy did have final approval of the final product but some of the demonic charm was lost.
I heard a woman seated at the bar say to her friend, “I think that is Thor.” Since it is a small lobby, I heard her and walked over to say hello. Terry stopped in after work, but she had to get up early the next morning so she didn’t stick around for a show . Hannah and Mike Maples sat at my table and we talked and laughed for the longest time while I finished my sketch. Hannah and Mike went to get some sandwiches and we had dinner before finally heading in to see a show. when we entered the theater, it was pitch dark. I got my iPhone out to use as a flashlight and Hannah shouted out, “Hey help guide us in with your cell phones! ” I believe Sultana or Brian guided us to some seats in the third row.
Mark bounded on the stage and the crowd hooted and hollered . He introduced Boston Improv and everyone cheered. They had me laughing out loud from the start. Scenes changed quickly and the fast pace never slackened. 0ne scene was at a dating service where one woman was training another on how to act when first meeting her date. Someone was pulled from the audience and he was seated next to her. She pushed up right next to him and rubbed her head on his chest like a cat. when she was reprimanded she clutched his knee refusing to give him any space. When she was prompted to say something about herself she said, “I like to drug people while they are asleep.” I couldn’t stop laughing.
The second act I went to see was Droll Academy from Orlando. I was told they perform every week at “The Funky Monkey”. They started with musical improv which had me bopping my head to the beat while I laughed . They too pulled an audience member on the stage. They chose a beautiful Asian woman who they serenaded gently till the lyrics showed the truth, that they wanted to make love to her. As she stood embarrassed one actor writhed on the ground as he continued to sing.
Both performances I went to were packed and people lingered in the lobby between shows. I hope this festival grows and returns bigger and better each year.
Available
For the entire month of August, performance artist Brian Feldman has decided to make himself “Available” to do anything you need help with. Do you need your car washed? Laundry folded? Lawn mowed? Dog walked? Dinner prepared? Someone to go shopping with? Someone to see a movie with? Kids watched? Help crossing the road? Services of the self-proclaimed greatest designated driver of all time? Just fill out the form and he is available for you. It is like hiring a friend to help out for FREE!
One request caught my eye from the start. Karen Cali (KC), a figurative artist, wanted Brian to post nude for her. As KC wrote, “I do charcoal work from the figure and there’s a shortage of male models in general and my money to pay models in particular.” There was a mad flurry of e-mails as this private sketch session was arranged. Several sketch locations were considered and then discarded, including the Mobile Art Show and Blank Space. Since I was having a sketchbook display at Frames Forever & Art Gallery, we finally decided this would be the perfect spot for a quiet Sunday morning sketch session. Katie Windish, who owns the shop, is still offering huge clearance discounts on everything in stock. She even bought in a whole pile of art books, DVDs and other items from home. She had a tiny digital camera that she wanted to sell and before Brian got to the shop we duck taped it to the far wall opposite from where he was going to pose. We made no effort to disguise the camera, we just wanted to see if he would ever notice it. It took him about half an hour, but when he did notice it we all had a good laugh.
KC had bought her own artist sketch bench and a flood lamp. Brian hung a black drape over the windows of the shop door. KC and I dropped our cell phones off in the back room of the shop with Katie. She was busy working on a framing job and wasn’t prepared to see Brian nude, so she stayed hidden. She did stop out when Brian had a break and was in his bathrobe. I showed her my drawing but kept my thumb over the private parts. KC did a great job of posing Brian and reassuring him as he found his pose. He is actually a really good model since many of his performances involve stamina and patience. KC did two drawings and I worked on this blog sketch. The second pose was a standing pose, and offered the full monty. I decided to stick with this sketch where his clenched hands hide his privates. I have a newfound respect for the lengths Brian will go to for the sake of his art.
From the Heart
Terry told me about this free fundraising concert to help raise funds to help fight cancer. The concert took place at Trinity Prep Academy (5700 Trinity Prep Lane, Winter Park). We walked in without any high expectations. I picked out a front row seat with a clear view of the piano. As we sat and waited, I penciled in the details of the stage. I figured when the performers arrived I would ink them in. Norah Jones was singing soulfully over the speakers to the audience as they arrived. We had just seen her in concert the previous night and I was smitten. She is following me and haunting my thoughts.
Nassi Brandes sat at the piano and opened the event with a quick piece. Then a series of speakers explained the importance of the evening to the audience. 14 Arab and 14 Jewish children with life threatening cancer had traveled to Orlando from their everyday lives isolated in hospital beds and treatment rooms to get a chance to just be kids and play in the Orlando theme parks. Politics of a war-torn Middle East mean little to these children. I glanced over and saw for the first time that an entire section of the audience was filled with children wearing white shirts. One girl had a gauze eye patch on and and I suddenly realized these were the children. Their travel had been organized by Travel Holdings. Give Kids The World organized a morning at their World Village and the children would also gain access to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and all of the Disney theme parks.
The concert was fabulous. As Aviva Avidan sang an Israeli song some of the children started to dance. I noticed Terry looking over and when she turned to me there were tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. The final act was a folk-pop-rock band called “The Wellspring.” One of their songs called “Put up a Fight” reminded me that Terry and I need to continue to fight to regain common ground from which we can once again grow together. We haven’t yet lost the war. Their final song had a beat that you simply have to dance to. Suddenly all the children got up on stage and started to dance. They all moved with pure joy and abandon. Celebrate life! Live, Laugh, Love, Sing! Life is too short, so make this and every moment count!
sleepwalk 2: i walk over you
The week Winter Park hosted the 51st Annual Sidewalk Art Festival, Katie Windish of Frames Forever & Art Gallery hosted the 2nd Annual Outsider Art Fair in the parking lot of her framing shop. I like the sound of being an outsider, so I agreed to exhibit a bunch of my prints from sketches done around town. Doug Rhodehamel also was going to be there making paper bag mushrooms and this was going to be an opportunity for me to get a sketch of him at work.
I got to the Outsider Art Fair a little late and found I had to squeeze in to make some space for my work. I had just exhibited my work in theTheDailyCity.com Mobile Art Show and so I had a pile of prints which had been used to wallpaper the entire inside of the truck. I simply threw the pile of prints down on the pavement and let people who were interested flip through. I think I sold just 2 prints that day but I got to meet so many great artists. Tracy Burke was working on a large portrait of Pete Townsend in bold black and white brush work with just a touch of warmth added for the flesh tones. I was impressed by her work, yet didn’t interrupt her to talk. I have bumped into her several times since and I keep trying to arrange to try and sketch her at work.
Towards the end of the day, I finally went up to the front of the shop to see Brian Feldman’s performance called “sleepwalk 2: i walk over you.” I set up across the street and watched Brian as he stumbled back and forth on the scaffolding that was set up in front of the shop. With the original “sleepwalk,” Brian slept for 50 straight hours while people were allowed to walk over him. This time, the bystanders were under the scaffolding while Brian sleepwalked above them for 8 hours. A small sign read, Shout out, “Why don’t you get a room?” A mother encouraged her little girl to shout this up to Brian in order to get a 1 inch button. He had a face mask on and thus really couldn’t see where he was going. The metal railings were the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground.
Sultana Stares
While I was at work at Full Sail, I got a text message from Hannah Miller saying she planned to stare at Brian Feldman that afternoon while wearing her wedding dress. Brian and Hannah got married several months ago when Brian put a invite on Facebook saying he would marry any woman that showed up at the Orange County Courthouse. I got off work early and rushed over to Frames Forever & Art Gallery to start the sketch. When I arrived Brian was relaxing with his head bowed after having just stared down Mike McDonnel. I had texted several times prior to my arrival just to let Katie Windish and Brian know that something special might happen involving Hannah. I started a sketch blocking in the big shapes and leaving the participant seat empty.
I began getting text messages from Hannah outlining a series of unfortunate incidents. Her hair had been died the wrong color, she got a ticket for turning left at a spot where left turns are not allowed, then she was helplessly stuck in traffic. She finally gave up and went home for a bit to eat before heading off to work at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater. My plans to see husband and wife staring off went up in smoke. When it became clear that Hannah wouldn’t make it, I told everyone about the sketch that could have been.
A small crowd had gathered for the final hours of the staring competition. Emma Hughes took the contestant seat and lasted long enough for me to get a decent sketch. Then I begged Sultana to take the seat. She hesitated, but finally relented. I suspected with her triathlon training and a strong will, she would last longer than anyone suspected. I rushed the first sketch thinking she might give up at any time but she held strong. I then started a second sketch and I felt giddy. This was the perfect event for a sketch artist to record. There was a constant penetrating stillness. There was much to read in what went unsaid. Sultanas expression would light up with laughter sometimes as people joked around her but she never lost her gaze. Later her expression turned serious and then sad. I wanted to dash off a series of sketches trying to catch each subtle change but I remained committed to the two sketches I had started. There was something sublime about the time these two locked eyes. The air was electric and I soaked up some of that energy and directed it into the sketch. This was an important moment. Time stood still.
The record for staying seated opposite Brian had been set by Mike Maples two days prior, but Sultana easily cruised by that record by staring at Brian for 1 Hour 59 minutes and 50 seconds. She said that when she broke free of his gaze it was like she was coming up from under a blanket, or surfacing after being underwater for some time. She felt a total sense of seclusion as if in a cocoon. She came to realize that no one had ever looked at her for that length of time before. For a moment after an hour of starting she felt like he was looking straight into her soul. I was ecstatic and felt all the drama in the moment.
For being the person who could stare at Brian the longest, she won a free 4 by 7 inch frame. When she got up she stretched a bit and rubbed her neck. She had to leave right after she was done to get home and work on some homework.
Dare to Stare
Brian Feldman wants to get to NYC by May 31st to sit across from Marina Abramovic in her performance piece called “The Artist is Present” at The Museum of Modern Art. To help raise funds for the trip, Brian is holding a 30 hour “Staring Contest” at Frames Forever & Art Gallery (941 Orange Avenue Winter Park). Since I hope to go to New York City with Brian to sketch the main event, I wanted to see how his starting contest fundraiser was going. When I entered Katie Windish’s frame store, Mike Maples, a local comedian was sitting across from Brian. Katie said he had been sitting there for more than an hour. I decided to risk his getting up and I rushed my sketch to get him in place. It turns out I didn’t need to rush because he lasted almost another hour staring at Brian. He chuckled a few times but it seems that is allowed in this staring contest. As a matter of fact, there seem to be no rules and there is no way to loose. Afterward Mike said he chuckled every time Brian wiggled his ears.
Sultana Fatima Ali wandered in quickly but was late to her evening’s run up in Sanford, so she dashed off after dropping some money in the paint bucket. A family showed up and the little boy all of perhaps five years old, kept waving at Brian trying to get his attention. Katie kept trying to get a photo of the little boy waving but all the technical gadgets on the camera wouldn’t let her take the shot in time.
I decided I would sit across from Brian and draw. Since this was a starting contest however, I figured I couldn’t look at the page I was working on. I did what is called a blind contour drawing; something I haven’t done since college. There were minor distractions like the sounds of camera shudders, and I knew video footage was being shot which might end up on YouTube someday. This blind contour drawing took about 10 minutes to do. I found it hard to slow down and let the lines flow. I am so used to drawing fast to catch quick moment. I started by drawing Brian’s eyes. I lingered there as long as possible before exploring other features of his face. Nothing lines up exactly but I rather enjoy the penetrating spontaneity of the drawing.
Brian’s expression was consistently sober and serious. I found myself wondering what was running through his mind and it felt like an important moment to me. Much can be communicated by just looking into someone’s eyes.
Should you want to join this staring contest you still have 2 days to try and see how long you can last.
Brian will be staring Sunday May 16th from 10AM to 8PM, and Monday May 17th from 10Am to 8PM.
Donations are accepted by Pay Pal, or in the paint bucket in the store.
The Spore Project – Doug Rhodehamel
On May 1st, Doug Rhodehamel’s “Spore Project” began. Doug is asking people from all around the world to create paper bag mushrooms and plant them around their communities. He wants people to send in photos of their creations along with a name, location and number of mushrooms made. I had been trying to catch a sketch of Doug at work and finally got my chance when I found myself at a booth space right next to him at the Outsider Art Fair at Frames Forever and Art Gallery in Winter Park. Doug sat creating mushrooms at a fast and steady pace. As he worked, he explained to me the premise behind the Spore Project. Doug feels that the project will help promote awareness for the support for art education and creativity in day to day life. The project promotes self expression, resourcefulness and creativity by pointing out how a simple everyday item like a paper bag can be turned into something new and unexpected.
As Doug said, “Art is essential: it promotes intelligence and creativity, and it’s a great expressive outlet that inspires people toward new perspectives on life, which we all need and need frequently. Creativity is needed in every aspect of life. It teaches us to think differently and allows us to consider other options.The idea behind the paper bag mushroom grew innocently out of lunch in high school. While sitting around waiting for the meal break to end, I squished my lunch bag into a mushroom and gave it to my friend. this became a daily routine. years later I figured out a way to stick them in the ground. I then began placing them in my friends’ lawns while they were at work. it was meant as a joke, but other people loved them and asked me to cover their yards with mushrooms as well. I began making hundreds, then thousands. I did them for festivals, art shows, parties and just for fun. I began getting calls from teachers asking if I could come show their classrooms the art of making paper bag mushrooms. even companies and corporations began to get involved. this is where the SPORE Project began.”
So spread the word and go make some mushrooms. It’s easy and fun.
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
On Friday March 19th, the 51st Annual Winter Park Art Sidewalk Festival started. I decided to go right after work at Full Sail when Kathy Blackmore told me that there was going to be a jazz band featuring songwriter Peter White kicking off the night’s festivities on the main stage. I knew I had other commitments over the weekend, so this would likely be my only chance to sketch the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. I would be exhibiting my art at the Outsider Art Fair at Frames Forever (941 Orange Avenue Winter Park). There, I plan to sketch Doug Rhodehamel, who makes his unmistakable mushrooms out of brown paper bags, and Brian Feldman, who will be performing “sleepwalk 2, i walk over you”. Both of these are priceless sketch opportunities.
When I arrived at the festival, I wandered and soaked in the energy and excitement of all people gathered for the event. The outdoor cafes were packed. Conversations were buzzing. My pace quickened. As I looked through several artists booths, I ran into Terry and Rick Loewen. Terry and Rick are old friends from ORCA which stands for Orlando Reef Caretakers Association. Terry and Rick informed me that ORCA would be hosting the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America this September, so this is certainly an event I hope to sketch. They told me I could get a hotel room discount at the Marriott Resort, which didn’t make sense at first. But then they told me they would have a Margarita making machine in their room and I agreed, a hotel room was a great idea! If you happen to work at the Marriott, I made that last piece of business up.
I was anxious to find my way to the Winter Park Arts Festival jazz, so I told Rick and Terry I would see them by the main stage. The lawn in front of the stage was already crowded. I walked down the sidewalk and found a spot between artist’s tents where I could sit. I of course started sketching immediately since the sun was setting. A couple asked if they could sit in the spot next to me and, of course, I agreed. When I was about halfway through the sketch, the man seated next to me who was sipping a red wine, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I love your work, can I see the sketch?” The watercolor was still wet in spots, but I handed it over. He shared it with his wife and they agreed, that they wanted to buy it. I gave him my card so he could check out the blog and told him to leave a comment if he still wanted it. I hope I have found another reader!
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival continues at Central Park in Winter Park through March 21st at 5 PM.
Muni String Quartet
Terry and I met for dinner one evening in Winter Park. As we ate dinner the sun set and the street lights came on. We ate in an outdoor patio area with a view of the New England Avenue. This city block was recently gentrified in the last several years. All of the store fronts are brand new. The street was blocked off by police. Walking from Terry’s car, a man asked me why the street was blocked off and I had to reply that I honestly didn’t know. Art galleries and stores were open late. Terry saw a bull dog inside a clothing store and she went inside. The store owner was just outside the front door talking to a friend. Though Terry lavished attention on the dog, he never once looked away from his owner. He quietly stood vigil. The owner explained that every first Monday this street would be shut down to traffic so people could stroll through the stores shopping for the holidays.
Outside a violin store this quartet began to play Beetles songs and holiday music. Terry left me with the quartet to sketch while she shopped. There were many folding chairs set up in the street but besides myself there were only maybe four other people seated. Only in Florida could you get to see a quartet playing outside the warm glow of a music store without jackets on. When they finished I started walking back to my truck. Terry had already decided to go home. I heard music coming from Central Park so I changed course and went to investigate. An old Doris Day film was being screened in the park. Young couples cuddled for warmth under blankets. I considered trying to finish a second sketch, but I was tired and who knew how soon the film might end. What a gorgeous night, full of surprises.
Ice Skating Rink in Winter Park
Winter Park has installed an outdoor ice skating rink right near Central Park. I went to the opening ceremonies on Saturday. The rink is perhaps 20 yards long and 10 yards wide. It is enclosed in a party tent which protects the ice from the direct sunlight. Even so the temperature was in the 80’s so it must be quite an effort to keep the rink open in the heat. Teenagers in blue vests were always on the rink to help anyone who fell down. It was fun to watch because lets face it not many native Floridians are talented skaters. People were falling down left and right. I sat at the top of some metal bleachers that were set up on the side lines. I should note that I had no desire to skate myself. I have week ankles and that ice is slippery! Skate rentals were $10 for all day. The rink was installed as part of “Winter in the Park Holiday Festivities“.
Besides the rink itself there was an old fashioned sleigh set up with a photographer to take family pictures. In the background of my sketch you can see a group of skaters leaning against the rail who have gathered to watch an abridged performance by the Orlando Ballet School of “The Nutcracker”. A makeshift stage was erected directly behind the skating rink where sugar plume fairies and a troupe of dancers dressed like flamenco dancers performed. Everyone looks beautiful at the Ballet. I am sure the graceful dancing must have inspired the ice skaters. Most skaters however struggled just to stay upright, forget about pirouetting or standing on point.
The rink will be open Monday to Thursday 3 PM to 9 PM. Friday and Saturday, 10 AM to 10PM and Sunday Noon to 6 PM. Don’t ask me when the ice might melt.