Voci Dance presented Whisper-Roar at the Orange Studio.

On September 5th and 6th Voci Dance presented Whisper-Roar at The Orange Studio, 1121 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Fl. V Whisper/Roar was two collaborative evenings of modern dance, music,film, costume couture and installation art. The collaborators were Voci Dance, DJ Nigel John, Tamara Marke

Admission: was $15 at the door.

Wine was available as well as lite bites from Happy Chow.

The most unique feature of the space was a huge sculpture that consisted of wooden slats that were all interconnected by bolts. This sculpture by artist Mario Shambon looked like it was articulated. Had any section moved, it would affect every other section. Yellow florescent lights were also suspended throughout the space. I arrived early when the dancers were just warming up. A black and white video was projected on the far wall. In the video the dancers stood in a line, erect like soldiers.

The audience became an integral part of the space as they filtered in. Dancers might coach a few people to move forward but in general there was no set stage that separated the audience from the dance. Several free standing doors were also set pieces for one of the dances. My favorite dance number involved one dancer, Leah Marke, shedding multiple layers of robes and light frilly fabric covered with words. A bold spotlight illuminated her from the side. It was as if she were shedding layers of judgement or self criticism. An aluminum staircase on wheels was rolled in slowly by a procession of dancers. The dance ended with her ascension to the top of the stairs and then the room blacked out.

While sketching I felt like I was trying to capture fleeting gestures against a stark industrial setting. The strong verticals implied in the black and white video strengthened that premise.

Shaking Santa’s hand on Christmas Eve at the Millenia Mall.

Several months ago I got an e-mail from Greg Dobbs, a photographer who had read my post from last year as I tried to sketch Santa Claus from afar. He was one of the photographers from Theme Street Pictures, (The official photographers at The Mall at Millenia), who shoots these treasured portraits with Saint Nick.

Dear Mr. Thorspecken, just found your letter,

the poem was brilliant, the artwork much better.

It hurt me to hear of the problem you had

when visiting Santa, and then leaving mad.

But we can’t have you artists with sketch pads in hand,

disrupting the calm over Hollyville land.

Your a rowdy, anarchists, a most dangerous bunch,

when I think of you drawing there I belch up my lunch.

It’s not that the rules here were made by a Grinch.

The malls not really like that……….. well maybe a pinch.

They get carried away every now and again,

looking out for the children, the women, the men.

But we’re not with the mall, we’re a separate group;

dear Santa, his helpers and photography troupe.

We work endless hours, for the children you see,

to make Christmas special, the way it should it be.

And then after all of our efforts we find

a person like you that was treated unkind.

It’s not the way we want you to remember,

your visit to Hollyville any given December.

So here is an invitation to you

to come spend an hour, three, four or two!

Not in the rafters, like Elf on The Shelf,

but down in the trenches, with St. Nick himself!

Please bring your sketch pad your pencils or chalk,

don’t waver, or hesitate, don’t you dare balk.

You’ll be our guest, a welcome addition

to the most crazy world of our Christmas tradition.

Join us up close you have nothing to fear,

Except maybe grandmothers, babies and tears.

Just bring this e-mail so I’ll know you on site,

You’ll recognize me, with the “bobble and light”.

Hope to meet you this season.”

  

When I got to the Millenia Mall on Christmas Eve, I found  a sign at Hollyville that announced that Santa would be leaving at 5pm. I only had one hour to sketch. Greg greeted me warmly and explained that this final hour would be a mad rush. The line of children and parents snaked all the wan around Holyville in a nautilus pattern. It was hard to believe that all these people could meet Saint Nick in one hour. The first child I drew started screaming in terror when his mom backed away. Greg’s job was to catch the child’s attention. He used a multi colored glowing orb that he lightly tapped on the baby’s tummy. Startled and amazed by the glowing orb, the child stopped crying. Greg would quickly pull back the orb towards the camera lens and the child smiled with delight as the shutter clicked.


The action never stopped. Some parents insisted on shooting their own iPhone photos but that held up the line possibly meaning some people would not get a chance to meet Santa even after standing in line. Greg offered me a drink and made it impossible for me to refuse his hospitality. I asked his assistant for my usual battery acid, Mountain Dew. She couldn’t find d Dew but came back with a custom high end soda that she suspected might be similar lemon lime flavor. She hit the nail on the head because the drink was delicious, I wish I knew what it was called. Santa and his staff got through this mad rush with chocolates, chocolate chip cookies and caffeine. I essentially became part of the staff since I often had to direct parents out of the maze after they had visited Santa.


Santa stayed for some overtime in order to be sure everyone in line could meet him. When my sketch was done I waited to thank Greg for letting me experience the Christmas Eve rush. He said that Santa wanted to meet me. His beard is real and his expression was sincere. Suddenly I felt like a shy child. He gave me a warm hand shake and told me he has seen my work and loves it. With people still waiting in line I didn’t want to take time to dig out my sketchbook. I know he will get to see the sketch, he sees everything. I was so flustered, I forgot to tell him what I wanted for Christmas this year.

The Wedding Party featured retro radical tuxedos and brides maids gowns.

The Wedding Party held in a hotel on International Drive was a chance for Orlando Wedding planners to experience a retro reception for themselves. The reception room was decorated to look like a wedding reception from the 1960s. Jaimz Dillman was at the entry in a gorgeous vintage gown and her husband was in a proper tux to greet guests. The wedding cake immediately caught my eye. It was multi layered with Greek columns for support. There were separate cakes for the groomsmen and brides maids. Staircases lead to the main cake with the groomsmen and bridesmaids perched on the steps. Below the main cake was a tiny illuminated fountain. The cakes creator proudly explained to people the incredible amount of work that went into its creation. It wasn’t cut up the entire time I sketched it which is a shame because I was hoping to catch that action. I don’t believe it was ever cut up and served.

A dating game style show was set up and couples competed to hilarious effect. The disco ball was a nice touch to the overall look. My favorite tuxedo was baby blue with plenty of frills. They should bring that style back. It turned out that this room wasn’t the main event. Everyone was whisked off to another more spacious room. I remained behind until the sketch was done. Photographer Kelly Canova and a fried returned to this room since it was the only place to have a quiet conversation. I’ve met Kelly and her husband Gene quite a few times at various arts events. Gene is an accomplished muralist and artist. When I had a solo exhibit at Snap Space, Kelly and Gene loaned me an old beat up artists table which was used to showcase my daily artist kit. I got a chance to catch up with Kelly as I finished my sketch.

When my sketch was done, I went to the bigger, wilder party going on next door. A woman hung from a chandelier where she poured drinks. I started a sketch, but her shift ended and she tried to get down. The clasps that kept her suspended got caught and she couldn’t get down. A man came over to help her. He tried to support her weight while she struggled with the hardware. Finally the clasp was set free and she dropped to the floor. The dance floor was full of women in wedding dresses dancing the night away. I tried a few appetizers and then slipped away to get back home. I had invited Terry but she didn’t come to the party since she knew I would be working.

On Veteran’s Day, Robosaurus invaded downtown Orlando.

On August 30 and 31st Robosaurus came to downtown Orlando from Las Vegas as part of Vet Fest on Veterans Day. The monster rolled into town as a tractor trailer and then transformed into a 50-foot-tall, 30-ton electro hydro-mechanical monster, which could crush vehicles and breathe fire for spectators in attendance. lt takes only 2 minutes for the transformation to be completed. There was a $15 cover price to get close to Robosaurus but I went to sketch on faith assuming I could catch a glimpse of the monster. It was invented in 1989 by
inventor Doug Malewicki and is now operated by Action Robo, LLC.  It made an appearance at Universal Studios in 2006 for the annual Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Florida.  I saw him breath fire back then and decided I couldn’t resist getting a sketch of him now.

The inaugural Vet Fest raised money for American military
veterans. It was held  at the new I-4 underpass Church Street
Amphitheater between Church Street and Pine Streets.  There were food trucks and live music all day long. Unfortunately in the time it took me to sketch, the car eating robot was rather passive. Anyone who walked by couldn’t resist taking a cell phone photo of the creature. A few people asked me about parking. Since I was seated in the parking lot, I must have looked like an attendant. Though I didn’t get a chance to see the devastation it was unique to see the monster ready to wreack havoc on the streets of Orlando.

My resignation from Full Sail leaves me looking for new opportunities.

Right before the winter break I resigned from Full Sail. There were no parties, no severance package, no confetti or golden watches. I simply turned over the Mac Book laptop computer,the parking pass and my lanyard and walked out the doors for the last time. The last class had only seven students, so I was able to give more one on one help when needed.

Starting Christmas week I will be teaching at Elite Animation Academy. The courses I will be offering are, the fundamentals of drawing, a life drawing class and an urban sketching class. I believe there are five to seven students signed up and I’m excited to start. Elite is at most a mile from my home, so I will be burning less gas. I plan to start riding my bike to the new job, so I’ll be getting more exercise. The new position at Elite will be a challenge because I have to come up with a whole new series of lesson plans. It is exciting to have the opportunity to inspire middle school and high school students to start carrying sketchbooks or digital tablets. Once you start sketching daily, it becomes an exciting lifestyle. Getting out and discovering the city by sketching has many rewards. My position at Elite is part time, so I will have more time to search for more freelance illustration assignments. It turns out that sketching weddings is an exciting alternative and if I can market it right, sketch tourism in Orlando could be another exiting opportunity.

I need to start looking for models for the life drawing class. Models will be clothed. I don’t need classically trained models. Instead I’ll be looking for talented people I have sketched in the past. I want to bring in creative individuals who would do what they usually do, be it playing an instrument, making a puppet or stretching before a dance. The possibilities are limitless, but for now there isn’t a budget so I will have to beg from friends. The only option I can offer now is an original sketch done by me during the class.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for December 27th and 28th.

Saturday December 27, 2014

9am to 3pm Free. Orlando Elks Vintage Faire. Elk Lodge 1079 12 N Primrose Drive Orlando FL.

6pm to 8pm Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

7:30pm to 9:30pm. Free. Amy Watkins Open Mic. The Geek Easy 114 S. Semoran Blvd Suite #6, Winter Park, Fl. Open to all: Musicians-Lyricists-Artists-and Poets of all kinds Bring out the cape and have some fun listening or performing super hero poetry. http://poetry.meetup.com/362/

Sunday December 28, 2014

10am to Noon. Free. Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love.

The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape. http://www.superjoyriders.com/ You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever.

Noon to 2pm Free. Florida Gospel Jam. Fish on Fire 7937 Daetwyler Drive Belle Isle FL. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

6pm to 8pm Free. SHUT YOUR FACE! Poetry Slam by Curtis Meyer! La Casa De La Paellas 10414 E Colonial Dr Orl FL. The only current ongoing slam in Orlando officially certified by Poetry Slam Incorporated, IE. Send a team to Nats as well as poets to The Individual World Poetry Slam & Women of The World Poetry Slam! $50 to the winner! If you’ve never seen or been in a slam before, it’s definitely worth checking out!

INFO: curtisxmeyer@hotmail.com

Orlando’s Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel Spreads Holiday Cheer with Inaugural Gingerbread House Competition and Display

Orlando’s Rosen Shingle Creek, (9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, Fl) is well known for its exceptional dining
and artfully crafted pastries, handmade by world renowned executive
pastry chef, David Ramirez, and his team. But now, the hotel is inviting
other local chefs, pastry enthusiasts and members of the hospitality
community to share in the confectionery fun as it introduces the
inaugural Rosen Shingle Creek Gingerbread House Competition. The contest
will benefit the new Florida Hospital Transplant House, scheduled to
open in 2015.

The competition will be judged by Ramirez, former winner of the Food
Network USA Pastry Challenge and former team captain for Team USA in the
Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie, or World Pastry Cup; members of the
Florida Hospital’s Gourmet Soirée committee, Chef Emily Ellyn and Bill
Sullivan
; and other community leaders.

“We are thrilled to introduce this wonderful new holiday tradition to
Rosen Shingle Creek,” said Leslie Menichini, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Rosen Hotels and Resorts. “The Gingerbread House
Competition not only will provide a charming holiday backdrop for our
guests, but also, the proceeds will go to a very worthwhile cause, the
Florida Hospital Foundation to benefit the Florida Hospital Transplant
House to aid organ transplant recipients and their families.”

The gingerbread houses were on display Dec. 1-22 at “Gingersnap
Station” in the hotel’s main lobby. Judging took place on Dec. 18
from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Entries were judged on originality, overall appearance, choice and
use of materials, and difficulty of design. All gingerbread houses were original; no kits could be used. The main components of the house,
including the walls and roof, had to be constructed of gingerbread and all
components of the house must be edible

 The Gingerbread House Competition is just one of many holiday events at
Rosen Shingle Creek this season. Other festive holiday events
include a Holiday Entertaining workshop with “Retro Rad” Chef Emily
Ellyn; the Big Band Dinner Show Series, featuring a performance by
Michael Andrew and The Atomic Big Band, A Blast from the Past
Original ’50s Holiday Revue
, as well as a Nutcracker Ballet Performance,
and a high Tea, performances by local choirs; and much more. A variety of
specially priced accommodations packages are also available for holiday
getaways.

I arrived after the judging was over because I got stuck in rush hour traffic, so I’m not sure which gingerbread house was the winner. There were about a dozen gingerbread houses in all. The most impressive was a replica of the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel. On an easel was a giant check for $5000 to the Florida Hospital Transplant House. Carolers in period costumes were packing their instruments to leave. As I sketched a huge chorus of children sang at a staging area across the lobby.

2 Guys + 1 played at the American Legion.

On our last evening in San Diego, California, Terry’s mom and her boyfriend took us to the American Legion 282 in La Mesa for dinner and dancing. The musicians of 2 Guys + 1 stood at a small staging area by the bar. I was the only one who actually ordered dinner and it was quite good.

The room was rather dark so sketching was a challenge. Marcy seemed proud to show off her daughter. The cover tunes were fine but I never felt the itch to dance. Terry seemed satisfied to watch. A woman pulled Macy’s boyfriend aside and suggested he dance with a woman who was recently widowed. He is light on his feet and was happy to comply. I’m not so sure Marcy was happy with having her dance partner loaned out.

My sister Pat frequents an American Legion Lodge in Florida and they all have the same atmosphere. There is palpable pride in those that served and the food is cheap and tasty. Who could ask for more? There is also a scent of stale beer and cigarettes that has seeped into the buildings woodwork. The Lodge in San Diego was in the basement giving the impression that you were walking down the steps to a speakeasy. I wonder how many American Legions there are in this country. There must be more than 282 of them. That means there are at least 5 Legions per state.

A ride along with the San Diego Police.

Debbie and Paul Andreen‘s son, Kevin has joined the San Diego Police Department. He was kind enough to suggest I join him for a ride along as he cruised the neighborhoods just North of Mission Beach. When I first got in the police cruiser, he said I should seek cover and immediately use the cruiser radio to call the dispatch if shot were fired. He also wanted me to exit the cruiser any time he did. Much of the morning went by without incident. He pointed out several homeless men that he knew by name. Several weeks ago, a homeless man had died from an injury. He would have lived if any of his buddy’s had thought to bring him to an ER.

After a long time of driving without incident, Kevin parked the cruiser near an intersection that had stop signs. He explained that the road, heading towards the beach had a stop sign at every intersection. By the time drivers got this far they started rolling through the stops.  The law is that you have to come to a complete stop behind the white line. Within minutes, a woman approached the intersection and rolled past the line. He quickly followed and pulled her over a block away. He approached her drivers side door to get her license and write up the ticket. I waited outside the cruiser. The ticketing process took longer than I expected, I probably could have done a small sketch. Kevin wrote down some notes after the traffic stop, because months from now he would have to appear in court. Without documentation it would be hard to recall the details of every traffic stop. He returned to the intersection to check that the stop sign wasn’t obstructed or the line worn away.

Twice the dispatch sent Kevin to homes to check on people. Relatives had tried to contact the people living in the homes and they were concerned that they couldn’t get in touch. While waiting outside the first home, I felt uneasy. A friend had recently committed suicide and this must have been what it was like when police first arrived on the scene and found the body. In both cases, the person was home and in fine condition. Kevin would diplomatically ask questions to make sure the person was safe. It was a bit odd to follow the police into peoples homes. At one point I kicked over a cat toy by mistake. The resident asked who I was since I wasn’t in uniform, and Kevin would explain that I was a ride along. She had a history of depression and Kevin needed to confirm that she was taking her medications.

One call was from an angry woman who was sure that construction workers who were jack hammering up a driveway, had dented her car. The construction workers denied damaging the car. Kevin just wanted to get their contact information.  We looked at the car and I didn’t notice any damage. When talking to the woman in her yard, Kevin explained that this wasn’t a police matter but an issue for insurance companies. He gave her the construction company’s information and told her to contact her insurance company. She seemed relieved just to be able to air her grievances. Before being a police officer, Kevin had been a teacher and that must have given him experience in being diplomatic. The beat puts him in contact with a wide variety of people, from beach bums to the ultra rich. Interacting with so many people certainly makes police work interesting.

Re-Constructing the San Salvador in San Diego.

Not far from Mission Beach the Maritime Museum of San Diego, (1492 North Harbor Dr.

San Diego, CA) is building a full-sized, fully functional, and historically accurate replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s flagship, San Salvador. Plans didn’t actually exist so they used old sketches, paintings and written documents to find the dimensions and proportions of the sailing ship. Many of the ship builders are volunteers and they are relearning ship building techniques that haven’t been used for over a hundred years. The build site is open to visitors every day from 11am to 4pm. Paul Andreen and I arrived a bit early and Paul managed to talk our way in by explaining what I do.

 In 1542, Juan Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what
is now the west coast of the United States. The Gulf of California had
recently been explored by Francisco de Ulloa, Hernando de Alarcón and
Domingo del Castillo, proving that California was not an island. Cabrillo was commissioned by Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of
Guatemala, for a voyage up the California coast under the flag of
Spain. Cabrillo hoped to find the fabulously wealthy cities known as
Cibola, believed to be somewhere on the Pacific coast beyond New Spain,
and a route connecting the North Pacific to the North Atlantic — the
non-existent “Straits of Anian”.

The Cabrillo expedition sailed out of the port of Navidad, near
modern day Manzanillo, on June 24, 1542. Accompanying Cabrillo were a
crew of sailors, soldiers, Indian and probably black slaves, merchants,
a priest, livestock and provisions for two years. Three ships, the
flagship San Salvador built by Cabrillo himself, were under his command. Cabrillo reached “a very good enclosed port” which is now San Diego
bay
, on September 28, 1542, naming it “San Miguel”. He probably
anchored his flagship, the San Salvador at Ballast Point on
Point Loma’s east shore. Six days later, he departed San Diego sailing
northward and exploring the uncharted coast line of California. His
voyage helped to dispel myths and allowed Spain to proceed with the
task of colonizing the expanded Spanish Empire. Cabrillo visited many
of the islands along the coast — Santa Cruz, Catalina and San
Clemente, and may have sailed as far north as Oregon.

On December 21st the Maritime Museum will Celebrate  its 44th annual Parade of Lights. Modern and historic ships are covered in Christmas lights and the floating parade can be seen from the Maritime Museum. Ticket sales help keep the historic reconstruction work going.