Seen up close, butterflies become monsters.

When it began to rain during Artlando, I ran inside the Orlando Museum of Art for cover. A crowd of people had the same idea. Inside the museum, local art galleries had exhibits. Jai Gallery was set up in the lobby. I was curious about a large hyper real photograph of a butterfly. Artist and architect James Cornetet was taking microscopic photos of a butterfly. The digital camera was set up on a metal framework which allowed James to move the camera in tiny increments. To get the final high resolution image he shoots hundreds of photos horizontally, vertically and in depth. The camera has a very shallow depth of field which means the tip of an antenna might be in focus but the butterfly head might be out of focus. James had an exhibit titled “High Fidelity” of his monstrous insects at Jai Gallery. Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon was also on hand to let people know about Jai Gallery. One of Josh Garrick‘s black and white photos of a sculpted Greek god’s head was also on display.  Josh’s photos went on exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum in Greece. He was the first American artist to ever have his work displayed there.

Snap! Orlando teamed up with The Falcon and The Gallery at Avalon Island for a special installation at Artlando. The exhibit featured the art of Szymon Brodziak Photography, Aurora Crowley and an interactive digital installation ‘Beautiful Chaos’ by Nathan Selikoff. The exhibit was in the rotunda of OMA, as well as the galleries located to the left of the museum’s entrance. Once I was done with my sketch, I ran outside to my tent to make sure none of the cards on display had gotten wet. Everything was dry, but I was shocked to see that the tip jar which was half full of dollar bills earlier in the day, was now empty. I was furious. Who would stoop so low to steal money from a tip jar? Later that day I found out that my wife Terry had removed the money, “for safe keening.” The tip jar earned me enough money to pay for the food truck feast I enjoyed later that day.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for January 31 and February 1.

Saturday January 31, 2015

6pm to 8pm Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL. See how they make their vintage brews at Orlando Brewing.

8:30pm to 11:30pm $8. The Crack Rock Opera, Room Full of Strangers, The Welzeins, Twigs. Will’s Pub, 1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Florida. What is The Crack Rock Opera and who the devil is Danny Feedback? Danny Feedback is a rock n roll freak infamously known for lewd, lascivious stage antics and performance art rife with destruction of such objects as 800lb pianos while frequently in the nude. His music and lyrics are a blend of experimental garage and psych-pop, bristling with dissonance and fuzz; catchy yet jarring and always irreverent. As for The Crack Rock Opera it is Danny Feedback’s foray into theater, which is more like if an early John Waters had he formed a band. The media has described The Crack Rock Opera as “Rocky Horror, but With Better Music”.And despite being reviled by theater critics Feedback and his troupe The Crack Rock Opera have graced the front page of The Orlando Weekly, performed a full run at The Orlando International Fringe and performed well attended shows at various theaters in Central Florida…Now, Saturday January 31st The Crack Rock Opera celebrates the release of their self titled LP which they will perform at length.This album harkens back to the trippy story albums similar to The Firesign Theater that made their debut in the tumultuous late 60s. However, the CRO is much more potty mouthed, anti-PC, and irreverent in a ham fisted back hand sort of way and no social, ethnic or religious class is spared. Januray 31st The Crack Rock Opera brings it back to the gritty dives from whence they came, namely Will’s. All attendees will receive a limited copy of The Crack Rock Opera w/ carton character inserts.

Musical guests…

ROOM FULL of STRANGERS – Acid Gospel, punk, whatever…

THE WELZEINS Garage punk.

TWIGS New Orlando band from Whatsit Records, hear em live for the first time.

9:30pm to 11:30pm Free but get a drink or some tapas. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL. Hot passionate flamenco dancers perform live.

Sunday February 1, 2015

Noon to 5pm Free but get a drink or two. Sunday’s with Smiling Dan. The Falcon Bar & Gallery, 819 East Washington Street, Orlando, FL. DJ spins music through the afternoon.

1pm to 3pm Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. On the East lawn near the children’s playground. Weekly.

9pm to 11pm Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

The Inaugural Artlando was held in Lock Haven Park.

ALL DAY. ALL ART. I was offered a vendors tent at the inaugural Artlando event held September 27 in Lock Haven Park. My plan was to only sell $2 cards in a card rack and leave a tip jar so people could pay on the honor system. That left me free to roam the event and the day became a sketch marathon. All vendors had to arrive early in the morning to set up. You had to unload at a spot next to the Repertory Theater’s parking lot and then immediately drive off site to park. Each artist was assigned a specific area of Lock Haven’s lawn which was marked by a number. Soon there was a tent city. Clouds loomed ominous and gray all day.

A giant inflatable bird was in front of the Orlando Museum of Art. It was based on a painting by Lamar Peterson whose work was on exhibit inside. The brown statues, which were part of an installation titled “Horizons”,  by noted Icelandic artist Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir (pronounced Stay-nun Thorens daughter), were often used by people who imitated the poses for photo opportunities. That installation is on exhibit through 2015. 

Carolyn Moor, with her daughter Mackensey and a friend from out of town stopped to say hello. Carl Gauze jumped in on the conversation and he pointed out that the inflatable bird had a bullet hole in its chest.  I inspected the inflated art up close and sure enough there was a puncture wound.  I imagined a pickup truck squealing around the parking lot at night with a drunk local using his rifle to take shots at any art he could find. Then again the hole might just be there to control the flow of air. Caroline waited in front of the museum for Mackenzie to return from the main stage. On the main stage there were live performance by Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Shakes, Central Florida Community Arts, Orlando Fringe, Phantasmagoria and many more.

As I was finishing this sketch, it began to rain. I ran inside the museum for cover.

Drip opens its doors to local artists.

Drip Local Art Night invites artists and musicians
to represent Orlando art to local, national and international travelers! On the evening I went there was a packed house in the bar and the dance performance then drew the crowd into the main performance area giving artists the opportunity to set up in the bar area. Future local art nights will no longer be on the same night as a performance.  This should allow more artists a chance to set up and share their art.

This event will be held on the 4th Thursday of every month. The Drip organizers will keep a running list for this monthly event.

On the night I went, I set up framed sketchbooks in a spot next to the bar. The bar area is now illuminated wit black lights which makes all the Drip shirts glow an eerie blue color. I discovered that the paper in my early sketchbooks doesn’t glow under black lights, so they were hard to see.  I want to go back and do a digital sketch since that is probably the best way to catch those colors. This sketch was sort of done blind because I couldn’t see the page in the low light plus the page glowed blue making colors a guess in the dark. I should have had a book light. Ashlyn Bapst used this end of the bar to create intricate woven Drip shirts. Her nimble fingers worked quickly to create these sexy, much sought after collectors items.

If you haven’t been to Drip yet, what are you waiting for? It is an explosion of color, light and dance set in a grunge back alley bar on International Drive. The story revolves around a love triangle. Dancers get covered in primary colors of paint and when they hug they change colors. It becomes a story of redemption and empowerment all set to the beat of a live rock band. Don’t wear your Sunday best. It is wiser to dress down for Drip. While Sea World has front row seats in a splash zone, the entire venue is a splash zone at Drip. You will get wet.

Drip Local Art Night

Who: Open to everyone 21+ (Artists can be 18+)

What: Local Art Night @ DRIP

When: 4th Thursday of every month
Set Up 6:30 PM; Doors open to public from 8-10 PM.

Where: DRIP 8747 International Dr #102, Orlando, FL 32819

How to apply: Send a link to your portfolio/samples to kristen@ILoveDRIP.com

Mark your calendar! The next Drip Local Art Night is February 26th 6:30pm to 11pm.

The Orlando Public Library offers programs for all tastes.

George Markward from the Pastrami Project Food Truck offered a course on cooking holiday foods at the main branch of the Orlando Public Library (101 East Central Boulevard Orlando, FL). You should sign up for these courses in advance, but I dropped in unannounced and was welcomed. The library classroom is set up to offer any kind of cuisine course. The sink and oven were in another room adjacent to the classroom. About a dozen foodies sat in attendance.

George prepared three holiday dishes. He prepared a noodle kugel, potato pancakes and caviar on Blinis.  Preparations involved a mad dash of proceeding, stirring, boiling and frying. The great thing is that we all got to taste the finished products and bring the recipes home. I liked the noodle kugel so much that I made it at home the next week. Terry was shocked that I baked something, and it was a hit. Perhaps there is hope that I’ll become a foodie someday. It seemed ironic that the Greek Orthodox Church was feeding the homeless a block away while I was sampling free caviar, sour cream, lox and chives on Blinis. God they were good.

Here is the Noodle Kugel Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman.

Total time: 50 minutes.

Preparation time: 5 minutes.

Cooking time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Ingredients.

12 oz wide egg noodles

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 pound cottage cheese

16oz sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

6 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

Directions.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Boil the noodles in salted water for about 4 minutes. Strain noodles from the water. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles with the remaining ingredients and pour into a greased, approximately 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.

Defined Enterprises redefines the creative workspace.

On January 13th I went to meet Brill Adium at Defined Enterprises Gallery. Brill had contacted me on Facebook. He said he like my work and he wanted me to see a new gallery-creative hub that he is planning to open on February 21st. Defined is located in a business park right next to I-4. A Cracker Barrel is right next door. As I approached the entry, I noticed that all the windows were blacked out. “How could a gallery survive this far north of Downtown Orlando?” I thought. I tried the door and it was locked. Maybe Brill hadn’t arrived yet. I was maybe 10 minutes early. As I was pulling out my phone to text, the front door opened and Brill welcomed me.

The second I walked in, I felt excited about the place. The space is in the final stages of a build out. Brill gave me a tour of the place. The walls were a cheerful bright yellow.  A bar was halfway constructed with bright pink counter tops. Red
shelving looked a bit like a skull. Wire fencing separated an elevated
platform with 60’s styled red lounge chairs and comfy couches. TV monitors were stacked
vertically in a row. A huge mural by Dolla Short featured a hip hop singer and a twitter bird decorated the room. A mural by Dolla on the outside wall of Will’s Pub, has created a bit of a stir. The mural depicts a drunk satyr farting a green venomous cloud along with a black skull. Some neighbors complained to code enforcement claiming it was crude and offensive. The city in response has created a Public Art Advisory Board that will “curate” or rather censor murals. As works of art murals are covered by first amendments freedom of speech. To get around this, the city plans to label all murals as signs which can be controlled by city ordinances.

The fact that Dolla’s mural dominates the front room gives a taste of the mission of Defined Enterprises. As Honey Park said, “People will tell you DON’T, and we recommend that you DO”. Defined Enterprises wants to make YOUR ideas come to life! They
are one of Central Florida’s top creative production teams. Established
in late 2012 they have grown from just a “one man show”of independent
videography to a full functioning multi-media design company. Defined
Enterprises takes pride in its creative processes and final products
with more than exceptional visuals. Their experience exceeds 5 plus years,
and their work speaks for itself. No job is ever too small or too big!
With a creative and innovate staff, they can assure you that
each and every project will be executed to your liking.

Smaller rooms will become editing bays and sound studios.  The back room houses a large seamless photo stage which might become a green room. The men’s and women’s rooms had old colorized photos to mark the doors. Brill’s enthusiasm for the space is contagious. The place has an exciting creative vibe. It reminds me of Miami’s Wynwood District which welcomes international muralists to showcase their work. While Orlando tries to control and censor creativity, this place offers a vibrant creative outlet. On First Fridays, the studio will be open for adults to do their creative work. On second Fridays, kids aged 10-17 will be able to use the studio space. There are many plans in the works to make Defined a creative hub.

Mark your calendars. Defined Enterprises (279 Douglas Ave, Simon Medical Center Plaza, suite 1106 Altamonte Springs FL) will have its Grand Opening on February 21st 8pm to 11pm.

The Art Wine Walk in Lake Mary combined an outdoor art bazaar with wine from local establishments.

On September 24th, I went to Colonial Town Park, (950 Market Promenade Ave #2200, Lake Mary, FL) to experience the Art Wine Walk. Eight artists were listed as vendors so I expected to see a sizable tent city. There were however only two artists tents set up. Earlier in the day it had rained a bit and the sky looked ominous, so I assume artist were scared off by the weather.

The event was $10, and the proceeds benefited Clean the World! Vaughn Belak was one of the two die hard artists with work on display. He does intriguing goth images with sinister but playful undertones. He explained that this used to be a regular event but it was shelved for a while by promoters. He would come out and set up a tent anyway because people that have been drinking and having a good time would be more likely to make an impulse buy.

The bar across from Vaughn’s tent was Liam Fitzpatrick‘s and it was doing a lively business. Other bars in Colonial Town Park include, Graffiti Junction, and World of Beers. With such a concentration of bars, this place must get rowdy by midnight. The Art Wine walk went from 5pm to 8pm, so, just as the street lights flickered on, the two artists tents came down. The Art Wine Walk is listed as happening every 4th Wednesday of each month, but I’m not so sure the momentum is there to keep it going.

A quiet celebrity bartender night at the Savoy in Orlando.

On September 22nd there was a Celebrity Bartender Fundraising event at the Savoy (1913 N. Orange Avenue Orlando Fl). Funds raised went to the GLBT Center ( 946 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, FL), The evening featured surprise celebrity bartenders making you yummy drinks. I ordered a Pabst Blue Ribbon and sketched as the night unfolded. There were several small square stages that had illuminated floors. These were the stages for a fit male dancer. The celebrity bartenders included Adam Nickolson and Robert Carver.

The atmosphere was seedy but exotic. Cigarette smoke wafted through the bar and ultimately made me want to sketch faster. I had one shot which tasted a bit like watermelon.  I had sketched at the Savoy once before and got a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street in the suburbs. This time I parked quite a distance away and walked. I’m a bit paranoid now that police target cars parked near popular venues. Nothing dramatic happened while I did this sketch, it just seemed like the quiet start to a typical evening at this Orlando waterhole.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for January 24th and 25th.

Saturday January 24, 2015

 1pm to Midnight Grab a brew. The Art of Craft: Hopgasmic Release and Art Show. Orlando Brewing 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, Fl. Hopgasmic IPA is cause for a special high alcohol / high hop
extravaganza. Continually hopped for 90 minutes with Magnum, Centennial,
and Cascade Hops.

1pm: Tapping Hopgasmic IPA & opening of our newest art show

3pm-5pm: Meet & greet with artist Nick Seyler

6pm: Free brewery tour

9pm: Live music performances

Saturday will mark Orlando Brewing’s 6th Art Show and we’re honored to be showcasing NIX Abstract.

1:30pm to 4:30pm 2015 Orlando Chowder Festival. At the Winter Park Village 17-92 South of Lee Road and North of Fairbanks. An afternoon of amazing fun. A variety of area food vendors will be competing for the 2015 Chowder Cup, previously awarded to Boston Lobster Feast Restaurant in 2014, and Fleming’s Steakhouse in 2013.

Expected Businesses for 2015

1. 1st Place 2014 – Boston Lobster Feast Restaurants

2. 2nd Place 2014- John & Shirley’s Catering

3. 3rd Place 2014 – Sea Dog Brewing Co.

4. The Alfond Inn

5. Sushi Pop

6. Lombardi’s Seafood

8. Crisper’s Restaurant

9. Winter Park Fish Co.

10. Kasa

11. Whole Foods Winter Park

12. Raleigh Design

13. Orlando Chili Cook-off

14. First Watch

15. Southeastern Solutions

16. Avenue Gastrobar Orlando

17. iCraveCatering

18. Kitchen Craft Cookware

19. Lone Sailor Navy Memorial

20. TJ’s Seafood Shack

Specialty Vendors

Shake Shack

Sassafras

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

Rex Goliath

10pm to 2am Free, but get a drink or two. No One Knows I’m Disco. Spacebar 2428 E Robinson St, Orlando, Fl. Don’t be afraid, DISCO IS NOT A DIRTY WORD.

Djs

Carlitos Corcho aka CHANG from Tampa,

Huggy Huggett aka HUGGY from Leeds

Tommy Mot aka MOT.

The music will be all things Disco. RARE, Electronic, Afrofunk, Boogie, Space and Classic Disco with a side of Acid House, Techno and surprises.

Masks are encouraged! Dance off a few of those Holiday pounds! HA…

Sunday January 25, 2015 

10am to Noon. Free. Super Joy Riders. 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. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever.

1pm to 3pm Free to the public! Bagel bar provided. Boris Fishman discusses A Replacement Life. Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida 851 N Maitland Ave, Maitland, Fl. Included in The New York Times‘ 100 Notable Books of 2014, Boris Fishman’s A Replacement Life is a “bold, ambitious and wickedly smart first novel” in which “a Soviet émigré writer in New York becomes disturbingly adept at forging applications for Holocaust reparations.” Read the full article from The New York Times Book Review. Event is in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida and sponsored by Greenberg Traurig.

9pm to 11pm Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out and laugh, or give it a try yourself.

The Orlando Shakespeare Theater presents “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

I went to the dress rehearsal for “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. I was surprised to find an audience waiting to get into the theater.  I decided to slip into the theater and start the sketch before the house was open. I paused for a long time, because the balconies had their metal railings removed. I realized they were now part of the stage set. Directed by Thomas Ouellette, Christopher Sergel‘s adaptation of Harper Lee‘s Pulitzer Prize winning novel came to life on the Margeson Theater stage.  The movie based adaptation is a classic and one of my favorite films, so this show had some big shoes to fill.

The audience was full of students from Columbia College and many were African American which made this particular performance quite compelling. I knew about the students and faculty because one man introduced himself to me saying we had met at an event a while back.  For some reason he thanked me and explained that many of the people from his campus would have never been to a play. I realized after he walked away that he must have mistook my for someone else. I guess when you are busy sketching, you look like you are in charge. Whoever invited the Columbia College group, you should know that they are thankful.

The story is told through the eyes of six year old Scout (Kennedy Joy Foristall ). As a tense tug of war
between justice and racism heats up, Scout and her family must learn to
temper violence and hatred with courage and compassion. Based on the
Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird continues to inspire
hope in the face of inequality. The moral of the story as told by Atticus Finch (Warren Kelley) is “You
never really understand a person until you consider things from
his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around
in it.” Scout held her own as a tom boy who always gets into fights and has no filter when speaking her mind.

The set, designed by Bert Scott gave a strong backdrop of the depression Era south. This really is an important show to see since there are always injustices that some accept. Sometimes a person is called on to shake off the dust of these backwards beliefs. The shows title relates to the idea that “Mockingbirds don’t
do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their
hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Toward the end of the production, Sheriff Heck Tate (John Ahlin) explained to Atticus, “To my way of thinking, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a
big service and dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight – to
me that’s a sin.” Sometimes a community isn’t best served by following the letter of the law but rather the spirit of the law. “Let the dead berry the dead.”

To Kill a Mockingbird

What: A drama written by Harper Lee and adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel

Where: Orlando Shakespeare Theater,  Margeson Theater 812 East Rollins Street, Orlando FL

When: Opens Friday, Jan. 21; 7:30 p.m. through March 8.

Cost: $10 to $45

Call: (407) 447-1700

Online: www.orlandoshakes.org