In the Artist’s Studio fundraiser at Mad Cow Theater.

Mad Cow Theater’s In the Artist’s Studio fundraiser featured Merline Labissière, Lifetime’s “Project Runway” season 14 contestant as the guest artist for the Downtown Arts District’s visiting artist program. The program was moderated by television and radio personality, Marc McEwen, who is best known for his role on CBS This Morning and as an anchor for WKMG-TV, Local 6 News.

A VIP meet-and-greet began at 6 pm.

Labissière, a Miami-based designer, uses architecturally inspired design to create distinctive apparel for professional women. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Labissière is a frequent lecturer and advocate for teaching fashion design to inner-city youth. She sat next to me as I sketched the stage prior to her being interviewed. Being an artist herself she loved what I do.

Merline’s family came from Haiti in a very small makeshift boat. She remembers the very real thought that were the boat to sink, a decision would have to be made about who goes overboard. Her mom is illiterate and she always wanted a better life for her daughter. Merline was shy when she arrived, partly because she was just learning to speak English.

At Savannah College of Art and Design, she studied architecture. She took some art classes and remembers finding out that the opposite of orange is blue, “Say what?” Architecture is the mother of all art, and it offers the foundation on which other art forms are built, but she decided that fashion was her calling. To create her garments, she needed to focus on sketching. At first, her mom was less than thrilled with her desire to go into fashion.

She found out about auditions for Project Runway, a reality TV show about fashion, in Miami. She made it through the first audition, but on the callback, she needed to work on her craft. She needed a week to sulk. After her private pity party, she decided that she couldn’t wait for opportunity and instead she would create her own fashion collection. It seems that anytime something amazing happens in her life, it comes after everything has fallen apart. At her first fashion runway show she had butterflies to the third power, she totally understands why celebrities do drugs. Her fashion designs are edgy using architectural straight lines to break up forms. Dresses on display resembled jigsaw puzzles with intricate cut out designs.

At another audition for Project Runway, she was cast on the show. She pointed out that all the contestants were on the show because they were broke. Although not the final winner, the show made her a celebrity and her work seen by millions. Everyone wants people to see their work and say, “I get you.” The trouble with being an artist is that so much of your identity is wrapped up in what you create. If someone doesn’t like it, that can be devastating. She turned to Christ and her identity is held strong in her faith. When Merline’s mom saw her daughter’s success, she came around and fully supported her career choice.

Merline now teaches middle school and high school kids to get out of the studio for inspiration. She has shifted her focus to enterprise, business plans, and branding. Someone showed her how to crochet and she finds that a relaxing hobby. She is now planning to return to architecture. Life has different seasons and there is always room to grow. She specifically schedules one day off a week to rejuvenate and after hearing her speak , I decided to do the same. She loves going on walks, writing, drawing, going to museums, and galleries. She specifically schedules time for fun and, darn it, that is a great idea as well. God, there isn’t enough time in each day to do everything if you stay curious and inspired.

Inspiration Mural stairwell.

Michael Pilato from Philadelphia and Yuri Karabash from the Ukraine used the second floor studio space above Anthony’s Pizza as a place to paint the first mural devoted to the 49 victims of the Pulse tragedy. Chimene Pindar Hurst arranged for home school students to paint a mural up the narrow staircase leading to the studio. Susan Gromala Crary, an artist who has done murals on Disney property, volunteered to get the kids started on the project.

She had each student do small thumbnail sketches of ideas they wanted included in the mural. Since social media like twitter and Facebook are so important to the kids, she found that the power of words had to be incorporated. Ultimately large flowers were painted with 49 heart shaped pedals. A rainbow exploded it’s bright colors up the steps. Then words were incorporated like inspire, and positive.

Any creative endeavor has its setbacks and happy accidents. While painting a large section of the rainbow, a cup of bright yellow paint spilled on the steps. Rather than getting upset about the spill, Susan encouraged the kids to incorporate the yellow into the overall design and concept. Each student dipped their hand in the puddle and hand prints were placed on each step. A videographer recorded the afternoon of creative working and singing. Each painter had their own technique which Susan encouraged. One girl used tiny strokes with a tiny brush to fill in sections of the mural. She persisted and completed the work. In the end that is what matters most, something new and unexpected was created.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 29th and 30th.

Saturday July 29, 2017 

9 AM to 3 PM – $95  Urban Sketching Class. Thomas Thorspecken (Thor) of Analog Artist Digital World is the instructor. Crealde School of Art, 600 St. Andrews Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32792. Main Campus
Room: 1A. One day class.  Learn the essentials of sketching by leaving the studio to sketch in the
community. Classroom session will focus on sketching a clothed model and
work toward capturing the entire setting. Use a sketchbook the way a
photojournalist uses a camera. The goal is to produce finished sketches
using pen and ink, then apply watercolor—all within a two-hour period.

Members $75 • Non-members $95

Thomas Thorspecken studied animation
and illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and
worked for ten years in NYC as a freelance illustrator and at Florida
Disney Feature Animation for ten years. In 2009, he made a news year’s
resolution to do one sketch a day and share it with a worldwide online
community of Urban Sketchers through his blog Analog Artists Digital
World.

Noon to 3PM – Free. National Dance Day Free Dance Classes. Marshall Ellis Dance School, 1300 La Quinta Drive, Orlando, Florida 32809.

Ballet Class 12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Contemporary Class 2:00 pm-3:00 pm

National Dance Dance Performance 4:00 pm-5:00 pm

6 PM to 8 PM – Free. Talk, Themes of Racial Injustice and Student/Youth Rights. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 1000 Holt Avenue-2765, Winter Park, FL 32789. Chardo Richardson, President, Central Florida Chapter of the ACLU.

Sunday July 30, 2017

10 AM to Noon – Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

Noon to 1 PM – Free. Yoga. Lake Eola near red gazebo. Bring your own mat.

Noon to 3 PM – Free Will Donation. Music at the Casa. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Anthology Quartet.

Rasha Mubarak discusses her life after Pulse.

On a sketch excursion to The GLBT Center, I watched Rasha Mubarack, Orlando’s regional coordinator for the Council for American /Islamic Relations, as she was interviewed on camera. The Center was holding an event in which a large group of people gathered to offer love and support for Manchester via a video message.

She explained in an oral history at the Orange County Regional History Center, that she was exposed to injustice as a child. Her uncle was a successful businessman who lived in Isleworth Florida. His home was invaded, probably because he was Islamic. Islamaphobia had become mainstream in America. When exposed to one injustice, you become aware of others. A sheik was at the site where hospitalized names were read from a list. If the name of your loved one wasn’t on the list, then it was a worst case scenario. Parents and loved ones were in despair. Some were banging their heads on the walls. This was a hard scene to re-live.

At the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts vigil, Rasha was one of the people on hand to read the names of the 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. Back stage, she was nervous about the idea of being a Muslim reading the names. Backstage, there was pain and comfort. Reading the names was shattering. Each name had the age next to it. Each of these people have stories. The Methodist Church across the street rang the bell for every name on the list. That moment seemed to last an eternity. Everyone assembled comforted each other. There is mercy in adversity. We are all in this together.

Right after the Pulse Nightclub massacre, Rasha felt personally affected. She went to her mosque as usual and realized that no one else knew what was going on. When she got home, she was hyperventilating and felt the full weight of the tragedy. She was soon called upon to do an interview outside Pulse. It all seemed unreal. How could someone really kill 49 people? This was clearly not a person of god, any god. That first week after Pulse, she was asked many times, “How are you?” Her stock response was, “I’m OK.” One man told her something that stuck with her, “God puts you where he wants you.” When he told her that, everything else seemed OK. She just needed to do the right thing, be on the right side, and keep going.

There was a backlash after Pulse, but it could have been a lot worse. Islamaphobia has increased 500% in Central Florida in the past year. What side of history do you want to be on? The Council for American /Islamic Relations is fighting for civil liberties for all Americans. At a Democratic partisan event, Rasha was pulled aside for appearing “suspicious.” She fights for marginalized people and found herself marginalized.

Orlando is a place where people come to get away. On June 12, a criminal tried to dismantle that. He forever changed the lives of 49 families. How do we react when our world is disturbed? Our hearts fall in and out of love with everything. Out hearts have memory. We need to remember the beauty that came out of it all. We need to understand the diversity and stand for civil liberties for everyone.

Passion PR Five-Year Anniversary Bash!

I went with Pam Schwartz to Gilt Nightclub (740 Bennett Rd, Orlando, Florida 32803) for the Passion PR Five Year Anniversary Bash. Ilene Lieber who runs Passion PR has always been great about helping me promote events.

The evening promised to be an Explosion of Live Entertainment All Night. There were complimentary cocktails and light bites from 7 pm to 8 pm, photo opportunities, swag bags, DJ music and more. Celebrity look alikes were everywhere. Mariah Carey got on stage and did an admirable lip sync performance. Austin Powers worked his smarmy British charm on all the ladies.

I decided to sketch the poker table. Pam kept winning and placed some huge bets that brought back amazing returns. I took her place when she went to the bathroom and kept loosing. The guy next to Pam had a few too many drinks and was boisterous and a bit obnoxious each time he won a hand. Michelle Jones who founded the Violectric String band was also on a winning streak. There really wasn’t any payout for winning (other than Mardi Gras beads and candy), so there was no harm in taking chances. When it was time to go, Pam tried to bet all her chips and loose but she kept winning, stacking up a mountain of chips. All the money earned at the event went towards supporting Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando.

Wallaby Ranch.

Wallaby Ranch (1805 Deen Still Rd, Davenport, FL 33897) is the first full-time Aerotow Hang Gliding Flight Park in the World. Open seven days a week since 1991. Flying in a hang glider at Wallaby Ranch is exhilarating, but much of the thrill comes from the anticipation and camaraderie even before the wings take to the sky. Air currents are best in the morning, so we were encouraged to get up at the break of dawn. Breakfast and coffee were available at the barn and everyone sat at the picnic tables chatting until the currents were just right. Malcom Jones, who founded Wallaby Ranch, has flown more tandem flights than anyone else in the world. He knows how to read the current and is known for never taking any unnecessary chances.

My flight took off without a hitch, but by the time we got back to the ground, Malcom had decided that the winds had changed making it unsafe for other tandem flights to take off. I got to experience the quiet thrill of soaring and seeing a rainbow encircling the shadow of my wings in the clouds. I was at the ranch to celebrate Pam Schwartz‘s birthday and unfortunately, she was grounded. She did get to take flight the next day and was equally impressed with the experience.

Most of the fun at the ranch happens on the ground, meeting new people who share a passion for flight. There is a pool that became mission central for much of the afternoon as people relaxed and soaked to stay cool. Pam and I took to the pool almost immediately upon arrival to watch the sunset. Once the sun went down, horse flies and dragon flies buzzed my ears causing me to flail and destroy the peace. In the evening, everyone gathered in the barn for dinner, games and music. We played a rather risque word game that was fun to play with strangers. One player would read a card that set up a situation and then each player had to put in their own card that they felt was the most funny or inappropriate way to finish the thought. You could tell if your card had worked if everyone else laughed at the result. When my card was read each time, I swear you could hear crickets chirping. I didn’t win.

Guitar and harmonica music set the tone for the rest of the evening and everyone sang along. The feeling of community being among people who fly is intoxicating and I can understand how learning to fly solo can become an obsession. 20 hours of tandem flights are needed before a pilot can fly solo. I heard that it is possible to stay in the air for hours if the winds are just right. My flight was video recorded from start to finish with a Go Pro camera mounted on the wing. It is amazing to relive the experience from the comfort of a couch.

Hairspray at the Dr. Phillis Center for the Performing Arts.

Hairspray is being presented by Encore! Cast Performing Arts at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801) on July 22 and 23rd.  I went to a cue to cue rehearsal in which the cast went over certain numbers to block choreography and check lighting. Singers didn’t perform “all out” so this was just a chance to see certain scenes in the broadest sense. Actors were relaxed and joked with each other during the run through. Judging from how much fun they had working with each other, I can say that this is likely to be a very fun show to watch. Two giant hair spray cans flanked the sides of the stage and are rigged to spray out puffs of stage smoke. I want to see the final show just to find out how they are incorporated. The opening number, “Good Morning Baltimore” was rehearsed with the lead singing her heart out and it was stellar. I was a little disappointed that the flasher had some clothes on under his trench coat, but maybe most of the audience will miss that from their angle.

The
1950s are out, and change is in the air! Hairspray, winner of eight Tony
Awards, including Best Musical, is a family-friendly musical, piled
bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs.

It is 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen, Tracy Turnblad,
has only one desire – to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.”
When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to
sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning
Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin, and integrate
a TV network… all without denting her ‘do!

Show date: July 22-23, 2017
Show times vary
Tickets start at $20
Walt Disney Theater

An Interview with Billy Manes at Watermark.

On June 30th Pam Schwartz, Dan Bradfield and I entered the Watermark offices to conduct an oral history with editor-in-chief Billy Manes about the events following the Pulse Nightclub massacre. Billy grew up in Florida and was a bit of a club kid.  He suffered much adversity and sexual abuse in his childhood. At the time, he felt that Florida is a place without history, so you have to make your own history.  In 2005 he ran for mayor, being the first openly gay candidate to do so. He felt he was the best choice to replace the then suspended Mayor
Buddy Dyer
specifically because he’s not a politician.

He met Alan Jordan who was very different than himself and they had a long relationship. “We were very Burt and Taylor in our relationship.” said Billy. On Easter Sunday of 2012 Alan shot himself in front of Billy. Alan had HIV but didn’t want to admit he was positive. Billy watched his love die in front of him. Alan’s family took everything a redneck could need, despite the long relationship, even threatening to take the ring off of Billy’s finger. Billy fought them in court and won back some of his possessions. He decided to become more purposeful about these issues. “Trying to save someone else saved me.” said Billy. There is a documentary that was filmed entitled ” Billy and Alan“.

As a senior writer at the Orlando Weekly, Billy found his voice as he made jokes about Tallahassee government policy which is often, “so fucking boring”. Billy Manes was hired by the Watermark in 2015. As I sketched, I found the black blinds strangely ominous. He coughed once, and Pam commiserated since she had a cough for 6 months after cleaning up dead flowers and collecting items at the Pulse Memorial sites for the One Orlando Collection.

“I only remember 5AM on June 12th.” Billy said. He used to work there, when it was Dante’s. He was friends with the owners and staff. It wasn’t “divey” at all. It was a good place to come together. At 5 AM his husband Anthony Mauss woke up. He told Billy not to look at his phone. Billy of course looked at his phone and was immediately pulled on for an MSNBC interview. Unshaven and uncombed he spoke with Tamron Hall. As he spoke, he realized that he didn’t know if his friends were alive who worked at Pulse.

This was a hate crime and Billy was annoyed at any news organization that would white-wash this fact by playing up the terrorist theories. On that first morning, a mother drove by and she asked if her son was alive. Billy said he would try and find out.

After Pulse, the whole tone, everything changed. Billy suddenly found
himself in a whirlwind of interviews by over 7 networks in the days
following. Watermark approached the following weeks with a three step
program. They did a glossy cover, a story about the psychology behind
the attack and stories about the need for gun control. In the barrage of
activity, he stopped caring about himself. Watermark was at every
event. Billy reflected, “It is still amazing to me. You can say 49, but
imagine the moms and families having to deal with probate, the law.”

Our oral history interview was just an hour long. We wanted to get together for a second interview to grapple with the intricacies of the weeks following Pulse in more depth. Shortly after this interview Billy Manes said he was “let go” from Watermark on Friday, July 14th. In a Facebook post on the following Sunday Billy shared, “I was effectively let go on Friday and it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t psychologically easy. I wanted to give Watermark the chance to break the news. Not sure why, but it was fair enough. Best to the future editor and please keep up…the work. I’ll figure something new. I always do.”

Billy died just after 4 p.m. on Friday, July 21, at the age of 45,
surrounded by his husband Anthony Mauss, friends and family at Orlando
Regional Medical Center
.

The loss is a shock to me. Billy and I were both born on May 22 and he playfully reminded me of this each year via Facebook.  Having lived through so much tragedy, Billy always injected humor into every exchange. He will be deeply missed. He helped to write Orlando’s history while joking about the political forces that stifle Orlando’s future.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 22nd and 23rd.

Saturday July 22, 2017

10 AM to 1 PM – Free. Empowerment Event. Art of Fitness Personal Training and Yoga, 5154 Dr Phillips Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32819. Five speakers offer the tools you need to get the life you want. From miracles to mindset, exercise to meditation, join us as we bring you serious empowerment.

7 PM to 9 PM – Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

10:30 PM to Midnight – Free. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL.

Sunday July 23, 2017

10 AM to Noon – Free.  Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

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

10 PM to Midnight – Free (but get a coffee!) Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Blue Spring State Park.

For my birthday, Pam Schwartz got me two fountain pens to draw with.We also decided to take the day off, and go to Blue Spring (2100 W. French Avenue Orange City, FL 32763). She has a kayak and there are also rentals, so we explored the spring and the Saint Johns River. Pam had a waterproof bag to hold any art supplies and phones. We seem to have amazing luck seeing wildlife anytime we explore around Orlando. We kayaked down a tiny tributary that is not very accessible to normal sized boats. The prows of our kayaks split the river grass until the stream once again opened up. Beautiful white flowers were just opening up on Lilly pads.

On a more open stretch, we spotted a river otter swimming back and forth across the stream. He must have been on the hunt for fish and he didn’t seem to mind our presence. He swam towards us for a closer look. Large birds were building nests in the brush and I could hear the chicks as we floated by. When we paddled into Blue Spring itself, we came across a manatee that was slowly making her way out towards the open river water. The spring water is much clearer than the river water making the manatee easy to see. She approached Pam’s kayak and boop-snooted her boat to say hello. Pam got some amazing photos before the manatee decided to gently swim out to the murky river.

I had brought along my snorkel and mask and we decided to hike upstream to the source of the spring. The water is a constant 73 degrees year round. The stream is surprisingly strong. It is hard to imagine that much water gushing up from a single hole in the ground. 102 million US gallons (390,000 m3) of water flow out of Blue Spring into the St. Johns River every day. At the large watering hole at Blue Springs source, we found a large rock to sit on and I got out my new fountain pen to try out. Unknown to me, the ink was not waterproof, so when I added watercolor to the sketch, the ink bleed into each color I applied. Flesh tones quickly turned black. Rather than fight the new media, I just let it be and applied very light washes. Back at the studio later, I replaced the ink with Noodler’s ink, which is waterproof, and now the pen is in constant use every day.

Swimming over the Blue Spring itself is amazing. You have to kick hard to go against the stream. I dove down to a tree trunk which had fallen over the stream below the water’s surface. Water pressure in my ears kept me from going down any further, but I could see scuba divers down below me exploring the depths. I much prefer exploring above the water where pen lines and washes can capture any scene in some form or another.