The Doggie Door

Debbie Hayle invited me to go to the Doggie Door (329 North Park Avenue, Winter Park) to go to a meeting of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel club. The King Charles Spaniel is the same breed of dog that Charlotte York became obsessed with in "Sex and the City". When I arrived there were a few dog owners in the store but over time more and more Spaniels and their owners arrived.
Debbie had a cake made with a photo of her first Spaniel on the frosting. These dogs are a very excited and active breed. There was plenty of sniffing and tail swishing going on. Some owners were not content with just one dog and they walked in with a pack of spaniels. The bull dog in the sketch is actually a ceramic sculpture.
One little spaniel started growling and snapping at the other dogs. The owner immediately took the dog outside. Debbie had invited a professional animal trainer to come in and give a talk. He approached the woman with the aggressive dog and then demonstrated how she should be training him to stop the aggressive behavior. Rather than remove the dog from the situation he simply tugged at the collar to get the dogs attention. He would then reintroduce the dog to the situation where the aggressive behavior was initiated. If the dog behaved he was rewarded, if it was aggressive again he tugged again to get the dogs attention. The dog soon knew without a doubt what the trainer wanted it to do. Within a minute the dog was no longer being aggressive towards the other dogs.

Hand Made Holiday

Lorri Ethridge is an artist who came to my Sketch Crawl around Lake Eola back in July. At 7 AM that morning as I sketched the sun rising near the Japanese pavilion, I could see her sitting on the dock in front of the Pavilion looking out over the lake and sketching the skyline. We talked briefly at the second stop on the Crawl which was at Panera Bread.
Several months later she sent me a message asking me if I knew Karie Brown who makes hand crafted handbags. I was thrilled to be able to bring them together. Lorri organized an event in Winter Springs called Handmade Holiday. She asked if I could stop out and document the occasion. Tables were set up in Huey Magoo's in Winter Springs Town Center. Huey Magoo's gave a portion of all food sales to Christmas Dreams for Children, a foundation in Christmas Florida.
The event was held inside since it was one of the first cold nights in Orlando this year. I stood and leaned back to one of the restaurant booths. The table right in front of me offered hand made teddy bears, woman's purses and small wooden Japanese dolls. A UCF sports jersey was framed on the wall as "Art". People who came to the event lingered perhaps not wanting to go back out in the cold or just happy to spend some time to talk to neighbors.

Black Friday - Miami

I did not head to the malls at 6AM like everyone else in the house. I was only convinced that I was missing a sketch opportunity late in the day by Margaret Nolan via facebook. I had already drawn The Miami Herald presses so I should have been satisfied. But when Terry and Elaine said they were going back for a second round of shopping, I decided to go. I thought I would be battling huge crowds but the mall was relatively quiet. The sound system piped in constant Christmas music like,"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". I swear that song is haunting me.
When I started to sketch the sun had already started to set. Christmas lights started to light up on palm trees and on topiaries. Some shoppers looked exhausted while teens patrolled chatting on iPhones. Santa had set up shop in an outdoor booth behind me, but I wasn't in a mood to face him just yet. Besides he looked nothing like the Macy's Parade Santa so he must have been an impostor. A mall security guard came over and looked over my shoulder. My stomach muscles tensed. He said "Wow did you do that just now?" Part of me wanted to be a smart-ass, but I just replied "Yes, thanks."

A Gift for Teachers

After covering an event at Lake Eola called Push Play, I decided to find out more about the organizers who were from A Gift for Teaching (AGFT). AGFT offers FREE school supplies to Central Florida's disadvantaged school children. This organization is located off of John Young Parkway at 6501 Magic Way. The building is a nondescript brick warehouse. When I walked in I was impressed by a store filled with vibrant color that rivaled any Office Max or Staples.
I met with Audrey who has worked for AGFT for five years and is the longest running employee of the company which was formed 11 years ago. She gave me a tour of the facility. She explained that more than half of the students in Orlando schools are on the free or reduced price lunch. The reduced price for lunches is just 40 cents. Students that can not afford that are often faced with the choice between food or school supplies.
This is where AGFT steps in, they seek out local businesses to donate surplus supplies, the kind of stuff that otherwise would end up in a landfill. The company also has fundraisers, events and some grants to keep afloat. They have never relied on government grants because all the paperwork would be overwhelming.
Audrey said that in some ways things are getting harder because of the slowing economy. However many companys are going out of business and all the supplies are being donated to the cause as a tax write off.
The gorgeous facility is entirely staffed by volunteers each afternoon. AGFT has founded a work woman's prison program where large stock paper is cut up and packaged into bound journals, flash cards puppets and craft supplies. Many of these inmates have children who benefit from the program. One area of the facility offers new socks and underwear. Some children can not afford new clothes and wear the same outfit every day of the week.
Teachers enter the facility each afternoon and "shop" for their students in need. Teachers can take advantage of $517 worth of merchandise when they shop. There are limits on how many items a given teacher can take of any given item. This allows all the teachers to benefit from all the supplies. AGFT has donated over 45 million dollars worth of supplies to students for free over the years. They have given away over 4 million pencils and over 130 thousand teachers have visited the facilities.

Artist or Anarchist?

It had been a great day. I had done two sketches one of which was at "A Gift for Teaching" learning all about this groups amazing charitable work from Audrey. My wife had invited me to another event called "The Art of Fashion" at Neiman Markus in the Millenia Mall. I really don't like going to the mall, the place makes me uncomfortable but I decided to be a good sport and go. Besides the word Art was in the title so it must have some artistic merit. Terry and I met outside and walked in together. She was all a flutter checking out the event Tee Shirts and jumping from rack to rack.
There were tables from local restaurants offering small food samples, all of which were delicious. We got some Blue Matini's made with Van Gogh Rum. I started to wonder if Van Gogh would have liked this event. We shared a cupcake and had a photographic flip book animation made which is quite humerus. Tall slender models strutted around among the racks of designer clothing. Other women looked like they had far to much plastic surgery.
Terry wanted to do some shopping so she left me to do a sketch. While I was sketching a woman named Kelly, who runs Nude Nite in Orlando and Tampa introduced herself. She described her event and I can't wait to go there to do a sketch for the blog. A mother asked if I could show her daughter the drawing. The little girl asked "Are you going to color the drawing?" I promised her "Yes, of course".
Then things got surreal. A woman dressed all in black walked up to me and said I really shouldn't sketch the lady having her make up done due to privacy issues. I pointed out that the woman I sketched had already left and I was drawing the make up artist. I pointed out how the blouse and hair style were different and continued to work. The woman left. I started to draw faster. Later Terry found me and wanted to see if I had finished. The line work was done and I just needed to add a few washes of color.
Then another woman in black showed up with a young security guard, and said I would have to stop sketching or I would be escorted out of the building. I asked why and she said it was store policy. I was sure the store policy didn't say anything about sketching. I was told I could not name the store or post the drawing I did because Neiman Markus needs to control how their store is portrayed. I do not feel I portrayed the store in a bad light with my sketch. You be the judge. The managers actions however are another story. Rather than make a scene, I put my sketchbook away knowing the sketch was already done. I found this display of authority funny and besides I have no real desire to return to do more drawings. Terry however was fuming. She had bought hundreds of dollars worth of perfume and other items and decided to take them all back. We went from register to register voiding out all the transactions and telling the stunned store employees about the policy.
On the drive home my anger started to build deep in my chest. I had never been stopped from sketching before and yet this week I was stopped twice, once at Lake Eola and now at a Mall of all places. Orlando is starting to feel like a different country. The next morning Terry showed me her Neiman Markus credit card and with a flourish she cut it in half.

Earthy Habitat

I was offered a tip from KC that Earthy Habitat was having a grand opening and there were going to be belly dancers! I couldn't pass up an offer like that. The store had just moved 3 weeks ago from it Thornton Avenue address right next to Dandelion Communitea Cafe. The store is now located at 990 North 434 in Altamonte Springs. I had some trouble finding the place since strip malls and stores in Florida don't do a great job of displaying the street numbers. I have a GPS and with trial and error I finally did find the store just when I was ready to give up and head home.
It was pouring rain when I arrived. I ran toward the store and ducked under the store front overhang. As soon as I shook out my umbrella a young woman approached me and told me I could have any item on the outdoor table for free. I chose a hand woven green bracelet that I think my wife Terry will love. Earthy Habitat offers hand crafted jewelry from around the world. Items can be found from Africa, Tibet, India, Ecuador among other places. Gloria Beharry and Sandra Burgos are the owners. Sandra has many of her own paintings decorating the store walls. KC's daughter is working in the store for the summer. So the whole family was out to see the opening. KC introduced me to Bob who is the love of her life and looks just like Ernest Hemingway. I then met KC's youngest daughter Liz who at first seemed a bit unhappy to have to sit through the event but she later livened up and turned out to have a fun sense of humor. Kit was busy talking to clients and selling like a pro. She never stopped working the room.
The 3 belly dancers arrived late. They are called the Magi Dance Troupe and they were amazing. Their arms moved like snakes and they had perfect balance which was demonstrated when the lead dancer, Melanie LaJoie, balanced a flaming candle in a bowl on her head and began to dance. This dance actually made me a bit nervous, I immediately imagined the bowl falling and igniting the carpet and people screaming as they ran towards the exits. I suppressed those thoughts, quieted my nerves and finished the sketch.

Seven Seas Aquarium

Chad a longtime reader of this blog, suggested I sketch at the fish store he works in called Seven Seas. The store had just recently moved into this smaller space since the fish and corals sold could no longer cover the rent in the the much larger space next door in the same store complex. I arrived in the mid afternoon and for the longest time I simply drew the room since there were no costumers to sketch.
After well over an hour of sketching nothing but the room, a couple finally walked in. They were expecting a child and from my experience with fellow reefers, once the baby hits the scene suddenly the fish tank gets neglected. This might be one of there last trips to the fish store. Chad can be seen feeding the fish. When he finished he quickly helped the couple pick what they needed. Chad had some amazing stories to tell about truly crazy costumers like a woman from a local institution who could not make eye contact or socialize in any way, she dropped her money on the floor and ran out the door with a fish in a bag, or the guy who arrived at the store with pants with holes cut in them so that had his butt cheeks were hanging out. Sounds like running a fish store offers a glimpse at a wide variety of Orlando's unique individuals.

The Ring

Months ago I lost my wedding ring. I noticed it was missing while I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Earlier that day, I had been fiddling with the ring, pushing it up past the knuckle and spinning it while I waited for a computer anti virus program to finish its work. The ring had to be between the computer room and the kitchen and I searched for it relentlessly.
The day I lost the ring the financial markets began to collapse. I am certain that these two events at linked. If I could find the ring then the markets might stabilize. At various festivals I had tried on mood rings and artsy wood and silver rings but none fit. Also Terry didn't approve of my choices.
I decided for Terry's birthday to finally go to P.J. Abramson, Inc. a good jewelry store in Winter Park and get a traditional gold band. The first ring the sales lady showed me was 24 carrot gold and it cost $2000. I almost had a heart attack, thank god it didn't fit. The second ring was a bit more reasonable and it slipped right on, a perfect fit. After the purchase I explained that I would like to sketch the store. The manager was concerned that I might sketch the security system but reluctantly let me proceed. Notice no video cameras or even wires were drawn in the making of this picture.

Whole Foods Fresh Market

Terry and I went down to see the Whole Foods Outdoor Fresh Market. There really wasn't much of a selection when it came to produce. This sketch is of one of the few vendors that offered plants and produce. The rest of the vendors offered cheap trinkets and crafts, non of which interested me. One vendor did have nice ripe tomatoes for a great price, but honestly the trip was a bit of a hassle. The tents take up a large chunk of the parking lot leaving few spaces to park and some genius arranged it so all the traffic leads to a dead end at a traffic cone where everyone must do a 10 point turn to go back the other way. Some folks back up at top speed while others are making the turn. It is a disaster waiting to happen. In front of the store a huge tourist bus was parked in the no parking zone forcing cars to face off into one lane of traffic. A security officer was yelling at the bus driver to get out of there before there was a head on collision. Whatever urban planner designed the traffic flow of this spot should be fired. If Americans didn't have cars this place could be a fun place to shop.

Skycraft Surplus

The full moon rises over Skycraft as the sun sets on the opposite horizon. Skycraft is a store for the inventor, tinkerer and do it yourselfer. Inside can be found a treasure trove of parts and wiring for anything from robotics to solar panels. There is such a wide variety of wires and connectors inside that it boggles the mind. They even have telephone booths in case you happen to need one of those. I have been inside only once. I bought some tiny solar panels which I haven't quite figured out a use for yet. That is why I stay away, I would just buy stuff because it looks cool, I can not help it, gadgets intrigue me. Gadget innards intrigue me more.
While sketching I was enveloped in a cloud that looked like snow. I caught one in my hand and I believe they were seed pods from something like a cat-o-nine tails. The wind spiraled them around and they rose into the sky.

Strip Mall Construction

I am always surprised when I pass this construction site. With all the devastating financial news of the past months it amazes me that workers are still crawling all over this mega ritzy mall construction site. It seems that all new construction must come in Izod colors and look like it belongs in a Disney Theme park.

I am finding this sketchbook is consistently making me feel cramped horizontally. My last sketchbook had panoramic spreads. Well with this posting of one sketch a day, you get the good bad and the ugly.