FLART

Nannette Cherry, Cake,Rebecca Rose

2011-12-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

You are not tripping, or are you? Nannette's work is distorted reality at it's best. As I was going through her pictures I began to question my own sanity. Her pictures are amazing, she takes normal human faces and distorts and twists them until the human is no longer present. She has a knack for making us humans look alien and bizarre...in all reality is she distorting the human form or simply bringing out the true nature? I adore Nannette's work, as long as there are people in the world then there will be art for Nannette to create.

If you've live in Orlando for at least 3 years it would be nearly impossible for you not to run into Cake. However you might not even realize it. Cake is a rock star in the Orlando art scene, not only does his art have a nice glossy look with a stark contrast of something grotesque, but he also makes quite a presence in person. Even though I have yet to meet this man in person His classy appearance is hard to miss. What I love about Cake's art is that it's always a surprise. I consider it calculated chaos, if you haven't looked at his art yet I highly recommend that you do so.

When I'm painting I'm rough and sometimes I just don't care, if colors bleed or run that's just how I am. So to be honest I really have to hand it to Rebecca Rose for having nerves of steel. She crafts some of the most intricate rings that I've ever seen. How she does it, I'm not entirely sure. Each ring has a personality and immense detail. You don't have to be a jewelry fanatic to appreciate her rings. She has such rings as a full on miniature wedding cake complete with bride and groom, one that was a full on city skyline complete with King Kong, I could go on and on but my descriptions don't do it justice I recommend that you take a look at her rings. You'll be impressed.

Karen Russell Bryan Carson Morgan Wilson

2011-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons why I like different kinds of art so much, is because each artist perceives the world differently then the next one. Karen Russell's subject matter is something that has been done a million times, however her take is extremely refreshing. Karen takes the old formula of portraits and mixes it up with a geometric twist. From what I've seen she segments the human body into shapes and for further detail each shape seems to be a different shade. Her work is very interesting to look at and it reminds me of Picasso's cube style, however her work is much more defined and specific and less abstract. I really like Karen's work and I really look forward to seeing more stuff from her in the future.

Bryan Carson must really love to swim...or he must wish he could. A large majority of his work centers around underwater scenery but a part of swimming that a lot of people over look, the point in which the water reflects off the skin. I love his pieces of the underwater swimmers and the water dancing around them. It's a truly mystical effect and he captures it very well. His work is very colorful and extremely animated, I really enjoy looking at his stuff.

Morgan Wilson's stuff is very sensual without being overtly gratuitous. Her color pallet is sometimes unexpected and her subject matter is always explosive even in the most subtle ways. Her main objective seems to be to empower the female rather then explicitly flaunt them. Her art is equal parts sensuality and danger with a bit of color thrown in for good measure. To call her a pin up artist would be greatly underestimating her ability. I look forward to seeing more from her.

Johannah O'Donnell,Dennis Hansbury,Michael McGrath

2011-10-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

I really like Johanna O'Donnel's work because it's a true feast for the eyes. The best way that I can describe her work is like technicolor cave paintings on acid. They are a comedic take on how modern culture perceives more primitive societies. Her pictures are a sardonic commentary on how even though we can try to detach our self from technology and entertainment, these things are still part of our existence. These ideas are painted with such images as celebrities with kiss make up instead of war paint, and warriors with animal faces. These are just my interpretations, her work is very vibrant and multi layered and each picture is a visual treat not to mention her entire body of work.

I like Dennis Hansbury's art because it's like a delicate sense of danger. Sure he does a lot of pictures of zombies, but his zombies are unlike most zombies that I've seen before. He displays the vulnerability of the human body. Perhaps this vulnerability to his work comes from his soft pallet or perhaps its the sympathetic eyes. Even in his most grotesque works, the eyes are sympathetic, you could tell that zombie isn't exactly a monster more like a person in a horrible condition. all of his pictures have a beautiful aged look to them and they look like they were hidden treasures that the world has just unearthed. They say that a picture tells a thousand words, however with Dennis his works look like their hiding a world of secrets.

From what I saw, Michael McGrath's work is best described as Disney on acid. I love all of his pieces, he makes cute and cuddly creatures that are twisted and demented. From what I've seen, one of my personal favorites is a picture of a three headed bear who is eating a jar of prescriptions. His work is twisted and creative and is just begging to become animated. I liked what I saw so far and if that was any indication of what his body of art is like then I look forward to seeing much more from him.

Patrick Fatica, Scott Scheidly,Brett J Barr

2011-10-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

First artist that I want to discuss is Patrick Fatica. He's an artist that has some very compelling works. His art is a marriage of darkness and saccharine sweetness. He reminds me of Mark Rydan but he truly has his own personality. All of his pieces look like candy with their glossy complexion and shine. He tends to focus on women but he exaggerates the features that we are typically drawn toward to create an unnerving look. Even in their beauty and delicate appearance, they tend to look menacing and unappreciable. There was a song that I heard once that stated that the female of the creatures is more deadlier then the male and I truly feel as though these pieces define that statement. Patrick's pieces are easy on the eyes its quite easy to get mesmerized in them.

Scott Scheidly Is a very interesting artist, I don't know him personally but he feels like a rock star. All of his pictures are like amazing rock socks that immediately get your attention. All of the pictures are outlandish and in your face, even though most of the environments are similar the world he creates is very surreal. (note the noseless beauties and the giant killer plants) His art is just begging to be an album cover or a crazy music video. His art is screaming to be noticed and fully deserves the attention.

Brett J Barr is an artist that I met some time ago at Peacock Room and he was a really cool guy. I met Brett through a friend while discussing tattoo art. I was soon introduced to his art and was extremely pleased with his level of detail on his pieces. The above gear has quite some amazing depth to it and it gives the illusion that it's actually real. This is something that Brett has a knack for, duplicating reality in tattoo form. I went through his pictures of tattoos and all of them seem to be consistent in their stunning detail. I'm looking forward to getting a tattoo from him eventually.

Kristan Bright, Mark Castle, Tod Caviness

2011-09-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

I saw Kristan Bright preform at Jeremy Gloff's artist showcase and she connected with the entire audience. Her songs were stories of love lost or unrealized. As soon as she got off the stage the fist thing I told her was that she was extremely endearing as a musician and nothing could be truer, her music is very similar to to that of Fiona Apple or Jewel however she isn't a carbon copy her music has a very specific genuine identity that glows in this modern day filled with cynicism. She has a humble stage presence and performance, she's truly an artist to keep an eye on.

Mark Castle is truly a rare breed, a serious musician that doesn't take himself seriously. When I watched him I couldn't help but to tap my toe and grin from ear to ear. His music reminds me of Miss Kitten or Fischerspooner, but attempting to compare him to these other artists would be a severe disservice to Mr. Castle. His music is fun and danceable and sometimes dark with sarcastic lyrics and Mark's dry delivery. Recently he's come out with some very unique covers that are entertaining and very unexpected.

Todd Caviness is truly an Orlando treasure, I knew that the minute I heard his spoken word piece entitled SWAMP (which was purely a love letter to Orlando art). His writing style is like vocal painting creating images on our mind, some that make us laugh and some that make us cringe. His delivery is friendly and very matter of fact which invites us into his world and his colorful imagination. I've seen him preforming his pieces several times before and each time it's like I'm hearing him for the first time. He never comes off as redundant or monotonous. I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Caviness in the further.

Linda Eve, Diamond Dolls, Meg Schutz

2011-09-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Before I met Linda Eve and the Nao Collective, I had a different viewpoint of what dance was. The typical stereotype of a choreographed art form that was usually found accompanying musical theater or a some pop star. However these false perceptions quickly vanished upon discovering Nao collective. Yes it was a dance troupe but unlike most it focuses strictly on improvisation. Linda encourages dancers to express them selves with the entire body. Since each dancer is dancing upon instinct the interactions can be chaotic and beautiful just like life itself. She brings out the best in each dancer and challenges them to push themselves further.

While both members of the DIAMOND DOLLS aren't currently located in Florida, They were formed here and that counts in my book. The dolls were and are on the edge of dance pop, not directly in the heart but on the outskirts of it near the dark side of town. Their music makes a person dance and think so you could say that it is the perfect full body work out. The dolls are fronted by Ricky Diamond who was once associated with more humorous music wanted to strip from that image and evolve, he me Dan Roney and it was musical magic. Together they have quite the stage presence, Ricky with his amazing dances and Dan with his classically trained concentration. I was lucky enough to see them preform for the first time at my Mykebration several years back and I was stunned by their stage presence. While they aren't currently here their music can be found on line, one listen is all it takes to fall in love with the Diamond Dolls!

I only got the chance to work with Meg Schutz once but the above photo shoot was so much fun and so laid back that it truly became a memorable experience for me. While there are a lot of photographers here in Orlando, not everyone takes the same kind of picture, each photograph is unique to that photographer and nothing is truer then with Meg's photos. She loves color and typically her pictures are vibrant and playful. Even with my dark subject matter that I wanted for my picture she managed to make it lighthearted. I'm glad that I got to be a subject of one of her photo shoots before she leaves us, Orlando will truly miss Meg Schutz.

Destiny Anna, Mike Carr, Jeremy Gloff

2011-09-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Destiny Anna's art is a nice marriage of surreal and warmth. When I first saw the above picture I thought there was some kind of political agenda however nothing could be further from the truth. She takes images and symbols the we have al known and have been familiar with society and combines them to demystify their stigma. Her art is as gentle and kind as her personality. She's new to the art world and I'm looking forward to her continued contributions..

When I first saw Mike Carr do stand up I was taken back by how humble his presentation was. His subject matter was bitter sweet but the way he presented it was very inviting, he talked with the audience instead of at the audience. Typically when comedians do comedy they create a persona, however when Mike got off the stage he was that same tough luck chap that we all laughed and sympathized with. Mike is a funny guy with a heart of gold.

Where to begin with Jeremy Gloff...I have to say to call this guy a friend is beyond an honor. I originally saw him preform at my Mykebration show several years back and he captivated everyone watching. He preformed songs from his 21st Century Love Songs, a very heartfelt album about love and loss. He preformed the songs simply with a keyboard but what came out was a wall of sound that connected the everyone. His newest album went for a different style completely, entitled THIS it is much more of a dance album. With just those two albums it proves exactly how versatile he is but I haven't even mentioned his years of previous albums. Jeremy Gloff is a treasure indeed.

Tom Thorspecken,Jason Fronczek, and Frank Beauchamp

2011-09-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Today's post starts with Tom Thorspecken, he's someone that every citizen of Orlando should know. He as much of a staple of Orlando as the theme parks and Lake Eola. Tom is a sketch artist, but the way he sketches with such detail truly draws the artist in. He captures moments in ways that memories or photographs can't. Next time that you're at an Orlando event look around, you might be getting immortalized in one of Tom's pictures and you don't even realize it.

Jason Fronczek is an artist that in the brief time that we conversed he impressed me with his soft spoken wisdom. His photographs echo that same wisdom, you can tell that these pictures are coming from the eye that has seen a lot of things. Weather in stark black and white or full color his pictures all tell a meaningful story.

Frank Beauchamp is like the mad doctor of sound, the things that he comes up with are so musically intricate and bizarre but at the exact same time accessible and pleasant. This man is classically trained at piano and it shows, his techno music has life and a mind of its own. If you're looking for something good and different check out his stuff.

Welcome to Flart The Florida Art Blog!!

2011-09-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first post of FLart, which stands for Florida art. After 10 long years I'm slowly falling in love with this state. At first I found it to be a bit restrictive...it's not exactly the same as the Colorado that I came from and I'm used to. The biggest thing that I felt was that was missing with Florida was a true art community...as time progressed I realized that there is much more of a community here then I originally thought. This blog is mostly going to be a celebration of my artistic friends and showcasing their ability. This will be a fairly free from blog that will be continuing to evolve as time progresses. Thanks for checking it out!

This piece is by a friend of mine, Roger Warren. His art strikes me with its minimalism, his art is a celebration of simplicity. He comes from New York and you can see it in the art.

Another New York Artist is Sean Conklin. He's new to the Orlando Art scene but his art is very stark and interesting. He makes very vivid pieces that are as vivid as his personality...The entire time talking to him he had a large infectious smile on his face. I haven't seen such a happy person in quite a while and it was very refreshing. His art is inspired by street art and it shows. I'm very glad that Orlando Has such a great new addition.

Jason Lee's art is very deep or very surreal depends on which piece you look at. I enjoyed talking to him because this soft spoken artist was very wise. I immediately assumed he was a right brain kind of guy when in reality he's more of a right AND left brain kind of guy. This kind of balance perfectly describes Jason and his art which teeters between scientific surrealism and spirituality. Very interesting art that might answer your questions or create new ones. I'm glad that I got the chance to meet him.

On the surface one would think that the inclusion of Emily Fidler would be simply based upon the fact that she's my girl friend...however nothing could be further from the truth. I am honored to call this photographer girlfriend, the way she turns the normal into abnormal, the way she presents the world around her is very visually appealing I'm always looking forward to new pictures from her.