Collaboration is the name of the game today with the arrival of Storied Paintings, a cross-disciplinary production organized by Florida Studio Theatre, the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Alfstad& Contemporary. As previously reported, FST founder and traveling one-man-show Jon Spelman will be showcasing the art of storytelling at the Keating Theatre, but for fans of the visual arts, acclaimed Spanish artist, Felix de la Concha, will be under the spotlight as well, painting Spelman’s portrait live for the audience.

“He will be talking and moving, so I have to capture whatever I can get,” said de la Concha, who has been at the Hermitage Artist Retreat since January. “I try to be quite accurate and go into detail, but I have to get the proper expression in that particular moment, in his face, in his head.”

It’s a difficult proposition, but not one that de la Concha is altogether unfamiliar with. He’s done similar productions before, with writers and recently with a series of Holocaust survivors, in which de la Concha not only painted his subjects, but conducted interviews with his subjects at the same time. This time de la Concha is spared interview duties, but he has only one hour and he must do it live, in front of the audience’s scrutinizing gaze, every brushstroke magnified on the projection behind him.

“Well it’s different than painting in a private room,” observed de la Concha. “It’s intense, because I have to concentrate on the moment. The painting is going to be finished then – whatever happens in the moment – and the people will be watching.”

But Sarasota’s day with de la Concha doesn’t end there. Following a question and answer session with the audience in Keating Theatre, de la Concha and his painting will travel to the Rosemary District, where Alfstad& Contemporary will be opening a special exhibition of de la Concha’s work from his time at the Hermitage.

“This place is magic,” said de la Concha, of the Hermitage, which not only provided the artist with the freedom to create but inspiration as well. The Hermitage itself, the grounds and the buildings, provided the focus for de la Concha’s latest series, exploring the same building from different angles and at different times of day, with shifting light and shadow. “I was so mesmerized by the architecture and this place. It feels like yesterday I arrived, and I’ve been here two months.”

In addition to the Q&A at Keating, de la Concha also looks forward to meeting the area's artistically inclined at the opening reception at Alfstad&.

"People can tell you things that you weren't conscious of," said de la Concha on the value of exploring his art with others. "You discover things that might be there, but you didn't consciously think about. Feedback is always interesting."

Storied Paintings begins 3pm today at FST and is scheduled to last about 90 minutes, before the artists reconvene at Alfstad& Contemporary. Reservations are recommended for the FST performance, Alfstad& will be open until 8pm. 

All dressed up and nowhere to charge your smartphone?  Bringing chic design and handy technology together, the Mighty Purse by Handbag Butler offers a quick and easy charge for the modern woman on the go.  It can be used as a clutch to hold all your essential items, yet is small enough to fit in your favorite handbag ensuring your phone will always be charged. Hidden inside the bag within the softest suede lining is a lightweight, high capacity built-in battery that can recharge most smartphones and tablets. The genuine leather bag comes in a rainbow of colors from “cafe au lait” to “poppy pink” and can be found at Treat Boutique.  

Treat Boutique, 530 S. Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, 941-366-6369

Worried a meal that improves your health will stun your wallet? A new diet being pushed by juicing pioneer Cherie Calbom hopes to introduce people to healthy meals that can be made with ingredients already in the pantry. Her latest book, The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet, offers, among other recipes, this dish to start the morning.

Spanish frittata and simple salad with maple orange vinaigrette

Ingredients: 12 large organic eggs; ½ cup coconut milk; ½ tsp. sea salt, or more to taste; 2 tbsp. coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small red onion, small chop; ½ cup sautéed mushrooms or your favorite vegetable; 1 cup spinach or arugula.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk the eggs and coconut milk with two pinches of salt. Set aside. Prepare pan with coconut oil and medium-high heat and sauté onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushroom or favorite vegetable and sauté until soft. Toss in spinach and fold into veggie mixture just until wilted. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside. Turn down the heat to low, adding a little more coconut oil if needed. Using the same skillet, add the eggs, shaking to distribute the mixture evenly. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes using a spatula to spread the eggs from the edges to the center until the edges are no longer runny. Arrange the vegetable mixture over the top evenly.

Transfer to a 375-degree oven and cook for 5 minutes until set and slightly browned. Remove from oven. Be very aware of the hot handle. To finish, slide partially cooked frittata onto a large plate; wearing oven mitts, place a plate over the pan and, holding the two together, invert them so the frittata drops onto the plate. Slide the frittata back into the pan so partially cooked side is up. Place back in oven to cook 3-4 minutes more.

Serves four to six. 

The Juice Lady

Sarasota Companion Animal Neurology has opened to provide neurology and neurosurgery services for pets at an office on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. The animal hospital is open 9am-5pm Monday through Friday with the most technologically advanced equipment and two board-certified specialists in neurology/neurosurgery. Chris Levine is the primary neurologist/neurosurgeon on staff and Michelle Carnes will be practicing at the Sarasota location and Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida in Naples. They are the only veterinarians on the Gulf Coast of Florida to hold Neurosurgical Certificates of training. Both completed advanced neurosurgical training, including intracranial and complex spinal surgeries, during their residencies. 

Sarasota Companion Animal Neurology

Goodwill Manasota will open its newest retail location on State Road 70 East in Lakewood Ranch. To be called “Ranch Lake,” this location will have the immediate impact of creating 50 new jobs and a direct annual economic impact of nearly $2 million to the community after its grand opening on Thursday, March 19 at 9am. The Ranch Lake location, which features Goodwill Manasota's largest retail sales floor of 22,800 square feet and a vibrant, modern design scheme, will include a community room, an attended donation center drive-through, and a job connection office, which will provide free, one-on-one job placement services for job seekers and employers and assist individuals with applications, resumes and interviews. This will be the third grand opening for Goodwill Manasota in March – the organization also opened a new attended donation center in downtown Sarasota on Fruitville Road and opened a clearance center in a repurposed site on North Tamiami Trail in Nokomis. 

Goodwill Manasota

Realtor Alicia N. Caithness joined the Venice office of RE/MAX Platinum Realty, specializing in waterfront properties, luxury homes, land and new construction.She and her husband, Mark, own Caithness Construction in Osprey, where she handles new-home sales, land sales, business development and home marketing.Prior to her real estate career, Caithness worked in healthcare strategic planning, consulting and business development. 

RE/MAX Platinum Realty