Howie Mandel with Lennon Portrait
Howie Mandel auctions his portrait!
Flying to performances is no longer fun; here’s why
The struggle is real
Long waits, impersonal staff, delays, cancellations, video screens that are not maintained, and more make flying commercial exhausting and frequently frustrating. I arrive tired and annoyed, which is not the best state of being to give the best performance. It has been my experience that many airports, like Miami International Airport in Florida, have a lot of art. It’s weird but cool when you look at them in the airport as if you’re at a gallery or museum. I’ve often thought it might be interesting to schedule popup speed painting performances at the airports.
What can anyone do?
Getting back to making travel more enjoyable, I download movies on an iPad (in case the airplane’s video isn’t working) and bring snacks —it helps… even better, I enjoy purchasing a hot tasty meal at the airport terminal and bringing it on the plane. Traveling is a little more enjoyable with these two simple changes in my routine. I also bring a sketch pad or iPad to design new works and review the images I will perform! Even if you are not a professional artist, bringing a sketch pad or iPad with a drawing or painting app can make time pass more enjoyable.
My first overseas gig was in Monte Carlo. I’ll never forget the feeling of flying in an actual First Class —First Class domestically isn’t First Class it’s more like economy plus, and it is lame! You get to board first, and the seat is 2-inches bigger than the economy. Oh, and free drinks. It was excellent flying overseas and being asked what type of hors d’oeuvres and wine I wanted in a seat that fully reclined so I could sleep on the trip… they even gave me slippers and a bathrobe. If only they would make domestic flights the same. Nowadays, all you see are people wearing headsets and watching movies. In my opinion, the only good thing about flight these days are… Nope, I got nuthing! I like walking through the airport and looking at the artwork… they always have artwork. The last display I saw was of school kids’ works, and they were spectacular.
I plan and pack things for work, entertainment, and snacks. I use Packr app and TripIt on my iPhone to keep organized.
Once on the way home from an event, I had a connecting flight in Chicago. The flight was canceled… Ok, it wasn’t canceled, I was on time, or at least I thought I was! It turns out you are supposed to be there 15-minutes before take off…LOL. I learned my lesson and had to get a hotel to stay overnight and fly out the next morning. Lucky for me, I met a new friend, and she took me out to visit the honkytonks in downtown Chicago. It was fun and exciting, but after a few hours, I was getting tired and went back to the hotel… my new friend came with me, and that’s another story.
Travel is MESSY.
Introducing Works4Charity™ – The Ultimate Charity Entertainment and Fundraising Program
We are launching a new Works4Charity™ program –The best charity entertainment and fundraising program ever!
Michael’s Show is a crowd pleaser and his Artwork is sought after, but his fees are generally out of reach for charities.
Works4Charity™ awards a limited number of free shows each year and provides valuable Artwork for charities to raise money.
Learn more by visiting Works4Charity™
Exciting News for Charities! FREE shows for 2025
I’m thrilled to announce that my Works4Charity initiative is awarding 12 deserving charities a free live performance to support their fundraising efforts! These awards also include over $1 million in artwork to help generate much-needed funds for their missions.
One charity has already secured their spot, and others are currently under review—could your charity be next? Don’t miss this opportunity to apply!
The award covers all associated costs—travel, hotel, materials, auctioneer, and crew—so your organization can focus entirely on making a difference without worrying about expenses.
Let’s make an impact together!
#CharityAwards #Works4Charity #Fundraising #GivingBack #MakeADifference
Together, we can make a meaningful difference! For more information, visit Charity Programs
#Charity #Fundraising #Works4Charity #GivingBack”
Michael Israel’s Speedpainting at Armory Art Center
A Brief History of the Armory
When the Norton Museum closed its art school in 1986, a dedicated group of artists, art teachers, and community activists formed the Armory Art Center to ensure the continuation of practical art instruction in Palm Beach County. In seeking a new home for the art school, they looked to the neglected Armory building constructed in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in an Art Deco style and designed by William Manley King. The building was a National Guard Armory from 1939 to 1982. By the late 1980s, after a period of multiple community uses, including high school dances, the building was scheduled for demolition when the art activists and the Palm Beach County Cultural Council came together to convince the City of West Palm Beach to spare the building from demolition and allow it to be transformed into an art center.
The Armory Art Center was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization on November 21, 1986, after the art group renovated the abandoned Art Deco structure into a vibrant space for art classes and art exhibitions. The center opened its doors to the public in July 1987 as a result of generous contributions from its many supporters, most notably Robert and Mary Montgomery and the Historic Preservation and Cultural Facilities Grants of the State of Florida. In 1992 the Armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Over the past three decades, the Armory has taught art classes to thousands of emerging artists of all ages and cultures, exhibited art in hundreds of shows, given workshops taught by national and international visiting master artists, provided summer art camp for thousands of young people, and since the year 2000 has yearly given new artists-in-residence from around the United States and abroad the opportunity to hone their craft while teaching classes. The Armory looks to a long future of enhancing artistic life in the Palm Beaches.
Learn more about the history of the Armory
PAST | Armory Art Center #michaelisrael #speedpainting #speedpainter