What can an artist do??

"KATERYNA"

As the date to do this portrait in acrylics class drew near I was moved to design something to go along with our world in crisis, mainly the Ukraine.  After researching facial features of Ukrainian women a face gradually emerged from my pencil of a woman in Ukrainian native dress and wearing a floral garland.  All designs were taken from historical photos on the internet and so are truly based on authentic Ukrainian attire.

The name "Kateryna" according to a list of Ukrainian names means "Pure." Pure and innocent are those who are being killed, maimed and driven from their free country.  The atrocities that Putin has inflicted upon the Ukrainian people will be revisited by all those who survived for the rest of their lives.

So what could an older, powerless, not-so-well-off artist do to help?  Well one was to recognize the Ukrainian people's plight by designing a work of art to represent their people.  And gradually I came up with the idea of donating the proceeds of this painting to them also.  And so the idea was born.  But wait--I thought, "How can I expand upon that idea?"  So then I came up with publishing it on the internet in hopes that other artists see it, paint it, sell it, and donate the proceeds.

So here is beautiful Kateryna, with instructions below it.  Feel free to improve it, change it, or be inspired by it to do something yourself that will help the people in the Ukraine.  

(Click on Kateryna to enlarge)

Note - Keep mind that these instructions were drafted for a classroom where I explained various techniques of painting in acrylics. Please look up on the internet "scumbling" as that was a common technique used in the final skin layers.  This portrait can also be created in oil, watercolor, pastels, colored pencils, etc.  I used a limited palette and did not name the actual colors as I provided all the supplies and some people in class are not familiar with the actual names of the colors. But following are colors I used or suggest: titanium white, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange, cadmium red light, alizarin crimson, dioxazene purple, ultramarine blue, permanent green light, sap green, burnt umber, burnt sienna, ivory black.

Also, I considered "Kateryna" finished enough for my class, however not finished enough to sell.  In spite of that a student insisted on purchasing it from the class "as is."  So the proceeds will be donated to:

                            Samaritan's Purse

                            P.O. Box 3000

                           Boone, North Carolina 28607

                          Phone - 828-262-1980

If you do decide to paint it yourself, I hope you will donate at least something to either Samaritan's Purse or another charity that is helping the Ukrainian people in their struggle to protect their citizens, help those who have survivied, or help them in their fight for their freedom.

(Click on the below instructions to enlarge)

Visit again soon, as I will be uploading more paintings for you to try!

Judy Burgarella

Blogger

A few more creations of late

"PATIENCE" - DESTINY MADE HER MINE!

"Patience" below, is from another of my portrait classes for the Fall 2018 semester at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  I teach there three semesters per year, in addition to a 3-day oil & acrylics Portrait Workshop from a live model during each semester.

"Prudence" (I am guessing a Puritan Woman) was inspired and painted from a painting I purchased at the St. Sebastian Church's Saturday Flea Market a few years ago.  It was a full-body, life-sized oil painting in really rough shape, that obviously was destined to be thrown in the trash heap had I not come along last minute just before closing. I purchased this lovely painting, frame and all, for  $5 or $10.  No signature or any indication on it to identify the artist.  Since the clothing from below the collar on down was rendered poorly, I held my breath and cut it off.  I then glued it onto a masonite board and framed it with a beautiful hand-carved ornate frame also purchased at the same time, also for $5. The frame was also in rough shape, and even had holes drilled in it on several areas.  With some filler and good gilding, sanding and painting, the frame was perfect for this painting.  It now sits in an easel on display on high kitchen shelving along with other items and paintings of interest I have collected over the years.  And so I recreated this painting, inspired by that which I purchased, only made her a bit more pretty, as seen below.  Below the painting is a sample of the step-by-step handout I give to my Museum students.  Lots of work for me, but makes it so much easier for students to understand or jump ahead.

"Prudence" Acrylic on canvas by Judy Burgarella

Class instruction hand-outs for my students

"KATE" - FROM A LIVE MODEL

Below is an oil portrait I started in October 2018 from a live model, friend and student Kate Russum, and finished six months later.  It was my first demo at a new location, Indian River Estates in Vero Beach, where I continue to teach.  This painting haunted me after I started it, as I promised it to Kate as a thank-you gift for posing for me that first day.  It was a very rough start, as all portraits of mine tend to be.  But I finished it and believed it was one of my best yet.  I actually feel that way about all my portraits, as the way of the life of an artist is that one gets better with each painting.  And so it always gets better, if one takes the extra time to make it that way.  However I am usually on the clock and on the run, trying to finish and document steps in a painting for a class, so those paintings are not usually my finest work.

"Kate" oil painting by Judy Burgarella

MONET'S "WILLOW TREE AND LILY POND"

Below is a finished painting, a copy of a work by Claude Monet, one of the impressionists (1840-1926).  I painted this in acrylics to get the feel of how he painted, in preparation for my demo/class at Indian River Estates.  This was a 2-week demo, wrought with the usual mistakes which I gladly announce and exhibit to my students so that they can learn how an artist corrects his/her mistakes and moves on. Mistakes often result in the creation of a great new technique, a so-called "Happy Mistake," and it happened several times in this oil painting. demo.  I hope to post this painting when it's finished.  But below is my acrylic rendition of Monet's oil painting.

"Monet's Willow tree and Lily Pond" acrylic by Judy Burgarella

I have many more I would love to post, but alas, they are on the self in my studio unfinished with the hundreds of other paintings needing my attention.   I need about 40 more years and maybe I'll finish them all ... but then what?

I hope you enjoyed my postings!

Judy Burgarella

Blogger

February was Art-Filled and Fun!

Special note:  If you have visited my website www.burgarellaart.com please forgive the outdated information, as I am in the process of creating a whole new website which will be launched soon.  Stay tuned!

A few delicious morsels since my last posting . . .

Well, Art on the Island (Feb 13-14) was a smashing success.  The Clubhouse on Marsh Island was packed with buyers and lookie-loo's, and just gobs of people who love art.  The food was great, and there was specialty beers and wine flowing, and everyone seemed to be having a jolly-good time.  But most importantly, my "Artbox" won first place prize in it's category (Paintings with Pizazz!)  AND it sold!  Would have liked it for myself, but you have to let your babies go!

"Mona Lisa Artbox" Oil painting on Art Box by Judy burgarella

Then a concert at my friend Geoff's, featuring "Fishing in America" which was fabulous.  Good music, good food, and fun with friends.

Did a couple of demos at the Sebastian River Art Club during my classes this month, one in oils and one in acrylics, and did a demo in acrylics for my upcoming acrylic class in the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  Tried to work out the kinks in demoing the following, but couldn't make it work, so did a demo on a close-up of my granddaughter, Salem, which I will post when it's done--in the ugly stage right now.  But people enjoyed watching the process at the Museum.  The other painting is shown below, and is my 3-1/2-year-old granddaughter Salem who wants to be an "As-s-t" just like her grandma.

"Salem the Artist" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

A little more tweaking on her face and it will be done--but it will have to wait until after "Under the Oaks," coming up this weekend.  Still so much to do, but I'm getting it done.  Tweaked some old paintings, adding birds and such to get them moving, touched up some frames, having prints made, and I have a few new paintings to show off.

After Under the Oaks, on Wednesday, March 25th is "Plein Air at the Vero Beach Yacht Club.  Fun painting outdoors all day with friends, culminating in an art show where the buyers are serious fans of marine art.  Rain date March 26th.  Looking forward to that, as I cut my art-teeth on plein air painting back in the day in Connecticut.

In between all this I managed to pitch in with a "Move-'Em-West," a big rally at the VB Admin complex near the airport.  When they say "You can't stop a train," that's not true, because we're going to do it.  We, a group of concerned citizens, will not let All Aboard Florida trains ruin our little piece of paradise by cutting through our beautiful shoreline towns with their dirty and dangerous freight trains, high-speed passenger trains flying over our roads, and all of this endangering our peaceful towns.  Enough said.  Back to art.

Then comes my upcoming "Painting Portraits in Acrylic" class at the Museum, and after that I can rest ... I think.  But actually I'll probably get geared up to work for my daughter at her Crimson Key Estate Sale business.  No rest for the weary.  Plus there's babysitting for adorable Salem.  Sandwiched in there somewhere I will paint something that inspires me, I just can't help it.  It's my drug of choice.

Come back again y'all!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger