Catching up!

WRAPPING UP MY CLASSES AT THE MUSEUM

 "Gypsy" was my creation to use for an introduction to acrylic portraiture for 5-week course at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  Other than helping my friend Christine with her "Cork & Canvas" classes at the Museum over the past year, this was my second series of classes on the subject.  I will teach this again during the Winter session at the Museum.  The class was great, filled with enthusiastic painters--beginning and intermediate--who did a fantastic job on the Gypsy, and then on the portrait of their choice.  I start them off with profiles, as that is the easiest to do, no matching symmetry with eyes, elements and shape of face, etc.

PAINT PARTY AT THE BLUE LION BAR

       




 ~ PAINT - SIP - LAUGH - REPEAT ~

Monday, November 2nd, 6:30-9:00 p.m. will be my first Art Party at the Blue Lion Wine Bar, 13401 US Hwy 1 in Sebastian in the Riverview Shopping Center - 772-589-4445.  The above painting will be the subject.  Looks complicated but it really will be fairly easy, even for those who have never painted before.  I was invited to take this on by the new owner, during the opening reception of an artist friend there.  It will be fun, sipping wine and doing my favorite thing to do (other than playing with my granddaughter) teaching people how to paint.  Reservations are needed (though walk-ins will be accepted if there is room).  Price, which includes all supplies: $35.

GYPSY "WIPE OUT"

"Gypsy II" Oil by Judy Burgarella

This handsome man started out as a demonstration at the Sebastian River Art Club for my class on Thursdays.  Finished it up later at home, then entered it into the Vero Beach Art Club's "Member's Invitational," which is installed every year in the classroom wing gallery of the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  I was glad my students got to see it before the end of my Fall classes.

FANTASTIC FIND!

While strolling through the first St. Sebastian Flea Market of the season on October 3rd, I came upon this wonderful gem of an oil painting.  Except it didn't look like this.  The face caught my eye, leaning in front of a bunch of junky trinkets, but the size of it was so big, and falling out of its frame.  The face was superb, however the body--seated with folded hands--was poorly rendered.  So I walked on by, but it haunted me as I rummaged through the sale.  And then I saw this fabulous frame.  Solidly carved with pure wood embellishments and beautiful aged gilding.  The four+ big nail holes through the front of the frame didn't scare me--they're easy to fix.  It's the scrollwork and it was in excellent condition.  Obviously old.  Hm-m-m-m, I wondered how it would look framing that beautiful face?  Nah!  So I walked on.  On my way out I walked by that darned face again and just couldn't resist it.  They wanted $15 for that fantastic painting, and I was almost embarrassed to offer them $10--but they took it!  With frame and all it measured 41" high by 29" wide--Huge!  So off I went to carry it to the car.  Then back I went to get that frame.  Again, they wanted $15 (cheap!) but I offered $10, and Bingo!  When I got back to the car and positioned it on her face it was magic.  They were made for each other as you can see.  The signature was unrecognizable so the pain of cutting it down was not as great as I thought.  They both are obviously very old and I feel honored to have them in my possession.  I have filled in the holes and just have to match the gilding.  Then up on my high shelf in the family room it will go, carefully arranged near baskets, faux plants and jugs.

Collecting art, no matter where you buy it or how much you pay for it, is thrilling and I never tire of looking at these faces every day, with the occasional wonderment of who they were and how they came to have their image captured in oil.  They are the ghosts that live in my house, but good ones.


THE FAMOUS A. E. (BEANY) BACKUS

Finished Painting, A.E. (Beany) Backus, Oil, 16"x20"

Beginnings of A.E. Backus portrait, with reference photo

Progression of Beany Backus painting

Entered the A. E. Backus Gallery's show, "The Best of the Best," where my work has won awards in the past.  It's a good show I'm always proud to be in.  I had a bright idea though to paint the person the gallery is named after: Beany Backus.  What a job I had finding any kind of images of him.  Not many, and I couldn't recall any paintings of the Master himself in the gallery.  So above are pics of the progression of my free-hand painting, and the final subject.  Had a wonderful time painting this man whose work I have admired for years.  Backus Museum is at 500 N Indian River Drive in Ft. Pierce 772-465-0630, www.backusmuseum.com.  The show closes November 13th.

RED LILY

This cute little oil painting started as a demo at the Sebastian River Art Club in September.  Several of my students started it.  I just love the color red, Cadmium and Alizarin just get my attention!  I finished this up for a show in Melbourne, "Frits & Friends" on October 16th, and it never dried in time in spite of having a fan on it for 5 days.  Same thing with the below.

HUMMINGBIRD

"Hummingbird" oil, 20" x 16"

This painting has been morphed 4 times.  It started as another painting beneath, which I painted over, to be a blue vase setting on a red drape with gold ribbon.  Acrylic.  Awful.  I never even showed it.  After having it for a few years I finally painted it over last year with oils, same blue vase, but with apples.  Still didn't sell, so I painted a hummingbird on it and waited for it to dry for the Melbourne show.  Didn't.  I touched it so much that the colors are a bit more muted than they were.  Well, now it's dry and ready to be shown.

Well, that's all for today, and next posting will be my agenda--of course I have over-committed myself as usual and my head is spinning, but glad to get my art out to be seen, and, hopefully purchased!

Regards,
Judy Burgarella
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