A COUPLE OF JUST-FINISHED PIECES
For my portrait show, "Portraits of the World ... And Beyond" (postcard and further info follows) I have a couple of new ones:
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| "Madonna" oil on canvas, with 24K gold leaf halo |
This painting was done with only 4 colors, and is painted over another portrait I did as a demo of a wipe-out face. The wipe-out base gave it the depth and mystery I was looking for. Gold leafing went surprisingly well, as it is very difficult to work with, and one must not waste 24K gold! It's in a fabulous frame too, displayed over my Jesus painting which has a crown of thorns hanging on it that I purchased from a Jerusalem supplier.
A Totally Portrait Show for all my friends and students who love portraits!
Worked like crazy putting this one together. Never showed this many portraits at once, excepting for in my own home during the Sebastian Art Studio Tour. Carole and Peter Coe, curators of the "Pres Galleries," and members of the First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach, flawlessly installed the show, allowing me some input as to it's setup. There was a great turnout and the show looked beautiful. About 30 paintings in all mediums are on display. They decided to add a mid-show reception I guess to allow the Snowbirds to view it. It's up through December.
MY MOM, "MILDRED"
My mother was a jewel, and a really pretty one with a beautiful wad of red hair. I guess this was about 1942, before I was born. It was painted from a black-and-white photograph.
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| "Millie, 1942" oil on canvas by Judy Burgarella |
Tonight at 9:00 pm I finally got around to entering something in the Portrait Society of America, which I am a member of. Decided to enter my mom. It would be such an honor if they accepted my entry. First time entering a national competition.
AND NOW FOR MY NEXT ACT ...
Just delivered this show today. Over 40 paintings of Florida-inspired works. What a job putting all this together, repairing the frames, reframing where needed, cleaning and rematting. I have too many paintings, so they're priced to go, to make room for more. Looking forward to the opening to see how the public receives them. I revised a portrait I did of Osceola in 2014 which I have shown around here but it never received much attention. So I took it apart (not an easy job with pastels) and redesigned the face, clothes, position, and values, contrast and background. Basically it's all redone. I am very happy with it now, and I am a better artist than I was in 2014. That's what's amazing about this art thing, everyone gets better with each painting. I teach so I see it happen right before my eyes to my students. Below is Osceola, I love it now.
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| "Osceola" Pastel by Judy Burgarella |
LADY OF ELCHE
Monday I had my first of five classes for the semester in the Vero Beach Museum of Art, and below is my subject lesson. I brought her back from the 4th Century B.C. Found her sculptured image in an old sculpture book I got at a thrift shop. I opened the book and fell in love with her face. So regal, strong, intelligent-looking and beautiful. And that headdress! Wow! I later found out that the bust, which is hollow and presumed to have been used as a funerary urn, is in a museum in Madrid.
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| "Lady of Elche" Acrylic on Canvas by Judy Burgarella |
Judy Burgarella
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