Just A Little Update

A Forgotten Photograph

This little gem of a painting is from a photograph I took in Sebastian, FL, off one of the docks.  I remember being with my friend, Dorothy Starbuck--who herself is one of the finest Florida landscape artists--and the beautiful white pelicans were all around us.  I just rediscovered the photo as one I had added to a blog years ago, and put it on my list to paint.  And so on my class June 2nd I used it for my quick demo.  It's not finished yet, a bit more tweaking and glazing in the faint green ripples above them, and it's done.

"Two White Pelicans" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

 Next is a photo of my last demo at the Sebastian River Art Club.  This nude was inspired by one seen in a magazine.  I loved the pose, and it had just enough information to enjoy painting it.  I bumped up the values and changed the cloth considerably, and had a wonderful time painting it in acrylics.

"Nude with White Cloth" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

The large painting I am working on is close to being done.  Just have to make my corrections and then continue painting around the sides of its gallery-wrapped edges.  I'll be glad to get this monstrosity out of my living room.  Below is half the 12'x5' painting.

"St. Sebastian River" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

Well, that's all for now.  I hope my work inspires you to be creative ... or take a class with me in Sebastian, Florida!  (Or at the Vero Beach Museum of Art)

Judy Burgarella
Blogger
Sebastian, Florida

"In Her Image"

Just now finished my entry for "In Her Image," a manekin torso I picked up at Art Mundo a couple of weeks ago, to paint or decorate and enter into a contest.  Took me forever to start it, and worked quite under the gun ... such a procrastinator I am.  However once I got started I was on a roll, and here's my entry which is supposed to look like a diving suit, but without a body inside, "What Lies Beneath," from several different angles:

"What Lies Beneath" acrylic for entry into Treasure Coast Art Assoc's "In Her Image"

Detail of "What Lies Beneath"

Well, tomorrow I deliver it, and hope it's worthy of special notice.  Anyway, it was fun to do and I hope I don't get it back.  Wonder what artsy things I'll be doing this week??  Art is such an adventure!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Cats! Cats! and more Cats!

Tracy & Turhan's five little furballs

Finished the last of Tracy's cats last night.  Started the first cat in acrylic as a demo on Thursday, but had scant time to work on it.  Didn't revisit the project until Sunday, when I finished all 5.  Those exercizes in "Challenge" speed paintings are really helping me to paint fast, especially in acrylic.  Although the push was on, this was a fun project, and hopefully they will get to my daughter's on time.  Her and her husband have 5 beautiful cats whom they love dearly, so the below portraits of them should please them both.  Just wish I could be there to see them open the portraits.  The red background will go perfectly with their red checkered kitchen.

With the holidays approaching and lots of people coming, there will be no painting (except tomorrow at my classroom in Vero).  Have a portrait commission and triptyk in the planning stages.  Five major events to work on too: 1)  Dorothy Starbuck's workshop I've organized for January 5-6; 2) Vero Beach Mural Reception and Launch party January 12th (I'm one of three artists who worked on it for a year); 3) The Sebastian River Art Club's 75th Anniversary Reception, I am Chairing; 4) The Sebastian Art Studio Tour, which I am participating in an handling publicity; 5) Stepping Stone Quilter's Show in the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center to be installed January 2nd.  So many wonderful events happening back-to-back, how lucky to be living here, and working with so many swell artsy people!

July 17th - Abstract Painting at the Sebastian River Art Club

Today, inspired by a lecture on Abstract Painting at the Sebastian River Art Club, I completed--well almost completed--this fun and fast painting.  I was a-slapping the paint on like it was on fire!  Didn't really know what I was doing, but just kept going, hoping it would turn out ok.  It's got lots of room for improvement, but I'm pretty happy with the technique.


Abstract Seascape on gallery-wrapped canvas, using acrylic paints and plastic grocery bags

 First I troweled acrylic paint in blues, blacks and white on the canvas using a palette knife.  Then very quickly I started ripping plastic bags and sticking them on "willy-nilly" to the wet paint, scrunching them as I went, trying to cover the whole canvas, including the sides.  After covering the sides I began slapping paint on top of the plastic bags, being more careful to create the storm cloud shapes, the water, and the glistening horizon, all the while painting very fast to keep up with the fast-drying acrylic paint.  I struggled a bit with the frayed edges of plastic, and began cutting the excess wherever it appeared.  Next time I will make the plastic gather in such a way that the water has horizontal waves, like the sky.  It was a lot of fun, and completed in less than an hour and a half.  I plan to take this to the next level. 

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Creating A Rainbarrel

Saturday July 12th I spent part of the day with my bud Rita Ziegler and we helped "budding" artists (who ad actually never painted anything before) paint their designs on rain barrels in the Indian River Mall for a recycling organization.  We didn't know what to expect, but we had a good time and helped a very nice lady, Dianne, complete a nice-looking rainbarrel using the most rudamentary equipment.  We three collaborated on ideas and painted away for a couple of hours.  Below is our masterpiece.


Rainbarrel painted using acrylics



Rita Ziegler (left) and me (Judy Burgarella) with the finished rainbarrel