Lots of Updates

Where to start ...
Since my last posting I have created many new paintings, much the results of demonstrations and classes, many if finished I will upload eventually.
At present, my class schedule is as follows: Vero Beach Museum of Art, 5-week course each semester in Portraiture in Acrylics, with a two full days workshop in oil portraiture March 29th and 30th; American Legion: first and third Thursday of each month, 10-1:00, all mediums and subjects, and includes a 45-minute demo; Indian River Estates, Vero Beach: 2nd and 3rd Friday each month.

Following is an oil portrait of a famous local historical figure, Waldo Sexton, which I painted for the Emerson Center's Foyer Gallery show, celebrating Vero Beach's Centennial.  This image was also sent to the National Portrait Society's show, of which I am a member.  Scant chance anything will come of it as the competition is phenomenal.

Waldo Sexton, oil by Judy Burgarella

Below is an acrylic portrait of Mr. Konopacky, my neighbor's father who just passed away at age 100!  This portrait was done for his memorial service, and was met with rave reviews.  He always talked with that finger pointing at you.  He was pretty sharp up to the end.  This is another one I have entered in the National Portrait Society show.

Mr. Konopacky at 100, acrylic by Judy Burgarella

A fun commission, below, is an oil painting of Max and Furnando. Now that I have finally adopted a dog myself (after being without a pet for 20 years), I fully appreciate that people love their pets enough to have a portrait painted of them.  Love my dog Piper, who is probably the smartest and cutest dog in the world. (Prejudiced? No.)

Furnando & Max, oil by Judy Burgarella

Next is a painting I'm excited about.  Started out as a "by-the-seat-of-my-pants" demo and I tweaked it a bit when I got home.  I plan on painting a similar composition on a larger and better canvas, and enter it in a show.  Such fun it was, in a wipe-out format. I will paint some ibis on a log by the palm tree, and add water ripples and refine the foliage.

Orchids and Egrets, 12"x16", oil by Judy Burgarella (unfinished)

 This little girl's image was taken from a section of a painting in the Museum.  The Vero Beach Museum of Art likes their faculty to tie in something from their exhibition, and so I used her image to teach an acrylic portraiture class.

"Girl with Lace Collar" 16"x12, acrylic by Judy Burgarella

The beautiful girl below is a copy of a painting done by one of the "Victorian Radicals" whose work is currently on exhibition at the Vero Beach Museum.  This is not part of their exhibit, but was painted by John Everett Malaise, and I used it to teach my portrait class this winter's semester  (2019).  Complicated but fun, and my students did fabulous work!  Note: This piece sold from the Museum's Faculty Show, along with another work of mine, "The Artist" also in that show.

"The Mandolin Player" from John Everett Malaise, 11"x16", acrylic.  

 This stern-looking woman is a Seminole Indian, the black-and-white image of which I used to teach my acrylic portraiture class at the Museum.

"Seminole Girl" 16"x12, acrylic

 "Misty Morning" was an acrylic demonstration I did at Indian River Estates in Vero.  This one is worthy of putting on a better canvas, and repainting it in a finer style.

"Misty Morning" 16"x11" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

 Below is another "Misty Morning" from another demo, this time at the American Legion.

"Misty Morning" acrylic on 12"x8 canvas

Guest Artist Spot

Well, a lot has happened since my last posting, one of which is that I have left the artists Guild Gallery to slow my life down a bit and give more time to my family.  It was a great run--almost 8 years--and due to a cancellation for November they invited me to put together a show in their Guest Artist Gallery.  And so my encore at the Artists Guild is entitled, "An Artist's Journey," which I hope to showcase my better pieces, or whatever is available by November.  I've developed a wonderful way to keep track of where my artwork temporarily resides, which I will expound upon later in this blog for all you artists.  It's 1:00 a.m. now and I'll probably start this and continue tomorrow, in between running around after my 2-year-old granddaughter while mom and dad works.

First of all, here is the card, and consider it your personal invitation to my show:

Their new website is www.artsitsguildgalleryofverobeach.com - however my show has not been posted as of this date, but they have a wonderful guest artist, Dr. Johnson Hagood, who is a very well-respected local dentist.

There will be everything from soup to nuts in "An Artist's Journey," including portraiture.  Sample all the action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcLf7ACVaJk 

I am working on several new pieces for this show, and if all goes well and the creek don't rise I'll have them finished in time.  If not I'll add them later in the month.  One of the pieces is shown below, entitled "The Artist," it's an oil, and I had a fabulous time painting it.  Just love doing portraits, and always free-hand as usual.  There are usually "tweaks" to be done when doing freehand, but it is such a liberating thing to be able to capture an image on canvas with no special tools or technology, just these old eyes and a steady hand.  Eyes, I might add, one of which has been redone by cataract surgery ... which has really changed the way I see my world a lot.  Can see better, but different, and there are many side affects that plague me still after almost 3 months.  It's exasperating, especially as an artist, and I've been assured it will go away soon. Painting on canvas also has a new learning curve that I have to work around.  Should I have the other one done like advised, and see my world weirdly through both eyes?  I think not, for now anyways.

"The Artist," oil on canvas

When I completed this painting, I realized he looked like Santa with a red beret.  After my show I may change that to another color to avoid confusion, and to make it more marketable.

Here's a sampling of some that I may put in the show, but this venue does not do them justice and they must be viewed in person ~

So let's see, what artistic things have I been up to since July ... Will post more tomorrow!

Well, there wasn't much art-wise that I worked on except for a couple of things.  One is I finished this cute little kitty bank for the Humane Society's sale ~

"Kitty Bank" for Humane Society Fundraiser.  Acrylic

Also over the past few weeks, Club members are invited to paint a small canvas as an ornament, the proceeds of which will be given to the Ecumenical Food Bank to help feed the needy for the holidays.  We're proud of this effort, and hope to be able to hand them a big fat check.  Below is a sampling of our "Little treasures:"

Today I managed to finish 2 paintings, both oil, one a still life with a vase and some apples which I started in my Oak Harbor, Vero Beach class on Wednesday, and the other a small one I started as a demo at the Sebastian River Art Club - a beutiful white heron in flight with a dark tropical background, which I just now finished inbetween blogging.  Have the perfect frame for it too--can't wait to see it all put together.

 Judy Burgrella
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