Another full and fun day!

Yesterday, Tuesday, got up early and installed the mural for Peni at the Library in Sebastian (see below).  There were so many people from the Sebastian River Art Club there that we were falling over each other.  Finished up at 10:00 then joined the BOD for a Club meeting there. 

Wednesday--teaching day--got up early today to tweak and frame some small paintings for our "Little Gems" show which is opening this Friday at the Artists Guild Gallery.  All in all, I ended up with about 10, 5 of which will go in the show, and hopefully the other five overflow to the back gallery.  Off at 11:30 to get my Dunkin' and misc. errands, and then on to teach an art class.  Started another "Face on my Palette" painting which was fun.  Then on to hang a new grouping on a new assigned spot in the gallery, and to help out with the Gems show.  Below are a couple of my "Gems"

Well, I'm falling asleep so gotta turn in. 
Judy Burgarella,
Blogger

Busy, Beautiful Day

I should be in bed, gotta get up at 6:30 am to take care of an art project at the library.  Been working on finishing up some long-unfinished works lately--oils, acrylics, pastels.  This photo is of Jesus which started out as a demo a couple of months ago, and I'm finally finishing it. 

"Jesus" - Oil, 20"x16" unframed

Today I had a meeting at 8:00 to help plan a plein air paintout for the Cultural Council, then went right to paint on the Vero Beach Mural with Christine.  We painted till 5:00 and I'm excited about the progress so far. 

It was a beautiful sunrise and a good start to Monday November 28th, but with the setting of the sun brought news of Phyliss Maulfair's passing.  Her monumental fight to stay on this earth has finally ended.  She endured so much, with her loving husband Richard always by her side.  What a spirit, what a smile ... what a loss.  We will all remember her dearly, and her Vero Beach Art Club buddies have been buzzing all night trying to find ways to honor her.  There's no making sense of this "death" thing when someone so dear is taken, but what can artists do but try to think up ways to do our part.  Our sympathies go out to all who loved her.  Sleep well sweet Phyliss, we'll miss you.

Signing off with sadness.
Judy Burgarella

Quick Thanksgiving Post - 2011!

Been a long time since I've posted anything, but had a few minutes down time waiting for Bob to get ready for our trip to Rita's for Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty excited about a couple of paintings I finished recently (the Santa I finished 1:30 a.m. last night), and so I'll share them with you.

First one, below, is a Florida Panther I did really fast--in two late-night sessions, for the Humane Society show which I helped hang with Rita and Penny Aliyetti.  Couldn't remember which 3 animal entries I put in my application, but seemed to remember wanting to paint a panther.  Well, time got away from me and suddenly the show was 2 days away.  So I got out my acrylics and enjoyed some late-night painting in my studio.  Had all-day commitments all week, so that was the only time.  He had a rough start, but in the end I think he came out pretty good.

And then there was the Santa which I was supposed to finish long before this for the Sebastian Library Window show.  My buddy Peni Baker was in charge of that, and she and her fellow artist-volunteers knocked it out in plenty of time.  It's a spectacular piece which I'll post later.  So anyway, my Santa is going on an easel in front of her mural in the window.  Finished him up last night at 1:30 am, and made a few touches this morning.  Enjoy.

This blog is sorely outdated!

Geez, I didn't realize that my old blog would be made accessible with the Vero Beach Mural Blog. I guess I'll have to update it one of these days in case someone decides to segue onto it. Everything here is old news, don't bother reading it!
Judy

Well, it's 12:00 midnight and I'm uploading a quick post for my art show, the opening of which will be tonight at 5:00. Over 30 paintings, some baskets and a bronze on view at the Artists Guild Gallery, 44 Royal Palm Point, Vero Beach, Florida. The last show at our at the old gallery, as we will be moving to the Arts District, 1974 14th Avenue in Vero come November 1st. The show will benefit the Food Pantry of Indian River County--we have a basket for food donations, and a fishbowl for monetary donations to the Pantry, and a portion of my sales will be go towards this worthy cause. We had a great response from the media so a good crowd is expected. Shown is the postcard invitation that I sent out.

On the left is my latest painting, created last minute for a show in Melbourne, the deadline of which forced me to work into the wee hours of the morning. But finally at 3:00 am I was able to digitally photograph the still-wet painting, upload it onto my computer, download and complete the application, and send it off a full 9 hours before the deadline of noon on Tuesday, July 28th. Phew! It's a 24" x 20" oil painting, framed in a 3" gold leaf over wood plein air frame. The location is from several photos I took last week in Fellsmere which is just west of Sebastian, at Blue Cypress Recreational Area. It is a very beautiful location, active with fishermen, air boaters, kayakers, birds, butterflies and gaters.

I photographed the egret in the photo at various stages of his fishing expedition, the success of which is picture here. It was quite

entertaining watching him try to get that big fish down his throat! Ah, the adventures in paradise!

ART GOES GREEN!

Well, here it is July 19th, 2009, and I haven't updated this blog since December. Some blogger I am! Lots happened since December, which I'll skip over and come up to date.

During a long bout with a bug and many days and nights on the couch, I developed a fun new "Green" craft, recycling plastic grocery bags into delightful decorative baskets! This month's (July's) theme for Artist Members is "Art Goes Green" in the Artists Guild Gallery, Vero Beach, (http://www.artistsguildgalleryverobeach.com/) so this was a very fitting contribution to that theme. The basket pictured above was my first attempt, and quite a learning process it was. It is made of plastic bags coiled and wrapped with raffia, joined in a circle and "coaxed" into a basket shape. Visible are the ginea hen feathers I wove into the basket, and it was finished off with a higher lip topped with a possum jaw bone handle. The second basket I created is embellished with ostritch feathers, and is of a finer quality in balance and symmetry, as I gained more experience in working with this unusual material. Next week I will teach the artists in the Artists Guild how to do this, and I believe this won't be the end of it. This craft is very clean and portable, requires minimal supplies (bags, raffia, needle, scissors), is very addictive and enjoyable, great exercize for the hands and fingers, and EXTREMELY GREEN, using over 75 bags per standard 8"x8" basket as pictured.

I am also displaying two of my latest oil paintings for your enjoyment, "Marilyn Monroe" and "Portico at Windsor." "Marilyn" started out as a demo for my students at Oak Harbor in Vero, which I mostly finished up at my favorite artists' weekly gathering place - the Sebastian River Art Club. "Portico at Windsor" also started out as a demo for a plein air painting day-long workshop I conducted at Windsor in Vero.