December 18th - A Full View of the Panels So Far

Before signing off for two+ weeks, here is a view of the panels - first in 3's, then the whole full view.  Keep in mind that photos of different panels were taken in varied lighting, so the colors look like they don't match ... bu they actually do.  Dawn, Christine and I took special care that colors were exactly the same as one panel transitions into another.  Panels #1 and #5 still have some basic elements to do, and the rest of the panels are a little more finished.


Panels 1-2-3 (#1 & #2 by Judy Burgarella, #3 by Dawn Mill) 






Panels 4-5-6 (#4 by Dawn Mill, #5 & #6 by Christine Thomas, with beach continued by Dawn Mill)

  


All six panels to date









Signing off for real now, however read on to find out about the Vero Beach Art Club's Hibiscus Mural on 20th Street.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

Deceber 17th, Another Vero Beach Mural

Today on my way home from manning the Artists Guild Gallery on 14th Avenue in Vero Beach, I happened upon the "other" mural that was being painted, on Route #20 East, just east of the railroad tracks.  This is another fine project sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club for the City. 

If you are from these parts, you may have driven by an old faded and very primitive mural of hibiscus painted on three sides of a cement block wall.  I've driven by it countless times and wondered who did it and when was it done, and why--it's in such an odd space.  I still don't know, however the Vero Beach Art Club has taken it upon themselves to refurbish this eyesore for the City of Vero Beach.  VBAC member Karen Leffel-Massengill www.karenleffelmassengill.com/  has taken on the job of directing the project, and has bumped it up a bit, and now it looks like it will be a work of art instead of "just another mural."  She showed me her design and it was fabulous, and on this day she was outlining the pattern, making ready for volunteers to sort of "paint-by-number," and then other artists will come by and tweak in the refinements.  Sounds like a great strategy for such a big project, which will be worked on by many hands.

Karen is not just your average painter, but a very accomplished landscape artist whose work has gotten the eye of many people in this town.  She held a workshop which I organized over the summer and it was a smashing success. She is a professional artist, busy in all aspects of running her art business.  The Art Club is proud to have such a competent artist managing this larger-than-life project.

I first met Karen when I was exhibiting at an Art in the Park show in Vero, and she was working the show in another capacity, when one of the exhibitors fell ill.  Well, she jumped in with me and we got the tent down, and the exhibitor on her way home and all turned out well due to our teamwork and the help of other hands.  She gave me her card and at the end of the day I looked at her website and was blown away.  Then she entered the Artists Guild's Invitational show and we just had to have her as an Guest Artist.  We are proud to announce that a body of her work will be exhibited for the month of April at the Artists Guild Gallery.  So after that long story, I'll get to the point by showing below a sample of her design work.

Karen Laffell Massengell working on the Hibiscus Mural in Vero Beach

This is just the view of the south end of the wall.  Easterly there is another I'd say 30 feet.  Then there are three other sides to this monstrosity.   When she gets done this will surely be a work of art that people will talk about and be able to enjoy each time they drive by.  What a gift.  We are just getting so "Artsy" here in Vero Beach.

Karen Laffell Massengell outlining the already-transferred pattern

So anyway, when I drove by and saw this solitary person working on the mural I just had to stop and give her an "atta-boy" for sitting in the sun and painting all by herself ... and getting that job closer to completion.  And what a steady hand she has!  Hope you enjoyed this little addition to our blog, I sure did enjoy seeing her work and chatting with her.

Remember, no more blogging for a couple of weeks, so check back in after that.

Regards,
Judy Burgarella
blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

December 16th, Our 53rd Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club as a gift to the City.  The artist members of the Vero Beach Art Club who are volunteering their time and talents are Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can also be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

Today I arrived a little late, doctor's appt, and Dawn was already set up and ready to paint.  I was nursing a bruised face due to walking into our sliding glass door last night.  Dumb.  Took a while but I eventually got into the groove, and began chalking in sandhill cranes - mama, papa and baby.  Been wanting to do that for weeks!  Had a visit from Doug Bruce of Vero Beach Magazine who took some pictures of us painting on the mural, so I guess they'll do a little blurb.  My friend Kathy Richter came by with her husband and took some pictures. 

But first, Dawn worked on some details of panel #3, the first panel to look really good a while back.  Now they all look pretty good, and every additional touch we do just makes them better.  Still not finished though with some of the basics on several panels, but painting in the critters and details sure is fun.

Dawn painted in an armadillo, dragonfly, lizard and some butterflies, and touched up the lights and shadows in the water on Panels #3 and #4.  Her and Christine worked for a time on harmonizing their adjoining panels.

Dawn Mill's butterflies and armadillo on Panel #3



Dawn Mill's dragonfly on Panel #3



Dawn Mil's Lizard on Panel #3

Christine polished up her surf-boarder, who happends to look a lot like her grandson Noah ... h-m-m-m-m. Pictures of him are farther along on this blog when he visited this summer.  We had such fun with him and hope he comes back again to lighten the day.

Christine Thomas' Panel #6

Christine Thomas' Surfer on Panel #6

Dawn's Panel #3 and Christine's Panel #4

I eventually got started and mapped in the sandhill cranes.  I still have work to do on some details, especially the baby, but these critters are almost done.  It is such a pleasure to work from my laptop, having all kinds of images right there in front of me, and to be able to enlarge them is such an advantage. 

Judy Burgarella's Panel #2 - Western Vero



Detail of Sandhill Cranes on Judy Burgarella's Panel #2

Had a ball painting these lovely birds.  A family of them visited us just yesterday, and we hand-fed them bread which they picked up and then dunk in the canal for moisture.  They are colorful with their bright red caps, graceful and friendly, and look like something prehistoric especially when in flight.  Sandhill cranes are almost 4 feet tall and their wingspan must be at least the same.  I think they are my favorite Florida animal, although I do love the alligators.

We hope you enjoyed looking at this blog.  This will be our last painting session until January 6th or 9th, as we are taking a break for the holidays.  And so we will pick this back up at that time.  Until then, Dawn, Christine and I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a very happy New Year.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project 

December 9th, Our 52nd Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club as a gift to the City.  The artist members of the Vero Beach Art Club who are volunteering their time and talents are Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can also be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

Today after setting up we spent a little time strategizing about the mural--assessing progress and projecting timelines, planning additional elements, and deciding what we could do without in order to expedite the process nearer to completion.  Christine soon arrived and we continued our discussions about strategy and timing.  We basked in the beauty of our accomplishment, noting that all canvases are finally covered. 

At this point the mural has taken on a life of its own.  It appears that we three have created our own little universe based on the highlights of Vero Beach.  It's such a treat to view the piece as a whole, and follow each panel as it transitions from Downtown Vero Beach into the pineforest, on over into the flats and western Vero and into the hammocks and farmland (the Sexton Ranch), down into the scrub habitat and through the cypress swamp, meandering on into the mangrove swamp to the Indian River Lagoon, and on into the island at the beach and dunes in back of the businesses on A1A, and finally into the cool deep of the Ocean Reef.

Transitioning from one panel to another proved tricky, but I believe we have accomplished the feat pretty cleverly.  We strived to create a beautiful work of art, one that the City will be proud of, but the viewer should keep in mind that the mission of this mural is to: 1) convey the habitats of Vero Beach; 2) represent current animal inhabitants and plantlife, featuring some endangered species; 3) produce a work of art to enhance the Community Center, and present it to the Town of Vero Beach in appreciation of their efforts on behalf of the Vero Beach Art Club. 

Because of the complexity of the mural, the transitioning artwork took much planning on our part, but even so it is not a perfect science in that some of the transitioning posed a bit of perspective and size-relationship challenges.  At times when we had to choose between the aesthetic and beauty of the peace and a perfect spacial relationship and perspective, the beauty thing won over.  Therefore, you may see the size of one animal in a certain position on any canvas, compared to another animal who may not be the right size compared to the animal on the adjoining canvas. All other elements are depicted as accurately as we could render, considering some of the scant references we had to go on, and the time it takes outside of the painting sessions to find research material.  In the 2001 mural, there was a researcher who did all of that legwork

So now for the pictures.  Below is Christine Thomas' Panel #6, wherein she worked on Mel Fisher, the famous treasure hunter whose museum in Sebastian still glitters with his found fortunes.  She also worked on the sea anemones and some other elements of the coral.  Way to go, Christine, you nailed that underwater paradise.


Christine Thomas' Panel #6



Panel #6 detail with Mel Fisher discovering treasure!

Dawn Mill worked on her Panel #3, refining some greenery and flowers in the foreground and the meandering shore, finally putting legs and feet on her poor heron.  She also painted in some lovely flowers and a butterfly.  This panel is alive with beautiful birds and animals, seems in perfect harmony.



Detail of Dawn Mill's Panel #3



 As for me, I was really cookin' today.  I concentrated on completing the scrub along the pathway, plants along its edges, creating little green runners and patches of grasses.  I had hoped there would be enough time to paint in some critters.  Can't wait to paint more animals, flowers and bugs.  But it's finally done.  And the next painting session will be Friday because of the room being rented out.

Judy Burgarella's Panel #2 transitioning into Dawn Mill's Panel #3

 Below is detail of Panel #2, finally completely covered and waiting for new animals to walk down that path!



Detail of Judy Burgarella's Panel #3

 We will not be painting on Monday due to the room being used by another organization, however we'll be back there again on Friday, perhaps the last painting session until after the New Year.  Didn't get to paint the baby skunks coming out of the log, but I'm determined to get it done next time.  Come-on back!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

December 5th, Our 51st Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

 NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club as a gift to the City.  The artist members of the Vero Beach Art Club who are volunteering their time and talents are Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can also be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

Today, as all Mondays lately, we painted in the south meeting room of the Community Center, as the Florida Room is used on Mondays.  Although logistically it is a bit less convenient, the light is better, especially when we lift them onto chairs and place them against the dividing wall opposite the windows.  Less stress on the back too when painting the lower area of the panels. 

Got there at 8:30, and by 9:15 I was painting.  Was anxious to paint from the wonderful array of critters that I had spnt hours downloading onto my laptop yesterday.  Spent quite a while trying to get them up before I finally realized that my portable storage device was dead. Since getting the laptop on Craig's List it has saved me from carting a pile of heavy books in as reference.  So I painted today from my head, and in spite of that was able to complete the transition from Panel #1 to Panel #2, and refine the dead log and painting a skunk's rear-end sticking out of it, which I will refine later, painting in more foliage at water's edge and putting the final touches and patches of grass on the scrub pathway.  Getting pretty close to finishing this panel.  Stop back on Friday and se baby skunks skipping out of the other end of the log.


Detail of Judy Burgarella's Panel #2

Pilar Turner, Vero Beach's new Mayor stopped by with a tray of cookies for us.  Thank you Mayor Turner, it was such a treat--we made tea and had a break after you left.  I climbed onto the counter and took photos of her in various positions from above, trying to get the right angle to paint her into the city on panel #1 as our current mayor.  It was nice of her to stay and chat a while and say such positive things about the mural.

Panel #1 - Positioning Mayor Pilar Turner on mural

 Jeff Matthews, Manager of the City of Vero Beach's Leisure Square, stopped by to see the mural and was very impressed.  Having had experience with a paintbrush himself, he was appreciative of the size of the project and the time and talent we've invested in it.  Enjoyed our chat with him and hearing about his little girl, who sounds adorable.  Took a photo of him in the position of leaning on a rail, and perhaps Dawn can paint him in on the deck of the Driftwood, looking out at the ocean.



Jeff Matthews enjoying the view of Panels #2 and #3

Christine made some headway today on her coral pieces, straining her eyes to paint the nuances of color which glisten in that other-worldly place.  Christine is doing a fine job of creating an environment depicting the neighborhood digs of unerwater critters, and in the process putting in as many endangered and beautiful representations she can in the limited space.  It was a great idea on her part to paint in he famous Mel Fisher, finder of fabulous treasure here on the Treasure Coast.


Christine Thomas' Panel #6, Ocean Reef



Coral Reef detail of Christine Thomas' Panel #6

Stop back on this blog on Friday (or Saturday) and I'll have posted all three of our progress to that point, as we will all be painting together again.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

December 2nd, our 50th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

 NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club as a gift to the City.  The artist members of the Vero Beach Art Club who are volunteering their time and talents are Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can also be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

Today Dawn and I painted without Christine, as she had a commission to work on, although she stopped in briefly to talk.  Dawn and I discussed the progress and current strategy, and when Christine stopped in we discussed and adjusted our timeline, strategy, and cutting out some ideas we had hoped to accomplish with the mural due to the Club's limited budget for this project. 

To update everyone on its progress, below is a complete panorama of the mural to date, and further on in this blog will be the panels two-by-two.


All six 6'x8' panels of the Vero Beach Mural Project

Saturday, December 3rd I manned the Artists Guild Gallery early in the morning in order to sell tickets to the Vero Beach Art Club's "Art Trail," a tour of 10 artist's studios.  By 11:00 a.m. I was off with two other gallery buddies to spend a delightful day touring other artists' studios.  One of the stops on the tour was the studio/farm of Sean and Sharon Sexton.  This was the absolute highlight of the whole day, and one that I will always remember.  Our first hint of what was to come was as we pulled up in the driveway several cobalt blue and seafoam green peacocks strutted up to greet us.  Coincidentally, I painted their farm into the mural months ago at the request of Dawn Mill, who provided me with a photo of the barn.  Now after seeing this wonderful work of art that is their home and studio, I am ashamed to say that my brief painting in the upper left corner of Panel #2 certainly does not do it justice.  Sean and Sharon are not only masters with the brush, but masters of carpentry, design, improvisation, and incredible finders of delicious artifacts which they have incorporated into their one-of-a-kind home.  I mentioned to Sean that I had painted their farm into the mural, and so below is the small area where the Sexton Barn is represented.


Sexton Barn, etc.

Below are the panels, two-by-two, in order to better see the detail.



Panels #1 and #2 by Judy Burgarella



Panel #3 by Dawn Mill transitioning to Panel #4 by Christine Thomas



Panel #5 by Dawn Mill and Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

Shown below is Dawn painting from a ladder.  The ladder is essential as we add elements to the upper area, which makes the painting of this mural a little more difficult.  It is getting more beautiful with each painting session, and will make a wonderful attraction for the City. 


Dawn Mill painting in her spoonbills

Below are the five spoonbills Dawn painted in Panels #3 and #4 - a perfect addition to our mural.


Dawn Mill's spoonbills

Most of my day today was working on the transitioning of Panels #1 and #2, and I painted in hibiscus sandwitched among saw palmettos. On the screen it doesn't look like much, but it is equivalent to doing a complete medium-sized painting in a day, minus lugging the canvases out of their hiding place and setting up which takes about an hour and a half out of our 8-hour day.  Next time I'll scumble in some grasses around the panther cub (which incidentally they really are spotted when young) and this section of the canvas will be completely done.

Judy Burgarella's Panel #1 and #2 transition

Be sure to visit back again next week and see what new critters we breathe life into!

Ciou!

Judy Burgarella

Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

November 28th, Our 49th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, and created by Artist Volunteers Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Today I arrived a little late, coming from a planning meeting for the Cultural Council's Plein Air Paintout with the Environmental Learning Center.  Going to be a good one and I'm happy to be a part of it.  I was still setting up when Christine arrived, and after a little chatting we got straight to work.  Dawn has classes again today so will not be joining us.

Christine worked on enhancing some anemones she had previously blocked in, and a few other "jewels" of the sea.  The colors in Panel #6 are so striking.  The more we see, the more we understand why people love diving.  The colors, the creatures, the endless aerobic dance of things floating and swimming within a phthalo world, and in a perfectly choreographed production unmatched by any human efforts.  If only there were room on the canvas panels for Christine to put every exotic and beautiful thing we've seen in photographs of underwater life.  I do believe she has found her forte.

Detail of Chistine Thomas' Panel #6 (purple anemones at bottom)



Christine Thomas' Panel #6

Below are panels #1 and #2 side-by-side, and note the unfinished segue at the bottom.  It will be interesting to figure out what to put in there that is interesting yet purposeful.  And today I added a Florida Panther cub--they are spotted while young, and oh so cute!  Also added a log, supposedly broken from the dead tree, and a scrub jay and blocked in some pigs.  I also blocked in more color in the grassy area and truer sand color throughout.  Next time I'll paint something peeking out from the log.  We, in essence, are creating our own worlds, based on the highlights and habitats of Vero Beach, and it is such an enjoyable process.  There certainly will be a void in our lives when the mural is completed, however it will be nice to have those extra 2 days in a week back again for ourselves.

Judy Burgarella's Panel #1 and Panel #2




 


Panel #2--note the cub and scrub jay

 More animals coming Friday, and more sea-creatures too!  Oh, and Dawn will be joining us to paint all day too--so visit this site again Saturday Morning.  Signing off, I am ...
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

November 25th, our 48th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, and created by Artist Volunteers Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Today, it being "Black Friday," Christine and I sequestered ourselves alone in the Community Center, blissfully painting without interruption or distraction, almost as long as we wanted to.  Again we were painting without Dawn, but we shall all be painting together again next Friday.  The only interruption we had was Rita Bringing turkey sandwiches for us.  So Rita and George Ziegler (friends, and she's pres of VB Art Club) stayed a few minutes and chatted, checking out the progress on the mural.  Took a picture of Rita to fine tune her image in the first panel.

Rita Ziegler, President of Vero Beach Art Club, and featured in Panel #1, Downtown Vero

Today Christine worked mostly on her parrotfish and the lionfish, which came out beautiful.  She also repositioned her surfer, and changed the sex of her sailboarder to a woman.  We can do things like that so easily with a paintbrush!  She also did some other tweaking here and there during he day.  Below is are some of the fruits of her day:

Lionfish on Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

Detail of Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

Parrotfish on Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

Today I didn't waste any time and got straight to work.  So much foliage to put into Panel #2, and it looks really too green right now, but won't look like that once more detail is in.  But got a good deal of it done, and fine tuned some of the segue onto Panel #1.  Had fun painting the prickly pear nestled among some dried brush, and next time I'll put the prickers on them. 

Panel #2 by Judy Burgarella, segueing onto Panel #1

Notice how vague the seam is getting in places now.  Soon the segue between #1 and #2 will be almost seamless, and make some sense--at least as much sense as I can create with my brush.

Rob Sleezak (Community Center Director) and his wife Mary came in at about 6:00 to put the panels away, so it was pack-up time.  I took pics of them both to put them into the mural.  They will be the bird-watcher and photographer.  Rob's been so cooperative with us, helping to get us extra time on the mural, carting them into his office on weekends (which is not an easy feat), and just seeing to it that they are safe.  Thanks Rob.

Well, I hope everyone had a stuffingly wonderful Thanksgiving ... we did.  Stop by again and see what we've done.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

November 21, Our 47th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, and created by Artist Volunteers Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consists of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Again we are painting without Dawn, as she has classes today.  We hope she is feeling better too.  Christine and I both discussed how difficult it is to get here in the morning, getting out of our snuggly beds.  However, once the brush is dipped in paint everything changes.  We then become creators of life.  Well, maybe not real life, but life on the canvas.  With acrylic, I am learning, painting animals is especially exciting because as you apply each layer you can see the smudges of paint gradually come to life, and in a rather short time.  And if the eyes are painted looking out from the canvas, it is almost as if they are alive.  Once the final touches are applied it is so satisfying to stand back and really see it in the context of the whole panel.  As we paint we are always cognizant of how the children will react to it.  Therefore no animal will have a lower part of the food chain in its mouth or talens.

Today we had about 7-8 people pop in to take a peek, a very nice couple who saw the article about the mural in Indian River Magazine and were amazed at the canvases.  A little girl who pops in whenever she can inbetween her dance lessons at the Community Center.  She loves the manatees.  And her mom, Nicole and her mother (below) who stayed and chatted with us for a while.

Visitors Nicole and her mom

 Christine today enhanced her clownfish and other fishies.  She also continues to fine tune the octopus, applying layer after layer of color.  Those troublesome suction cups on the backside of the octopus' tendrils are so interesting, however painting them is very labor intensive.  Below is a detail of Christine's progress on Panel #6.

Christine Thomas' clownfish on Panel #6

 Below is the whole of Christine's panel #6, coming along beautifully.  We are all learning a lot about the various ecosystems as we do our research, but the underwater world is by far the most colorful, interesting, and unbelievably beautiful of all.  If man were to discover life on another planet, I bet it wouldn't be as bizarre as some of the life right off our shores here in Vero Beach Florida.

Underwater life on Christine Thomas' Panel #6

So for myself, today was an exciting one, having been able to complete two whole critters which now is my favorite thing to do. 

Blue Heron on Judy Burgarella's Panel #2

Detail of Judy Burgarella's Panel #2 - turkey from last week, new is turtle and scrub peninsula.

Below is the complete panel #2.  Newly painted, besides the turtle and heron, is a little patch of pickerel weed and fern at the water's edge, and some scrub bushes and grasses.  Next session I hope to paint that snake hanging on the dead branch ... and have him looking right out at you!

Judy Burgarella's Panel #6

Well, that's all for now.  I wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving ... and remember that bald, bumpy ugly and headless turkey you'll be shoving stuffing into Thanksgiving morning once looked as beautiful as the one in my painting!
Regards,
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

November 18th, our 46th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, and created by Artist Volunteers Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consistes of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Today Dawn was ill, so it was just Christine and myself painting the mural.  Working hours would be short for me because of a 2-hour interruption due to a meeting I had to attend.  However I think Christine and I made some progress today.

Evelyn from Vero Beach Magazine stopped in today to take a quick peek at the mural so she could mention it in her "Collaboration" essay for the Magazine.  It appeared that the mural exceeded her expectations because she seemed pleasantly surprised at the color, beauty and magnitude of the project.  She was on the run but we managed to quickly explain a little about the mural and its mission. 

My friend Peni Baker stopped by to check out the mural and show us the wonderful toy train she gathered up for the Christmas mural she is creating for the Sebastian River Art Club.  It will be installed November 29th at the Sebastian (North County) Library--another mural worth seeing.  Yours truly painted a Santa portrait for that project.

Christine was determined today to improve upon her painting of an octopus, which is the biggest, most prominent critter in Panel #6, and sure to be the focal point.  By now she is an expert on octopus anatomy, having thoroughly researched this sea creature ... and by golly I think she's got it!   He looks terrific at this point, and truly an amazing and other-worldly-looking animal.  The children will love him, and the colors look like a rainbow of pearls ... an amazing compliment to the rest of the panel.



Christine Thomas painting "Oscar" the Octopus on Panel #6


Although I myself got an early start, it was slow-going at first.  After perusing some of my research and what I had on my laptop, I began plotting the course of what animal life I will put in this panel, and sketched their locations in with vine charcoal.  I tried to include the most common animals seen in the habitats on Panel #2, along with the endangered Florida panther, yet it was a stretch to paint them in so close together.  Including indigenous shrubs, bushes and trees painted in strategic places would help me to accomplish that.

So today I loosely sketched in the locations of various animals, painted in a turkey and a birdwatcher, and finished painting the two palm trees in the foreground.  The turkey will probably have a mate (female) painted in on Monday.  Next are more shrubs, grasses, debris ... and "Deer-armadillos-and hogs---Oh, my!"

Judy Burgarella's Panel #2

So be sure to come back again, we'll be painting on Monday and hope to make some more progress.  And get well soon Dawn ... we need you!
Ciou!
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural

November 14th, Our 45th Vero Beach Mural Painting Session

NOTE: The Vero Beach Mural Project is being Sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, and created by Artist Volunteers Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.com/)  Dawn Mill and Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com).   Examples of artists' work can be found on www.verobeachartclub.org/) The Mural consistes of six stretched canvas panels, 36' long by 8' high, each panel 8' x 6'.  Created in and for the Community Center, in their "Florida Room."  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Today turned out pretty good.  There was just myself and Christine painting today, and probably from now on, as Dawn has back-to-back classes now on Mondays.  Had an 8:00 appointment, so I arrived a little late, about 10:00, and Christine was already set up and painting. 

Christine today concentrated on the fan coral and octopus on the southeast corner of Panel #6, and it is sure to be spectacular when done.  She was having some difficulty with the unusual patterns and colors on the octopus, but worked out a system in the end.  The vivid colors in and around Vero Beach's coral reef and its critters are unusual, and difficult to match color-wise to say the least.
 

Panel #6 Detail by Christine Thomas



Panel #6 by Christine Thomas


I finally figured out how to utilize my new (used) laptop for the mural, and it sure made retrieving my images easy for me.  Today I added more branches to the large pine tree in the foreground, enhanced the strangler fig, graced the big oak with Spanish moss and resurrection fern, did some background brush scumbling, created a scrub peninsula, and had such fun painting an owl in flight.  Painting wildlife is such a thrill, as it feels like you're in the act of creating life, especially if the eyes are straight-on, which in this case they were.  The rest of the background brush and scrubs needs to be completed before I paint in critters walking on the ground.  The wildlife seems to be the focal point of each panel, and we all agree that they are the most fun to paint.


Detail of Panel #2 and segue onto Panel #1 by Judy Burgarella



Judy Burgarella's Panel #2, Segueing onto Panel #1

 
Friday we'll all be painting the mural together again, so stop back here and see what we've accomplished!
Ciou!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project
Vero Beach Art Club
http://www.verobeachartclub.org/