November 11th (11/11/11!) our 44th 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 we were really cookin'!  Got there about 8:30, set up and got straight to work.  Christin, Dawn and I worked pretty steady through the day and I believe we accomplished a lot.  We were glad to be able to work in the Community Center with very little interruption due to it being the day we honor our Veterans. 

It was also the day of the Firemen's Chili Cookoff, and people were busy using the Community Center's industrial-sized kitchen to cook for the event.  Much of the day we were graced with delicisou aromas coming from the kitchen.  Mayor Jay Kramer's wife Alla was one of the cooks, and she and her daughter popped in and took a quick peek at the mural, checking out the portrait on Panel #1 of Mayor Kramer.

We painted almost non-stop all day, even eating our lunch by the murals.  Dawn worked on Panel #5, Christine worked on Panel #6, and I continued working on Panel #2, also tweaking Panel #1 a bit as its pines segued onto #2.

Pictured below is Dawn's Panel #5, in which she has added more lush vegetation, with some commonly-seen railroad vine meandering onto the beach.  She has also blocked in some critters and bathers and tweaked at various places.  Children are so busy with their castle that they don't see that critters are coming to life on the panel and taking all their Oreos!



Dawn Mill's Panel #5, Dunes and Beach along A1A

Following is Christine's Panel #6, which pictures some of the wonderful images that can be seen along Vero's beach and underwater along Vero's spectacular coral reef.  Colors are getting more and more vivid as she layers the paint to bring out the actual brilliance of the beautiful underwater ecosystem.

Panel #6 by Christine Thomas

 Below is an enlargement of the corner of Panel #6 that Christine has been working on all day.  Critters just seem to be having a good ol' time checking out the diver (Mel Fisher) who has just discovered some treasure (which incidentally to all you out there who know nothing about this area ... discovering treasure along the "Treasure Coast" actually still happens--so come visit with your metal detectors, shovels and sifters!)


Detail of Christine Thomas' Panel #5

 Below is my Panel #2 which today I concentrated on the central left side, pine forest mostly, and segued onto Panel #1 the pine tree, partially obscuring the top edge of the Furniture Building on Panel #1.  Also added is the oak tree towards the middle of the panel.  Eventually there will be much more strubbery, palmettos and scsrubs along the pathway and onto panels #1 and #3, with critters meandering their way around the canvas and breaking up all that green.

  




Detail of Panel #2 with segue onto Panel #1

  Together all six panels look fabulous lined up along the Community Center wall, although now we try not to drag the ones out that we are not working on because of their bulk and the risk of too much shuffling them around doing possible damage to the vulnerable canvas covering. 

In depicting the different ecosystems of Vero Beach, the viewer must realize that although the panels segue onto each other for aesthetic appeal, no critical eye must insist on the total sense of it all, as perspective has had to be compromised in order to create the most interest, appeal and inclusion of the plethora of flora an fauna that Vero Beach has in its environment.  Obviously, we have heretofore condensed the various ecosystems of Vero Beach.  In the real world these critters would be having dinner at the expense of each other, and the landscape and seascape elements would not compete so closely.

With the holiday closing in on us, we were hoping the mural would have been completed by now, but fine works of art take time!  We keep moving the deadline along according to our progress, and we are determined not to compromise quality.  This project has been one of discovery for the three of us in that we have discovered the abundance of beauty and diversity in Vero's ecosystems, the interesting and exciting activities for humans to enjoy here, and the teamwork, steadfastness and friendship that we've developed in working so closely and so long on such a worthwhile project for the City and for the Vero Beach Art Club.  Although we are anxious to have our spare time back again and our personal projects and obligations are wanting for attention, the long days of creating life from nothing on a flat woven cloth with some brushes and paint, with friends, has become an integral part of each week for us, and there will be a void in our lives once the mural is completed.


Merana Cadorette, Artist Extraordinaire coming onboard!


NEWS BREAK!  Merana Cadorette, artist extraordinaire, will soon be joining us.  One of the earlier muralists on the year 2001 panels, she will help us by tweaking the older panels which will make them more aesthetically appealing to the eye.  The 2001 mural is spectactular on its own and will not be altered, only the informational insets will be moved to another location in the room and new insets will be painted by Merana to better complete the theme of those panels.  We are so-o-o-o grateful for her help on this, and who better to do it than the original artist?

Well, that's all for now, keep an eye on this blog because it's going to be filled with surprises and excitement!

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