Monday, January 30, 2012

January 30th, 58th 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.

The work I did today was tedious, as it was mostly close-up work.  Christine and Dawn were working real jobs today so they were not painting, although Christine stopped at McDonalds and got a delicious Southwest Salad with crispy chicken for lunch for me.  Not bad for McDonalds.  Anyhow, by the time I got set up and images at the ready it was almost 10:00, and worked till 3:30, out the door at 4:00.

First I worked some more on the people on the bench in Panel #1.  Still have some tweaking to do, as they are my family members and the likeness isn't the greatest, see below.
Panel #1 - People on bench
Next I painted in a cute little fox laying in the brush.  He was a challenge to do, and at the end I'll probably tweak him some more.


Red fox added to Panel #2
 Next I painted in some grasses on the street islands in Panel #1, below.
Panel #1, grass island
On my laptop I pulled up the reference photo I took of Rita Ziegler (president of the Vero Beach Art Club), and painted more detail on her.  I needed to shorten her stature, and change much of what I had blocked in a while back, which also changed the perspective of myself in the foreground, and so I painted out the top of my head to make me shorter.  Will finish that up next time.  Not quite finished with Rita, she needs refinement of legs and arms and clothes.


Refing Rita Ziegler's image, not quite done yet, and bringing the size of myself down in proportion.
Well, that's all for today folks.  I will not be painting Friday, company coming in.  Dawn and Christine may be painting some time this week, and perhaps they will post something.  Signing off till Monday, February 6th.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

Friday, January 27, 2012

January 27th, 57th 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.

Had a few errands to run, so didn't get to the mural until about 9:00 a.m.  Christine had to work, and Dawn is away, so I was all by my lonesome today.  And it was lonesome, but productive.  Lauri, who works at the Community Center, asked if I get more done without Chris and Dawn there, and I had to say that we get right to work and work while we talk.  Actually sometimes it goes faster because numerous problems are solved beforehand through consult with each other as the problems arise.  Remember, we are working mostly from our own minds, guessing at perspective--not only on buildings but on animals, people and foliage.  Redos are frequent in spite of collaboration, as in today's instance, where I discovered after uploading Monday's "Theatre Plaza" marquee sign that the perspective was completely the opposite of what it should be.  So today I spent over an hour repainting the signs with all the tedious lettering.  See below--still not perfect but good enough for a mural.
Theatre Plaza sign on panel #1
Another redo, after seeing Mayor Pilar Turner's image uploaded in a small size (instead of on an 8' panel!), I noticed her head was too pointy, so fixed that.
Mayor Pilar Turner on Panel #1, slightly revised.
After I finished the Theatre Plaza marquee and fixing Mayor Turner's head, I started to work on the little grass islands and put in a bench.  By 11:30 I was in the zone and wishing Dawn and Christine were there with me, as we all kind of "get in the zone" together.  Had a ball painting those ibis, and after painting the bench I thought wouldn't it be nice to have someone sitting on it.  Viewers have said they love the fact that there is so much life depicted in downtown on the mural.  And so--Wallah!  I came up with the perfect solution!  What better place to show off my new (first) grandchild than in the Vero Beach Mural!  Yes, great idea.  So our two girls, Tracy and Robin, and Robin's new little daughter, Salem, are roughed in (very rough) on the bench seen below. 

Park Bench on Panel #1
 Note the ibis walking nearby.  For you newbies out there, it is not unusual for ibis or egrets to be foraging nearby humans, and in fact many times I have come back to my car in a parking lot and found one of those darling critters perched on my hood looking like a hood ornament!  It's a thrill to be surprised by such a sight, and it always reminds me of what a paradise we live in here on the Treasure Coast.

Below is a detail of Panel #1 which shows a few of the things that were painted in today:  grassy islands, marquee signs, ibis, bench, 2 women and baby, and touch-ups on Mayor Turner.

Detail of progress today on Panel #1

And so here is the whole panel #1 so far, alongside Panel #2 which it transitions onto.  Although I'm having fun with #1, I can't wait to finish up that ornary snake on the dead tree in #2, and put one of those ugly ol' vultures in that I always see cleaning up roadkill.  A very fascinating food chain we have here by golly! 
Panels #1 and #2 by Judy Burgarella
Be sure to check back next week and see what's new!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

January 23rd, our 56th 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 was all by my lonesome working on the mural.  It sure was quiet in there (after all the exercize people left and the jazzy music stopped).  Missed my "buds," but Dawn was away and Christine is knee-deep in her move.  Got there early, but had to leave at 3:30 for a meeting, but felt as if I accomplished something in spite of the short day.  The Vero Beach Art Club's "Art by the Sea" show at the VB Museum took up a lot of Dawn's and my time last week, so that took priority over the mural.  If you missed that show, you missed a good one.  So exciting to be involved in a really great show like that. 

So using my trusty laptop as a guide, I loaded up some pics I took of Vero Beach's new Mayor, Pilar Turner, and painted her into the crosswalk of the Downtown (Panel #1) canvas.  Pilar's image on the canvas is really small, but you can tell it is her, wearing the same outfit as in the photo.  Pictured below is a close-up of Pilar walking towards and looking at the group gathered in the lower left side of the panel.
Detail of Downtown Panel #1, Mayor Pilar Turner
Pictured below are elements I was also able to work on - the old movie theatre foyer with the pillars, the blocking in of Tea & Chi, the overhang marquee, Theatre Plaza sign and a soon-to-come bench which has been roughly blocked in with vine charcoal.  Lettering is always a bit of a challenge for me, but this is only a mural and it is not meant to be perfect.
NOTE:  After posting this and then proofreading it again online, I realize that the perspective on the vertical "Theatre Plaza" sign is absolutely wrong!  Eugh!  Guess this will be a redo for Friday.  Panels are so big sometimes you just get lost in them, but once they are in the blog it seems that one can see all the mistakes.

Detail of Panel #1 elements worked on
Below is the whole panel.
Panel #1, in progress
Below are Panels #1 and #2 pictured side-by-side, the way they will be mounted in the Florida Room of the Community Center.  There are still finishing touches to be done, plus additions to the sky, in Panel #2, but we think the transition from #1 to #2 is pretty good considering it's going from city to country (western Vero).
Panels #1 & #2 by Judy Burgarella
Well, that's all for now folks.  This Friday Christine will be painting with me -- Yay!  We've got some great things planned for the next session, so stay tuned!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

Sunday, January 15, 2012

January 13th, our 55th 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 got a late start with both of us having other appointments, getting to the Community Center at about 9:30 and leaving at 3:00.  I had another appointment at 11:00-1:30 so the day was interrupted again.  It is difficult to get back into the groove each time, so this was not a quantity/quality type  of painting day.  However we did get some elements done which were important.  Dawn worked on the difficult area of buildings in the distance on the beach, trying to make them somewhat more interesting than they actually are.  Dawn also worked on the problem area of transitioning bottoms of Panels #4 to #5.  Christine will follow up once she's back with more painterly touches to add to this transition.  I worked on skunks and people on panel #2.  Below are pictures of our progress, albeit not a whole lot.

Pictured below are panels #4 and #5, with the transition looking much more natural.  We strived to create as much logic in the transitions as possble, however each panel represents a different habitat and must stand on its own for the mission of the project.

Dawn Mill's Panels #4 & #5 - Making a smoother Transition
 Aside from Dawn working on the above, pictured below are some additional finishing touches she also painted in on various buildings below.  Christine's vast ocean elements will be waiting for her when she finishes her move, although she is near to completion herself.

Detail of Dawn Mill's beach area and Ocean Drive on Panels #5 & #6

Dawn Mill's Panel #5

I finished up the baby skunk looking over the log and put more finishing touches on the log, although need more scumbling on the right side. 
Detail of Judy Burgarella's Panel #2
Rob Slezak's (Recreation Director) wife is pictured blocked in below.  Not quite done with her yet, but she's shaping up nicely.

Rob Slezak and wife - he with binoculars and she with camera (not painted in yet!)

Judy Burgarella's Panel #2, Western Vero, pine scrub, etc.
With Christine in the process of moving, and with Dawn and I having art shows back-to-back and keeping up with the Gallery (we are 2 of the 19 owner/partners of the Artists Guild Guild Gallery in Vero Beach) we are grateful for down time, which will be Monday, it being Martin Luther King Day and the building is closed.  However we will be back to the canvas on Friday, although leaving early to get ready for Art By The Sea's opening reception in the Vero Beach Museum.  We are both working sales at the show (Dawn is in charge of the hanging) so it wil be a busy day, and an exciting night.  Hope I can scrub the paint off my hands by then. 

So check back some time on Saturday when I'll have posted another bunch of pictures, and be sure to see the Vero Beach Art Club's fabulous Art By The Sea Show, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with an opening reception Friday night from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - wine, hors d'eouvres, lots of artists, and you'll be able to see the fine art of two of the Mural artists - myself and Dawn.  Don't miss it!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

Monday, January 9, 2012

2012 - January 8th, Our 54th 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.

Well, the holidays are over and it's back to work for us.  Christine is in the process of moving and had some commitments, so there was just Dawn Mill and myself for today.  My day was somewhat broken up with three separate appointments in which I was able to paint inbetween those times.  By 3:30 we both had to leave, but wished we could stay and paint a few hours more.  Once we get our rhythm going (i.e., set up, paint mixed, images positioned, brush to canvas, etc.) it's so hard to stop.  I am really getting fond of the flow and convenience of acrylics, as compared to oils.  I've painted with Dawn at times when she's used oil with quite a masterly touch, however she always goes back to acrylic and I'm beginning to understand why.

Anyway, today's progress was limited, however Dawn got some troublesome sections pretty much completed.  We both aren't fond of painting buildings, so it was good that Dawn got that one out of the way.  She has managed to make them look fabulous on the canvas, with some creative foliage here and there--even to spiffing up an ugly parking lot!

Panels 5 and 6, Beachside and Coral Reef Panels - upper panels by Dawn Mll, lower sections by Christine Thomas
 Pictured below is Dawn working on the buildings (mostly hotels and restaurants) that line Ocean Drive.
Dawn Mill painting buildings and foliage into Panels #5 and #6
Although a short day, I was able to paint the wild pigs and the gentleman holding binoculars, who happens to be Ron Slezak, Director of Parks and Recreation, who requested this project of the Vero Beach Art Club.  A swell guy who is always agreeable and helpful, and always cheers us on.
Detail of Judy Burgarella's Panel #2 - Recreation Director Ron Slezak


Detail of Judy Burgarella's panel #2
Pictured below is myself at work painting Ron into Panel #2.
Judy Burgarella painting Ron Slezak's portrait
  It was good to get back to the mural, and very satsfying to see all six panels lined up together end to end.  Seeing them all together, we could see several places that could be improved.  Dawn and I discussed aesthetic adjustments we will do at a later date to make the panel's transitions more pleasing to the eye.  For now, we will plug along getting the main elements on the canvas.  Check back again Friday for more updates.
Ciou!
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project