Save the Date!

Well, aside from a few little fishies that Christine Thomas would like to add, the mural is ready to launch.  We have the scissors, we have the ribbon, and now we have the date!  So save the date--January 12th, 6-7 pm at the Community Center where the Vero Beach Mural resides.  Wine and a nice variety of hors d'eouvres will be served, and many of the people featured in the mural will be in attendance.

We three artists are busily working on our legends and compiling the information and artwork therein.  Vero Beach Art Club member and Mural Dedication Chairman Margaret Goembel is our expert coordinator for this event, and our whippersnapper VBAC Office Manager Christina Tascon is handling many of the time-sensitive, graphics, marketing and other coordinating duties.

The Reception is free and open to the public, so we expect a great turnout.  We are so looking forward to formally presenting to the City this giant work of art which represents the paradise that is our Vero Beach.  And thanks to all those, aside from we artists, who made this project possible. 

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

July 18th - Our Gazillionth 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 Dawn Mill (Project Manager), Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com), and Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.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," 2266 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida USA, 772-978-4592.  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.
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Wow.  What a day.  My day to sit the gallery (Artists Guild Gallery), and Rita covered for me while I scooted over to the Community Center to see how the installation was going. I fully expected to see one or two of the panels up, but to my surprise they were completely installed.  My eyes teared up as I entered the Florida Room and the sight of all the panels up there altogether took my breath away.  It looked incredible.  Dawn and I just stood there staring at it in awe.

I guess the culmination of working on this big of a project for over a year has struck all three of us.  Christine soon got back from getting her salad and we all got a bit giddy over it, hugging and laughing and getting all mushy.  What a fantastic feeling, and we can hardly wait to show it to the public.  So I laid the tablecloth down on the table (actually it was an old beach towel that's been knocking around in my car), popped the wine, poured it into the lovely 3 wine glasses I brought, and we gave a toast to a job well done.

I had been enjoying getting back my Mondays and Fridays and hadn't given a whole lot of thought to how great it would feel to see it in place, so it was certainly the high point of the day, and probably for the month.  We talked about how we would make a legend, and probably visiting the mural to tweak a bit more now that it's installed and we don't have to wrench our backs moving them around the building.  The City and the people of Vero Beach and Beyond will get years of enjoyment out of the mural, and hopefully the City will enjoy recognition for all the wonderful attributes and exciting things to do in and around Vero Beach, some of which is depicted in this mural.

Left to Right, Dawn K. Mill, Judy Burgarella, Christine Thomas in front of Panels #1 & #2

Panels as they look installed



All panels digitally attached (variations in shads and colors due to separate photographs)

 On the opposite wall resides the mural painted in 2001, which depicts the history of Vero Beach.  Our new mural depicts the habitats of today's Vero Beach.

Older mural, painted in 2001, of which Dawn was one of the artists

    Below are single photographs of each individual panel.  Unfortunately, the first panel did not come out so hot, but I will be sure to get a better picture of it on my next visit.



Panel #1 by Judy Burgarella.  Habitat:  Downtown Vero Beach

 


Panel #2 by Judy Burgarella. Habitats: /Pine flatwoods, Scrub, Sandhill, Hammocks, Cypress Swamp



Panel #3 by Dawn K. Mill.  Habitat: Cypress Swamp, Mangrove Swamp, Lagoon



Panel #4 by Christine Thomas.  Habitat: Lagoon

Panel #5 by Dawn K. Mill.  Habitat: Ocean Drive, Beach, Dunes

Panel #6 by Christine Thomas.  Habitat: Beach, Coastal Strand, Ocean Reef

Well folks, that's it for today, actually it's already tomorrow--been posting for a while.  The postings may be a bit sparce from now on, unless we paint or have ideas we're willing to post which incidentally are many!  Our minds--we three--work overtime with ideas when we're together, so stay tuned.  And also stay tuned for news of when the launch of this wonderful project is.  In the meantime, it can be viewed whenever the room is not being used, so stop in and take a peek.

Ciou!
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

July 16th, our 100dth+ 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 Dawn Mill (Project Manager), Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com), and Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.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," 2266 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida USA, 772-978-4592.  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Since this blogger has been "Missing In Action" for a while now, there have been several painting sessions that I have not attended.  Dawn Mill recently finished her part of it also, so Christine has been painting away whenever she got the chance.  Therefore, the sessions number now over 100, but I've lost track since I am not there.  Below are some photo she sent me July 16th (I am posting this July 18th).

Cruiseliner and Sailship on Panel #6 by Christine Thomas



Seagulls and Sailboard by Christine Thomas



Close-up of Seagull with fish by Christine Thomas

Sailboarder and passenger by Christine Thomas

Well, that's all for this post.  Another coming that I'll post tonight, and it's a doozy!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

June 20th, our 93rd Vero Beach 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 Dawn Mill (Project Manager), Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com), and Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.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," 2266 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida USA, 772-978-4592.  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

Today Christine was painting by herself, and boy did she get a lot done!  I guess we gab too much, but I bet she was lonely.  Anyho-o-o, below are some great pics she sent me to post ... enjoy!

Fishing boat by Christine Thomas in Panel #6

Fishing boat with sailfish

The "Aida"

Baby turtle by Christine

Baby turtle by Christine



Turtles by Christine Thomas

 Well, that's all folks.  I may pop over to see them paint or help out on Friday if time permits.  The mural is looking great, and we can hardly wait to show it off to y'all!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project

May 25th, Our 80th 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 Dawn Mill (Project Manager), Christine Thomas (www.innerspacesandouterplaces.com), and Judy Burgarella (http://www.burgarellaart.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," 2266 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida USA, 772-978-4592.  Visitors are welcome to watch the artists paint between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.


Well, sorry to say, I have either lost or misplaced my camera, and so I was unable to take any photos of the mural, and today all three of us were working on it ... darn!  However, no new critters or people were completed, it was mostly a day of "cleaning up," and by that I mean correcting mistakes, enhancing, painting all outside edges, and planning our finishing strategy.

Christine worked on her diver, and some colorful fish, and did a little research on her computer.  Dawn expanded some of the Barrier Island and extended the mangroves to better break up some of the blue water.   I was happy with having repainted the blotchy asphalt, which was a big paint-around job because people were scattered around on it.  I finished all the foliage at the bottom of Panels 1 and 2, and painted the outside edges of both, especially making sure the left side of Panel #1's elements wrapped around as the edges will be viewable when it is installed in the Florida Room.  I removed the protective corner tape from the bottom of my panels and painted the corners, then replaced it with clear vinyl corners which I had made.

Other than a 1-1/2 hour interruption on my part for a meeting off-site, we mostly painted until 4:30, taking a quick break for the lunch we'd brought.  This is so boring without pictures, so I will sign off for now.  Hopefully next week I will have wonderful photos of at least one COMPLETED panel.

Ciou!
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project