June 6th, our 87th 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.

Today, Wednesday June 6th, was our third painting session this week, as we worked Monday and Tuesday also, putting the push on finishing the mural.  I continued painting the sides of each panel, which is very time-consuming as so much color mixing is involved.  And making more protective booties for the corners too.  I finished the sunset on panel 6, the last panel.  Christine will finish out the sky on the left side, bumping in some sinrise glow on the Space Shuttle and accompanying contrail and clouds.  Below is the sunrise along with Christine's turtle.  There will be some baby turtles in there soon, as they float in on top of the water on a bed of seaweed.

Sunrise by Judy, turtle by Christine

I worked until about 11:00 this morning, as it was my turn to man the Artists Guild Gallery from 11-3:00, so Christine and Dawn painted without me.  Christine just sent me the below photo of an opossum family that Dawn painted in on Panel #3--so-o-o cute, in a scary kind of way!

Oppossum family painted in on Panel #3 by Dawn Mill

  More to come, as I find the other images on 3 devices plus whatever other pics Christine sends me.  Oh, and one of the devices is my old camera, which I finally found today at the Artists Guild Gallery.

OK, got the pictures, and below are a couple of photos Christine had taken from her i-phone ~

Panel #3 - Hummingbird painted today by Dawn Mill

More Eel, painted by Christine Thomas today

Below are more photos taken earlier in the week, which did not get posted due to time constraints.

Christine painting sign on Panel #4

Flock of Ibis sketched in by Christine Thomas

Christine has added divers in the distance in Panel #4

Christine has bumped up the color on her diver

On Panel #3, Dawn Mill has added a duck family

Moorhens Dawn has added, along with more reeds in the water of Panel #3

Judy painting top edge of a panel - so bo-o-o-r-r-ing!

This is where (below) our panels are propped as we work on them.  Sometimes we must get them off the floor and prop them on chairs or tables to minimize backaches.

The muralists' workspace

Pictured below is where we put our panels out of harm's way during the week.  Even so, we worry about the many activities that go on in this room--children with hoola hoops, dancing, acrobatics, with table and chairs moving around, etc.  Then when the weekend comes there are all types of shindigs going on in this very busy building, and the panels must be carried through hallways, up stairs onto the stage and placed leaning against a wall behind the piano.  The piano is on wheels, so we always hope that no one pushes it into our panels.  On some weekends when the stage is being used, Rob Slezak, the Recreation Director, must carry the panels down narrow hallways and store them safely behind locked doors in his tiny office. 

We are very grateful for all Rob's and other staff's efforts in trying to keep the canvas panels out of harm's way for a whole year.  Not a minor inconvenience for them.  And now, so close to being installed, we're almost there.  They will be beautiful and interesting, and will look spectacular along with the other 36' mural with both of them reflecting in the mirrored wall opposite from where they will be installed.

So stay tuned for the finishing touches.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Vero Beach Mural Project