Amelia, A Mystery

Every portrait is an adventure into someone else's life, living or dead.  Amelia Earhart was chosen for an Air show that is or was supposed to occur in April at the Vero Beach Airport, but who knows now that the Carona virus has ruined every public gathering from now till ??? But in researching her images online I began reading about her life, and then I started looking for books on her, to know about her experiences, family, thoughts, sins, etc. At first I knew nothing about her, just that she was a pioneer in aviation, and this year being the 100th anniversary of the Suffrage Movement's gaining the right to vote, I thought it would be the perfect time.  Running late as usual, the quickest and easiest medium for me (no drying time) is pastel.  so below is my creation, 14"x11" unframed, 18"x15" framed.

"Amelia" 14"x11" unframed pastel by Judy Burgarella

 What I forgot about was how difficult pastels are to frame.  A professional framer would charge a lot because it is so complicated.  Usually a pastel is framed with a double mat or a mat with a fillet, but I had on hand the perfect 14"x11" frame for it, with no room for a mat.  Very tricky keeping it away from the glass, but I have my tricks, and it looked lovely.  It now is on display at the airport where it's not being viewed anymore with scant travel these days.  Nice journey into her life I had though.


Johannes Vermeer

What a handsome fellow he was.  Not finished with this one yet, but almost.  Many of the images on the internet were dark with vague definition, so it was a bit difficult to see the clothing, hair and hat, let alone the planes of the face, but I did my best.  This was supposed to be my teaching tool for my next portrait course at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, which was cancelled due to the Carona virus.  But I'm ready to go for whenever that class will be.  Lots for my students to learn with this one.

"Johannes Vermeer" 16"x12" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

A Quick and Easy Way to Make A Mask
 Oh, and they're washable, re-usable, and small enough to carry a dozen with you.

I'm pushing the envelope on this next one as being a portrait, however there is a face in it there somewhere, and I hope some of you find it helpful during our war with the Carona virus.  Since my husband Bob and I will be running out of food soon I will have to venture out to the grocery store, and I had to invent some kind of mask to wear, so I came up with this--easy peasy.  I hoped to upload a video of it to make it easier, but after creating the video on my smart phone I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to zip it down and get it online.  Perhaps a 12-year-old can help me some day.  Anyway, here it is:

FIGURE (A)

1) FABRIC: T-shirt fabric works great, really stretchy, however any fabric will do. Keep in mind that a tighter weave will offer more protection.
1. Cut fabric into a 12" x 6" rectangle. (For a quick way to do it, jump to figure B below).
2. Round off the corners
3. Cut a 3" slit one inch from both ends

FIGURE (B)

 For a quicker way to produce a mask, or if making multiple masks this is much faster: Fold the fabric rectangle in half, then in half again the opposite way.  Round the raw corner edges as indicated, then cut a 1-1/2" slit one inch from the outside edge as instructed.  When you open it up you will have a completed mask.

FIGURE (C)

Grasp the mask in both openings (ear straps) and bring it up against your face, covering your nose and mouth and cupping your chin.

FIGURE (D)

Twist the ear straps and place them behind the ears, adjusting to fit.  Note: makes for a better fit if the strap coming from the chin is on top of the one coming from the cheek as shown in diagram.  If you wear glasses, tuck it underneath each lens.  Adjust for snugness and comfort. Dimensions of the actual size of mask and the slits may have to be slightly adjusted for larger/smaller faces, noses or ears.

Of course this mask is not of an accepted medical quality, but ifyou have no masks this one should stop airborn particles from directly entering your mouth and nose, and it will protect others from getting your own breathing spray.  It is not just the particles you can see, which fall to the ground over several feet, it is the particles that you cannot see that are airborne from normal breathing and which float in the air longer.

After putting on the mask, spritz the outside with lemon juice for a general extra protection, and you can also place a coffee filter under the mask for even more protection.  Consider using a colorful fabric to match your clothes, or something fun to lighten the mood.  Children can make this mask too and may feel "special" when wearing one they have made with fun fabrics or some extra "bling."
Unlike the commercial masks, these are way more comfortable and don't slip down or off.  There are  also no movable parts or strings to tie.
(CAUTION; Do not let children decorate them with permanent markers or anything with a strong odor. No sparkles or anything they can mistakenly inhale or choke on while putting on or wearing the mask.)

These masks are so quick and easy to make that one person could make dozens in a hour, throw them in a dryer to kill any bacteria, don your gloves and slip them from dryer to plastic bag and deliver them to anyone who needs them.  Throw in some coffee filters too.

Well, I never thought I would be designing--and wearing--a face mask for anything, let alone out in public, but I have some very fine examples I have made so far with wonderful fabrics I dug out of my "Donations to Thrift Shops" bag--lovely blouses with lively prints: tropical, stripes, bling, dots, etc.  I am anxious to show the best ones off--without risking my health.  Maybe I'll use TWO coffee filters.

I hope you enjoyed this posting, and if you are reading this during the Corona invasion, please practice all the cautionary procedures we have been instructed to do so that we all protect our loved ones and each other.

God Bless America.

Judy Burgarella, blogger