Ukraine in Crisis

 What can an artist do??

"KATERYNA"

As the date to do this portrait in acrylics class drew near I was moved to design something to go along with our world in crisis, mainly the Ukraine.  After researching facial features of Ukrainian women a face gradually emerged from my pencil of a woman in Ukrainian native dress and wearing a floral garland.  All designs were taken from historical photos on the internet and so are truly based on authentic Ukrainian attire.

The name "Kateryna" according to a list of Ukrainian names means "Pure." Pure and innocent are those who are being killed, maimed and driven from their free country.  The atrocities that Putin has inflicted upon the Ukrainian people will be revisited by all those who survived for the rest of their lives.

So what could an older, powerless, not-so-well-off artist do to help?  Well one was to recognize the Ukrainian people's plight by designing a work of art to represent their people.  And gradually I came up with the idea of donating the proceeds of this painting to them also.  And so the idea was born.  But wait--I thought, "How can I expand upon that idea?"  So then I came up with publishing it on the internet in hopes that other artists see it, paint it, sell it, and donate the proceeds.

So here is beautiful Kateryna, with instructions below it.  Feel free to improve it, change it, or be inspired by it to do something yourself that will help the people in the Ukraine.  

(Click on Kateryna to enlarge)

Note - Keep mind that these instructions were drafted for a classroom where I explained various techniques of painting in acrylics. Please look up on the internet "scumbling" as that was a common technique used in the final skin layers.  This portrait can also be created in oil, watercolor, pastels, colored pencils, etc.  I used a limited palette and did not name the actual colors as I provided all the supplies and some people in class are not familiar with the actual names of the colors. But following are colors I used or suggest: titanium white, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange, cadmium red light, alizarin crimson, dioxazene purple, ultramarine blue, permanent green light, sap green, burnt umber, burnt sienna, ivory black.

Also, I considered "Kateryna" finished enough for my class, however not finished enough to sell.  In spite of that a student insisted on purchasing it from the class "as is."  So the proceeds will be donated to:

                            Samaritan's Purse

                            P.O. Box 3000

                           Boone, North Carolina 28607

                          Phone - 828-262-1980

If you do decide to paint it yourself, I hope you will donate at least something to either Samaritan's Purse or another charity that is helping the Ukrainian people in their struggle to protect their citizens, help those who have survived, or help them in their fight for their freedom.

(Click on the below instructions to enlarge)

Quick Post to get started again!

Hi folks,
Haven't posted in some time, my older computer died which messed me up until I got up to snuff on this new one.  It's 3 am and I woke from a sound sleep with an idea on how to get back on and it worked!  And so I will make a quick posting from recent events.

Below is "Girl with Wild Hair," and oil "Wipe-Out" painting I demoed at the Sebastian River Art Club.  Process is, I put dollops of sap green and alizarin crimson all over the canvas, then brush them together, slightly mixing them, leaving a rich red-brown covering with variations of greens and reds.  Then with a rag wrapped over my finger I pull the image out, refining it at the end with Q-tips, turpentine, and little touches of other color here and there.  It's fast and fun, and the audience loves it.  This is the second time I've done this one, the face of which was inspired by one of Rembrandt's ladies.

"Woman with Wild Hair" Oil Wipe-Out by Judy Burgarella

Another "sort of" portrait was part of a mural project Christine Thomas was doing on the exterior of a school.  She was nearing deadline and just ran out of time, so I pitched in and painted the principle parachuting, with a boat underneath, pictured.  Used acrylic, and it was tricky painting on the rough bricks, but ok for a quickie.

Detail from Mural at Vero Beach school, acrylic

I also added one of the teachers poised sitting on a turtle.  Christine painted the turtle, which is her forte.

Below is a beautiful portrait from a student, Eugene Dail, who was in the Vero Beach Museum class.  He finished it up in my studio under my direction, and did a fabulous job of his wife.

Eugene Dail with his acrylic portrait of "Kathy"

 Yesterday I pitched in at the Museum in a children's class, "Kidz Art" with Christine Thomas, and dropped off  the prospectus for my fall acrylic portrait class.  And so I will begin another session when the weather cools down.

Now that I have found the formula to update all my blogs, I will do so when time permits.  Hope you enjoyed this one.

Judy Burgarella,
Blogger

Portrait of an Artist

Below is a painting I created for my show in the Artists Guild Gallery in November.  It is now January 4th so overdue for posting.  I had a great time painting him, however some thought he was Santa, so I may just change the color of his beret in the near future.

"An Artist at Work" oil by Judy Burgarella

 Below is not a human portrait, but a portrait just the same ... of the aviary kind.

"Cardinal" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

I'll be working on a pastel of Osceola this month for the Art By The Sea show in the Vero Beach Museum of Art, for the Vero Beach Art Club.  A great show in a fantastic venue.  A must-see for anyone who loves art.

Please - If you love art, support it by attending local art venues, and possibly taking one home with you--you won't regret it and you'll be supporting the many struggling artists.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

More recent portraits

Been neglecting this blog for some time now, as portraits are done in drips and drabs.  The below portrait on the easel was done earlier in the year, and I was retty happy with the way it turned out.

"Rembrandt" was a happy experiment in oils.  Just for fun and as a Sebastian River Art Club demo, I slathered on a mixture of sap green and alizarin crimson with a big brush, actually squeezing the color in blobs out of the tube, and smeared it all on really thick.  Then with a rag I wiped out the highlightd parts of the face, and in the end working on details with a Q-tip.  Later at home I added scant whites and blues to the eye, and cad red to the lips.  The rest of the color was there, embedded into the canvas from squeezing raw color out of the tube.  This one is sold, but now I wish I had kept it.

Rembrandt "Rag Reduction" oil by Judy Burgarella

More to come soon ... I'm overdue to paint a "Self-Portrait" which is due June 1st at the Artists Guild Gallery, and it is now May 28th.  Guess I'll have to do it in acrylic or watercolor, and paint really fast.

Judy Burgarella

Blogger