S.R.A.C.'s 16th Annual Juried Art Show Feb. 15-16!

Weather forecast is perfect - 75, winds 8-10, sun and clouds; the view is fabulous considering the show is within view of the banks of the Indian River, lots of shady oaks, a bubbling fountain and scampering squirrels; and the show ... well, now that's the heart of the story - Best of the Best this show is, because Club members bring their best work in order to compete for those valued ribbons - First Place, Second Place, Third Place, Judges Choice, etc.  Many paintings from the Frits Van Eeden tribute in the Hume Gallery will be on view in members' tents.  Take a stroll around the park and enjoy all the pretty views--including the art--there will be all manner of paintings, sculpture, carvings, jewelry, pottery, and a bit of the eclectic.

Spend the day in Sebastian, lots of restaurants on the River and all around town.  My favorite place in town is the Indian River Lagoon, where a nice long sidewalk lines its banks.  Lovely to take a brisk walk there.

Come by and see what's new, February 15th & 16th, Saturday and Sunday, 10-4:00.  Oh, and if you forgot to get your honey a Valentine's Day gift, you can make it up to her with a gift of art of her choice!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the
Sebastian River art Club's
Art Center

Homage to Frits Van Eeden

1245 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA USA

Below is a photo of the "Homage to Frits Van Eeden" exhibit in the Rosalee Hume Gallery of the Sebastian River Art Club.  Not completely filled yet, but stunning what's there.  It's so impressive how the membership totally abandoned their signature styles and adapted Frits' flair for splashing on color and depicting movement.  And with such proficiency that it appears they had been practicing that technique for some time.  So alive is this exhibit, I hope many people get to see it.  We talked about a light reception before the close of the show at the end of February, but stay tuned to find out if we actually have one.   On view also are 3 original paintings by Frits, on loan from him, and we are so luck to have them grace our walls for a couple of months.  The show is over the end of February ... then the Stepping Stone Quilters' quilts will be gracing our walls.

 Enjoy the view, and if you haven't seen it in person, do stop in at the Art Center Tuesday, Thursday or most Saturdays 11-3:00.

Acrylic by Frits Van Eeden

Acrylic by Frits Van Eeden

Wild abstract by Richard Gillmore

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center

FALL SHOW & LITTLE TREASURES!

Coming this Saturday - Sebastian River Art Club's Fall Art Show, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, in the Art Center Meeting Room.  This show is for all SRAC members, and is their opportunity to showcase a few of their finest works.

Approximately 30 artists will be displaying works in a myriad of subjects and mediums, and many of the artists will be on hand all day to greet visitors and chat about their art.  Punch and finger foods will be available, and visitors may also view works in the Club's gallery spaces.  On view right now in the Art Center gallery spaces is a show entitled "Wildlife," in celebration of October being National Wildlife Month.

Visitors may notice a small stand with some very small paintings hung from its hooks ... this "teaser" is a small sampling of the "Little Treasures" which will be on display hanging on our Christmas tree through November and December in the Picasso Gallery.  SRAC member artists have been doing their finest miniature work on these little beauties, which will be on sale for $10 and will benefit the Ecumenical Food Pantry, helping to feed those in need over the holidays. Below is one of this blogger's contributions.

"White Cat" Acrylic by Judy Burgarella

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Sebastian River Art Club

Portrait Demos finished!

Theme for the Art Cetner this month is "Impressionism," and many are already on view, with others being feverishing created by our exhibiting A/C artists.  On view in the Hume Gallery continued are the Plein Air Paintings (made on-site in the open air), Challenge paintings (3-hour fast-painting challenge, with some time stretched out at home), and Judy Burgarella's (this writer) "Art of the Portrait" demonstration paintings (below).  Next month's theme in the Art Center will be "Sebastian Scenes," so if you're looking for a sourveneir of this beautiful rivershore town, come to the Art Center and pick one out.  Also on view are precious little 2-1/2" to 3" square paintings on canvas, wooden easels included, by our Club artists, available for purchase with all proceeds going to our Scholarship fund.

"Art of the Portrait portrait demos presented by yours truly were conducted in six separate sessions on Tuesdays 3-4 pm from August 28th through October 2nd, and was very well attended.  Videographer Bob Barbour (eyesforlight@gmail.com) recorded each hour-long session, and DVD's will soon be available. 
It was exciting to see so many people interested in portraiture, my favorite subject.  Each week was a different medium, starting with pencil, then charcoal, pastel, watercolor, acrylic and finishing up with oil.  The demonstrations consisted of mapping out the face, determining negative space and spacial relationships, how to create a realistic eye, and then getting right into the act of creating a portrait in the six different mediums.  Demonstrations were free and open to the public, and the finished works can be viewed through October at the SRAC Art Center, 1245 Main Street, Sebastian, FL on the City Hall Campus.  Donations benefit the Club's Scholarship Fund. 


Mostly-finished portraits

Pictured above, top left to right, "Guido Costa" pencil (not finished), "Norwood Stanhope" black and white charcoal (not finished), "Noah Lavender" pastel, "Kathy Costa" watercolor, "Patti Goins" acrylic, and "Tania Ortega-Cowan Oil.

COMING THIS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012, 3-4 pm - Christine Thomas will show us how to paint on silk - I've seen her work on this (she's also a fabulous artist) and it is spectacular!  This demo is also free and open to the public. 

At this time, it is a day after the Club's Annual Fall Show at the Clubhouse, and I heard it was a very well-attended successful show.  The Crabby Bill's show on Riverside Drive will be coming up soon, and I will have more news on that. For more information about SRAC's Art Center, please visit the previous posting.

Of note, the Sebastian River Art Club is proud to have recently contributed $250 for the use of the newly-created Sebastian Senior Center, across the courtyard from the Art Center.  Yay for for those volunteeers and generous businesses for creating something so wonderful for our seniors.  A lot of laughter comes from that buiding, so I guess they're all having a good time.
Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the
Sebastian River Art Club

Lots going on at the Art Center for June & July!

 Welcome to the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center Blog.  Find news about the SRAC on our website at http://www.sebastianriverartclub.org/.  This blog is for the Club's Art Center only, which is located at 1245 Main Street in Sebastian, on the City Hall campus.  Hours are Tuesday and Thursday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  A select number of artists occupy sections of a 6-room space adjacent to our meeting room.  The space features one gallery room (Picasso Gallery) exhibiting small, affordable works, another gallery room (Rosalee Hume Gallery) filled with special guest artists or Club shows and currently showing through the summer are plein air works by Club members.  The remaining 4 exhibit rooms are filled with divided sections for gallery members, who rotate their works regularly with fresh new paintings.  There are also a few spots that include pottery and sculpture. 
CLASSES
Instruction in oils and acrylics by Judy Burgarella
Even number dated Thursdays, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
$15 members, $20 non-members
Beginner-intermediate-advanced - Judy conducts demonstrations as requested, taking students through the mechanics of creating a painting; or bring your troubled or started painting and she will help you revive and correct it.  Some still life props available, or bring in a reference photo.
Instruction in watercolor by Judy McNamara
Tuesdays, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
$15 members, $20 non-members
Beginner-intermediate-advanced for adults and children - Judy will take students right through the complete process, guiding you along the way, step-by-step to completion.  Students paint from teacher's reference image, and children are provided with supplies.


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


July 17th Toni Hill conducted a one-hour workshop on abstract painting, which we all enjoyed.  Some of us painted and listened and managed to at least get one started.  It's esepcially of interest to us all since next month's theme in the Art Center will be "Abstracts."  That should be interesting?!

Kathleen Richter's Acrylic Abstract

Judy Burgarella's Abstract Landscape made with Publix plastic bags and acrylic paint

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

There was another 3-hour Challenge Paint-in at the Art Center on July 10th, 11-3:00.  All challenge paintings will be on display through September and October.  Note: This was another smashing hit!  Many paintings were completed or almost-completed and they were fabulous!  We shall have more!

Theme paintings for the Art Center Member Gallery Spaces is "Still Life" for July.  Stop by and see all the wonderful still life paintings on display in the Art Center, and be sure to vote for your favorite one as ribbons are awarded at the end of each month for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.  Enjoy the below painting that I found on the internet, one which epitomizes the best in still life.

Below are two piantings by Kathleen Richter, who has been a member of the Sebastian River Art Club for some time, is only just beginning to paint in the Art Center with us on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.  We knew she had talent, as she sketched away one day and did a fabulous pencil portriat.  So enjoy these two acrylic paintings of hers.

Acrylic by Kathleen Richter

Acrylic by Kathleen Richter

July 11th we had another "Three Hour Challenge" painting session and a great time was had by all.  For excerpts from the day and pictures of the day's Challenge paintings, visit Peni Baker's blog at http://www.artbypenibaker.blogspot.com/ . Peni took a "Rated X" photo of me kissing my painting--so be sure to see me lovin' up my "Cowboy" on her blog.  Another Painting Challenge is in the works, so stay tuned.

Below is Marlene Mayfield's Three-Hour Challenge painting.


"Riding the Wave" Watercolor by Marlene Mayfield



PENI'S "THREE-HOUR PAINTING CHALLENGE"
(P-s-s-t!  Watch for news of a special "Challenge" show!)

Thursday, June 19th over a dozen Club members accepted Peni Baker's "Three Hour Painting Challenge in the Clubhouse room.  Doors opened at 11:00, and people began trickling in, setting up their gear and getting busy.  We started setting up on the raised staging area, thinking that we'd keep separate from the usual Tuesday gabby art-crowd.  But to no avail because everyone was painting and gabbing all around the room.  It was such fun and we talked about doing it again, so stay tuned for that!


It was pleasantly surprising to see the quality of work done in such a short time, and under such pressure!  Actually everyone kind of enjoyed the pressure, and the variety of subject matter was so interesting.  Flowers, and horses and bears--Oh my!  Can't wait to do it again.


Below are pics from the Challeng.

Past President Barbara Bonnah painting a Bear, with Suzi Lavender looking on

The "Challenge" in action at the Sebastian River Art Club Clubhouse

Well folks, that's all for now, but you can continue reading for news that is still releveant about the Sebastian River Art Club's Clubhouse and Art Center by clicking on "older posts" below.  We have lots of fun there and laughter is heard often ... oh, and we paint too!  So you should take a peek some Tuesday or Thursday 11-3:00.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Sebastian River Art Club