Painting

Gasps of amazement rose from a group of awe-struck preschoolers and kindergartners as they watched an instructor unfold a finger-painting of a colorful butterfly. “Whooaaaa!” the group of 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds said in unison after watching a demonstration of what appeared to be disorganized techniques that produced pristine pictures of the winged insects. The class at Bonnie Academy on Thursday was enjoying one of many arts activities planned for the school’s summer program, Administrator Ani Kuyumjian said.

Micheline E. Abounassar is hoping to spread peace and love around the world with her paintings — starting with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. A copy of her oil painting, “The Savior,” which depicts Jesus Christ, is on her website. Religious officials in Jerusalem saw it there and contacted the Glendale artist. “They liked it so much and thought is was a great gift for His Holiness,” Abounassar said, who goes by Micha. “And Pope Benedict has a book about Jesus of Nazareth and his spokesman thought my painting depicted the one in his book.

Students completed a yearlong face-lift project for a cafeteria at Marshall Elementary School on Wednesday, adding the final touches to a 15-foot tall mural that they said changed the school’s atmosphere. Teenagers from Daily High School worked with students at Marshall to produce the massive wall painting of students playing, reading and thinking on expansive park lawns. The mural’s bright colors, which emphasize a powerful sun shining over a stream, stood in contrast to the plain walls of other school buildings, students said.

Watercolorist Marie Burdick paints subjects and colors depending on the mood she’s in at the time. When she feels subdued, she opts for greens and browns for subjects like mountain landscapes. If her mood swings to upbeat, she pulls out a painting of surfers on the beach and switches to hues of reds and yellows. “I usually have a dozen paintings going at one time,” she said. “I don’t know if all artists are like this. A lot of my friends are more disciplined and finish one before they start another.

The future of St. Luke?s weighs heavily on the minds of many of our community leaders. Many, like myself, are anxious to know who ultimately will own the historic structure. Two years ago several Episcopal congregations nationwide broke off from the main church in reaction to a crisis over religious doctrine. Several joined the Anglican Church, but retained possession of the physical property that their churches were located. The portion of the St. Luke?s congregation that did become Anglican (and not all did)

While Glendale gets bigger, it maintains the feel of a small town in some respects. In contrast to many other cosmopolitan urban centers, Glendale continues to be a community where the family unit takes center stage. Family and its significance in our lives is a basic value that many of us share. And when it comes to the family unit, there is nothing more symbolic than the celebration of Mother’s Day and appreciation of motherhood. I had a chance to spend some time with my mom at the end of January.

If you visit Burbank International Airport in the coming months, you’re likely to see the artwork of this week’s C.V. Sun All Star, Nicole Vose. Vose, a senior at Crescenta Valley High School, was recently selected to represent Glendale as the district winner in the “Soaring to New Heights” Bob Hope Airport Tower Banner Competition. The banner will be displayed sometime after May at the airport. Vose was selected by the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission as the competition’s only Glendale artist.

The Glendale News-Press visited a high school painting class at Glendale Adventist Academy and asked students, “What artistic elements do you enjoy using or seeing most in paintings?”   “I like detailed paintings. I don’t like abstract paintings. They’re too open to interpretation.” Amanda Toscano, 18 Eagle Rock         “Recently, I really found an interest in the Tim Burton style.

Penelope’s Café is filled with dogs, cats and adorable children this month — well, some pretty realistic renditions of the kids and pets — as local artist Sarah Prescott displays her watercolor artwork along the walls of the popular La Cañada venue. The exhibit runs through April 30 at Penelope’s, 1029 Foothill Blvd. Larry Moss, who owns Penelope’s with wife, Penny, said he’s excited for Prescott’s work to be on display in the café.