Robert Burridge - Stars of the Big Top #3

As part of my Circus Series, I'm not done yet! Last month it was Trapeze Stars and this month I'm doing a series of Circus Clowns. The clowns are not typical funny faces or scary faces, but more about humans who dress up as clowns and work in the circus. It's a job. Their actual job is to draw your attention to themselves and way from the roustabouts, changing equipment and scenery in the other rings. They are always waiting in the wings, ready to go on.
Original painting - acrylic and collage on 12 x 12 inch canvas. $675 + 50 Shipping/handling.

Robert Burridge - Circus Bird #2

My intentions that morning were to complete a series of small canvas pieces - all 12x12 Birds. My previous bird series had all been black, white, various shades of grey and maybe just a little red for the red winged black birds. 

I started off in black and white but just got that urge to push into color. The more color I added, the funner it got! I added collage papers for texture and added even more color.

I didn't want to create a screaming circus wagon of jarring color. I purposefully used my color wheel and chose a color combination that allowed for a vivid, WOW focal point. 

The focal point in this series are circus masks on my performing birds!

Original acrylic on canvas, $675 + 25 shipping/handling.

Robert Burridge -Whoa!

This painting is part of my "Roadside Attractions" series that I have been working on for over a year. I was probably 8 or 9 years old when my dad rescued me from school one day and took me to my first circus. I remember every second of that day inside the Clyde Beatty - Cole Brothers Circus. The sight of enormous canvas tents in an open field mesmorized me. The aroma of circus tigers, elephants and popcorn mixed in with fresh sawdust stirred me up. The aerial performers, costumed clowns and the sound of the live circus band pretty much did it for my impressionable self - I was hooked!
After my tenth birthday, I decided to perform a one-man circus act. I loved climbing, swinging and hanging from ropes tied in our backyard trees. In our yard, my dad built a trapeze and a high bar for me. I bought a book on "How to be a Clown." I listened to circus music and I practiced magic tricks which included the family rabbit and dog. During the summer I performed an entire one-man backyard circus act for our neighbors. Now, I swear to God this is true - for the Grand Finale I performed swinging gymnastic gyrations on a burning suspended bicycle ten feet in the air!
"Whoa" was created as a series of three - all a variation of this High Flyer Costumed Bird Performer.
Original 12x12, acrylic on canvas. $625 plus $50 shipping.