Photo by Robert Airoldi. Artist Julie Castleberry Nunez in front of her new piece that was unveiled Oct. 23 in the bar area of Rosy’s at the Beach.

New piece was created by the artist who did the huge mural on the outside wall

By Robert Airoldi

Ever since Vanessa Bermudez and Pam Novak took over Rosy’s at the Beach a little more than a year ago, they have been slowly redecorating the popular restaurant. Wednesday, Oct. 23, they unveiled their latest addition — a new piece of art created by Julie Castleberry Nunez, the artist who created the large mosaic that adorns the outside wall facing the patio.

This one depicts a turtle swimming above a coral reef. The six-foot long piece took Nunez an estimated six months to complete.

“It’s nice to have your own art gallery,” she joked after the piece was unveiled in front of a few dozen people in the bar area.

Working in ceramics, she said each piece of coral takes about three weeks to make. First she shapes the clay into what she wants to depict, be it a shell or fish. Then after it dries she fires it in a kiln, then it’s painted a glazed and finally fired again. Often she has to do this several times as pieces can come out a color she isn’t thrilled with due to the vagaries of the kiln, or it comes out cracked.

The new owners originally asked Nunez to create the piece for the back dining area, but after they put up new wallpaper, the artist said her vision would not work there.

After a few months passed, Nunez walked through the restaurant and told Bermudez and Novak she thought it would look great in the bar.

Using the turtle, Nunez said, was happenstance. It was supposed to go into the outside mural, but she didn’t like the color, so she put it in a drawer.

Named, “Take 2,” she strived to get the turtle to look like it’s swimming and the ocean to look like it’s moving, so she used stained glass instead of tiles.

“It was more work than I imagined,” said Nunez, who does not sell her work. “I make things because they make me happy.”

Bermudez and Novak, who both got a sneak peek the day before, are thrilled with the results.

“It is absolutely beautiful,” Novak said. “It’s just perfect.”

Rosy Bergin, with a huge smile on her face, said she loves it.

“She is so talented, humble and giving,” she said, admiring the new art.

Nunez said the original piece outside was done for her 93-year-old mother Betty Castleberry who served on the city’s Library and Cultural Arts Commission in the 1990s.

“This town has a wonderful attitude toward art,” Castleberry said.

And Nunez is happy it does.

“I feel very lucky,” she said. “And I’m grateful for Rosy and Vanessa and Pam for allowing me to do this.”