Leroy Burt

Yannis, Original Painting

2021

Artist Comments
"Yannis was a waiter at one of Milwaukee’s finest Greek restaurants, the Mykonos Gyro and Cafe," states artist Leroy Burt. "His favorite dish was Saganak—Kefalotiri cheese flamed with brandy. His wit and charm made him very popular with the young female diners. He broke a dozen hearts when he returned to Athens to spend more time with his five-year-old son."

About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen print of Marilyn Monroe."

Words that describe this painting: Mykonos Gyro and Cafe, Milwaukee, David Hockney, man, portrait, face, eyes, lips, restaurant, cafe, interior, Greek, people, acrylic painting, blue

Yannis
Leroy Burt
Acrylic painting on stretched linen
Finished black edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front and back
2021
8 in. h x 10 in. w x .75 in. d
0 lbs. 15 oz.