I bet you're asking why I'm painting a stuffed rooster. I set this scene up for last Tuesday's demo for my "Oil Painting from Life" class (taught through the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts) because I was looking to go beyond a still life -- more like an interior -- one that would fit in a small classroom. Since my students aren't ready to transition to people, a rooster seemed to do the trick. Perhaps it's mixing my figurative restaurant, interior and still life themes into one package. It's certainly a little quirky; but it is a rich space, warm atmosphere, just with an unusual diner.
I didn't have this setup in mind when I started laying out the three class still lifes. Each week I pack up lots of extra things hoping for on the spot inspiration. The rooster (I think it's a Ty beanie baby) was potentially going to be part of a three rooster setup -- one stuffed, one a copper jello mold and the third a ceramic pitcher I bought long ago at an Italian restaurant in Bermuda. Maybe later.
And I've been on a rooster roll of sorts. "Rooster and Geraniums" is back in my studio gallery after taking down my "On the Bright Side" solo show. That's rooster one. "Rooster Ruminations" (the one shown here) is one of the paintings for this week. That's rooster two. And, the last couple of nights I've been doing a graphite drawing of a large ceramic rooster that resides in my kitchen. That's rooster three. See what I mean?
That graphite drawing is one of quite a few I hope to complete in the next three weeks in preparation for MPA Artfest, a juried outdoor arts festival sponsored by McLean Project for the Arts. I will be under a tent in McLean Central Park on Sunday, October 4, 10am-5pm with both drawings and paintings. My guess is that "Rooster Ruminations" will also be there.
"Rooster Ruminations" work in progress, 20"h x 16"w, oil on Senso linen, copyright Jill Banks 2009.
Web: www.jillbanks.com
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