"Tranquility" Accepted to Salon International; Joan Devine is Face #34 and More

Good day today!

Joan Devine is Face #34

"Joan Devine: Face #34", oil, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Joan volunteered her face after hearing about my project in a roundabout sort of way. Joan saw art quilter Cindy Grisdela's solo exhibit at Maison du Vin, a beautiful wine store that features Great Falls artists' work in its tasting room. When Joan then went to Cindy's web site ... and read about Cindy Grisdela (Face #4) sitting for me ... on her blog, Joan decided this might be an interesting thing to do. Okay, long intro and hopefully fairly accurate. (I listen at about an 85-90% level while painting. I miss a few facts.)

So, Joan and I didn't know each other. After settling in a little bit, I point to the chair that's my sitter's "throne" for awhile. No one knows exactly what to do, how to sit, what's expected of them. I don't direct ... I just want to get at what's natural and comfortable for each person. I imagine it seems a little strange. Photographers give specific instructions ... like "say cheese", angling our shoulders, chin down, look here, etc. They are looking for your most photogenic posture and expression. I want my sitters to relax and show me glimpses of themselves. (Showing me lots of themselves is even better.) I watched Joan become herself.

Joan's independent and capable ... and daring, too. She makes herself try new things or reach for new challenges. (Like sitting for me.) She and her husband are outdoorsy -- enjoying kayaking and skiing. She expects to keep up. (I can't imagine being able to keep up physically in such active sports. Actually, I didn't need to add the adjective "active.") She talked about a trip to Alaska (we talked travels) ... and being on a boat with a school of orcas coming near ... with a sole otter swimming among them. Joan's up for adventure.

A recurring theme is that none of us feels "older" as we age. We're the same people inside and our vision of ourselves includes us at all ages. I remember a story my dad told of going to one of his high school reunions ... entering the room ... and thinking that he'd come to the wrong place. There were a whole bunch of old people in there. Probably there were a bunch of young people in there with older people's faces.

When I was done with the painting and Joan came to look, she told me that it was the only picture of herself she can remember liking. She clearly saw herself in it ... but for each "reveal" my sitters are seeing a different side of themselves. One they're not accustomed to seeing. It's not a couple-of-seconds' view, trying to find your "good side." But, somehow it does.


Salon International 2011

"Tranquility" Accepted into Salon International 2011

Today, I found out that "Tranquility" was accepted into the very competitive Salon International 2011 (see a list of accepted entries/artists here) exhibit that's being held at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas in April. Yea! I was hoping for that one. Greenhouse is a beautiful gallery that represents the "cream of the crop" and entries are juried for acceptance by the gallery owners and staff. So, nice to be accepted! Awards jurying is done once the paintings have been shipped and hung in the gallery. (Daniel Greene is the awards juror.) This is my second year having work accepted into this beautiful exhibition.

Great Falls Connection Article

An article on my 100 Faces in 100 Days Project, written by Alex McVeigh (Face #26), is in this week's edition of the Great Falls Connection. You can download a PDF file here (click on Great Falls to download, see "Capturing 100 Likenesses" on page 5) or see the online version here.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project: www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project.html
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435