Alessandro Gaiarin Is Face #94 in My 100 Faces in 100 Days Project

"Alessandro Gaiarin: Face #94," oil, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Alessandro ... what a great name! I did spend all of today's sitting session calling sixteen-year-old Alessando ... Alex, though. Just didn't know the alternative.

Alessandro was happy to sit for me except that: 1) he wished the sitting time wasn't so early (he likes to sleep) and 2) having his "face" painted caused him to get his hair cut (he prefers longer hair and there were some haircut-related difficulties yesterday). Thank you, Alessandro ... on both counts! Because of both 1 & 2, I ended up with a better painting of you. Better, more even light helps and it would have been a shame to just have hair, nose, mouth and chin.

Today's was an enjoyable, fun painting day. Alessandro is the third face in his family to be painted for my project being preceded by his brother Ben and grandmother Barbara Marhoefer. Alessandro's mom, Mary Beth Gaiarin, takes my Still Life painting class ... with her mom, Barbara Marhoefer ... and I just get a kick out of the entire family. Each individual is ... highly individual ... and the relationships between them are fun and interesting to witness. A very dynamic, positive, cool group of people.

Alessandro is a sophomore at South Lakes High School in Reston. He's active in the theatre arts, currently working as a techie (lights, sets) and sometimes acting. He has a job as a tech with the Reston Community Center. Most of his friends are also into theater and we talked about how this interest makes participants more like family than friends. And that it also crosses over age differences. I'd say that happens when a group of people get together who share a common passion must also rely on each other for the success of the whole.

It's an illusion ... the painting's about life-sized, but here it is as a work in progress.

There were lots of things that were fun about today. One was a similarity between Alessandro and his brother Ben. Both had other things (books, projects) that they brought along ... that they thought about doing. Yet, they both were really "there" helping me paint them. They were a part of and interested in the process. Some subjects project themselves. I've seen it in classrooms where I was either student or teacher and everyone painting the model turns out their best work. Paintings become a collaborative effort. I'd say that was true today.

You've Got to See the School! Register Now...

Wow! I went to see the classroom that I normally teach in ... now expanded to include my previous second downstairs studio at 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Wow again! I'm so excited about teaching there in May. The expansion made all the difference. It gets great light. There's plenty of room. Such a difference. I'll try to take a photo of the classroom soon and post it here. Yea!

Get info about the classes I'm offering on the Classes page on my web site. Portrait Painting and Drawing. Still Life Painting in Oils. A workshop on "Mastering the Business of Art" on May 25 & 26, 6:30-9:30pm.

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