Back to School ... and Back to Painting Today

"Shalonda," oil on Senso linen canvas, 24"h x 18"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Yea! Today was the first day of my Spring Portrait Painting and Drawing class ... so it was demo day. That means I was painting after a reprieve due to the London trip, planning and giving a speech to the McLean Arts Society, and getting ready to hang my 100 Faces in 100 Days show tomorrow afternoon.

A treat!

Plus, it was great to see my class back in session. Tomorrow's the first day of Still Life class ... with many returning and some new students to meet. The expanded classroom space is WONDERFUL. Another treat. The light is super and there's just this nice feeling of space. Air. Room to move and paint.

Shalonda was the model today. I loved her expression. This was a pretty large canvas (24"h x 18"w) to work on for one three-hour session. I think I was just excited to be doing something other than 12"h x 12"w -- the size of all my 100 Faces. Still, it might have been better to use a 20"h x 16"w canvas ...

Now I've got to return to details/work for hanging my show. And, figuring out still life arrangements to use. Busy times.

Check my web site for show receptions coming up on Friday night (Manassas -- the Artists' Atelier show) and Saturday afternoon (May 7, 2:30-5:30pm, my 100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibit) at the Great Falls Library.