Home Studio Open House: Ho! Ho! Ho!

Deck the halls

Jingle bells.

On Tuesday, our house was full of lots of happy people ... enjoying visiting with each other and touring three levels of artwork hung amidst garlands and lights.  The Home Studio Open House is my favorite event of the year. It's my way of thanking people who support me through collecting my work or taking classes or cheering me on. That means I've got to make it one heck of a party.

Some dining room shenanigans

You'd think I'd learn on my third year with this event ... but each year I forget (or get too busy) to take photographs before and during the party in full swing. So you just get quieter views of the evening. Pretend there are lots more people. The walls are also, inevitably, missing a few pieces that were packaged and taken home. I also realized ... afterward ... that I hadn't photographed some of the pieces that were purchased. One had just been framed the day before.

I took this photo today ... before I tore the place up for this weekend's show

The best part of the party is the guests. I know some beautiful people ... and they all were shining Tuesday night. Reston founder Bob Simon, my Face #100 came ... but had to leave (around 9pm) to go on to another party. At 97. Some of my students-to-be and ongoing students and fellow artists were there ... so discussions covered palettes and paints. I even gave a tour of my freezer ... to show where I keep my palette of paints fresh for the next session.





I missed some of my regular Open House attendees ... only to find they had pretty solid excuses not to make it.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the neighbors across the street. Fiona had watched Randy and I pull out of the driveway in separate cars on Tuesday around noon (for the party start at 1pm). She rightly guessed that Randy was heading to Costco and I was going to the grocery store. She probably wondered why we hadn't taken care of our errands already. I talked to them about my 100 Faces in 100 Days project. I kept thinking this year that they must be curious why a different person showed up at my door each day to disappear for a few hours and then head home. Suspicious activity on the block.

Our backyard neighbors couldn't make it on Tuesday ... so they were invited over Wednesday night. They moved in this past summer and have two really cute young sons who we have a blast watching play. What a treat to have them occupy the house and get to know their parents better. I throw few parties. The house is rarely neat. I decorated early. I'm using every opportunity to make the most of a party-ready house I can. Now I know neighbors in front of us and in back. We better behave.

Kitchen cheer

There was some art shopping taken care of that evening.

Gone to very good new homes are:
"Red Tractor"
"W&OD BBQ"
"Gone Wild Turkey"
"Watching Francie's Back"
Many more, I think, are being considered for another day.

I feel honored that guests came during this ridiculously busy time of year. I love that they wanted to. Thank you!

The party didn't all go smoothly. We had driveway troubles. The driveway twists and turns with one side being our neighbors lawn and the other side, a cliff. Add some darkness and you get three tires on the driveway and one up in the air. Not a good thing. It did keep all the rest of the guests parking in the cul de sac.

Randy was in charge of copying the list of paintings, outlined room by room. That took him an hour and a half as the job was too much for the copiers at Kinko's. That meant the Costco run -- food -- didn't arrive until a little after the start of the party. So much for looking prepared. I swear I was born one hour late and have never been able to catch up.

Getting ready for this event is crazy. I went a bit (understatement) overboard ... as usual... in the "hanging art" department. There are more than 150 pieces hung or placed throughout the house. Funny thing is that I skipped entering several local shows because I couldn't figure out what pieces I could spare from my open house. My studio space in the Artists' Atelier is bare. It's all here.

Actually, now some of it is at the Holiday Art Show and Sale for the weekend ... but it will return here on Monday for another Open House to come.

And soon, I'm going to REALLY get back into my painting routine. I go a little nuts when life gets in between me and my easel. That's what hatched the 100 Days project.

The Home Studio Open House is what kept me from blogging regularly for LOTS of days. Sorry about that!

Exhibits and Events

Holiday Art Show & Sale, December 10&11, 10am-5pm, Village Green Day School, 790 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA

Richeson 75 Animals, Birds and Wildlife Online Exhibition, November 7- December 15, 2011. "Pretty Girl Hen" was selected as one of 75 finalists viewable online at www.richeson75.com/wildlife/index.html and in a full-color catalog.

To read more about the 100 Faces in 100 Days project on my web site (www.jillbanks.com), go to the 100 Faces Project Pages 1 and 2 where you can see all 100 of my volunteers. Click on the paintings, and go to my blog post for that person's sitting.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project Page 1 (faces 1-54): www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project.html
100 Faces in 100 Days Project Page 2 (faces 55-100): www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project_2.html
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