"Alla Prima Portrait" Demo Today: So Much Fun!

"Greg," oil, 20"h x 16"w, copyright Jill Banks 2013

Today was sort of perfect. It was demo day for the first class session of "Draw, Paint, Sculpt the Portrait" and our model was Greg Golem -- the same nice person who agreed on the spur of the moment to sit on a bench (to be included in "Fresh Bread") when I was painting in the Paint Herndon competition. ("Fresh Bread" won first place honors.)

I'm always inspired by having someone right in front of me to paint ... but today even more than usual.  Greg's not a professional model ... but was willing to sit anyway.  So he was out there on a limb with me. What would you do if someone asked you to sit for a four-hour portrait class?

The fun came from a great model, a new class of interesting individuals with half taking from me for the first time and a painting that emerged from the canvas awfully nicely. I appreciate students that are taking the leap -- way outside their comfort zones -- that I remember taking walking into my first classes ten years ago. Hopefully they are as glad they gave it a shot as I am. 

I was asked by one of the students if I was happy with the result on the last break before the end of class.  At that point, I saw a couple of things that needed some work. With those issues fixed ... in the last five minutes ... yes. I'm very happy with it.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project
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Phone: 703.403.7435

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Student Exhibit of the Great Falls School of Art in the Artists' Atelier Gallery, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. Open hours: Wednesdays and Saturdays, noon - 4pm.  Through the end of January.