A Little Time at Kidwell Farm

"Grass Lunch"painting start, oil, 18"h x 24"w, copyright Jill Banks 2013

Today's Landscape class was spent at the Great Falls Village Centre ... a familiar spot made all the better with nine easels set up on the green. I know that these classes are challenging (for me, too) as students tackle painting outside with changing light, gnats, passersby. They are troopers.  The Village Centre is so generally quiet these days -- a function of high rents and very limited traffic.  But, today it seemed a little different.

Class Day at the Great Falls Village Centre

One of the questions I heard in passing is what was interesting to paint there? I know many scenes that would draw my attention. One was the smoker outside Cannon's Seafood. Another was the cell tower down the lane of the pretty quaint, not so modern main square. All of the buildings in the center cast beautiful shadows. I like peeking around one, seeing another.

 The point is that there is always something interesting, even in the very familiar.

Teaching made me want to paint ... plein air ... somewhere. Hunger and a purse left at home made me leave the Village Centre.

My end destination was Kidwell Farm, where almost all the animals were in hiding. I found them in the barn -- lots of moms with lots of kids  -- but I chose (out of necessity) to paint the few cows that roamed the fields.

This is about an hour of painting two very non-posing cows. Good thing they didn't charge model fees.

"Ballerinas I" on view at the Atelier Gallery in May

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

Events
Women Painters of the Southeast Juried Members Exhibit and Sale
Imagine Gallery, 230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37064
"Sunflowers in the Studio II" juried into the exhibit that runs April 19 to May 20.

"New Works" Exhibit: the Artists' Atelier Gallery, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays, noon to 4pm through May 31. On view in the gallery: "Ballerinas I," "Ballerinas II" and "Red Pillow."