Thursday, September 28, 2017

"Parade Day" Times Two and a Conversation

"Parade Day II," oil, 24"h x 30"w, ©2017 Jill Banks

While participating in Telluride Plein Air this summer, I painted a 10" x 8" canvas of this scene ... watching the parade watchers from my spot in the park.  Just a little while later that day, the first version of "Parade Day" was purchased by the parents of the little girl who is the star of this piece. 

I rarely paint something again ...  as in, almost never. I'm happy that my pieces find new homes and am attached to that period of creating vs. the painting. But, maybe that changes if there wasn't enough time to enjoy the results. Creating "Parade Day II" gave me a chance to relish the moment again. The little girl reminds me ... a LOT ... of granddaughter Emma who we happen to be babysitting for a few days. It was fun.

This larger version was painted primarily from my memory of that day and a photo of that original piece. (Despite the lightning quick sale, I did manage to photograph it.) It will be in my booth at McLean Artfest on October 1, 10am to 5pm in McLean, VA.  Please come take a look.

A Conversation

At Armonk, crowds are steady but on the sparser side for the shows I participate in. That means conversations can be a little longer. One visitor came and enjoyed looking at my work and told me he wanted to tell me something when I was finished talking to another guest. He appreciated that I painted what I was truly interested in. My subjects are varied ... for sure. But he said many artists paint what they feel capable of creating. I just jump in ... head? Paintbrush? first.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you soon!
Jill Banks

Blog: For my latest news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as an Artist at jillbanks.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/ (Please like that page if you like it...)

Events
"Close Encounters" Solo Show at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery in Charleston SC September 1-30. View the paintings that are part of my "Close Encounters" exhibit at Ellis-Nicholson in Charleston, SC this September online here.
"Farm to Table" Solo Show at Katie's Coffee in the Old Brogue, Great Falls, VA October 3-31. More info to come
Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus, Long Beach Island NJ Exhibit September 8-October 27
MPA McLean Artfest, McLean VA, October 1
  
Sedona Plein Air Festival, Sedona AZ, October 14-21
Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls VA (Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls -- I'll be there Sunday only.) October 20-22
Fall Classes and Workshop ... Register Now

Painting the Portrait -- Three-Day Workshop -- October 27-29, 2017.
Class size is limited. The class and workshop are taught through the Arts of Great Falls School at 756-C Walker Road, Great Falls VA.
Get more info on my Classes page.  
I was chosen as one of the Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Washington DC area by Expertise.com. (Pretty cool endorsement.)
https://www.expertise.com/dc/washington/painting-and-drawing-classes

Read the Article: Southwest Art Artist to Watch,  July 2017
Here's a link to the PDF of the wonderful Artist to Watch article written by Kim Agricola.
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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

The Old Market -- New Painting and News from the Art Trail

"The Old Market," oil, 24"h x 36"w, ©2017 Jill Banks
There were many sights during our two-plus week Italy trip that couldn't be captured there ... for one reason or another.  In Lucca, I hunted for a farmer's market that wasn't to be found. In Bologna, the streets in the Quadrilatero section were teeming with stalls of fresh produce. With lots (and lots) of people and narrow streets, I had to wait to come home to paint this scene.

It will be one of nine or so paintings set to hang in my "Farm to Table" solo show in Katie's Coffee at the Old Brogue, October 3-31 in Great Falls, VA.

It might just also make it into the MPA McLean Artfest held in McLean VA on Sunday, October 1, 10am to 5pm at the intersection of Route 123 and Old Dominion Drive at the McLean Central Park.  This is a small outdoor art show featuring 36 regional artists. It's where I first exhibited "under a tent" and met collectors turned into friends. You are cordially invited! I'd love to see you!!!

"Hudson River Morn," oil, 40"h x 30"w, ©Jill Banks -- now in the boardroom
Two New York Painting in New Hands

I don't regularly "report" on dwindling stock ... as in art sales.  But, this year has been kind of incredible in that department.  En route to the Armonk Art Festival, the news broke that "Hudson River Morn" -- on loan for just a day and a half -- was staying put presiding over the boardroom in the corporate collection of international law firm Clyde & Co overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue in DC.

And then this weekend at Armonk, "City Crossings" went home with a young collector who had her eye on this piece on Saturday.

A Little Panic

I'm more than a little lucky in the husband/partner department ... with Randy capable of handling pretty much anything thrown our way in the art business. That was put to the test this weekend. First, he'd gone in for surgery to remove a basal cell on his nose on Wednesday with the directive of no heavy lifting or too much bending over. Not good if you're putting up a tent. (My muscles are now sorer than normal.)

Then on Saturday morning, when we were all supposed to remove our vehicles from the field so the patrons could enter ... our van wouldn't start. The van that blocked the view of our tent. (And others.) The van that needed a jump with most of the cars already gone.  We even have a battery starter as a backup for our lights ... but it wouldn't do it.   Thankfully, when you are at a volunteer-laden event and your vehicle is going to mess everything up ... there are a lot of helpers coming to the rescue. We made it out. A new battery was installed. Phew.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you soon!

Jill Banks

Blog: For my latest news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as an Artist at jillbanks.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/ (Please like that page if you like it...)

Events
"Close Encounters" Solo Show at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery in Charleston SC September 1-30. View the paintings that are part of my "Close Encounters" exhibit at Ellis-Nicholson in Charleston, SC this September online here.
Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus, Long Beach Island NJ Exhibit September 8-October 27
MPA McLean Artfest, McLean VA, October 1
  
Sedona Plein Air Festival, Sedona AZ, October 14-21
Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls VA (Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls -- I'll be there Sunday only.) October 20-22
Fall Classes and Workshop ... Register Now

Painting the Portrait -- Three-Day Workshop -- October 27-29, 2017.
Class size is limited. The class and workshop are taught through the Arts of Great Falls School at 756-C Walker Road, Great Falls VA.
Get more info on my Classes page.  
I was chosen as one of the Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Washington DC area by Expertise.com. (Pretty cool endorsement.)
https://www.expertise.com/dc/washington/painting-and-drawing-classes

Read the Article: Southwest Art Artist to Watch,  July 2017
Here's a link to the PDF of the wonderful Artist to Watch article written by Kim Agricola.
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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Alexandria King Street Fine Art Festival This Weekend!

You're Invited!

Alexandria King Street Fine Art Festival in Old Town Alexandria VA
Saturday, September 16, 10am to 7pm
Sunday, September 17, 10am to 5pm

200 Juried Artists in a Variety of Mediums

I'll be at Booth #90 on King Street near the Alexandrian Hotel (was the Monaco) at the corner of Pitt and King in Old Town Alexandria VA

 www.JillBanks.com

I REALLY Hope to See You There!

"Il Porto," oil, 20"h x 16"w, ©2017 Jill Banks is one of a few paintings created in Italy that will be in my booth this year!




Get more info on the Festival on the show website here

One part of my "planned" sides for my booth.  I spend a whole lot of time figuring out what to bring ... then generally change it, at least a bit, at the last minute.
See more of what you might see in my booth on my Events page here.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you soon!

Jill Banks

 
Blog: For my latest news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as an Artist at jillbanks.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/ (Please like that page if you like it...)

Events
 
"Close Encounters" Solo Show at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery in Charleston SC September 1-30. View the paintings that are part of my "Close Encounters" exhibit at Ellis-Nicholson in Charleston, SC this September online here.
 
Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus, Long Beach Island NJ Exhibit September 8-October 27
 
Alexandria King Street Art Festival, Alexandria VA, September 16-17
 
Armonk Outdoor Art Show, Armonk NY, September 23-24
 
MPA McLean Artfest, McLean VA, October 1
  
Sedona Plein Air Festival, Sedona AZ, October 14-21
 
Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls VA (Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls -- I'll be there Sunday only.) October 20-22
 
Fall Classes and Workshop ... Register Now

Painting the Portrait -- Three-Day Workshop -- October 27-29, 2017.
Class size is limited. The class and workshop are taught through the Arts of Great Falls School at 756-C Walker Road, Great Falls VA.
Get more info on my Classes page.  
 
I was chosen as one of the Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Washington DC area by Expertise.com. (Pretty cool endorsement.)
https://www.expertise.com/dc/washington/painting-and-drawing-classes

Read the Article: Southwest Art Artist to Watch,  July 2017
Here's a link to the PDF of the wonderful Artist to Watch article written by Kim Agricola.
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Saturday, September 2, 2017

Lessons from the Road: A Weekend with My Folks

"Porch Light On," oil, 16"h x 12"w, ©2017 Jill Banks

I'm so behind on blogging ... with stories from Italy, a trip to Shadyside, and my first solo show opening in Charleston SC (last night) ... that here it is, I'm starting somewhere in the middle.

Two weeks ago, Randy, my Mom and Dad (Ken and Shonnie Johnson) and I headed to Pittsburgh to attend my cousin's son's wedding. It was no ordinary trip. All along the way, my parents showed how they collect friends and well-wishers at every stop on the road, each lunch out, every possible interaction. Really.

Thinking vs. Saying

On the way there, we stopped at the world's cleanest rest stop with one woman checking the ladies' room (which was already spotless) and another sweeping the leaves from the walk in its almost park-like setting. (There was a family who seemed to have chosen this spot for a picnic vs. just a stopover en route.  When does that happen?)  I thought about saying something to one of the ladies -- to thank her -- but then didn't.  Outside, there my Dad was talking and laughing with the woman who was sweeping. Neither of those women will know what I was thinking.  They both know how much my Dad appreciated their efforts.

At the Inn on Negley, where Randy and I have stayed many times ... Mom and Dad got to know all the guests and staff -- the man who tends the flowers perfectly, Andrea who was invited to help sing Happy Birthday to our son Sam, the couples who ate breakfast with us.

They just reach out and instead of keeping people at arms' length, they wrap those same arms around them.

Throughout Dad's tough times in rehab, there were nurses, doctors, desk folks, servers, therapists, friends who all took a little longer and tried harder to help and who were touched by this pair. It's nice to witness the same connections constantly formed in just day to day life.

 "Porch Light On"

When Randy and I returned to the Inn at Negley the next weekend for Shadyside: The Art Festival on Walnut Street, we reached out -- met our fellow "travelers" and had fun finding out why our paths were intersecting that weekend.  "Porch Light On" was a painting started last year when I attended the Art Festival, and finished on the Friday night before the festival this stay. The finishing parts to the painting included the flowers with a little more growth (we now knew their keeper), the lights inside the dining room indicating the warmth of the place inside (that's where Andrea served those wonderful breakfasts to the four of us and all those guests we met), and the now open door, inviting us in.

Solo Exhibit at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery through September 30

Opening Night at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery in Charleston SC
Please stop in to see eleven of my oil paintings in "Close Encounters" at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery at 1-1/2 Broad, Charleston, SC.

The Post and Courier published a great article in the Charleston Scene" August 31, 2017 "Long Weekend of Arts Opportunities" by Scott Elingburg. Here's a link to the online version. Scroll through the photos to see "Cabaret."

Thanks to all who showed up on opening night. (The photo was taken before the doors officially opened.)

View the paintings that are part of my "Close Encounters" exhibit at Ellis-Nicholson in Charleston, SC this September online here.

Upcoming Events
 
"Close Encounters" Featured Artist of the Month, First Friday Art Walk -- Charleston SC at the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery, September 1
 
Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus, Long Beach Island NJ, Exhibit September 8-October 31
 
Gracie Square Art Show, Carl Schurz Park, NYC, September 9-10

Alexandria King Street Art Festival, Alexandria VA, September 16-17
 
Armonk Outdoor Art Show, Armonk NY, September 23-24
 
MPA McLean Artfest, McLean VA, October 1
  
Sedona Plein Air Festival, Sedona AZ, October 14-21
 
Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls VA (Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls -- I'll be there Sunday only.) October 20-22
 
Fall Classes and Workshop ... Register Now
Still Life Plus (Personal Projects Also) starts September 12.
Evening Paint starts Tuesday, September 12.
Painting the Portrait -- Three-Day Workshop -- October 27-29, 2017.
Class size is limited. The class and workshop are taught through the Arts of Great Falls School at 756-C Walker Road, Great Falls VA.
Get more info on my Classes page.  
I was chosen as one of the Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Washington DC area by Expertise.com. (Pretty cool endorsement.)
https://www.expertise.com/dc/washington/painting-and-drawing-classes

Paint Great Falls 2017 - September 6-9 - CALL FOR ARTISTS
Artists are invited to participate in this third annual event to paint plein air anywhere in Great Falls VA from September 6-9, 2017. Generous awards. Open to the first 40 registrants -- non-juried. I was the competition judge last year -- and it was tough to pick the winners from the fine work that sprang to life in the span of a few short days. Get more info at: www.greatfallsart.org/paint-great-falls/

Thanks for reading!

Jill Banks


Chosen as one of the Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Washington DC area by Expertise.com.
https://www.expertise.com/dc/washington/painting-and-drawing-classes
 
Blog: For my latest news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as an Artist at jillbanks.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/ (Please like that page if you like it...)
 
Read the Article: Southwest Art Artist to Watch,  July 2017
Here's a link to the PDF of the wonderful Artist to Watch article written by Kim Agricola.
 
 
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