Had To Fix the Fridge ... and Arlington Festival of the Arts Ahead

Rabbits and Ranunculus, oil on linen-lined panel, 20"h x 16"w, ©2018 Jill Banks

 www.JillBanks.com

Things have been getting a little smelly in the Banks' kitchen each time we've opened the refrigerator door.  It wasn't helping that Rabbits and Ranunculus has been on again, off again over the last two and a half weeks with past-their-prime parsley root, some odd looking bunch of perhaps broccolini, several cabbages and lettuces being stored inside the fridge waiting for their return to center stage. Today, the painting is finished ... and the produce has gone out where it belongs. (At least you can tell it looked pretty and was fresh at one point.)

Enjoying a surprisingly sunny day on the farm last Thursday. I'm behind the camera ... not in front of it.

Delaying Rabbits and Ranunculus's progress have been outings all over the DC/Northern Virginia area scouting out plein air painting locations for my landscape class, getting ready for classes that started this past week and taking advantage of all sunny days to get outside with my easel.

April 21-22 Arlington Festival of the Arts in Clarendon

Hidden under Rabbits and Ranunculus is another bunny painting.  I kept the white bunny, added another and changed pretty much everything else. The colors of the previous painting were understated (for me)... unlike this new layer.  It's like spring blossomed on the canvas.

It's extremely rare that I go back to an existing canvas and completely transform it.  Now there are a couple more paintings in my line-up to make more minor changes with others to finish.  Sort of like Spring cleaning.

Coming Up

Spring shows are straight ahead with  

Arlington Festival of the Arts on April 21-22 in Arlington VA

Great Falls Spring ArtFest on May 5 & 6 

Bethesda Fine Art Festival on May 12 & 13

Lots more on the schedule too ... check my Events page for more

Spring Full of Art

Also, lots of Events are coming up including an May 4 First Friday Art Walk in the Village (Great Falls, VA -- where you'll find me in my studio) and for the Women Artists of the West Spring Showcase at the RS Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg TX (I won'd be there but many of my paintings are ... on exhibit until June 3).

Events

February 1-June 3: Women Artists of the West Spring Showcase at RS Hanna Gallery  in Fredericksburg, TX (I'm one of 50 artists included in the showcase with up to five pieces at one time over this four month period.)  First Friday Art Walk at RS Hanna from 6-8pm -- February, March, April, May and June. 

April 21-22: Arlington Fine Art Festival, Arlington VA

May 4: First Friday Art Walk in the Village Centre, 6-8pm, Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22033. (Studio is also open Wednesdays, noon to 4pm and Saturdays, 10am to 2pm)

May 5-6: Great Falls Spring ArtFest, 10am -5pm both days, you'll find me at the Artists' Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22033 

June 1-3: Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA  

June 4-9: Bucks County Plein Air, PA (one of thirty juried artists selected)

June 28-July 4: Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO

July 7-8: Wickford Fine Art Festival, Wickford, RI

Thank you for reading!

Jill Banks

Blog: For my latest news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as an Artist at jillbanks.blogspot.com

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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. 

Rain Or Shine ... Two Weekends of Art Shows in Arlington, Fairfax and Great Falls

"Flower Power," oil, 30"h x 24"w, ©2017 Jill Banks was just completed and will be in my booth at the Arlington Fine Art Festival this weekend, April 22 & 23 in the Clarendon District in Virginia.  I'll be in Booth #59 on North Highland Street near Mister Days Sports Rock Café.  Rain or Shine. Free. REALLY hope to see you there!

 

You're Invited! Art Festival Time!

 

www.JillBanks.com

 

Spring Art Events -- Three Festivals/Two Weekends

"Tucked Away Cafe," oil, 40"h x 30"w, ©2016 Jill Banks will be at Arlington

Hope you'll mark your calendars. Follow the links for more info.

April 22-23: Arlington Festival of the Arts, Arlington, VA. Booth #59 on North Highland Street in the Clarendon district. 10am to 5pm both days

April 29-30: Fairfax Fine Art Festival, Fairfax Corners, VA. 10am to 5pm both days

April 29-30: Great Falls Spring Art Festival at the Atelier (756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA) and the Grange/Schoolhouse plus more.  My work will be at the Atelier and my Mom and Dad will be there -- but see me at the Fairfax Fine Art Festival at my booth. Paintings at the Atelier for this weekend include still lifes -- "Garden Girl," "Mandarins" and "Story Time" as well as paintings of local Great Falls -- "Spring Blush," "Moon Glow," "Table on the Green" and more.

And More After That...

May 5: First Friday Art Walk in the Village Centre, 6-8pm -- Start at the Artists'Atelier, 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. See you there! (The Artists' Atelier is open Wednesdays, noon to 4pm and Saturdays, 10am to 2pm)

May 20-21: Northern Virginia Fine Art Festival, Reston, VA

June 2-4: Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Festival, Philadelphia, PA

June 5-11: Bucks County Plein Air, PA

June 28-July 4: Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO

What You Might See ... Where

It's back to setting up booths ... mini art galleries springing up early morning, filled with work carefully selected and hung with care ... hopefully for you to see this weekend (April 22 & 23 in Arlington's Clarendon district in Virginia, 10am to 5pm each day) and next (April 29 & 30 at Fairfax Corner AND in Great Falls VA at the Artists' Atelier).

All events are rain or shine.  All free. All great opportunities to shop for art.

This weekend's Arlington Fine Art Festival might require an umbrella from time to time but it's dry in each of the 150-ish artists' booths that will line North Highland Street and Washington Boulevard in the Clarendon district.

"Cabaret," oil, 40"h x 30"w, ©Jill Banks

Included in my booth at Arlington and Fairfax Corner will be a mix of plein air and studio work, some fresh (REALLY fresh) off the easel and one piece that hasn't been seen for a while.  Recent visits to my home to see a very wide range of my work spurred me to include "Cabaret" -- one of a dwindling series of large-scale portrait paintings available for purchase.

As mentioned above, on April 29 & 30 in the Great Falls Spring Artfest -- in my studio you'll see my folks and some great still lifes and paintings of local Great Falls scenes plus much more.

Thank you for reading and your support... Hope to see you soon!

Jill

Best in Show -- BoldBrush Painting Competition, September 2016 for "Daily Special" -- out of 1440 entries.  More info on the competition here.

Finalist -- Sedona Art Prize, January 2017 for "Scene at the Bar" -- see the 12 Top Paintings selected by artist Robert Burridge here: https://www.sedonaartprize.com/about-sedona-art-prize/finalist-paintings/finalist-paintings-january-2017

Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in Washington DC for 2017 -- Selected by Expertise.com.  See the list here.

Blog: For my latest art news and works, visit or subscribe to my blog Life as and Artist at: http://jillbanks.blogspot.com/

Email: jill@jillbanks.com 

703.403.7435

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