Zorn Day

"Reveil,  Boulevard Clichy," Anders Zorn, 1892, watercolor. Private collection. On view at the National Academy Museum, NYC through May 18, 2014

One of Zorn's early oils, of his wife, Emma. Love that newspaper/composition!

Yesterday was spent on a bus to NYC to see the Anders Zorn (1860-1920) exhibit at the National Academy Museum the day before it closed (Sunday, May 18), taking in the beauty and inspiration of many of his masterpieces on view ... and riding the bus back home again. A full day ... but well worth it.

Plus there was a little bit of wandering around Central Park thrown in. Thinking about what I might paint on another day-or-two trip.

Inspiration was found aplenty.

Zorn IS a master ... too little known among his contemporaries of John Singer Sargent and Joaquin Sorolla. All three were so ridiculously amazing.

At the National Academy

Anders Zorn's oil painting, "Margit"

Museum were 90 Zorn originals including oils, extraordinary watercolors, etchings and even a couple of sculptures.

His watercolors were unbelievable ... as in, I can't imagine a human being able to paint them in this fairly unforgiving medium. Large, saturated, complex, complicated subjects and compositions ... incredible.

He's also a master at placing the figure in space. Then you'll look at his backgrounds, and there's seemingly nothing to it. I LOVE that when it happens. And when you recognize that almost nothing is better than sweating the small stuff for a week.

Pretty amazing, right?

Right around the corner is the Great Falls Studio Art on the Green, an outdoor arts festival on May 31 and June 1 in Great Falls, VA ... and Mountain Maryland Plein Air. Lots to look forward to!


Phone: 703.403.7435
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Web: www.JillBanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
Subscribe to my Email Newsletter: News from the Easel (This link takes you to the subscription page.)

 
May 27-May 31: Mountain Maryland Plein Air I join 29 other artists juried from around the country to capture Cumberland MD and surrounding areas in this plein air competition and exhibition. Second time around.

May 31 & June 1: Great Falls Studios Spring Outdoor Art on the Green Festival  Two days with my work under a tent in the Great Falls Village Centre, corner of Georgetown Pike and Walker Road,  Great Falls, VA. Husband Randy will hold down “the Fort” on Saturday while I finish up at Mountain Maryland and then I hope to see you on Sunday, June 1!
 
March 5 - December: Richeson75 Still Life and Floral 2014  Two of my paintings: "Honey Bunny" and "Garden Girl" were chosen as finalists in this online competition and exhibition. 75 total works were selected for this exhibition from entries/artists worldwide. See the exhibit at http://richeson75.com/stilllife/index.html

Paint with Me in Italy: August 3 to 10, 2014. For more info, itinerary and links to register, see the classes page on my web site. Great folks are signing up to join me on this wonderful adventure. I hope you can, too!  

A Detour: Drawing at the National Gallery of Art

"Girl with Water Lilies," b&w charcoal, ©Jill Banks 2011

A Detour

Randy and I were headed for lunch today before I went off to spend the afternoon at the Atelier ... except on the way I was trying to figure out his schedule ... and when in the week he might want to accompany me for a trip to the National Gallery of Art. Turns out, he was free today, so I might as well take advantage of it. He made a u-turn to head back home to pack up (art supplies and paintings for receiving this evening at the Art League). And, off we headed for a nice lunch and day at the National Gallery.

Lunch and Drawing
"Girl with Water Lilies" is a black&white charcoal drawing of the bronze by the same name by Herbert Adams (American, 1858-1945). This bronze graces the Garden Cafe at the National Gallery of Art -- where Randy and I enjoyed a leisurely, wonderful lunch today. I could have drawn the plate of food Randy put together at the buffet. It was that pretty. But, I could tell it was subject to change. This drawing consumed most of my attention for a couple of hours. What a great way to hang out.

Then we headed to the Armand Hammer room of drawings that held some surprises ... and inspiration. Van Gogh's drawings were hanging out with a Rembrandt and a couple of Gauguin's.

We were on our way to the exhibit of Italian Drawings. One of many highlights of today's trip. There was a Canaletto, a Tintoretto, many Tiepolos and beautiful work from many names I didn't know. I would have loved to have gotten some photos there ... but it was a no photos allowed spot. Some of the pieces in the exhibition are apparently not owned by the National Gallery ... which places the whole exhibit off limits. There's a lot to be learned from this collection. It's always interesting to see the effects of different media on the drawings ... like gouache (opaque watercolor used as a heightener), ink washes in warm and cool colors, charcoal and crayon.

"Cherub Playing with a Swan," three-color chalk, ©Jill Banks 2011

Finally, I made it to the second floor to finish up a drawing I started last year in the same spot. "Cherub Playing with a Swan" is a three-color chalk drawing created on treated paper of the lead, with traces of gilding sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Tuby I (French, 1635-1700) from the Andrew W. Mellon Collection. The gallery closes at 5:00 and we headed out of there about 5 minutes to 5pm to catch a few minutes at the Freer/Sackler (The Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art). There's so much to see in the National Gallery (and National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum), that I haven't taken the opportunity to explore the rest of the museums here in my own backyard.

At the Freer/Sackler
I didn't explore the Asian Art -- but enjoyed many rooms of Whistlers and saw one of my favorite John Singer Sargent painting -- that I didn't know was housed here.

Wow, wow, wow! I'll be back.

John Singer Sargent's (American) "Breakfast in the Loggia" (1910) at the Freer

All day long, I thought that we really live in a beautiful city. I forget how gorgeous it really is. We walked by gorgeous gardens, listened to fountains, peeked at the Sculpture Garden, enjoyed the architecture and kids jumping in puddles. Visited museums with beautiful treasures. Ate in an idyllic spot. The rain fell and the umbrellas were pretty. And a mist fell about the monuments.  There's a lot of angst inside some of those buildings -- but outside, it's pretty darned great.

Events
August 31 - September 21: "100 Faces in 100 Days" on exhibit at the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Open hours: Wednesday, August 31, 12:30 to 6:00pm, Saturdays, Noon-4pm. Additional hours will be posted on my blog.

Thursday, September 8, 7:30pm: Demo for the Vienna Arts Society, Vienna, VA. More details to come.

My Still Life and Portrait Painting & Drawing Classes are both full. See the Classes page on my web site for more information on those classes. Send me an email if you would like to receive notification of other class/workshop offerings -- what kind of courses you would be interested in, days of the week and times.

Sunday, October 2, 10am-5pm: MPA McLean Artfest, juried outdoor arts festival, McLean Community Park, McLean, VA

Saturday and Sunday, October 15&16, 10am-5pm: Great Falls Annual Studio Tour. Major weekend long event with 47 artists from Great Falls Studios participating in a self-guided tour. I'll be in the Artists' Atelier, the studio I share with 14 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls. Last year, the tour drew 7200+ visitors from throughout the DC area. Don't miss it!

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
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435 

Visiting London: Royal Treats and John Singer Sargent "Land"

"St. James's Park Pelicans," watercolor wash, pen&ink, pencil, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Two days worth of London on this entry… and all I can give are the highlights. Big, full, great days!

Hand painted fan in the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Yesterday was Day Royal. Our morning tour was of the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace that featured a Dutch Landscape show then a rotating regular exhibit in two main salons which were beautiful. This was the first time that the furnishings and furniture truly held a candle for me to the paintings and sculptures. They were absolutely amazing. But it was the extras … like a handpainted, exquisite fan … that shocked me.

The afternoon was “free” and a few of us, led by Rob, headed off to draw in St. James’s Gardens adjacent to Buckingham Palace. An observation: everyone in London heads for their gorgeous gardens to enjoy all parts of their days … week long. This was my first time exploring the St. James’s Gardens … and what an extraordinary treat. Beautiful flowers and birds, ducks, swans, pelicans … birds I’d never seen. Plants I’ve never seen. People enjoying the day … their style … everywhere. At the very end, with a duck caretaker’s house as a backdrop, we set up to draw.

I wasn’t expecting pelicans and these took on all sorts of poses for me. I chose the tame ones I thought would last.  This super landscape format was fun and the subject was perfect. The standouts on this visit for me have been the parks (with people), the window boxes and flowers (all healthy and creatively arranged) and a sense of place/people. I’ve got more thinking to do about the last one…

At 5pm, we went on a tour of Buckingham Palace State Rooms. Unbelievable interiors … as you’d expect … with cascading chandeliers, intricate mouldings, fancy furniture, and absolutely incredible art. King George IV, according to our tour guide, was the great collector in the family. The absolute highlight among extraordinary works by Peter Paul Rubens, Canaletto, a Vermeer, Guido Reni, Canova and more … was the very finest Rembrandt I’ve ever set eyes on.  My favorite: Rembrandt's painting of "Agatha Bas" painted in 1641. It was tough to pull our group from the main gallery hall to go see the music room or more portraits of the royal family.  We weren’t able to tour the ballroom. Something about a royal wedding coming up next week…

Walking in John Singer Sargent's Footsteps

And now for today.

"Coventy Patmore" by John Singer Sargent

We spent the morning at the National Portrait Gallery, concentrating on the John Singer Sargent portraits. I loved his portrait of Henry James and Coventry Patmore. I'm beginning to like the head and shoulders, more intimate portraits to life-sized or larger-than-life versions. I want to see the person's face and I can't do that if they're towering above me. I also saw incredible portraits by artists I wasn’t aware of before. Always happens. What I walked away with from this morning is how deeply intrigued I am with capturing people/humanity on canvas. I’m always a bit afraid of going too far in that direction, because I like to be able to paint according to my own muse. As soon as you’re painting real people, they tend to care about how they are portrayed. That’s not as much fun. I also came away with the thought that all of these individuals seemed a bit lonely. My people will have to have people.

I wasn't allowed to take photos in the National Portrait Gallery ... or there'd be some. See the National Portrait Gallery's site for a better pic.

Part of the gang in Julian Barrow's studio. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality!

For our major treat, this afternoon we were able to visit Julian Barrow’s studio at 33 Tite Street … one  floor up from John Singer Sargent’s London studio. Sargent had also painted in the space we visited.  What a great place to paint, despite an abundance of stairs. Julian and his wife graciously allowed our enthusiastic group to visit and enjoy … plus fed us cucumber sandwiches to boot. We were happy campers.

"Parliament," watercolor wash, pen&ink and pencil, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Back to Parliament

Afterwards, Randy and I returned to Parliament’s grounds to get a chance to finish up my drawing from a few days ago. The light was fleeting but I think I got it. Some adjustments to come… maybe.

Tonight we splurged on a fantastic dinner in the Portrait Gallery Restaurant that is open late on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It has the perfect view of the city. Wow! I bet a painting or two develops from tonight. Did I say, “wow”?

And coming up as soon as I get home (yikes!)...

100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibits

Even though I’m out of town, please mark your calendars for the 100 Faces exhibit events. All 100 faces will be on view two times this Spring/Summer. These will be WONDERFUL, not to be missed exhibits. Come see everyone!

May 3-31 at the Great Falls Library, Great Falls, VA

Reception: Saturday, May 7, 2:30-5:30pm

Demo/Artist’s Talk: Saturday, May 21, 2-5pm

August at the Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA

Reception: Friday, August 12, 6-9pm

Ice Cream Social: Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project: www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project.html
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435

Here's a Repeat: You've Got to See the School! Register Now... Classes Start Beginning of May!

Wow! I went to see the classroom that I normally teach in ... now expanded to include my previous second downstairs studio at 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Wow again! I'm so excited about teaching there in May. The expansion made all the difference. It gets great light. There's plenty of room. Such a difference. I'll try to take a photo of the classroom soon and post it here. Yea!

Get info about the classes I'm offering on the Classes page on my web site. Portrait Painting and Drawing. Still Life Painting in Oils. A workshop on "Mastering the Business of Art" on May 25 & 26, 6:30-9:30pm. Sign up. Be happy!!!

A Day at the Tate Britain

Rob Liberace discussing Sargent's "Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose"

Today was the official start of our art historical trip … with the morning spent at the Tate Britain and afternoon enjoying a close-up view in the Tate’s Print & Drawing Room. Highlights of the day were seeing John Singer Sargent’s (1856-1925) “Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose" next to Sargent's “Claude Monet Painting By the Edge of a Wood." I'm taking an art historical workshop with Robert Liberace as our artist guide. Rob explained how both paintings showed a departure from Sargent's more traditional approach. He took on some of what he learned from the Impressionists about peering into shadows for color rather than dipping into his traditional tools of black … and see what’s there. He also approached the “Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose” canvas in five minute stints per day … over two years’ time. He held to painting according to the tenets of the Impressionists working in plein air, with the subject right in front of him … and not relying on his memory or the comfort of the studio. Considering this is a massive canvas, with young models, with light that appears and fades within moments … Sargent had taken on quite a feat. Successfully. We also saw Sargent’s painting “Ellen Tracy” of a well-known actress. I’ve admired that one for some time and want to capture some of that drama someday in one of mine. Actually, perhaps I have. Not all, but part. There are lessons here.

John Singer Sargent's "Claude Monet Painting By the Edge Of A Wood" at Tate Britain

We also took a good look at paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites, particularly John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). These are dreamy and detailed. (Too much so for me.) But exquisite. Every detail was carefully and beautifully rendered. Rob explained that the Pre-Raphaelites were inspired by Raphael’s predecessors, particularly Botticelli. I could see that.

We looked at lots of JMW Turner paintings and drawings, too… moving into the Romantic Period (around 1800) … but the real treat was in the Print and Drawing room where we looked at many of his watercolor studies for oil paintings. We saw watercolors he’d developed as guides for etchings to be used in travel guides. Best of all, we saw one of Turner’s many sketchbooks donated to the Tate upon his death. Nothing like that. What a treasure.

JMW Turner's Sketchbook: right there. Amazing!

I did two drawings yesterday that probably aren’t ready for prime time … but Randy and I enjoyed visiting the Courtauld Museum and the Somerset House. A beautiful place. I’m gaining a whole new “vocabulary” of British painters. Funny how I have to gain this knowledge a bit at a time. I never took Art History in college. Guess I was a chicken. I sure love learning it now as I can look at the work relative to contemporaries and just through my own understanding of painting.

Today I created two more sketches … totally different than one another. The first was done in a very short stretch of time while I waited for my group’s turn in the Print & Drawing room … so this is done outside the Tate Britain in ink brush and ink pen.

"Waiting Outside The Tate," pencil, ink brush and pen, copyright Jill Banks 2011

My second drawing of the day is a start at capturing “Parliament” in watercolor wash and pencil. This isn’t easy but I will return to it as soon as I can. It has potential … but like Sargent, I had temporary, changing light to reckon with.

I’m now paying for Internet service. I’m buying it in 24 hour stretches … then some time away … etc. Hopefully, I’ll post again tomorrow.

By the way, my drawings are not on blue paper.  Just weird photos ... so excuse them ... think positively and see them in person sometime.

"Parliament" work in progress, watercolor and ink, copyright Jill Banks 2011

100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibits

Even though I’m out of town, please mark your calendars for the 100 Faces exhibit events. All 100 faces will be on view two times this Spring/Summer. These will be WONDERFUL, not to be missed exhibits. Come see everyone!

May 3-31 at the Great Falls Library, Great Falls, VA

Reception: Saturday, May 7, 2:30-5:30pm

Demo/Artist’s Talk: Saturday, May 21, 2-5pm

August at the Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA

Reception: Friday, August 12, 6-9pm

Ice Cream Social: Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm

I hope to be blogging regularly during my stay here. See what's new. Hopefully tomorrow.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project: www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project.html
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435

Here's a Repeat: You've Got to See the School! Register Now... Classes Start Beginning of May!

Wow! I went to see the classroom that I normally teach in ... now expanded to include my previous second downstairs studio at 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Wow again! I'm so excited about teaching there in May. The expansion made all the difference. It gets great light. There's plenty of room. Such a difference. I'll try to take a photo of the classroom soon and post it here. Yea!

Get info about the classes I'm offering on the Classes page on my web site. Portrait Painting and Drawing. Still Life Painting in Oils. A workshop on "Mastering the Business of Art" on May 25 & 26, 6:30-9:30pm. Sign up. Be happy!!!

"Corner Seat": Welcome to My House #3

Being snowed in certainly has its advantages. I like this latest painting ... of a spot in my living room ... a lot. I may work more on it tomorrow morning when the sun streams through again. I kept with the simple shapes,  a goal of mine mentioned in yesterday's post. It's all about the light.

All these interiors are inspired by a number of factors. Our house is on the market and I'm not sure exactly where we'll end up living. So, uncertainty ... inspires my wanting to capture the beauty, comfort, coziness of home. I also just admire interiors. One of my favorite paintings at the Allied Artist of America show (that I was in) was a little interior painting. Almost overlooked, the painting became more special ... like a little gem that drew you in. (Hmmm ... (in)terior.)

Some of my favorite paintings are of interiors. Among them are John Singer Sargent's (American, 1856-1925) "Repose" at the National Gallery of Art. I liked this one so much I copied it and it's hanging in Randy's office. I also love Sargent's "The Breakfast Table" that hangs in Harvard's Fogg Museum. I've included a photo I took of that one here as well. There's so much to learn by just looking.

As I'm adding these photos to this post ... it dawned on me that I need to be brave (or stupid) to put my own painting, my copy of a Sargent and a photo of a Sargent painting on the same post.

From top to bottom: "Corner Seat", oil on Raymar panel, 8"h x 6"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.
"After Sargent's "Repose"", oil on linen, 24"h x 20"w, painted by me (Jill Banks) 2008.
"The Breakfast Table", oil on canvas, John Singer Sargent, painted 1883-84 (according to the plaque on the wall at the Harvard Museum. Photo taken by me.


By the way, Harvard's Fogg Museum was truly an unexpected treat. What an unbelievable collection!!! Randy and I visited Boston in the Spring of 2008 and thoroughly enjoyed the art treasures there.  In one, two, three order for Boston's art destinations are: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Art (Boston), and the Harvard Art Museum

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435

Commissioning a Portrait

There's something about turning the calendar page to November that triggers an almost Pavlovian portrait commissioning response. As an artist who accepts commissions, I can feel the earth rumble. Soon, the deluge will come.

If you're thinking about commissioning a portrait, I want to talk to you about your ideas, but I also thought I could help with a few pointers and ideas of my own. Please also visit my web site: www.jillbanks.com and see the Gallery pages (Portraits & Figures and the Places pages) plus the Commissioning a Portrait page. The Places page shows my unique approach to painting people. I am painting a whole series depicting real people (husband Randy and me included) dining in restaurants and just enjoying special, relaxed moments. These are paintings that weren't actually commissioned -- but many (a whole lot) of them have ended up in the homes of the pictured subjects (or their relatives). Some are still for sale -- through me or through Chasen Galleries (in Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC). Give me a call at (703) 403-7435 or email me at jillbanks1@aol.com if you are interested in a piece.


In the Places gallery on my web page you can see that I love depicting people as naturally as possible... and particularly enjoy showing relationships and interactions between the painting's subjects. I could work with you to achieve a similar portrait of you, your family and your friends. This isn't the simplest approach to portraiture, but it is a great celebration of life. (I can and do paint more traditional portraits -- they can be the right way to go, too.)

For each of the paintings depicted in the Places gallery, I used photography that I had taken myself -- often using many photos as references, and then recreated some portion of the painting to work from life. An example is on "Randy and Me" shown above. This depicts my husband and I at a great restaurant in Santa Fe where we managed to garner the window table. Randy walked outside and took my photo, and I did the same for him. I used a composite of the two to understand how we looked together and to capture the background. Then, I painted myself looking at the mirror (didn't use the photo at all) and had my husband pose for me sitting on a stool. While that's a lot of juggling to pull the portrait together, the result is one that really rings true for the two of us. It's us.

Start thinking. What would be right for you?

By the way, I am dying to paint a dancer or dancers. This image has been "dancing" around in my head for about a year. This stems from my personal attachment to my "Bellydancer" paintings and seeing John Singer Sargent's "El Jaleo" painting at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. (This is the second time I've mentioned this ... hmmm.) Maybe Flamenco dancers, a scene from a wedding reception ... something exciting. I'm a collaborative painter -- I welcome other people's ideas. You can comment on this post or drop me an email at jillbanks1@aol.com.


Coming posts will give ideas for Christmas gifts, and much more about commissioning a portrait. Stay tuned.

"Randy and Me", 30"h x 40"w, oil on linen; "Jason", 16"h x 12"w, oil on linen-lined board; "Friends (in Florence)",11"h x 14"w, oil on linen-lined board. All paintings copyright Jill Banks. All rights reserved.