Warm Welcome at the Hilton

I've gone missing for good reason.  Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with my still life class demo -- and ongoing work on that painting. I haven't had a chance to photograph it. And -- I'm not home so, you will see the results -- just not yet.

Finishing touches during setup for the Art Reception at Hilton Worldwide HQ

Art Reception at the Hilton Worldwide Headquarters 

Adjusting lights on other side of the pod. Four sides of my art.

On Thursday, I was one of five artists whose work was being celebrated at a special art reception at the Hilton Worldwide Headquarters in McLean, VA.  What a HUGE treat!

There wasn’t an actual red carpet, but I sure received the  “star treatment.”  Everything – from the friendly greeting, help toting art in, crew to hang and light our work, wall tags, printed programs, offers of wine/refreshments while setting up, beautiful lobby setting (with soaring ceilings, marble floors, gentle fountain behind me), introduction announcement, the event itself and interested attendees – was perfect, wonderful, and deeply appreciated. Thank you, Anu Saxena, and the Hilton Worldwide Women's Team Member Resource Group for such a great day!

Having pulled off many of my own, almost-do-it-yourself (with the stellar assistance of husband Randy and my Mom and Dad) art events, I appreciated even more all the fine details. Guests – just like the five of us artists – were made to feel special and yet the focus was on the art – with music conducive to the right mood and talking and refreshments that were a nice addition yet not the stars.

The artists were also treated to silver goody bags full of thoughtful treasures. Sort-of-academy-awardish.

Event Poster at the Hilton Worldwide Headquarters

It was an afternoon filled with great conversations on a well-set stage. Our daughter, Sarah, invited her colleagues and head chiefs from work … whose offices are conveniently located right across the street from the Hilton.  The acorn hasn’t fallen too far from the tree … as her friends and fellows knew an awful lot about my art before circling around my pod at the Hilton. Seems like Sarah has been taking lessons from my Mom who enthusiastically introduces my work to countless friends, neighbors, acquaintances. 

One of the paintings I had on exhibit is "Hudson River Morn" -- a grown-up (enlarged) version of a piece created over three days standing in the shower equipped with floor to ceiling windows at a Hampton Inn in NYC. Works on the easel over those three days captured sunrise to sunset as the city woke up and became its bustling self.  

There's joy to be shared in depicting something common to others. It often changes their perceptions, opens eyes to how lucky they are that

this is their regular view.  I've encountered these reactions when painting plein air -- talking to visitors to my easel. For "Hudson River Morn," it was just me in the shower. No passersby. (Thankfully. We wouldn't fit.) But this exhibit gave me a chance to share the experience with those who had a part in the inspiration.

Such great conversations. Thank you to all who came to look and visit!

All the photos were taken by Randy during setup. Once the guests arrive, it's camera down so we can enjoy your company.

I'm currently on another adventure -- in Georgia for the Women Painters of the Southeast show. I will have to catch you up on that in a few days! Planning on painting within the hour. Just don't know where or what yet.

Shown: "The Kitchen Caper" (top) and "Sunflowers in My Studio II" (bottom) by Jill Banks. See my website for more in the Still Life Gallery under Works

I'm still hoping more of you will join me in Italy in August. See my web site for more details.


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.)

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.

See Current  and Upcoming Exhibits/Events

Shown at the Hilton on Thursday include: "Hudson River Morn," "New York Yellow and Blues," "Green Tractor," "Made in the Shade," "The Snuggery," "The Kitchen Caper," and "Sunflowers in My Studio II."  All of these and more can be found on my web site at: www.JillBanks.com.  Take a look.

Back to "NYC Street" Painting and Progress

"NYC Street" work in progress, oil on linen, 30"h x 40"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

I think this has been the longest time a painting has been in progress. I declared it perhaps done the last time I put up a post about it ... but it still had problems I needed to wrestle with.

"A New York State of Mind," oil on linen, 40"h x 30"w

"Cabs in New York," 8"h x 10"w, oil,© Jill Banks 2011

Plus of course I had to work on a whole lot more.

In any case, I am really starting to like it. Hopefully, I can return to this one tomorrow in my studio. Assuming the paint doesn't feel like arguing with me.

"Rainy Day in NYC" won Best in Show at the Art League and a Certificate of Merit in Oils at the Salmagundi Club. Sold.

Today I also used a very limited palette. I took all the extra paints from my usually full rainbow palette, mixed them together to form a neutral pile to use as necessary. Then I had huge piles of permanent alizarin crimson, French ultramarine blue, a Winsor Lemon/cadmium yellow medium mix and titanium zinc white. That's it. And it was nice for a change.

I've painted a number of New York City paintings. Today's page will be a tribute to them. There are more. Take a look at the Places page, in the gallery pages of my web site: www.JillBanks.com.

 

 

 

"Pretzel Stand," oil, 24"h x 18"w

Coming up:

Sunday, August 7: Painting on the Waterfront with the Art League's Plein Air Painters, behind the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA, in the morning.

August 8 to August 19: Three of my drawings will be on exhibit as part of the Salmagundi Club's Annual Photography and Graphics Non-Members Exhibit in NYC. This prestigious, 140-year-old arts club is located in a beautiful brownstone at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. Through the years, the Salmagundi Club has been the gathering spot of such luminaries as Childe Hassam, William Merrit Chase, N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and many others. It's a pretty incredible spot. So ... if you're in NYC any time soon ...

August 1-31: "100 Faces in 100 Days" Exhibit #2 in the Gallery at the Artists' Atelier
Reception: Friday, August 12, 6-9pm
Ice Cream Social: Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm
RSVP helpful for both events ... but please come anyway if you don't get around to it.

Sunday, August 14: Painting on the Waterfront with the Art League's Plein Air Painters, behind the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA, in the morning.

NEW! Sunday, August 21: At the Registration Pavilion for the Reston Century Ride, Reston Town Center, Reston, VA -- with prints of "W&OD BBQ", the first place winner in the T-Shirt competition.

August 26-August 29: Four-day intensive, still life workshop: "A Painting A Day" offered through the Great Falls School of Art. Space is limited. Details coming soon on my web site: www.JillBanks.com.

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 

"NYC Street" Painting Finished?

"NYC Street," oil on linen, 30"h x 40"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011

I'm not positive about this ... thus the question mark. I'll look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow and let you know.

In any case this painting took some major twists and turns today. It sat pretty dormant for about a year. Today, I replaced its main characters and like it a whole lot better. It's so drastically different ... I'm not even going to direct you to its previous version. I had started it before I painted "Rainy Day in NYC," "Birds of a Feather," and "Five Umbrellas." It was a new direction, exploring the abstract qualities of urban streets.

See more of my work at my web site's gallery pages ...

Tomorrow I'll look again to see if there's a way to strengthen it.  Take things out? Look at the paint application and textures.

My head is still wrapped around my 100 Faces project. The exhibit is up until May 31 at the Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA. I'll be giving a demo, artist's talk on Saturday, 2-5pm there. I hope you'll join me. The price is definitely right. Free. And fun.

I keep thinking about how to tell this story. I definitely have plans to put together a book, ... but now I have multiple ideas about how that might take shape. I want to show the paintings and my sitter's story excerpts in one. But I'd like to explore the journey in another... the whole story. My life's fuller because of it. I want to share it better than I have so far.

And for the artists out there who want to get serious about their art careers, register for my "Mastering the Business of Art" workshop that I'm giving May 25 & 26. Get information on my web site (www.jillbanks.com), classes page. Please register by May 18.

100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibits

All 100 faces will be on view two times this Spring/Summer.  Come see!

May 3-31 at the Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA

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

August 1-31 at the Gallery in the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA 22066

Reception: Friday, August 12, 6-9pm

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

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

Back to My "New York State of Mind" Painting

I took a break from this ... my most recent New York City street painting because I just wasn't sure what direction to take it. So I was thinking about it, even though I wasn't actively working on it. Today was a good day to take on the challenge. I'm continuing to think about it, but I'm making progress.

As an artist, I work to convey the mood, rhythm, moment for you to enjoy. We don't take in the world as a whole bunch of details. They don't matter ... or at least, I don't care about them. I want to draw you into this world I've created as one that concentrates on just the important parts that hold the painting and your interest as you take a closer look. But I've got to compel you to walk over to it.

What I knew I wanted to do was simplify the shapes -- something easier to decide to do, than to do. Isn't that always the case? I'm starting to address the right hand side of the painting. Finally. And, I'm evening out the patches of color. I've tried to make large batches of colors using my palette knife and putting the color up there using the palette knife. Then letting the paint set up a bit, and using my brush to smooth it out.

So, progress. Much more work to go.

See more of my street scenes on the gallery pages of my web site: www.JillBanks.com.

"New York State of Mind" work in progress, 40"h x 30"w, oil on Senso linen, copyright Jill Banks 2010. You can see this piece in development in earlier posts on this blog.

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