Life as an Artist- Jill Banks: Paint Great Falls

Showing posts with label Paint Great Falls. Show all posts

Friday, September 2, 2016

"Lazy Days" One of Four in "Island Life"

Four packages were weighed, sealed and sent today ... on their way to Long Beach Island, New Jersey for the "Island Life" exhibition that opens September 9. 35 artists ... including me, were invited to paint the Island as part of the inaugural Plein Air Plus painting competition juried by Nancy Tankersley. I was there twice this summer, capturing various scenes. "Lazy Days" was painted on my last day there. A lazy day for the boat and flowers, but not for me.

The other three to be included in the show will be posted here over the next few days. There's something special about this set of four. It wasn't easy to say the least ... but I'm proud of effort and results. Long Beach Island is an incredibly beautiful place, full of interesting charm.

Register for Classes taught through the Arts of Great Falls in Virginia Get more info on classes with a link to register for each class below.
Evening Paint -- Tuesdays, 6:30-9:30pm -- starts September 20
Still Life Plus -- Tuesdays, 10:30am to 1:30pm -- starts September 20
Painting the Plein Air Landscape -- Thursdays, 9:30am to 2:00pm, starts September 22. Classes are held in various locations throughout Northern Virginia
NEW! Portrait Painting Three Day Workshop -- November 4-6, 2016.

Paint Great Falls Plein Air Competition -- September 7-10
The Arts of Great Falls is also sponsoring Paint Great Falls -- a Plein Air Painting Competition -- September 7-10 with two receptions: Friday Art Walk, 6-9pm on September 9 and the Awards Reception on Saturday, September 10, 6:30-8:30pm. Participants need to register ($30). I'm the judge this year and am looking forward to seeing all the entries. First place is $500 plus awards will be given for 2nd, 3rd and People's Choice. Get more info on the event here. Calling all collectors, too. The gallery will be filled with works fresh off the easel depicting Great Falls on September 9 and September 10.

Free Plein Air Painting Demonstration -- Saturday, September 10, Noon-3pm
And, I'll be giving a free plein air painting demonstration on Saturday, September 10, noon to 3pm. RSVP to jill@jillbanks.com if you think you'll be able to make that event. Weather permitting, that demo will take place outside near the school at 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22066.

Lots of Art Events and News
Right around the bend...
CALL FOR ARTISTS: September 7-10, 2016: Paint Great Falls Plein Air Competition, Great Falls, VA. Spread the word!

September 9: Friday Art Walk in the Village, 6-9pm at 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA

September 10: Free Plein Air Painting Demo, noon-3pm near 756 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. RSVP to jill@jillbanks.com if you think you'll be able to make that event.

September 9-October 24: "Island Life" Exhibition of work by artists juried to paint in the inaugural Long Beach Island Plein Air competition, Long Beach Island Foundation, Loveladies, NJ.

September 17-18: King Street Art Festival, Alexandria, VA

September 24-25: Armonk 55th Annual Outdoor Art Show, Armonk, NY

September 30-October 29: Oil Painters of America Salon Show, Castle Gallery of Fine Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana. "Janssen's Market" selected for this prestigious show.

Sunday, October 2: McLean MPA Artfest, McLean Community Park, McLean, VA

October 14-16: Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls, VA
Thanks for reading!

Jill

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

Email: jill@jillbanks.com

Website: www.jillbanks.com

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/

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Monday, August 22, 2016

"Evening By the Lake" Plein Air Painting

Gorgeous day with a few hours spent capturing fountain and folks at Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia. I plan on painting a large piece capturing some of the magic seen here recently. While this is a painting in itself (I like it ... do you?), it is also part of my pondering process. Let's see where this goes.

Classes are starting to fill ... have you signed up?

Register for Fall Classes -- Still Life, Evening Paint and The Plein Air Landscape

I'll be offering three classes this Fall taught through the Arts of Great Falls School (Great Falls, VA.) Information is up and registration live on all three classes. Email me with any questions at jill@jillbanks.com.

Still Life Plus (Personal Painting Projects Also)

Tuesdays, 10:30am to 1:30pm

Starting September 20

Evening Paint

Tuesdays, 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Starting September 20

The Plein Air Landscape in Oils

Thursdays, 9:30am to 2:00pm (although times will vary a little)

Starting September 22 -- One half hour longer to allow for more instruction, critiques each class.

Classes Page

Classes fill quickly.

All levels welcome. Media: oils. Is this your time to take a class?

Call for Artists:

September 7-10, 2016: Paint Great Falls Plein Air Competition, Great Falls, VA. Sign up now -- follow the link. I'll be judging the competition this year and hope you'll sign up and show me your work. Participants will also have the chance to exhibit a piece in the gallery for our popular First Friday Art Walk in the Village reception on September 9, 6-9pm. 40 artists accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Top prize: $500.

Lots of Art Events and News
Right around the bend...

August 27-28: Shadyside: the Art Festival on Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA

September 9-October 24: "Island Life" Exhibition of work by artists juried to paint in the inaugural Long Beach Island Plein Air competition, Long Beach Island Foundation, Loveladies, NJ. (Those paintings are "under wraps" until submitted to the exhibition. Shhhhh. Except for four extras...)

September 17-18: King Street Art Festival, Alexandria, VA

September 24-25: Armonk 55th Annual Outdoor Art Show, Armonk, NY

September 30-October 29: Oil Painters of America Salon Show, Castle Gallery of Fine Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana. "Janssen's Market" selected for this prestigious show.

Sunday, October 2: McLean MPA Artfest, McLean Community Park, McLean, VA

October 14-16: Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Great Falls, VA

Featured Artist for the Month of August: FineArtVirginia.com

Wonderful article spotlighting my work and inspiration just up until the end of August.To see the Featured Artist section, go to www.fineartvirginia.com ... and click on Featured Artist on the top navigation bar OR you can access it directly here.

Thanks for reading!

Jill

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

Email: jill@jillbanks.com

Website: www.jillbanks.com

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jill-Banks-Studio-278493468836508/

(Please like that page if you like it...)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillbanks1

Instagram (New): https://www.instagram.com/jillbanks1/

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

"Moon Glow" Nocturne of Great Falls VA

"Moon Glow," oil, 16"h x 12"w, ©Jill Banks 2015

Most of today has been spent figuring out what to bring/how to hang my booth for this weekend's Rittenhouse Square Art Show in Philadelphia. I have two alternative setups planned and now will see just how much husband Randy can fit into the van along with some clothes and painting supplies.

I'm giving a demo in the center of Rittenhouse Square on Sunday, June 7 at 1pm. Not sure what I'll be painting exactly but there are two days on site beforehand in which to figure that out.

Rittenhouse Square Show hours are
Friday, June 5, 11am to 7pm
Saturday, June 6, 11am to 7pm
Sunday, 11am to 5pm
Rain or shine ... but I'm hoping for shine!

I'll be in Booth #26 on Walnut Street. Come say hello! (Please pass the word, too.)
Map of Booth Numbers Around the Square
Rittenhouse Square Artists & Booth Numbers
Parking Info

Making Good Use of My Tent
"Moon Glow" was painted on Thursday night, right after Randy and I had set up the tent and turned on the lights. I've never before had quite that much illumination on my easel and palette for a nocturne. It was actually kind of strange to be capturing the little light on my subject with it so bright around me. Eye confusion.

One of four "planned" walls for Rittenhouse. I adjust on site but these layouts sure help.

It was one of my two entries for Paint Great Falls turned in on Saturday. (The other was "Too Hot to Trot" which you can see on yesterday's post.) While my schedule was jam-packed with the plein air event and a weekend arts festival ... it was nice to have "mandatory" painting time on Thursday, Friday and Sunday (the Quick Draw).

Speaking of Paint Great Falls, Armand Cabrera put up a post "In the Judge's Seat" on his popular blog "Art and Influence" about what he looks for when judging an event -- prompted by having just performed that duty during last weekend's event. You can read it here.

Thanks for reading!

Jill

Phone: 703.403.7435
Email: jill@jillbanks.com
Web: www.JillBanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com

Subscribe to my Email Newsletter: News from the Easel

Another planned "wall." Two paintings debut here: "Rocky Shores" and "Carmel by the Sea"

See the Events page for more info/updates

May 12-16: Wayne Plein Air, Wayne and Philadelphia, PA. Juried as one of 30 artists nationwide to paint the area. Exhibit continues through June 26 at the Wayne Art Center

May 26 - June 5: Salmagundi Club Non-Member Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC. "Green Pastures" accepted into the exhibition.

June 5-7: Rittenhouse Square: The Original Art Show, Philadelphia, PA. Sunday, June 7: I'll be the official demoist at the show at 1pm.

June 18-21: VA Beach Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia Beach, VA. Visit my booth right on the boardwalk.

June 29-July 5: Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO. Juried as one of 32 artists who will spend the week painting this very cool town lined with Victorian houses, bustling street against a gorgeous mountainous backdrop.

July 11-12: Wickford Art Festival, Wickford, RI
July 18-19: Westport Fine Arts Festival, Westport, CT

August 8-9: Mystic Seaport Outdoor Art Festival, Mystic, CT

August 29-30: Shadyside... The Art Festival on Walnut Street Pittsburgh, PA

September 20 & 21: Alexandria King Street Festival, Alexandria, VA

December 3-6: One Of A Kind Show & Sale, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL

Monday, June 1, 2015

Paint Great Falls Quick Draw Award

Paint Great Falls, a first-year plein air competition held these past few days in and around Great Falls, VA brought painters from around the region to capture the charms of the Village Centre, local restaurants, and Great Falls parks from Thursday, May 28 to Saturday, May 30. On Sunday, May 31, there was a Quick Draw from 10am to noon.

My painting, "What About Bob," was awarded First Place in the Adult Division at Sunday's Quick Draw by judge Armand Cabrera.

In the regular plein air competition, the awards went to:
First Place: Ted Reed, "Afternoon Falls"
Second Place: Christine Lashley, "Cool Stream"
Third Place: Lorrie Herman, "The Old Brogue"
People's Choice: Jill Banks, "Too Hot to Trot"

First through Third Place were chosen by Armand Cabrera.

I've got to tell you about "Too Hot to Trot." Participating in Paint Great Falls and this weekend's Artfest on the Green (an outdoor arts festival in the Village Centre in Great Falls, VA) involved a lot of juggling and compromise. Canvases were stamped for Paint Great Falls on Thursday between 5 and 7pm. That's also the night Randy and I set up my booth on the Green. Painters were to turn in their paintings at 3pm on Saturday but I'd be at my booth (and hanging paintings in it) from 8am to 5pm. That left Thursday night -- post booth setup and Friday as possible painting times. Thursday night -- very late -- I painted a nocturne from inside my now lit tent of the Village Centre. Friday, figuring what to hang, where, took until about 3:30 in the afternoon so around 4:00pm I was in my spot to set up. Way late. There to paint horses. No horses.

The brave souls of the Paint Great Falls Quick Draw Event 2015 with judge Armand Cabrera (middle, back)

I have passed this scene hundreds of times. Wanted to paint it every single time. Graciously received permission to paint from a neighbor's driveway (so I wasn't standing in the grass and could park my car out of the way). Who knew the horses would be tucked away out of the heat?

It was boiling out. No shade. I started painting the barn and outbuildings figuring that sooner or later my protagonists would make it out onto the stage. Sweated my way through an hour and a half. Decided that I could not take the heat. Set up in my car with the door open, window down, air conditioning blasting, supplies on the ground on the driveway. Horses appeared and I wiped down what I had and started again.

This is the result. Once the horses arrived the fun began. They were worth the heat, sweat, erased first attempt. But it was too hot to trot.

It's so easy for a blog post after too long a delay to turn into a treatise. I'm stopping this one here (almost) but not before thanking the Arts of Great Falls Director Julie Casso for making the whole event happen, Armand Cabrera for offering to judge the event, fellow (and some reluctant) artists for giving something new to them a shot this weekend. The results included some wonderful views into this great town. Thanks!!!!!!!

Want to know more about plein air competitions, what they are, what it is like to be a participant? Read my post: "Plein Air Competitions and Quick Draws: A Primer for Artists and Collectors" here. Tell me about your experiences.

Thanks for reading!