Register Now for Spring Portrait and Still Life Painting Classes

 Pull Out Those Paintbrushes With Me ...

 It took me awhile to pull together the schedule for this Spring's classes ... but they are now up on my web site on the Classes page. Sign Up Now ... Classes Fill Quickly and they start in a little over three weeks. Email me with questions or to tell me you're signing up. Thanks!!!

SPRING 2012 CLASSES

Great Falls School of Art

School Address: 1144 Walker Road, Suite D, Great Falls, VA 22066

To register, Print and complete the registration form and mail with full payment (check or credit card) to: Great Falls Foundation for the Arts, Inc., P.O. Box 1223, Great Falls, VA 22066. Questions? Contact school director Ben Cheshire, at cheshireart@gmail.com. Class size is limited. Register now.

Portrait Painting & Drawing – Jill Banks

"Miriam in Her Grey Beret," oil, 20"h x 16"w, ©Jill Banks 2012

This course covers the basic elements of painting and drawing the portrait: composition, mood, gesture, form, structure and features. Emphasis is placed on creating sound and compelling paintings (or drawings) as well as achieving a likeness. Beginning students will work in grisaille or charcoal – concentrating on accurate values and form. Intermediate and more advanced students will learn how to paint beautiful skin tones through color studies and to place the figure in space. Supply list for drawing.  Supply list for painting. If you’re planning on painting and drawing, look at both. Model fees are extra and are to be paid directly to the instructor the first day of class.  For real beginners (new to oil painting or with limited drawing experience), consider taking Jill’s still life painting class for a few sessions before taking this class. For information on the instructor, see my blog at http://jillbanks.blogspot.com or web site: www.jillbanks.com.  First day of class is a demo. Continuing students can watch/listen or set up to paint.

Mondays, Apr. 2 – June 4 (no class May 14 and May 28) 10:00am - 1:00pm, 8 sessions

$270 plus model and materials fee (to be determined and paid directly to the instructor)

Registration Form

Still Life Painting in Oils – Jill Banks

"Drama Queens," oil, 20"h x 20"w, ©Jill Banks 2012

Still life provides a great tool to hone skills. Students of all levels welcome.  Beginners will learn the fundamentals including laying in lights/darks (grisaille), color, materials and form.  More advanced students will apply skills to increasingly complex subject matter (metals, textures, water, flowers), refine color and produce finished paintings, learn to see as artists, simplify forms into abstract shapes and how to construct compelling compositions. Some classes will concentrate on drills/exercises to get at the essence of single objects and loosen brushstrokes and style. Want to learn something in specific? Email me at jillbanks1@aol.com and we’ll work that into the instruction. Information about me can be found on my web site: www.jillbanks.com and on my blog at http://jillbanks.blogspot.com. See my supply list. First day of class is a demo. Continuing students can watch/listen or set up to paint.

Tuesdays, Apr. 3 – June 5 (no class May 15 and May 29) 10:00am-1:00pm, 8 sessions

$270 plus materials fee (materials fee paid directly to instructor)

Registration Form

Exhibits and Events

March 2-31, “Black and White” Exhibit in the Artists’ Atelier Gallery, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. Visit Saturdays, noon-4pm or by appointment or whenever an artist is in the studio. My entries: “Oscar,” “Quiet”  and “Carpeaux’s Napolitano Fisherboy” charcoal, and “Market Street Bar & Grill” ink wash/pen and ink drawings. Come visit.

March 17-30, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s Member Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Award and opening reception, Friday, March 23, 6-8pm. “Hog Wild” and “Dining Alfresco” on exhibit.

April 14-May 4, Salon International 2012, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX. Opening Reception: Saturday, April 14, 10am-8pm. “Contrapposto”

May 1-31, Solo Show, Katie's Coffee at the Old Brogue, Great Falls, VA. More information to come (when I figure it out).

My Sister-in-Law, Cindy Banks, Is Face #79 and Still Life Class

"Cindy Banks: Face #79," oil, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Today was Cindy's turn to sit for my 100 Faces in 100 Days Project. I knew today was going to be tough (fun but tough) because it was the last day of my Still Life class with a little get-together after class ... and then a very late start on my face of the day at 3pm. Which means I'd be battling the fading light and I was bound to be pooped when I started. (True and true.)

I had a harder time with this one and I may still work on it some. But definitely not tonight. I was much happier with the painting at the end than the whole rest of the time. So that's a victory.

Cindy and I had a great time together and that's a whole lot more important that the painting struggle. She's good, easy company and we don't ever get a chance to just sit down and talk. Well, actually, I got to stand and talk. Whenever we're together we have "jobs" to do ... like cooking or entertaining or visiting with others. This was a welcome change.

Cindy's husband, Vardaman, was enjoying watching her reaction

One of the reasons this isn't clearly Cindy is that she's really quick to smile, talkative and energetic. All that had to pass through my tired paintbrush. So imagine her with a twinkle in her eye and a laugh about to burst. That would be her.







Still Life Class Today ... Register for Spring Classes
Today was a wild day, too, in Still Life class as we were doing some drills (value and color studies) with a bunch of instruction and help needed all class long. For the value studies, students needed to use one color from their palette plus white and mix up four different values to paint their still life. It's tough to see how the value of a slice of a grapefruit in the light compares to the value (how dark/light) of a teal piece of paper in the light. Interesting. I thought the results were great. I wish I had taken photos of some of them to post here.

I added info to the Classes page on my web site on my Spring Portrait Painting and Drawing class (Mondays for eight sessions, 10am-1pm starting May 2) and Still Life Painting class (Tuesdays for eight sessions, 10am-1pm starting May 3). I'm also offering my Mastering the Business of Art workshop in May. You can print a registration form also from my site. Space is limited ... but the school space will be expanded starting April 1 ... so more room!!!

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