"Il Gatto II" and Wickford Bound

"Il Gatto II," cat from Venice, oil, 16"h x 20"w, ©Jill Banks 2014

This is the cat that greeted me as Randy and I wandered around searching for our hotel this April in Venice. (iPhone GPS does not work on those canalside paths.)

He/she was hunting and putting on quite a show.

"Tavern Shops," oil, 16"h x 20"w, ©Jill Banks 2014 painted during Paint the Shenandoah in Washington, VA

Speaking of shows, I'm heading off to Wickford, Rhode Island for the Wickford Arts Festival being held this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 12 (10am to 6pm) and July 13 (10am to 5pm).  In my previous travels, I've heard great things about this event and town.  Have any friends near? Tell them about it. My work and I can be found in Booth #85.

Time to finish packing and hit the road.

Coming Up

• July 12 & 13: the 52nd Wickford Art Festival, Wickford, RI. Over 200 artists from New England, US and beyond.
• July 19 & 20: the 41st Annual Westport Fine Art Festival, Westport, CT.
• Aug. 16-Oct. 12: Paint the Shenandoah Exhibition, River District Arts, Sperryville, VA
• Aug. 23-24: Shadyside: The Art Festival on Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA
• September 13 & 14: Alexandria (King Street) Art Festival, Alexandria, VA
• September 20 & 21: Armonk Outdoor Art Show, Armonk, New York
• October 5: McLean MPA Artfest, Sunday, October 5, McLean, VA. 52 artists in McLean Central Park
• Oct. 17-19: Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA
• Ongoing: Visit the studio I share with 14 other artists at the Artists’ Atelier, Great Falls, VA open Wed. and Sat., 12- 4pm
• Jan.-Feb. 2015: Solo Exhibit, ArtSpace Herndon, Herndon, VA
• See the Events page for more info/updates

Thanks for reading,

Jill

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


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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!

"Kitty": Borrowing Cats

"Kitty," oil, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2013

When I want to paint them, it seems all the cats have gone missing. Weird.

"La Chien de Grange," oil, 30"h x 40"w, copyright Jill Banks 2013: also in "Menagerie'

Yesterday's trip to celebrate son Sam's birthday ... a nice dinner out followed by a great Angel Food Cake made by daughter-in-law Michelle ... also delivered my subject. Their cat. She wasn't much of a model. iPhone photos delivered a lot of blurred heads. But here she is, lying on their rug, figuring out her next move.

She's one of ten or more paintings that will be part of the "Menagerie" five-artist exhibit opening in September at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center Street, Herndon, VA. Join us for what WILL be a great show for the reception, Saturday, September 7, 7-9pm.

Whirlwind

"Rainbow" from Kidwell Farm visits: part of "Menagerie"

Many of you have been there, but if you haven't (or you'd like to return), my "Serendipity" solo exhibit ends August 31. It's open during regular library hours (see my events page at www.JillBanks.com) at the Great Falls Public Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA.

That same events page needs updating -- but I'm still sorting out my calendar.  "Second and Pine Streets" (of Philadelphia's New Market area) will be hanging at the World Trade Center in Baltimore (juried into the "Top of the World" exhibit), pieces head to Nashville Tennessee and New York City.  I'll be hanging work as part of Artomatic Frederick (September to October) and getting ready for the start of classes, MPA's McLean Artfest outdoor show, the Great Falls Studio Tour and more.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project
Email
Phone: 703.403.7435

Events
Serendipity
Solo show at the Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA. July 1 through August 31. Over 20 original oils. View the exhibit online.
 

Coffee Break Solo Show at 

Greenberry's Coffee & Tea

6839 Redmond Drive, McLean, VA 22101
(703) 821-9501
Exhibit of six paintings including "Two Kittens," "Traffic Patterns," "Primary Colors," "Spanish Steps," "Second & Pine Streets," and "Sunlight, Sunflowers and Orange." Through August 25.

Lots are right around the corner ... take a look at the events page on my web site: www.jillbanks.com.

"Il Gatto": Italian Cat Painting Today

Finally. A new post. "Il Gatto" was meant to be something simple to paint. It wasn't for some reason. Randy and I passed this fellow on one of our long walks in Florence. He seemed to have plenty of attitude. (Most cats do.) While I was painting this, I was thinking about what he might have been saying. I figure that it was "What are you looking at?"

The reason I think it was difficult to paint was the surface. I used a Raymar panel for this one ... in preparation for a workshop I'm taking next week. The slick, non-absorbent support gets me every time. Hopefully, dealing with those issues will be one of my "takeaway" pieces of knowledge from the workshop. That would be great!

Because the panel wasn't absorbing the paint, I ended up with a soupy mess. I did find a solution though, and that was to wipe away the lights ... a way I started paintings in workshops at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia. That was one of those "aha" moments today. Painting requires pulling on all of the knowledge you've accumulated. Lots of problem solving opportunities.

I started this as a grisaille. Using just burnt sienna, French ultramarine and white. Eventually the other colors on my palette crept in.

One of my projects that kept me quiet this past week was constructing a mini website for the Artists' Atelier -- the studio I share with 14 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suites D&G in Great Falls. Check it out at www.theartistsatelier.blogspot.com.

"Il Gatto", oil on Raymar panel, 14"h x 11"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010

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

Artists' Atelier Animal Art Exhibit at Seneca Hill Animal Hospital and Spa

Stop by the Seneca Hill Animal Hospital and Spa at Georgetown Pike (Route 193) and Seneca Road before the Artists' Atelier Exhibit comes down on August 4. There are some terrific pieces in the show -- by all the artists in the studio. Mine is of a cat I saw in Murano -- near Venice. So, the show has an international flavor!