"Paint Me Cupcake" Today

"Paint Me Cupcake," oil, 8"h x 6"w, ©Jill Banks 2012

A week or so ago, Randy and I were eating lunch and bought some cupcakes as painting subjects. I guess I kept the box closed ... and cupcakes unpainted too long ... because Randy added the Paint Me! message to the outside of the box and put it in my car where I'd see it going back and forth to the Atelier (the studio I share with 14 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA).

Today I "listened" to the not-so-subliminal, not-so-subtle message and painted cupcake #1.

"Chocolate Confetti Cupcake" Painting Today

"Chocolate Confetti Cupcake," oil, 6"h x 6"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

I could have called this "Cupcake #3" since it's the third day in a row I've been painting these treats. All have melted by the end ... but this one managed to melt in the middle of being painted. I had to rely on my memory of it with a chocolate covered top. Tomorrow, I'll be changing subjects so this is it for cupcake treats for awhile.

Today's Still Life Class

There must be some awfully good instruction and listening going on in my Still Life class -- because beautiful paintings are popping up all over the room -- created by both new and continuing students. It's sort of shocking -- even with my high expectations for them. All three setups are complicated and interesting. They are all up to the challenge. Good thing. I seem incapable of setting up easy ones.

Lessons learned lately: It's fine to use tape or rulers to get a straight line on a painting. Grapes are painted as masses -- not as individuals. There are some really beautiful grapes happening around here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Oct. 15&16, 10am-5pm

Artists‘ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA

Out & About Norfolk Plein Air Painting Event, October 20-22 

ON EXHIBIT

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s 115th Annual Open Juried Exhibit

National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC, October 4-28

"Cubanelle and Roses," oil, 10"h x 8"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

The Art League's October All-Media Membership Exhibit,  105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA. My charcoal drawing of "Oscar" was juried in and will be on view through November 7. "Cubanelle and Roses" is in the Bin Gallery.

American Artists Professional League 83rd Grand National

Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC, Nov. 1-11
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
Phone: 703.403.7435

Another Cupcake Painting: "Sprinkles and Dots Cupcake"

"Sprinkles and Dots Cupcake," oil, 5"h x 5"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

I just finished "Sprinkles and Dots Cupcake" when the frosting and top turned into a mudslide. Pretty amusing to look up and discover a new shape. It would make a pretty good painting now, too.

I taught portrait class today ... with the first of three sessions with Livia. I shouldn't have told the class they have three days to work on it. It makes them worry more ... and slow waaaaay down. Their beginning sketches are looking good but if I'd kept quiet, I bet there would have been lots more paint on those canvases in all the right places.

My studio has been buzzing for at least a week with everyone preparing for Studio Tour next weekend. (Go to the Great Falls Studios web site to download/print a brochure and to register to win Art Bucks coupons to use on the tour.) Lots of framing and wiring and label making and putting up new art everywhere. Makes me think I should be working on all those things myself. I'm always looking for that elf that will take care of it all for me. Where'd that guy go?

It's time to check the fridge and see just how grotesque last week's still life objects are ... what needs to be replaced for class tomorrow. And then time to go home.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Oct. 15&16, 10am-5pm

Artists‘ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA

Out & About Norfolk Plein Air Painting Event, October 20-22 

ON EXHIBIT

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s 115th Annual Open Juried Exhibit

National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC, October 4-28

"Cubanelle and Roses," oil, 10"h x 8"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

The Art League's October All-Media Membership Exhibit,  105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA. My charcoal drawing of "Oscar" was juried in and will be on view through November 7. "Cubanelle and Roses" is in the Bin Gallery.

American Artists Professional League 83rd Grand National

Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC, Nov. 1-11
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
Phone: 703.403.7435

New Cupcake Painting: "Icing Meltdown"

"Icing Meltdown," oil, 5"h x 5"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

After carefully selecting four cupcakes at the Safeway for their "looks" -- I eventually retrieve one as my painting subject out of a complicated box. I couldn't figure out how not to damage the frosting while pulling it out (there was a collar contraption around it). But it didn't matter, since the frosting slid off about one minute after I turned a light on it. So here's a painting of an almost fully frosted Cherry cupcake that's seen better days. There was plenty more action in the studio than this ... and I apologize for the lousy photo ... put it's back to work now on my main project of the day.

"Icing Meltdown" will be one of small square paintings for sale during Studio Tour weekend next week. We're setting up a screen full of these little guys at the Artists' Atelier (1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA). There's no theme. Just small and square.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Great Falls Annual Studio Tour, Oct. 15&16, 10am-5pm

Artists‘ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA

Out & About Norfolk Plein Air Painting Event, October 20-22 

ON EXHIBIT

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s 115th Annual Open Juried Exhibit

National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC, October 4-28

"Cubanelle and Roses," oil, 10"h x 8"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

The Art League's October All-Media Membership Exhibit,  105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA. My charcoal drawing of "Oscar" was juried in and will be on view through November 7. "Cubanelle and Roses" is in the Bin Gallery.

American Artists Professional League 83rd Grand National

Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC, Nov. 1-11
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
Phone: 703.403.7435

"Make A Wish Cupcakes" Painting Today

A little bit of painting today and a very quick post. These were my birthday "wish" cupcakes.

I'm working to get my painting "muscles" back after lots of other art business stuff. Like deliveries to happy painting purchasers and the like. Ho, ho, ho.

Happy Holidays to All!

"Make a Wish Cupcakes", oil on Gessoboard, 6"h x 6"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

A P.S.: There's a nice article in this week's Great Falls Connection promoting this past weekend's Studio Tour. Even more remarkable is that there's a good photo of me -- Ms. Uncomfortable in Front of the Camera. Thanks, Al Reitan. You can download a PDF of the current publication here... for a day or two, I'd think. Click on Great Falls, the December 8 edition. I'm on page 5. (I know. Sounds like too much work.)

Plus, FineArtViews Daily Newsletter listed my first post about my successful Open House as one of today's Top Five Art Marketing and Inspiration Posts from around the net. I was trying to figure out why I was so popular today. Aha!!! Fine Art Views posts a daily art marketing newsletter that I subscribe to. It's a great source of ... inspiration! Nice to know someone there thinks I am, too!  I couldn't figure out how to link to the newsletter itself for the life of me. Ah, well.

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

"Cupcake Land" Painting

My first diptych. I painted "Cupcake Land" with two 6"x12" canvases lined up side by side on my easel. I liked the idea of painting something short and wide ... perhaps because I see some walls around me that need something like that. Plus, one of my patrons indicated she'd like to see some more cupcakes from me. And, my dad was given a plateful of cupcakes as a special thank you treat this Sunday when we brunched at the Canteen (part of Mon Ami Gabi at the Reston Town Center, Reston, VA). Reason enough.

I've started a little different process. I am mixing up larger batches of the main colors I need to use for a particular painting. I paint a lot faster... but it's still a little foreign to me. Perhaps because I'm thinking less as I work. It would be useful for plein air painting when speed's required and thinking isn't. Funny how the process needs to change/adapt for the task at hand.

Today's an almost no art day. (We're hosting Thanksgiving dinner so I'm doing more of whatever you're doing.) But, yesterday, after painting "Cupcake Land," I returned to a painting I started many years ago -- a copy of a Sorolla (my favorite artist) painting. It was done as a homework assignment in Robert Liberace's Portrait and Figure Painting class ... and I remember Rob saying that I might have out-Sorolla'd Sorolla. My interpretation is that my colors were even more vibrant than Sorolla's. In returning to the painting, I realize just how much I've learned ... just how far I've come. I now understand values, colors, warms/cools, how to hold areas of the painting together, edges, brushstrokes... I'm pretty sure that when I first worked on this canvas, I thought I knew more. I bet looking back in a few years, I'll have the same sort of opinion of this week's attempt.

And, "Becky" -- my three-color chalk drawing that won Third Place at the 41st Annual Treasury of Art Show this weekend, sold.

"Cupcake Land" diptych, oil, each canvas 6"h x 12"w -- total 6"h x 24"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010. See more of my still life paintings of food on my web site gallery pages.

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

"Red Velvet Cupcake" Painting Today

After teaching my portrait class today, I wanted to create something quickly. This one's perfect for Valentine's Day ... a "Red Velvet Cupcake" painting with red sprinkles. This one came from the Canteen, part of Mon Ami Gabi that has a great Sunday jazz brunch. I bought this to paint ... honestly.

"Red Velvet Cupcake", oil on canvas, 5"h x 5"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

Come see it in person at our First Friday regular event at the Artists' Atelier, Friday, February 5, 7-9pm. 1144 Walker Road, Suites D&G, Great Falls, VA 22066.

A new still life show will be hanging in the gallery.

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

"Chocolate Cupcake" Painting of the Day and More...

Today's been a busy day. I finished a portrait that's been a major project of Bob Borchers, my client, and mine ... and "unveiled" it this afternoon. I will need to talk more about this special portrait and show a photo later, someday soon. We'll be going over to FrameMasters (my favorite framer) to pick out a frame for it tomorrow. By the way, FrameMasters has a $25 off coupon for custom orders on minimum orders of $125 through January 31. See their web site: www.framemasters1.com.

Well, a little more now ... I have been working the past three weeks (while preparing for the Christmas holidays) to finalize the portrait painting. I strive (I mean, REALLY strive) to produce the best work I possibly can. This portrait has been by far the most challenging painting I've undertaken, and I'm relieved that it exceeds my sometimes ridiculous expectations.

So, as a treat ... I produced "Chocolate Cupcake" this afternoon ... something easy and fun. It's really important to me to keep changing the type of work (subject matter, size, complexity) to keep my enthusiasm (passion) for each project at a high level. That excitement shows.

See also "Cupcake", "Four Square" (painting of four donuts), and my "Me O My! Donut" for some more of my small food paintings a day ... or just keep looking at Older Posts. There are lots of them!

"Chocolate Cupcake", oil on stretched canvas, 5" x 5", copyright Jill Banks 2008.

Reminders: Register now for classes at Loudoun Academy of Art and the Great Falls School of Art. I'm teaching a workshop "Mastering the Business of Art" January 13 & 14, 6:30-9:30pm in Great Falls in addition to a portrait and still life class. See my post on the Great Falls School of Art winter classes and workshops.

Cupcake Alla Prima Painting a Day

So, "Cupcake" is yesterday's painting a day. It's 5" x 5", oil on stretched canvas, copyright Jill Banks 2008 ... so I'm back to the mini paintings and note: single object only (unless individual sprinkles count). Soooo much faster and easier!

Funny thing about all these paintings of food lately is that I've been on the South Beach diet for the last three weeks. So I get to stare at these goodies and paint them ... but not eat them.