Back to Burano Italy

"Burano Boats," oil, 8"h x 10"w, ©Jill Banks 2014

Well, not really. But my thoughts are revisiting the place.

This is the second painting worked on canal side in this fishing village/island filled with impossibly bright-colored buildings, boats, scenes, things everywhere you look. Here again, I tucked myself away from the bulk of the crowds, later in the afternoon when many visitors had already headed home.  Still, there were plenty of appreciative, enthusiastic onlookers happy with my take on the scene.

"Like Colors: Burano Italy," oil, 10"h x 8"w, ©Jill Banks 2014

The first painting from the one-day visit was "Like Colors." The smaller paintings were done as multiples on an unmounted piece of linen (Centurion Deluxe Oil-Primed linen available in pads)... necessitating cropping and mounting the paintings once back home (as in now). 

That's what's been going on in my kitchen over the last week.

Both of these paintings, along with more, will most likely be found under a tent on May 31 and June 1 for "Art on the Green" in Great Falls, VA.

I'll be missing from there on May 31 -- still painting and participating in festivities at Mountain Maryland Plein Air, held in Cumberland, MD from May 27 to May 31. There I will be one of 30 artists chosen from around the country: painting, competing and exhibiting in this plein air event.

Husband Randy will be setting up the display and hoping you'll visit in Great Falls on May 31. Then, I'll be there, too or instead ... on June 1.

I hope you had a wonderful Mothers' Day! I sure enjoyed spending time with our kids, son Sam's in-laws, the Anonicks and my Mom and Dad. Couldn't be better!!!

Jill

Phone: 703.403.7435
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Web: www.JillBanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
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May 27-May 31: Mountain Maryland Plein Air I join 29 other artists juried from around the country to capture Cumberland MD and surrounding areas in this plein air competition and exhibition. Second time around.

May 31 & June 1: Great Falls Studios Spring Outdoor Art on the Green Festival  Two days with my work under a tent in the Great Falls Village Centre, corner of Georgetown Pike and Walker Road,  Great Falls, VA. Husband Randy will hold down “the Fort” on Saturday while I finish up at Mountain Maryland and then I hope to see you on Sunday, June 1!
 
March 5 - December: Richeson75 Still Life and Floral 2014  Two of my paintings: "Honey Bunny" and "Garden Girl" were chosen as finalists in this online competition and exhibition. 75 total works were selected for this exhibition from entries/artists worldwide. See the exhibit at http://richeson75.com/stilllife/index.html

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! 

"Burano Boats" Painting Today

"Burano Boats" work in progress, oil on Raymar panel, 16"h x 20"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

This is my second day painting on this scene from Burano, Italy ... the town of fishermen with impossibly bright colored houses along canals near Venice. I've painted a few scenes of Burano and each has become a favorite of mine and eventually of their owners.

More of Burano: "Pizza and Pesce," 8"h x 10"w, private collection.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my painting ... and reading up on landscape painting, looking intensely at paintings I admire, etc. I've been enjoying plein air painting but there is so much to learn! There are two big challenges for me. One is to get intense, glowing color in a single wet-into-wet (alla prima) session. Two is to handle the paint in these quick sessions while chasing the light. There are more ... but these two are my most obvious obstacles to overcome. Solutions I know for achieving glowing color rely on multiple painting sessions. And, paint handling comes naturally when I'm in full control developing the painting (i.e., when I'm in no rush and letting the subject reveal itself on canvas).

More Burano: "Food and Wine," 24"h x 36"w, private collection.

So, I've been on the lookout for solutions and may have found one. I read about a different approach to use for plein air that makes sense to me that should help with building the paint layers. Next painting start, I'll try it out ... and let you know. And, then I'll try it again. And again.

I've also decided to return to push colors further ... again. Time to experiment and see what happens.



New Discovery: Correcting Color Casts

"Boats in Burano," 8"h x 10"w, private collection.

Perhaps that's not an exciting title ... but in the last hour I made a startling discovery. I stopped working on my "Burano Boats" painting late tonight at the Artists' Atelier and photographed it under the Tungsten lights in the gallery which cast a yellow glow/film over everything. When I went in to edit and crop it in Photoshop Elements -- as I do each time I post -- I tried out a different edit tool under Adjust Color called Remove Color Cast. I put the dropper on the supposedly white base trim in the gallery and it adjusted the whole photo to remove the amount of yellow that was in the white. It was amazing!!! No more yellow casts for me!

Each time I learn something that makes life/my job much easier, I wonder why it had to take me so long. I suppose that's not the right outlook.

Events
August 3 - 31: "100 Faces in 100 Days" on exhibit at the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Open hours: Wednesdays through Saturdays, 12:30-6:00pm.


August 3-September 5: 'Scapes Exhibit at the Art League, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA. My entry, "A New York State of Mind," won Honorable Mention.

Thursday, September 8, 7:30pm: Demo for the Vienna Arts Society, Vienna, VA. More details to come.

Sunday, October 2, 10am-5pm: MPA McLean Artfest, juried outdoor arts festival, McLean Community Park, McLean, VA

Saturday and Sunday, October 15&16, 10am-5pm: Great Falls Annual Studio Tour. Major weekend long event with 47 artists from Great Falls Studios participating in a self-guided tour. I'll be in the Artists' Atelier, the studio I share with 14 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls. Last year, the tour drew 7200+ visitors from throughout the DC area. Don't miss it!

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

"Boats in Burano" Stage 2

I only had a little bit of painting time today. Again. Almost all the rest of my time was taken up with art-related stuff (like picking up the painting that didn't get in at the Art League, rephotographing some pieces, a couple of visitors, attending a great talk by an art collector) -- but I still want a paintbrush in my hand for an extended period of time. Tomorrow.

I was bumping up the contrast and working on the reflections. Starting to suggest some people. Redrawing a little.

I swear it takes me three hours just to warm up. So here's "Boats in Burano", day 2 ... just getting warmed up.

While I picked up my painting at the Art League (105 North Union St., Alexandria, VA at the Torpedo Factory), I had a chance to look at the show. My "Arance, Oranges" is VERY hard to miss behind the reception desk. "Corner Seat" will take more of a search.

I love fellow artist Mary Deleyannis' painting of a lion in the Small Works show. It already sold, too. There are a lot of gems great for unique holiday gift giving. Just a thought.

By the way, we aren't open tonight for First Friday at the Artists' Atelier (my studio at 1144 Walker Road, Suites D&G, Great Falls, VA 22066.) Catch us for open hours Saturdays, noon-4pm or by appointment or whenever someone's in working away.

"Boats in Burano" work in progress part 2, oil on Senso linen, 8"h x 10"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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