Painting the Potomac in Old Town Alexandria Today

"Down By the River," (Potomac, Founders' Park, Old Town Alexandria), oil on panel, 16"h x 20"w, ©Jill Banks 2012

Plein air painting today ... in beautiful weather, late February.

I received an email notice from Jean Schwartz inviting her fellow Art League Plein Air Painters to come out and enjoy the weather painting together. It was a joint spirit thing, since the two of us set up in quite different spots this time around. My view here is at the start of Founders' Park, around behind Charthouse Restaurant where I temporarily found some shade.

On Location

It's not easy to choose the spot to paint. There are so many views I'd love to capture, but I'm tied a bit to finding a shady spot, near a restroom of sort, etc. Even with those requirements, there are so many beautiful, paintable scenes all around. While I was there, couples came to picnic. Dogs came to play. Onlookers came and went. People seemed to enjoy/be amused/wonder about me -- the lady in the painter's smock and hat.

This painting is an achievement. Plein air painting is wonderful ... but a bear. Stuff lands in your paint. Sun and shadows move. Colors change in front of your eyes. It's physically taxing. (I'm tired.) In "Down By the River," I formed a game plan, adapted, tackled challenges, and came out with a good painting. Time to call it a day. But, what a beautiful day.

On Exhibit:

"Drama Queens" and "Classical Painting Atelier" are on view at the Artists' Atelier "Wet Paint!" February Exhibit, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. Open Hours: Saturdays, noon-4pm or whenever an artist is in ... or by appointment. Contact info below.

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

The Many Highs In Art

So I won't show you the painting, but here it is on the easel

First, quick update on my whereabouts for the last two days. Sunday: it seems all I could do is sleep. Nap, nap, nap. Yesterday, I went back to Kidwell Farm/Frying Pan Park to paint a cow and a pink tractor. Out there, I thought my day's efforts were better than they seemed back at home ... so I didn't have the heart or energy to post them. I could fix them, but I'm leaving them as is for now as a learning tool. The principle problem with them is in paint application -- working with slippier surfaces and getting the right areas thick or thin.

I'm preparing for a couple of plein air events with the first coming up this Saturday, September 3 in Herndon, VA. Get more info about the event and wet paint sale immediately following on ArtSpace Herndon's web site (info on the painting competition and info on Paint Herndon 2011). I will be out practicing this afternoon somewhere around town, picking out interesting spots and probably employing some new and different techniques to tackle this bear of painting outdoors. (I did this ... at the Water Mine Park at Lake Fairfax ... and it is still a learning process vs. ta-da! moment.)

The Many Highs In Art-Making

I've been thinking/reading about this topic lately. I've talked to people (non-artists) who are amazed at my patience in consistently painting. They think they couldn't/wouldn't want to paint for hours and hours. Yet, you talk to painters (or other artists) and they will tell you they never want to stop (it almost hurts to stop) and that time absolutely flies. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the studio (or painting elsewhere with others) that someone blurts out the time and we're all, jaws dropped, in disbelief.  We forget about eating, taking bathroom breaks, drinking water, running errands, other necessities and chores. So it's not patience I have. I love the feeling that comes with holding that paintbrush and watching something happen rather magically.

The High of Working from Life

What I've been noticing, in myself and others, is that there is an inherent adrenaline rush in working from life -- whether it's painting a live person in front of you, a naturally wilting and rotting still life, or chasing the light and fending off wind and bugs outdoors. Stick me in front of a photo and there isn't the race of the clock and falling sunshine, the conversations and rhythms of it all. I try to recreate a moment and passage of time ... by ignoring the photo and replaying the scene in my head. I actually succeed (the end result is good) at recreating life from photos, but the excitement, the thrill is missing ... for me. I believe the thrill is in "the fight."

I've read recently (and I'm experiencing) that many portrait/figurative painters are trying out/moving in the direction of plein air painting. What we're doing is taking that thrill of painting one person from life and multiplying it ... more people, Mother Nature, a landscape ... all to capture in real time. j

Imperfect Like Life

Plein air paintings just aren't perfect. In viewing them, I'm reminded of those tags that hang from garments that tell you those imperfections are part of the charm of the piece. Prompting you to notice the hand of the maker. I do believe that there is a charm in well-done pieces created en plein air. There's an immediacy and three-dimensionality that is tougher to capture in a piece based on photos. There's an excitement shared with witnesses to the painting's development: those who were there, at the same time, in the same place. They get the same thrill.

"Coconut Cake" was painted from life, no bugs, multiple sessions.

I didn't feel comfortable showing you my paintings from yesterday. The viewer has to do so much more work to piece together the scene I saw. With plein air painting, I always wonder if my audience has any idea what it is that I actually painted, even though they see me facing in the direction of my subject. That's a far cry from the work done in my studio where I've heard people say they think they can take a bite of that "Coconut Cake." At the same time, out there at Kidwell Farm, I had admirers -- young and old -- who clearly knew what my subject was and loved what they saw. So, while I want some of that accuracy/reality derived from the studio, I want to retain the passion/excitement/thrill of the mess. I want to combine the best of both worlds.

What I'm finding is that if (a big if) I can go back to the same spot and approximate the same conditions (lighting, subject), I can create just as charming, but better paintings from life ... just not all at once (alla prima). This was true, clearly, in "Cars and Coffee" (see previous post) -- a piece that's beautiful because it's being painted on the spot and that had the benefit of two outings to the same place.

When that's not possible, as in these plein air competitions where you paint for a few hours, stick it in a frame and that's that ... I need to practice and study and figure out how to work the paint to produce the best results under those circumstances. A challenge. A thrill.

A Note on "100 Faces in 100 Days" Exhibit

I will not be taking the show down tomorrow. It will remain up in the Artists' Atelier for a few more weeks (at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA 22066). I'll be in for the 12:30pm to 6pm open hours tomorrow (Wednesday) and the studio will be open on Saturdays throughout the month from noon to 4pm. I may add other extended hours as well. I'll let you know here.

Events
August 31 - September 21: "100 Faces in 100 Days" on exhibit at the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. Open hours: Wednesday, August 31, 12:30 to 6:00pm, Saturdays, Noon-4pm. Additional hours will be posted on my blog.

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.


Registration Open Now for my Fall Portrait Drawing and Painting class and Still Life Painting Class. See the Classes page on my web site for more information.

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

"Morning At Starbucks" Painting in Alexandria Today

"Morning At Starbucks," oil, 20"h x 16"w, ©Jill Banks 2011

This was a wonderful, long day ... that reminded me just how much I love the Art League and being in Alexandria, VA. (And how much I dislike the drive to and from.)

Painting in Old Town Alexandria
I was committed to painting this morning with the Art League Plein Air Painters group ... which grew from my last outing. Today was not our official Painting on the Waterfront day (that's next Sunday) so we could pick our spots in and around the area. First criteria to be met for a spot is plenty of shade. I set up in the arcade, across from Starbucks -- and chose the only town view vs. boat view in the group. Back when I was taking classes there regularly, that was my spot for a snack or discussions after class. It's part of the ritual of being there.

The people in the scene streamed in and out. I tried painting a few dogs, puppies actually. You can imagine how that went. I sketched in two of these ladies while they were there. I'd been concentrating on the brick and mortar stuff for awhile ... figuring I'd add in people after I had a base for the rest of the painting.

I still may touch this one up here and there. So not quite done.

Company
I had plenty of company and lots of people enthusiastic that I was there ... enjoying watching a bit ... and admiring the painting. I'd hear all the conversations behind me, like a young girl prodding her parents and brothers to ask me what I was painting. The rest of her clan pointed to the different parts, but I still think she wanted to hear it from me.

An art collector and his wife wanted to have their pictures taken with me. I'm sure their camera people (there were several) have now surmised that being photogenic is not my strong suit.

Old Friends
In addition to my painting group, I ran into Jin Chung, a friend of mine from Danni Dawson and Rob Liberace's classes -- who now teaches at the Art League.

The most exciting part of my day came at the end. I went into the Art League to pick up my painting that didn't make it into the 'Scapes show (you can submit two, but only one can be accepted). I took the opportunity to look around and ran into a couple looking at work in the gallery where my painting was hanging. I realized it was Susan O'Neill (and her husband)-- one of my favorite people and great friend from Rob and Danni's class. She's one of those people who just make you happy the second you see her. Susan was the person who I parked my easel behind so I could figure out how to paint.

She moved to Naples, Italy a year after I met her and the last time I saw Susan was in Florence, Italy when her now six-year-old son was six months' old.

Calendar:

August 8 to August 19: Three of my drawings will be on exhibit as part of the Salmagundi Club's Annual Photography and Graphics Non-Members Exhibit in NYC. This prestigious, 140-year-old arts club is located in a beautiful brownstone at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. Through the years, the Salmagundi Club has been the gathering spot of such luminaries as Childe Hassam, William Merritt Chase, N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and many others. It's a pretty incredible spot. So ... if you're in NYC any time soon ...

August 1-31: "100 Faces in 100 Days" Exhibit #2 in the Gallery at the Artists' Atelier
Reception: Friday, August 12, 6-9pm
Ice Cream Social: Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm
RSVP helpful for both events ... but please come anyway if you don't get around to it.
Open hours for August, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 12:30 - 6:00pm, perhaps with some exceptions. Check my web site for the latest info.

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, August 11, 6:30-8:00pm: Reception/Awards for 'Scapes exhibit at the Art League.

Friday, August 12, 6:00-9:00pm: Reception, 100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibit, the Gallery at the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls. RSVP helpful via email. Thanks!

Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm: Ice Cream Social, 100 Faces in 100 Days Exhibit, the Gallery at the Artists' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls. RSVP helpful via email. Thanks!

Sunday, August 14: Painting on the Waterfront with the Art League's Plein Air Painters, behind the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA, in the morning.

NEW! Sunday, August 21: At the Registration Pavilion for the Reston Century Ride, Reston Town Center, Reston, VA -- with prints of "W&OD BBQ", the first place winner in the T-Shirt competition.

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

Nocturne Revisited

For those who had taken a look at my first plein air night scene previously, here's a revision a little easier on the eyes. This is Deli Italiano's awning seen from a patch of grass in the Great Falls, VA Village Centre. I loved the flowers, twinkling lights and overflowing green vines.

"Night in the Village Centre," 16"h x 20"w, oil on Senso linen canvas, copyright Jill Banks 2008. Photo by Greg Staley.

Plein Air Night Painting

Today's been a crazy day. For now, I'll talk about this evening's adventures.

I just got back from painting in the Great Falls Village Centre (in Great Falls, VA) on a small patch of grass, looking at the lights hanging from the Deli Italiano awning. I've wanted to paint outdoors (plein air) at night (paint a nocturne) for some time now. I missed out on painting Easton at night during a recent workshop because I was too exhausted to hold a brush. But, I figured that I could round up some company to do this in Great Falls and find some night I wasn't too tired to try it. Fellow artist Mehrnaz Moussavi and I picked tonight.

This is my first attempt. Essentially, I was painting in the dark. The street lamp just doesn't provide much guidance. I've discovered that my aim isn't that great when I can't see -- and colors can be completely out of whack. But it's fun!!!

For now, this is a work in progress. I may try it again tomorrow night -- working on this same scene and see how it goes. What I'll change is to really increase the contrast and bring along a small brush to help render the lights.

This was a large canvas (16"h x 20"w) to attempt. This was just one of many brave moves I made today.

I'll talk about my a.m. adventures tomorrow.

Scenes of Great Falls, VA and Jurying a Show

"Sidewalk Sale in the Village Centre" is the painting I entered for the "Quintessentially Great Falls" show jurying that took place at my house yesterday. I was one of three jurors for the Great Falls Studios (www.greatfallsstudios.com) show that will take place August 1-30 at the Old Brogue Irish Pub in Great Falls, VA. But "Sidewalk Sale" won't be in the show! Of the 78 artists that make up Great Falls Studios, an alliance of artists in various media who live or work in Great Falls, VA, 22 artists submitted to this show that is capturing our town in art -- and as jurors, we had to whittle the show down to 10 to 15 pieces that told the story of Great Falls and held together as an exhibit. Walt Lawrence, Adrienne Kralick and I decided to pull our pieces from the pool of entries to ease the process. At the end, and against his will, we brought Walt's image of "L'Auberge Chez Francois" back into the show because this restaurant is a real fixture of Great Falls. Adrienne and I both painted scenes from the Village Centre which is already being well represented with Frances Vecchi's "Gazebo, Great Falls". Still, it was a case of juror/artist martyrdom and warrants the warning that you shouldn't try to jury a show or venue in which you'd like to exhibit. The show will be great, though, and I hope you visit it!

I encourage you, too, to consider purchasing "Sidewalk Sale." The painting is charming, if I do say so myself. It's the latest in my plein air painting series -- still a challenge for me to handle the sun, bugs, heat, etc. -- but I can see that I'm progressing. "Sidewalk Sale in the Village Centre," 10"h x 8"w, oil on linen, copyright Jill Banks 2008. Contact me to purchase or see the painting in person.

Painting Great Falls, VA

Paint what you know. This afternoon, I got out my easel from a recent workshop and tackled plein air painting for an upcoming show entry that focuses on scenes from Great Falls. "Sisson Landscapes" depicts the beautiful landscaping store that's across the street from the Atelier. Those plants call to me each day I pass by. Maybe it's time to shop there. It's on the corner of Colvin Run Road and Walker Road in Great Falls, right near the Serbian Crown Restaurant. Oil on linen, 8"h x 10"w, copyright Jill Banks 2008.