"Fresh Peaches and Cantaloupe" Painting in Progress and Artfest

"Fresh Peaches and Cantaloupe" work in progress, 18"h x 24"w, oil on linen, ©Jill Banks 2011

First, I found out today that I was juried into McLean Artfest 2011 (sponsored by McLean Project for the Arts). Yea! This will be my fourth year participating in this one-day outdoor arts festival that's one of my favorite events. This year's Artfest will be on Sunday, October 2 ... and you'll definitely get more news closer to the date. October is jam-packed with lots happening ... starting with Artfest, then a demo to give at the Vienna Arts Society on Thursday, October 13, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Benefit Reception for Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club at the National Arts Club in NYC on Friday, October 14 ... and the Great Falls Studio Tour on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 & 16. Many days to look forward to!

On to the painting I started today. For the last week or two, there's been a handwritten sign saying "produce" on my way into the studio. I like that it's handwritten. Seems appropriate. And the stand is just right around the corner from my studio. I had to stop and take a look. (And pick out some subjects.) Two nice young ladies were working the stand ... and the place smelled of fruit. I thought (momentarily) of taking my easel out to paint the stand or some portion of it. That may happen some day soon ... but it was a warm day and air conditioning beckoned instead.

The peaches and cantaloupe were chosen ... and this still needs LOTS of work, but it was fun! This is pretty large -- so just covering the surface with paint takes time. The seeds on the cantaloupe and fuzz on the peach will be my challenges for tomorrow. 

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

Painting Lemons Today ... "Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" Continues

Holiday celebrations continue ... but that didn't keep me from diving into paint today. I've worked on "Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" for a few additional days since last peek.

A few ideas have been running through my head while I've been painting it. Such as, why haven't I been painting the snow that's been piled up outside? Instead, I enjoyed a few snow days -- a reprieve from any thoughts of mall-shopping to get large, focused blocks of time to paint on two ongoing projects -- "Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" and a portrait commission.

My paintings have undergone a transformation lately. I see it in this, soon to be finished painting, and in "Tranquility" which I will also be finishing up shortly. There's a sense of calm, peacefulness, air about them. Funny how these canvases describe exactly my mindset while painting them. It affects the way I see what's right in front of me ... and all the choices that direct my brush.

Right in the midst of a bustling holiday season, I find some cherished quiet time. I hope you did, too.

Happy Holidays!

Jill

"Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" work in progress, oil on linen, 30"h x 24"w, copyright Jill Banks 2009.

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

"Arance, Oranges" Finished

I should never say what I'm going to do the next day -- because inevitably I change my mind. Yesterday, I decided to finish this painting of oranges from a Florence, Italy market. (Instead of writing the post I told you I'd do the day before.) I thought that finishing "Arance" meant filling in the blank areas, that much of it was complete as is. But no. I worked on just about every inch in a 12 hour painting marathon. A little lunch. A very, very late dinner. At least I'm thinner.

I wanted to finish this one for a competition application that needed to go in the mail. So, after I painted it, I photographed it, downloaded that to my desktop computer, burned a CD, filled out my application, got it ready to mail. Read and answered email. Ate dinner. Life as an Artist, epitomized.

"Arance, Oranges", 24"h x 36"w, oil on Senso linen, copyright Jill Banks 2009. This is the latest painting in my market series. See more on my web site and on this blog by clicking on older posts.

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

Paintings of Fruit Continued...

I spent the whole day painting fruit.



This afternoon ... I was buried in oranges, continuing on with "Arance, Oranges", a painting of a fruit market in Florence, Italy. Still more to go but when I finally needed a break from oranges I headed downstairs to work a bit on "An Apple Arrangement". In all, I've spent very little time on the latter, trying not to interfere with the official enrollees in Michela Mansuino's workshop (who work late) and keeping on track with my other projects. This particular painting shows just how abstractly I see ... and paint. I think in value (light and darks) and then color blocks, from large to increasingly smaller shapes. It's an interesting way to see the world.



"Arance, Orange" work in progress, 24"h x 36"w, oil on Senso linen, copyright Jill Banks 2009.
"An Apple Arrangement" work in progress, 24"h x 30"w, oil on Senso linen, copyright Jill Banks 2009.

Before Randy took me to dinner tonight he wiped off yellow, then green, then orange, then some red I'd managed to end up wearing.

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