Happy New Year ... and the Last Painting of 2012

"Garden Girl," oil on linen, 42"h x 36"w, copyright Jill Banks 2012

Phew.

My shoulder's sore, feet hurt and eyes are a little bleary.

But it's so worth it.

"Garden Girl" sprang to life over the marathon of eight very full painting days. Two days ago the cyclamen flowers were hitting the table.  Yesterday morning, the strawberries were replaced.  Mid-afternoon, I used the tripod that was holding up the cloth on the left side to steady my camera to bring you this shot. The last three mornings, I've been wearing my Christmas gift of highly padded slipper boots (along with my pajamas and smock) to get to the painting more quickly. Those slippers did wonders. Sort of like painting on air. The full days of painting meant there was no awake time left to post to the blog.  Boy, have I stored up some things to write here though.

I feel kind of like my "Garden Girl."  She's resting after doing all that work -- preparing, looking for inspiration on what to grow, planting, tending, weeding, harvesting -- all necessary to surround herself with that beautiful bounty.  Just like her, I put everything I had and know into making this painting something really special.  Because I teach, while painting, those lessons passed on in my class keep replaying in my head.  There was lots of following my own advice. I was physically and mentally engaged throughout -- thinking about the process of painting in oils eight days in a row (recalling lessons learned during eight straight days working on the Brown portrait earlier this year); deciding on how finished to make each area to tell my particular story and guiding the eye; examining paintings I love and why -- and bringing that to bear here. Additions made to the original set up put together by my Dad included the three foreground objects: a palette knife and tube of oil paint -- two tools of my trade -- and the trowel for "Garden Girl." They look like you could pick them up.

All of you looking at this online are going to think it's a much smaller painting than reality. One of my favorite comments received from a collector this year was that she and her husband were talking about how much they loved my work and why.  She said that they don't feel like they are looking at the paintings, they feel like they are "in" them. That's what I want you to feel.  To share this secret world or special view with you.

My dad treated me with this amazing set up. It was inspiration, indeed.

As we all tend to do this time of year, I'm looking ahead to what to strive for and do in 2013. Because this entry is long enough already -- I'll save that for tomorrow's post.

I wish you a happy and healthy, wonderful New Year! To 2013...

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

Events and Exhibits
Register now for Winter classes.  See my web site: www.JillBanks.com, Classes page for Still Life Painting in Oils and Draw, Paint, Sculpt the Portrait -- offered through the Great Falls School of Art, Great Falls, VA. Still Life is now full with a wait list. Sign up for the Portrait class -- it's going to be a great one!

"Garden Girl" and I: Day 3

"Garden Girl" work in progress - Day 3, oil, 42"h x 36"w, copyright Jill Banks 2012

I'm making progress.  Here "Garden Girl" -- the star of the still life setup designed by my Dad -- is on the third day we "spent together."

The canvas is big.  The set-up is complicated (it's very easy to get lost).  Yet, it's coming together. Good thing.  The hydrangeas are beginning to droop and strawberries are turning. I'm doing everything I can to outpace the "fading" factor.

Randy has been catching up on my art inventory for a good part of the day -- with a ways to go.  With lots of paintings going to their new homes over the past couple of months, that's quite a challenge. It also meant he came into the studio multiple times today -- while I was painting away -- and he didn't even glance at the canvas until the last visit.  I was expecting some sort of reaction.  When he did look at it, the comment was that I really might finish it someday.

Last night I sent out the December "News from the Easel" email newsletter.  The gist of it was to urge folks to sign up for January classes and to share a look back at 2012 through the paintings created on various art trips.  If you didn't get the newsletter, you can look at the archive on my web site: www.JillBanks.com and I'd love it if you would subscribe.  The frequency is about one every two months or so. 

"White Dove of the Desert," oil, 12"h x 16"w, Jill Banks 2012 (sold)

And, today, one more painting was claimed by a collector.  "White Dove of the Desert" -- of the San Xavier Mission in Tucson, Arizona -- will be heading away come 2013. Following along with this year's trend -- "White Dove's" new owner is exactly who I'd want to enjoy it. It means the most to her!

Registration is going on now at the Great Falls School of Art for classes that start mid-January.  Make 2013 an artful one! Sign up now. Go to my web site: www.JillBanks.com, classes page for more information on my offerings. If anyone would like a weekly calendar of class offerings (there are sixteen in all for the Winter term), email me -- and I'll send you a pdf.

Jill

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

Events and Exhibits
Register now for Winter classes.  See my web site: www.JillBanks.com, Classes page for Still Life Painting in Oils and Draw, Paint, Sculpt the Portrait -- offered through the Great Falls School of Art, Great Falls, VA.