A Little Intermission: Back at Home

One of my great tasks is keeping my head "fit" for painting ... particularly when facing my biggest artistic challenges. I'm really, really, really (enough?) close to finishing my major portrait commission. Worked on it all day yesterday. I've set a deadline for myself that is tough to meet. I will be working on it again as soon as I put up this post, but I postponed today's start on it by working (again) on one of my home interiors.

You see, it's been a tough day on my artistic head so far. I didn't get into an exhibit that I really wanted to ... hmmmph ... ouch. I usually fill this blog post with tribulations. Still, life as an artist has its trials too. There. I admitted it.

The good news is that I'm always popping right back up on the horse after a fall. I painted today already and I'm happy with this latest rendition of my tiny home interior painting. (I did have to photograph it three times however to get this pretty good version. See? Lots of perseverance.)

See earlier posts about this painting:
"Did Some Redecorating on My House Paintings"
"Corner Seat: Welcome to My House #3"

That was fun (all but the photography part) and a good exercise for my head. It should be in better shape for the rest of today's painting challenges.

"Corner Seat", oil on Raymar panel, 8"h x 6"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

"A Dozen Roses" Get Another Day

 Today was the sixth day of my Winter Term Still Life class ... and day two with the three setups. Mostly I taught today, painting only toward the end of class and then for a few hours after everyone left.  Since today's roses are "cousins" of last week's now dead version ... I adjusted those a bit.

The next session of classes start the week of April 11. I'll be teaching on Tuesdays with more details to come. Classes are taught through the Great Falls School of Art, part of the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts. I'll post information here and on my web site: www.jillbanks.com.

I also added Terra Rosa to my palette today. What a great color!!! Two reasons for the addition. I've been rereading parts of Richard Schmid's Alla Prima book (my favorite, information-packed book) and he used Terra Rosa and Venetian Red in a wash-like grisaille portrait that I loved. It reminds me of the effects I've gotten with my burnt sienna watercolor washes. Reason two is that when I peeked at fellow artist's Adrienne Kralick's palette she had a beautiful purplish fairly deep red that she mixed with Alizarin Crimson and Terra Rosa. It was just what I needed and used for the top surface of the velvet cloth (where the light shines on it). Love it!

So, today my life as an artist consisted of:
Arranging the roses "cousins" in the vase looking at photos of their predecessors on my laptop
Fixing lunch since my class runs from 11am-3pm
Teaching, critiquing, painting
Assembling easel number seven of the new, highly cherished easels for the Great Falls School of Art (purchased on sale from Plaza, Mabef lyre easels made in Italy)
Photographing this painting and the setups from today so that I can get stuff back in place next week
 (Now) blogging
(Next) marking the setups with masking tape and cleaning up
Heading home

"A Dozen Roses", oil on linen, 12"h x 9"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

One from Last Monday: "Green Hat" Portrait

Because I'm consumed with working on my mystery portrait all weekend, my image from today is a work in progress portrait from last Monday's portrait and figure painting class (see the classes section of my web site: www.jillbanks.com). Ellen's been posing for my class and this was day two. (Tomorrow's day three with the same pose.) I mix teaching with painting. That way I don't watch every move students make and they see how I move a painting along.

This one's in a bit of an uncomfortable stage. I see plenty of adjustments to make and work to do ... but I like the pose and possibilities. Just need to relax some lines and redraw some shapes. Sounds easy.

Sorry for the fuzzy photo ... took it quickly under dubious light.

In working with a model, I ask them to come with several choices of outfits, accessories, etc. Ellen came in from the snow wearing her green woolly hat. After picking out her brown dress, the hat needed to go back on... nice color and a complement to Ellen's very natural and comfortable beauty.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow ...

As to my mystery portrait -- it's at that "within reach" stage. While that doesn't give me exactly how many days I have left, I know I can count that high. My current betting estimate is between two to five hard-working days left. I just might need to eat some "Wheaties". Think like an Olympian. Cross the finish line.

"Green Hat" work in progress, oil on Senso linen, 20"h x 16"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

Back to "Rainy Day in NYC" Painting ... Fun!

After working ALL day yesterday on my portrait commission ... until, again, my arm felt like it was going to fall off ... I took a break to return to one of my latest street scenes. Considering that my works in progress (i.e. not finished paintings) are really piling up, it seemed wiser to work toward finishing than to start something new. Plus, I've been dying to get back to this one.

This one's not about color (I understated it, at least for me). It's about contrast, mood and movement.

This is day three. I'll set it aside again and see what I think it might still need.

To read prior posts about this painting, see:
"Rainy Day in NYC" Painting, Day Two
Rainy Day NYC Street Painting Just Started

More street paintings can also be seen in the places section, gallery pages of my web site: www.jillbanks.com.

"Rainy Day in NYC" work in progress day 3, oil on Raymar panel, 18"h x 24"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

"Sauce or Salsa?" Tomatoes Painting

Often I pick subjects in rotting priority order. I think I'll have time to get to them sooner, but I don't. Perhaps that's one of the consequences of attempting to pack in as much as I possibly can into every day.

This is my second tomatoes on the vine painting. The first, "Family Ties" sold in December. "Sauce or Salsa?" is a top-down view. They were sitting on a chair right next to my easel. It put all those reds piled up on my palette (permanent alizarin crimson, permanent rose, perylene red, cadmium red, cadmium red light, cadmium orange) to good use.

Today was a meeting day ... sort of played havoc with my painting schedule ... but it should help make the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts Spring class offerings much better.

"Sauce or Salsa?", 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

"A Dozen Roses" Painting Today

This painting is my second start of the same setup today during my still life class (that I teach through the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts). Find out more about classes and workshops I offer on my web site: www.jillbanks.com, click on classes. The first one was a close-up (a small portion of the scene) done on a much larger canvas. This one's painted from much farther back in the room -- taking in more of the scene than I ever would have attempted if my easel was set up close to the still life. What stepping back made me see was the potential to frame the image at the top and right side ... and to see some interesting shapes.

Scale is fascinating ... and a powerful tool. Fun to explore.

"A Dozen Roses"  sketch, oil on linen, 12"h x 9"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

Back to "Lemons, Sunflowers and the Blue Teakettle"

I was back in the studio today for open studio hours ... finding plenty of my studiomates keeping me company. We all seem to be suffering from the same malady: cabin fever. It was nice to be back in there (at the Artists' Atelier, the studio I share with 15 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suites D&G, Great Falls, VA).

I only had a few hours, or at least that's what I thought. My plan was to go to the open life session at the McLean Community Center from 4-7:30pm. I made it there, along with other artists ready to paint and draw. Unfortunately, apparently, the open life session had been canceled. No monitor, no model. I think we kept eyeing each other to see who could be roped in to sit. That didn't work. I asked a nice young guy at the desk if he'd be interested in sitting for us. He had other plans. Imagine that on a Saturday night.

Oh well. So I was hoping for a new portrait or figure painting to post today.  Maybe next week.

Here's the latest rendition of my "Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" that I worked on today. Even though the time was short, I was really pleased with my progress. I love these lemons!!!

This one's been resting for awhile, awaiting final tweaks. I have final, final tweaks ... itsy-bitsy ones ... and then I'll call it a wrap.

This is happiness on linen.

"Lemons, Sunflowers and the Blue Teakettle", oil on linen, 30"h x 24"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

See other posts on this painting's development:
"Painting Lemons Today: "Sunflowers, Lemons and the Blue Teakettle" Continues"
"Lemons, Sunflowers and the Blue Teakettle" Painting and the Holiday Show
My Latest Lemon Painting

And some more posts on lemon paintings:
Another Lemon Painting
Lemons, Limoni Painting Finished

Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow!

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

Did Some Redecorating on My House Paintings: Round Two

I couldn't help myself. Made some changes on the latest two home interior paintings ... including making my free model (husband Randy) disappear. Today I'm home alone ... he managed to leave the house for errands, lunch with his Dad, etc. and so I painted him out of the picture. These two are improved, but I could use painting on them each one more time after the paint's dry. Currently, try as I might, I cannot get the paint to stick. So it's streakier than I'd like.

Round Two.

"Corner Seat", oil on Raymar panel, 8"h x 6"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.
"Snow Day"work in progress, oil on Raymar panel, 9"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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

"Corner Seat": Welcome to My House #3

Being snowed in certainly has its advantages. I like this latest painting ... of a spot in my living room ... a lot. I may work more on it tomorrow morning when the sun streams through again. I kept with the simple shapes,  a goal of mine mentioned in yesterday's post. It's all about the light.

All these interiors are inspired by a number of factors. Our house is on the market and I'm not sure exactly where we'll end up living. So, uncertainty ... inspires my wanting to capture the beauty, comfort, coziness of home. I also just admire interiors. One of my favorite paintings at the Allied Artist of America show (that I was in) was a little interior painting. Almost overlooked, the painting became more special ... like a little gem that drew you in. (Hmmm ... (in)terior.)

Some of my favorite paintings are of interiors. Among them are John Singer Sargent's (American, 1856-1925) "Repose" at the National Gallery of Art. I liked this one so much I copied it and it's hanging in Randy's office. I also love Sargent's "The Breakfast Table" that hangs in Harvard's Fogg Museum. I've included a photo I took of that one here as well. There's so much to learn by just looking.

As I'm adding these photos to this post ... it dawned on me that I need to be brave (or stupid) to put my own painting, my copy of a Sargent and a photo of a Sargent painting on the same post.

From top to bottom: "Corner Seat", oil on Raymar panel, 8"h x 6"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.
"After Sargent's "Repose"", oil on linen, 24"h x 20"w, painted by me (Jill Banks) 2008.
"The Breakfast Table", oil on canvas, John Singer Sargent, painted 1883-84 (according to the plaque on the wall at the Harvard Museum. Photo taken by me.


By the way, Harvard's Fogg Museum was truly an unexpected treat. What an unbelievable collection!!! Randy and I visited Boston in the Spring of 2008 and thoroughly enjoyed the art treasures there.  In one, two, three order for Boston's art destinations are: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Art (Boston), and the Harvard Art Museum

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

Home Interior Painting #2 and My Free Model

The setting of "Snow Day" is my family room where I set up "shop" today. Husband Randy, a notoriously paintbrush-shy kind of guy, modeled at no charge and willingly. This is his normal reading and computer-browsing spot ... so not too painful or taxing an arrangement.

The star of this painting, though is the blue chair and ottoman. Draped over top is a Virginia Tech afghan that our son Sam, a VA Tech student, gave to his two University of Virginia grad parents. Perched on the seat is a rabbit pillow I sewed in my craft-making period ... when I was working in career #1 and hadn't yet realized that painting was my passion. Painting interiors is interesting, particularly painting my own home ... because there's a history and life that belongs to the space. It's in the furniture. (Blue chair and ottoman that previously belonged to my parents. Oriental coffee table that was inspired by my oldest brother and sister-in-laws furnishings.) Even when a space is empty, it carries with it the family gatherings it held host to ... talks and laughter. Naps on the couch.

I'm taking a rest from painting on the commissioned portrait today. So today's agenda is this painting, some cooking, and later, I'll see what else I can squeeze in.

What I want to work on: narrow my focus for interiors, too ... select fewer objects to contend with, concentrate on bolder, larger shapes.  This was a lot to pack into this little canvas, but I think no matter what the canvas size, that's a good goal for me.

"Snow Day"work in progress, oil on Raymar panel, 9"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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