Face 9 Today, 91 Faces to Go

"Bob Gilbert", 12"h x 12"w, oil on board, copyright Jill Banks 2011

Bob Gilbert, my first painter of my faces, sat for me today as Face #9. It wasn't all smooth sailing and my biggest concern was when he was talking about a conversation he had about my project with his wife. Nancy was asking him all sorts of questions ... and one was "how is she going to complete a portrait in one or two hours"? Uh-oh.

These sittings are anywhere from two-and-a-half hours (rarely) to four hours (pretty common). When I originally listed what I planned to do, my resolutions for 2011, I thought sittings would be from one to two hours. You've got to be careful what you type.

So, Bob sat for about two hours and forty minutes and I wasn't quite done. I then worked a good while from a photo before shooing myself home to fix dinner and get ready for my first day of portrait class tomorrow. (And to post this blog.)

Bob's another fellow member of Great Falls Studios. He's drawn to painting cityscapes, particularly of NYC ... like I am. You can catch his solo show this month (January 2011) at the Great Falls Library (Great Falls, VA).

These sittings really afford the opportunity to get to know each person in a way we rarely do. Bob talked about his career in the Air Force (I didn't even know he had been in the military) and what he enjoyed about it. We had funny discussions about fixing things around the house. All sorts of topics.

What's fascinating is how easily the conversations flow.

Tomorrow my father-in-law, Drate Banks becomes Face #10 as he models for the first day of my Portrait class. I always give a demo on the first day. This time it will be a continuation of my Faces project. Future weeks I will have someone sit for me right after class so I don't miss a day.

The big question lately is who's going to be Face #100. I hadn't thought of that ... but it's sort of like being the 1000th customer. It's hard to imagine my 100th day at the moment.

Thanks, Bob, for sitting today.

"Bob Gilbert," Face #9, oil on Raphael linen-lined board, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011.

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