Holiday Art Show at the Historic Schoolhouse

I thought you might enjoy a peek inside this year's Great Falls Studios Holiday Show. The show takes place each year in the Colvin Run Historic Schoolhouse in Great Falls, VA. Some highlights of the show for me are visiting with fellow artists, and seeing people share their appreciation of art with loved ones by shopping together or for each other. Husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, whole families, and friends come together to really spend some time enjoying the experience of picking out the perfect gift. It's a joy, too, to know that my work is making some people extremely happy on Christmas Day and beyond!

I'm always glad to meet with you at my Great Falls or home studio for private presentations of my work. Please contact me at jillbanks1@aol.com or (703) 403-7435 to discuss your interests. Or you can stop by during Open Studio hours. The studio I share with 13 other artists in Great Falls, The Artists' Atelier at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 12-4pm. Plus we are there on First Fridays, 7-9pm, each month.

"Bellydancer III" and This Weekend's Show

I just finished "Bellydancer III" today -- wet paint warning. See previous posts for "Bellydancer I" and "Bellydancer II".

This Saturday and Sunday, December 13 & 14, from 10am-5pm, I'll be joining 19 other artists at the Great Falls Studios Annual Holiday Art Show at 10201 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, VA.

I hope to see you this weekend. In addition to the L'Auberge painting (see earlier post), I'll be displaying some paintings from this Spring's Venice trip, drawings, still life paintings of the day, and more. (Or so I think. Space is limited in this show.)

L'Auberge Chez Francois Paintings

Yesterday, Randy and I went to L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, VA to celebrate my birthday. We had a great dinner as usual, finished with a chocolate souffle. I collected plenty of ideas for new restaurant paintings -- but thought I'd share two I've already painted of this spot. The first, "The Celebration", 30"h x 40"w, depicts friends and fellow artist (photographer) Walt Lawrence, his wife Maria and sister-in-law Bernie enjoying an anniversary and birthday celebration themselves. This painting is in Walt and Maria's collection (so not for sale), but it is a good example of the non-traditional portraits I'm doing. The second painting is another scene from L'Auberge. It will be included in my display this weekend at the Great Falls Studios Annual Holiday Art Show and Sale at 10201 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, VA. The Show is on Saturday and Sunday, December 13 & 14, 10am-5pm both days.

Painting of "Mom" in the "Fresh Perspectives" Exhibit

The painting I did of my Mom while she posed for my portrait painting class at the Great Falls School of Art in the Fall is in the "Fresh Perspectives" Great Falls Studios Exhibit at the Great Falls Library (in Great Falls, VA). The painting has some admirers, as does the subject. It's probably difficult to separate the two reactions. It's hard not to like the painting when you love the person it depicts.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy reading the information I put on the tag next to the painting. I curated the show and asked the participating artists to put work into the show that was new and exciting and to write about what made that particular piece special. So, following my own instructions, here's what I wrote:

Title: “Mom”
Media: Oil
Artist: Jill Banks
Price: Priceless
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: (703) 403-7435
Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com (this is my visual diary of my life as an artist)
This year, I started teaching through the Great Falls School of Art (part of the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts) and the Loudoun Academy of the Arts in Leesburg. For my Great Falls class, I hired my mom to sit for a couple of sessions. It was tough for me to watch others paint her – and not be able to paint myself. (I live to paint!) During one of her sittings, a couple of students couldn’t make it – so I “stole” a little time to paint “Mom.” What joy!
Other 2008 highlights: winning Best of Show at the Art League in November, Honorable Mention at the Art League in December, Casey Memorial Award in NYC national show in October, Strauss Fellowship grant from the Arts Council of Fairfax County and placing as a finalist in Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition.

Please go by the exhibit to see "Mom" and "Deli Italiano" in person ... as well as the works by other artist members of Great Falls Studios. The exhibit closes on December 31. Great Falls Library, Great Falls, VA. Closed Sundays.

Yesterday's Painting: "Almond Joy"

This leftover Halloween candy was residing in my purse ... waiting for a chance to become the subject for one of my small paintings. "Almond Joy", oil on stretched canvas, 5" x 5", copyright Jill Banks 2008.

I'm teaching still life classes at both the Great Falls School of Art and the Loudoun Academy of Art in Leesburg, VA in January 2009. I received Loudoun's Schedule of Classes and was thrilled to see "Sunday Morning" featured on the cover and course listing. Very cool!

I am also teaching a portrait painting class and a workshop "Mastering the Business of Art" through the Great Falls School of Art. Click on the Great Falls School of Art link above to find out more.

The Great Falls Studios "Fresh Perspectives" Show

I'm thinking that this is the last show I'll be hanging for Great Falls Studios in my position as Exhibit Chair (actually co-Exhibit Chair with Walt Lawrence) -- so its being given a little more fanfare. Here is part of it in pictures. Please go visit it in person if you can -- that's much better! Sales are made by contacting the individual artists. Part of the proceeds are donated to Friends of the Great Falls Library. I always think the last show's the best. I think that about this one.


My entries are "Deli Italiano," a nocturne, and "Mom" -- a quick oil sketch I did of Mom when she sat for a session during the portrait class I teach through Great Falls Studios. More on those two in another post -- but see top photo, this post. For now, here are some photos taken of the show today.

The "Fresh Perspectives" show may be seen at the Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066. (703) 757-8560. Open Monday to Thursday, 10am-9pm; Friday 10am-6pm; Saturday 10am-5pm. The exhibit ends December 31.

"The Writer" or "Erica II" Wins Honorable Mention at the Art League

I just got off the phone with Erica Fortwengler, the Communications Director and Solo Show Coordinator at the Art League -- and the subject of two, close to identical paintings I created. Erica sat for demos I gave two weekends in January at the Art League Solo Gallery where my "Place Settings" solo show was being exhibited. Anyway, the first painting went to Erica -- but I painted a second, twin painting from the first. The twin painting, "The Writer" was my submission for this month's all-media membership show at the Art League. Whew! It's hard to shorten this story.

So, Erica called me to tell me that WE were in the show. Plus, the painting won an honorable mention. Plus, during Erica's interview with the juror, the juror suddenly looked at Erica and the painting and said "that looks like you!" The juror for this month's show is Fritz Briggs, a teacher at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, MD.

Last month my "Orange Peeled" won Best of Show in the "Small Works" exhibit there. This month's Honorable Mention means I'll be going to the Awards Ceremony and Opening Reception a week from Thursday. See the Art League's web site for more info about this month's exhibit.

"The Writer", 24"h x 20"w, oil on Senso canvas, $2400, copyright Jill Banks 2008.
The Art League, 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA. Gallery: (703) 683-1780.

First Friday Open House at the Artists' Atelier

You're cordially invited this Friday, December 5, 2008, 7-9pm to attend our first "First Friday" Open House at the working studios and gallery space I share with 13 other artists. 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA 22066. Contact me at (703) 403-7435 or jillbanks1@aol.com for more info. Very light refreshments will be served -- and this is a great time to stop by and see some art fresh off (and on) the easel.


See more Artists' Atelier artists' work on our sites:
Jill Banks: web site and blog
Jennifer Duncan
Elaine Elinsky
Frances Vecchi
Heidi Mraz
Adrienne Kralick
John Francis McCabe
Brenda Drake

Other artist members of the Atelier are:
Margaret Power, Diane Falconer, Mehrnaz Moussavi, Mary Orr, Mollie Vardell and Judith St. Ledger-Roty.

In case you can't make it to see us this Friday night, our new open hours are Wednesdays and Saturdays from noon-4pm. That doesn't mean we'll all be there then -- but some of us will be. I hope to see you soon!

Jill Banks

Jelly Donut, Anyone?

Today's donut is jelly-filled. This is a continuation of the transparent, glazed theme. I like how the light hits gooey things. Perhaps because of eating more lately (Thanksgiving and its aftermath), including sweets, my attention is turning to fruits, vegetables, and other things. I haven't painted them yet, but there is a granny smith apple in my purse. Hmmmm.

I've been thinking also about what appeals to me and other people about some of my recent, quick paintings. There's a freshness about them, an immediacy (like what you can achieve with drawings that show the artist's hand more intimately) and I think, most importantly at the moment, this artwork is like comfort food for the soul. With all that's uncertain in the world, an appreciation of the simpler things in life comes in handy.

"Jelly Donut," oil on stretched canvas, 5" x 5", copyright Jill Banks 2008.

The Coffee Cup Show

I dropped off my painting yesterday at the Conscious Bean, the coffee shop right near my studio and stopped off today to see the show hung. Jennifer Duncan, friend and fellow studiomate and artist, curated the show and Great Falls Studios artists certainly embraced the theme. Our instructions were to produce a piece incorporating a coffee cup sized at 12" x 12". I've shown you my entry: "Pumpkin Pie" and thought you'd enjoy a glimpse of some of the other entries. The exhibit will be up for December and January. The Conscious Bean, 10123 Colvin Run Rd.
Great Falls, VA 22066. (703) 757-2326. The bottom photo is of Meredith Ledford's whimsical take on the coffee mug. For me, the exhibit exemplifies how independently and creatively artists tackle a "problem." Imagination is a wonderful thing.