The world is full of small wonders for Reston, Virginia artist, Jill Banks. It’s the simple stuff that fascinates her, makes her smile and drives her to pick up a paintbrush.

When Banks was a kid, she used to “play” in her grandmother’s flower shop in Chicago while the rest of the family helped out during holidays. She’d spend those hours happily mesmerized by the activities of a group of ants.  She loved how energetic they were, climbing all over each other and engineering the movement of a crumb – that had they any sense, they would have known was way too big for them to budge.

Banks now keenly observes people instead of ants, and paints them carrying out their interesting and ordinary lives. As a “city girl”, having lived on the outskirts of Chicago, New York, and now Washington, D.C., Banks loves the energy and pulse of city life and sees beauty in people, urban places and manmade things. Her street, market and restaurant scenes bring that bustle to life. Having had a florist in the family influences her art, too. Banks’ life has been filled with flowers and beautiful tablescapes her Dad sets that make each day seem like a celebration. No wonder she gravitates to painting still life subjects with saturated color, and finds joy in everyday moments and things. They are something to celebrate!

Banks started painting in 2003 after retiring from the marketing communications business she founded and managed for 16 years. She studied with master artists Danni Dawson, Robert Liberace  and Nelson Shanks . Her work is exhibited nationally, has garnered many awards and is in collections throughout the US. Banks shares studio space, the Artists’ Atelier, with 15 other talented artists in Great Falls, Virginia. She teaches through the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts  (Great Falls, VA). Banks is represented by Chasen Galleries  in Richmond, Virginia.

Recent Accomplishments

2011:

1. Most significant, I launched my 100 Faces in 100 Days project on January 1. Read about each day on my blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com, January 1 through April 10 posts. This is my most massive and wonderful project to date. I painted my 100th face on April 10 ... day 100. My 100 Faces are on exhibit May 2011 at the Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA  and in August 2011 at the Gallery in the Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. The reception is on Friday, August 12, 6-9pm and an Ice Cream Social will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2-4pm. My “100 Faces in 100 Days” exhibit reception in May was named Gallery Opening of the Week by the Washington Post, Weekend Section, p. 30, May 6, 2011.
   

2. Awarded a second Strauss Fellowship grant by the Arts Council of Fairfax County.
   

3. “Tranquility” won an Honorable Mention at Salon International at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, TX. Daniel Greene was the awards juror.
   

2010:

1. 2010 has been a year that collector’s truly embraced my work. 31 original paintings and drawings were purchased in December and I don’t honestly know how many were purchased for the year. Suffice it to say, that I couldn’t keep track and that plenty of my art found new homes. Exciting and a bit scary. Like I need to paint, paint, paint.
   

2. “Rainy Day in NYC” won Best in Show in the Art League’s August ‘Scapes (landscape) Show AND a Certificate of Merit in Oils at the Salmagundi Club’s Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibition in July
   

3. Won Best in Show in the artReston Annual Juried Exhibition, June 2010, Reston, VA
   

4. Third time placing as a finalist in the Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition -- this time in the Landscape category
   

5. First time being juried into Salmagundi Club’s Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC, July 2010 (won an award, too -- see above)
   

6. Second time being juried into Salmagundi Club’s Open Annual Photography and Graphics Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC, June 2010
   

7. Second time being juried into the Biennial Art Exhibition in Punta Gorda, FL. Accepted by jury into more and more national shows.
   

2009:

1. Juried into Allied Artists of America’s Annual Exhibition 2009 (National Arts Club, NYC, November 2009)
   

2. Juried into Grand National 2009 (American Artists Professional League, Salmagundi Club, NYC, November 2009)
   

3. Juried into Salon International 2009 (Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX, March 2009
   

4. Exhibited at Chelsea 32 Gallery in New York City (January through June 2009)
   

5. Juried into Salmagundi Club’s Open Annual Exhibition (Salmagundi Club, NYC, June 2009)
   

6. Juried into MPA Artfest 2009 (McLean Project for the Arts outdoor juried festival, October 4)
   

7. Took on additional studio space (one upstairs, one downstairs) at the Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA.
   

2008:

1. Awarded Strauss Fellowship grant by Arts Council of Fairfax County;
   

2. Won Casey Memorial Award at the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s Annual Open Juried Exhibition held at the National Arts Club in NYC;
   

3. Won Best of Show at the Art League for second time;
   

4. Finalist in Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Competition for the second time;
   

5. Represented by Chasen Galleries in Richmond, VA;
   

6. Joined faculty at Loudoun Academy of the Arts and Great Falls Foundation for the Arts.
   

Jill Banks in her studio in Great Falls, Virginia.

The Artists’ Atelier, the studio she shares with 15 other fine artists is located at: 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA 22066. Open hours are Saturdays, Noon-4 pm,  and by appointment.

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Photo by Al Reitan

Jill Banks with 27 of her 100 Faces in 100 Days Project paintings.

My intentions for this project were to:

1. ๏  become a better painter
   

2. ๏  do what I love most: paint people from life
   

3. ๏  develop a real sense of community/belongedness/enthusiasm around art in general -- involve lots of people, young and old, friends and strangers
   

4. ๏  be enriched through listening, talking, understanding other people’s stories and perspectives -- one on one.