Impromptu Portrait Sitting During Studio Tour Day 3
Here's a true alla prima, spur of the moment portrait of Stephanie, who came as a visitor to the Great Falls Art Studio Tour 2014 (a self-guided tour held October 17-19 of the studios of 50 artists of Great Falls Studios in Great Falls, VA), and ended up sitting as a subject for my demo painting. Anything can happen with an easel and palette around.
Studio Tour is an annual event, now on its 11th year -- aimed at showing visitors the inspiration, process, tools behind the art. Lots and lots of visitors came through the Artists' Atelier, the studio I share with 14 other artists at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA. (In case you missed the tour, our studio is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, noon to 4pm -- with most of the art that was on view over the weekend still up at least until the end of October. So, come take a look!)
We had a blast ... as did visitors and onlookers.
The painting close to being finished. What fun!
I had advertised on my blog (jillbanks.blogspot.com) and email newsletter (feel free to subscribe at www.jillbanks.com) that I'd be giving a demo each day from noon to 1pm. Many people showed up both Friday and Saturday for the demo, but no one did on Sunday ... until about 12:45pm when Stephanie arrived, inquiring about it. Instead of having her watch, I asked if she would sit to be painted. Husband Randy went to grab a high stool for her to sit in and off we went.
Here are a couple of the painting's stages along the way ... all completed within one hour. That was ridiculously quick but it came together easily, beautifully. Thank you Stephanie for making my afternoon!
A quick grisaille with darks created with Transparent Earth Red and French Ultramarine Blue painted on a ground of Yellow Ochre. (I use Centurion Deluxe Oil-Primed Panels, brush on some linseed oil, add yellow ochre and thin/smooth out with a paper towel until the canvas is fairly dry. Then I move immediately on to the grisaille stage.)
Adding color to the lights. Stephanie's skin tone was created primarily with quinacridone red and cadmium yellow medium with Gamblin's warm white.
Getting closer. The whole time I paint, my sitters are encouraged to talk, laugh, engage. There's no being still. I love an animated soul! (Thanks to all the real life training I received during my 100 Faces in 100 Days Project ... painting an alla prima portrait a day of anyone who volunteered to sit for me from January 1 to April 10, 2011. Read about that project and my 100 Faces of the day on my website's 100 Faces in 100 Days Collection.)
Studio Tour 2014 was a great success. Lots of happy visitors. Lots of happy artists. I hope you join us next year for the celebration and keep in touch inbetween.
For my web site's blog page, I've added just a few of the 1118 posts put up between 2008 and today. See and subscribe if you wish for regular art news, my latest paintings, and special stops along my journey as an artist at: jillbanks.blogspot.com. Oh, the places we'll go!
