“I paint to capture life’s magic … to transport you inside my oil paintings … to soak up our surroundings together. Let’s share this incredible view.”
– Jill Banks

Jill got a late start to her artistic career, beginning with portrait and figure painting classes in 2003 – after spending 16 years running her own marketing communications company. Her now 20+ year art journey as a second career has proven to be the perfect choice.

Awards and rewards have been plentiful including being chosen as one of three featured artists in the inaugural July/August 2023 issue of Modern Impressionist Magazine; First Place (Best in Show) in Paint Great Falls 2023; Patron’s Choice for Top Featured Artist at the at Plein Air at the Arboretum (Virginia); Artist Spotlight Feature in American Art Collector Magazine; her work shown on NBC4 and Fox5 Washington News; First Place (top award) in Knoxville’s Artist on Location Plein Air 2022; Best Symphony Award Gloucester VA Plein Air Invitational 2022; Artist to Watch…The Editor’s Choice for Up-And-Coming Talent by Southwest Art; Best in Show in the BoldBrush Painting Competition; two-time #1 Top Seller at Telluride Plein Air and more. Jill’s art has been featured in American Art Collector, Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur, Art of the West and the Washington Post.

When Banks is not out at a plein air festival or on a painting excursion elsewhere, she can often be found at her studio in Great Falls Virginia. She is a signature member of American Women Artists, Women Artists of the West and juried member of the Washington Society of Landscape Artists.

Jill Banks fine artist
Studio: The Artists’ Atelier – 756 Walker Road, Great Falls VA 22066

Select Awards & Honors
2023 First Place (Best in Show), Paint Great Falls Plein Air Competition, judge Bethanne Kinsella Cople
2023 Patrons’ Award for Best Featured Artist Plein Air at the Arboretum
2023 Second Place Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus
2023 Third Place, Falls Church Plein Air Competition
2023 Finalist, BoldBrush June 2023 Competition, judge Kyle Stuckey
2022 First Place (Best in Show), Knoxville Artists on Location Juried Plein Air Competition, Judge Kathie Odom
2022 Best Symphony, Gloucester Plein Air Invitational, Judge Nancy Tankersley
2022 Honorable Mention, American Impressionist Society Associate Online Exhibition
2021 #1 Top Seller, Telluride Plein Air
2020 Awarded Signature Member Status: American Women Artists, Women Artists of the West and juried member: Washington Society of Landscape Painters
2020 First Place, Paint Great Falls Plein Air Competition
2019 First Place, Falls Church Plein Air Competition
2019 People’s Choice & 2nd Place, Paint Great Falls Plein Air, judge Bethanne Kinsella-Cople
2019 Second Place, MAPAPA Baltimore Nocturnes, Baltimore MD, judge Tim Kelly
2019 Top 5 Seller, Telluride Plein Air
2018 First Place – Quick Draw and #1 Top Seller, Telluride Plein Air
2018 Honorable Mention, Bucks County Plein Air Quick Draw
2017 Artist to Watch, Southwest Art Magazine, July 2017
2017 January Finalist, Sedona Art Prize Competition, judge Robert Burridge
2017 Honorable Mention, Bucks County Plein Air Quick Draw
2017-20 Top 9 Painting and Drawing Teachers in the Metro DC Area, Expertise.com
2016 Best in Show , BoldBrush September 2016 Painting Competition out of 1,440 entries.
2016 Best in Show, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Member Exhibition, Salmagundi
2016 Third Place, Plein Air Easton Open Quick Draw, Tim Newton, judge. Easton, MD
2015 First Place, Paint Great Falls Quick Draw, Great Falls, VA. Armand Cabrera, judge.
2012 Best in Show, ArtReston Uncommon Sense Exhibit, Reston,
2012 First Place, Paint Herndon Plein Air Competition, Herndon Artspace, Herndon,
2011 Strauss Fellowship, grant award by the Arts Council of Fairfax County
2011 Honorable Mention, Salon International, San Antonio, TX. Juror, Daniel Greene.
2010 Best in Show, The Art League’s ‘Scapes Show, August 2010, Alexandria, VA.
2010 Certificate of Merit in Oils, Salmagundi Club’s Annual Non-Member Exhibit, NYC
2010 Finalist, Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition, landscape category
2010 Best in Show, artReston 17th Annual Open Exhibition, Reston, VA.
2008 Best of Show, Small Works Show, The Art League, Alexandria, VA. .
2008 Finalist, Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition, animal/wildlife category
2008 Strauss Fellowship, grant award by the Arts Council of Fairfax County
2005 Best of Show, Kirstein Award, The Art League Gallery, Alexandria, VA.
2005 Finalist, Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition, portrait and figure category

Select Exhibits and Events
2024 American Miniatures, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2024 Women Artists of the West 54th National Exhibition, Phippen Museum of Art, Prescott AZ
2024 North Carolina Plein Air, New Bern NC
2024 The Art Gallery at Devon, juried gallery show and sale at the Devon Horse Show, Devon PA
2023 NBC4 Washington, three of my paintings were spotlighted on set for the Bethesda Row Arts Festival Preview (October 10)
2023 Fox5 Washington, three of my paintings were spotlighted on set for the Bethesda Row Arts Festival Preview (October 12)
2023 American Impressionist Society’s 24th National Exhibition, Somerville Manning Gallery, Greenville DE
2023 Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Cumberland, MD – juried National plein air competition
2023 Live Painting at the Arts of Great Falls Gala – auctioned for over $5000, finished in the studio
2023 Juried into Tephra ICA (Northern Virginia) Fine Art Festival, Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show (Philadelphia), An Occasion for the Arts Festival (Williamsburg VA), Bethesda Row Fine Art Festival (MD)
2023 Artists on Location: a Plein Air Event, Knoxville Museum of Art, TN – juried National plein air competition
2023 Women Artists of the West 53rd National Exhibition, Carriage Factory Art Gallery, Newton KS
2023 American Miniatures, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2022 Show Chair, Women Artists of the West 52nd National Exhibition at McBride Gallery, Annapolis MD
2022 Studio Visit & Demo, Women’s Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Great Falls VA
2022 Summer Show, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2022 American Miniatures, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2022 Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, VA
2022 Gloucester Plein Air Invitational, Gloucester, VA
2022 Artists on Location: a Plein Air Event, Knoxville Museum of Art, TN
2021 WAOW America the Beautiful Exhibition, Museum of Western Art, Kerrville TX
2021 Summer Show, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2021 American Miniatures, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2021 Cityscapes, Salmagundi Club Non-Members Open, NYC
2021 Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Open Exhibition, Salmagundi, NYC
2021 Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Cumberland, MD
2021 Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO
2021 Artists on Location: a Plein Air Event, Knoxville Museum of Art, TN
2020 Women Artists of the West (WAOW) 50th Jubilee, Settlers West Gallery, Tucson AZ
2019 Looking West: An Exhibition Highlighting Works by American Women Artists, Steamboat Art Museum, CO
2019 American Impressionist Society Small Works Showcase, Crooked Tree Arts Center, MI
2019 WAOW Mountain Aire National Exhibition, Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder CO
2019 Knoxville Artists on Location, juried competition, Knoxville Museum of Art, TN
2018 Oil Painters of America Salon Show, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI
2018 Women Artists of the West National Exhibition, Tower Gallery, Bartlesville OK
2018 Bucks County Plein Air, PA and Telluride Plein Air, CO
2018 Women Artists of the West Spring Showcase, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX
2017 Women Artists of the West National Juried Exhibition, McBride Gallery, Annapolis
2017 American Women Artists Spring Online Juried Show
2017 Juried into Telluride Plein Air, Bucks County Plein Air, Plein Air Richmond, Long Beach Island Plein Air Plus and the Sedona Plein Air Festival (Invitational) competitions.
2016 En Plein Air Texas
2016 Oil Painters of America Salon Show, Castle Gallery of Fine Art, Fort Wayne, IN.
2015 Wayne Plein Air, Wayne, PA and Telluride Plein Air, Telluride, CO.
2013-14 Mountain Maryland Plein Air,
2013 Menagerie, Five Artist Invitational Exhibit, ArtSpace Herndon, VA
2012 American Women Artists Annual National Juried Exhibition, Tubac, AZ.
2012 Wayne Plein Air, Wayne, PA.
2012 Salon International 2012, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2011 Salon International 2011, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2009 Still Life Poetry, invitational group show ArtSpace Herndon, Herndon,
2009 Salon International 2009, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX

Press (Partial)
2024 PleinAir Magazine, “Artists Over 65” Plein Air Portfolio by Editor Kelly Kane, This Is Bliss (Feb./Mar., p. 70)
2023 American Art Collector Magazine, “Artist Focus: Jill Banks” article features City Blooms, French Corner and Last Lavender (October, pp. 58-59)
2023 Modern Impressionist Magazine, Featured Artist thirteen-page article “Immersed in the Landscape” by Jennifer Garnett (pp. 11-23) and “Back to the Farm: Demo” eight-page article by Jill Banks (pp. 34-41), inaugural issue (July/August)
2023 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, “The Great Indoors” Today’s Masters Portfolio by Kelly Compton, Sanctuary (July/August p. 86)
2023 PleinAir Magazine, “Painting the World” Plein Air Portfolio by Editor Kelly Kane, Out in Aix (Aug./Sept., p. 39)
2023 American Art Collector Magazine, “A Timeless Technique” Art Show Preview, Sweet Roses (August, pp. 58-59)
2023 PleinAir Magazine, “Hitting the Road” Plein Air Portfolio, Flying Colors (June/July, p. 37)
2023 Celebrate Great Falls 2023 Schedule of Events, Season Tickets cover art – mailed to all Great Falls VA residents
2022 PleinAir Magazine, “By the Seashore” Plein Air Portfolio, Love by the Sea given two-page portfolio cover spread by Editor Kelly Kane (June/July, pp. 32-33)
2022 PleinAir Magazine, “Painters Painted,” Plein Air Portfolio, Among Lotuses and Lilies (April/May, p. 53)
2021 PleinAir Magazine, “Fairs, Festivals and Amusement Parks” Plein Air Portfolio, Wild Ride (Nov/Dec)
2021 PleinAir Magazine, “Country Roads” Plein Air Portfolio, Day at the Ranch (Aug/Sept., p. 43)
2020 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, “The Timeless Appeal of Horses” by Max Gillies. Stepping Out included in Today’s Masters Portfolio (July/August 2020 issue, p. 53)
2020 Southwest Art Magazine, “WAOWing the Wind River Valley Show Preview” by Kim Agricola. Ladies’ Lunch (July 2020 issue, p. 32)
2020 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, “A Bouquet for Spring” Today’s Masters Portfolio by Matthias Anderson, Picnic in Paris (March/April issue, p. 56)
2020 élan Magazine, “Everybody Knows Your Name” first person, six-page cover article, August, p.16–21
2019/20 PleinAir Magazine, “Figures in the Landscape” Plein Air Portfolio, Sunshine Beach (Dec/Jan, p. 80)
2019 élan Magazine, Cover, “Around Town” (December)
2019 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, “Dressing the Part” Today’s Masters Portfolio by Matthias Anderson, The Bellydancer (November/December issue, p. 60)
2019 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, “Taking Stock of Our Cities and Towns” Today’s Masters Portfolio by Max Gillies, City Sparkle (January/February issue, p. 77)
2018 Art of the West, Women Artists of the West Spring Showcase, March-April
2018 Fine Art Today, “Christmas Card Paintings: 46 Years and Counting” (December 19, 2018) online publication
2018 PleinAir Today, “Paris Plein Air Painting Adventure” by Jill Banks – guest contributor (September 29, 2018)
2017 Southwest Art, Editor’s Choice: Artist to Watch, July
2015 élan Magazine, cover art, Piemonte Lunch, January
2012 Viva Tysons Magazine, “Banks for the Memories,” November/December issue, p. 12
2011 élan Magazine, “Conversations: 100 Faces in 100 Days” first person, four page article, July 2011
2011 The Washington Post, Weekend Section, 100 Faces exhibit is Gallery Opening of the Week, May 6, p.30
2011 élan Magazine, cover art, Dining Alfresco, April
2008 The Washington Post “Our Picks,” The Sunday Source Section. Jill’s Place Settings solo show at the Art League was listed as one of five exhibits chosen by the editors. Two of the five exhibits featured dead guys –Hopper and Turner – whose shows were getting ready to close at the National Gallery.
2006 élan Magazine, “Conversations” by Donna Cedar-Southworth. Alan on cover! May