The ART of SARAH BETH BANNING

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2011-11-28T18:00:00.001-08:00

Digital Illustration

Illustrating

2011-10-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Make a pencil drawing in my sketchbook.

Step 2: Scan it into my computer at a high resolution to make the image bigger.

Step 3: Open in Photoshop and use the brush tool to shade the drawing.

Step 3: Add color. (I use multiply often and many layers.)

Illustration with owl

2011-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Illustration. Hand-drawn, then painted in photoshop.

Fiona Apple

2011-10-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

I drew this today. It's Fiona Apple, inspired by "Sullen Girl" off of her album, "Tidal".

Jack White

2011-10-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

This man is music

PJ Harvey

2011-10-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

This is what I did today.

Oil Painting, Spring 2011, Thesis 2

2011-09-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

Awakening, 3' x 4', Oil on canvas

Ruby Lips, 30" x 40", Oil on canvas

Red Dress, 30" x 40", Oil on canvas

Rock Star, 4' x 5', Oil on canvas

2011-09-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

One of the walls with my art at my Senior Thesis Show at Texas State University.

I displayed a total of nine paintings.

2011-09-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Nina in Red

3' x 4'

Oil on canvas

Summer 2011

Portraits in oil, Fall 2010, Thesis 1

2010-12-13T21:27:00.000-08:00

Such A Girl
(My daughter, Nina)
30" x 40"
Oil on canvas

Dressed to Please
(my daughter, Angelina)
30" x 40"
Oil on canvas

Man of the House
(My son, Donovan)
3' x 4'
Oil on canvas

Hole
(Self-Portrait)
3' x 4'
Oil on canvas

Devil Tree

2010-11-28T09:25:00.001-08:00

My painting is on Justin Black and Big Heart's new album called Devil Tree

2010-08-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

It's about filling holes...

Old school

2010-07-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

I painted this many moons ago with craft paint from Wal-Mart. Not proper acrylics. I was cheap back then. LOL.

Older paintings

2010-07-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

8 ft. tall mixed media, oil and caulk. It's super heavy and I never finished it. I should get it out of my parent's attic and do just that.

A huge painting done a long time ago...I went overboard on the black oil paint.

My first painting in my first college painting class.

This was done in my first college painting class. We had a ballerina come in and model for us that day.

For Justin

2010-07-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

I did this today for someone very special as a gift. I hope he loves it.

I'm a messy artist

2010-07-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just starting a painting.

Twins of a Gazelle, band poster

2010-06-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Step three...is it finished? Painted with Wacom tablet in photoshop.

Step two

just the beginning of a poster I am going to do for the indie band Twins of a Gazelle....

2010-06-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Downloaded some new brushes for photoshop today. I was trying them out on this drawing that I scanned into the computer.

2010-06-13T14:37:00.001-07:00

Just a computer rendered girl...with horns. ;)

2010-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

A graphic design class project. I apologize for the silliness. ;)

2010-05-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is a newspaper ad that I did for my Communication Design 4 class. Bobcat tube is a Texas State YouTube channel that shows films about the university.

2010-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

BJJ and Wacom tablet. This is a something I drew in photoshop.

2010-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Poster design for my Com. Des. 4 class. They made me do this.

2010-03-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Practice

2010-03-22T04:34:00.001-07:00

Practice in Illustrator

2010-03-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

Drawing practice in photoshop with the wacom tablet.

2010-03-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

Another school assignment. The font needs work.

Blue Light, inspired by Mazzy Star

2010-02-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

4' x 4' oil on canvas

The Lake House 3

2010-02-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

The last version I painted of the Lake House.

Shock Coffee Ad

2010-02-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

I did this for a school assignment

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu DVD Cover

2010-02-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

Omoplata Game DVD Cover

2010-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

A DVD cover I designed for Joao Crus, my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher. He liked it but I am so critical. I know I have a lot to learn.

Paintings

2010-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Oil on canvas, The Fire Inside

Birth

These are some paintings I did a while back but I decided it would be nice to post them.

Triangle choke design

2009-11-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

T-shirt design for the Battle of The Texas Hill Country which is being held in Wimberley, TX.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Stuff

2009-11-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

Working on something for the 4th Annual Carlson Gracie Open. This is called a Triangle Choke.

2009-11-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

I did this book cover design for a project in my Communication Design 2 class. It's a really good book by the way.

Labyrinth Movie Poster

2009-10-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

I did this project for my Communication Design class that I am taking at Texas State. We had to design a movie poster from a list of movies and I chose Labyrinth. My favorite movie as a 6 year old girl. David Bowie + Jim Henson = AWESOMENESS!

Illustration

2009-06-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about working on illustrations some more...I'm just trying to decide what direction to take my art. This is something I did years ago but I think it is pretty magical and I made it to go along with an idea I had for a childrens book.

Stella

2009-05-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Just practicing my drawing

Fiber Art Dump

2009-05-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

I printed a pic of Nina out on cotton and stuck it on a canvas that I painted using oils

This is a sculpture I made for Fibers class using canvas, wire, and plaster

This is a a sculpture I made of The Lake House from handmade paper

Another pic I printed out on cotton and put on an oil painting

A pic of Nina in a nest made of cheese clothe and wax

2009-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thinking about making this image into a painting. This is my daughter, Nina, at the Blanco River.

My Daughter 1, Oil on Canvas, 40 in x 30 in

2009-05-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the first of hopefully many paintings I will do in this style. I might write more later, but basically, I like to get the background in quickly and work in a very loose manner....the whole painting is done with the knife, once again....I find that I am getting used to it and gaining control...it is becoming easier.

Drama Queen, Mixed media, 16 in x 20 in

2009-05-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

This is a mixed media piece I did in the fall of 2008 for my Fibers I class. Basically, it is photographs of my youngest daughter, Nina, which I printed out on cotton and layed on a canvas covered in wet, red oil paint. It dried and the images stuck on beautifully. I love the rhythm of this piece and the way the spinning and sweet, dancing Ninas contrast with the grumpy Nina in the middle. It also has the look of a Rothko because of the symetrical simplicity and he is one of my favorite painters in Modern Art.

Loneliness, Oil on canvas, 22 in x 28 in

2009-05-17T18:26:00.001-07:00

I did this in my Fall 2008 painting class. At the time I was pretty lonely, like I am sure a lot of people get and I was just having trouble sleeping in my bed so I would end up sleeping on the couch. Good thing I am over it but that is why I did this painting and that is why it is so monochromatic....I just was feeling like, BLAH!
This is another painting done completely with a palette knife. It is hard to get away from....it's becoming my favorite tool.....I like to hear it scratch the canvas.....also love the texture I can get from using it. This painting is almost sculptural in nature because of the way I used the knife.
Also....at the time I did this painting I was exclusively just painting images from my head. I have started to use photographs for my most recent paintings...I have a desire now for my art to have more depth.

Works in progress

2009-05-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

These are my most recent paintings I have been working on. They were inspired by the black and white photographs I took of Angelina. They are done in oil using a palette knife. I was almost drawing with the knife to get in the background with a lot of texture. The greenery is full of movement. I think it is my favorite part of the paintings.
The goal in making these paintings is not to copy an already amazing photograph but to take the feeling or mood of the picture and translate it into my own paritcular painting style. I think I have been successful so far.....They are almost complete and when I take a good photograph of them I will post the finished pieces.

Black and White Photographs of Angelina

2009-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

I took these photos about a year ago for a college digital photography class. I was inspired by the artist Sally Mann, one of the greatest photographers of our time. Mann photographed her kids like no one else had ever photographed children before. She captured a haunting beauty and sensuality in the photographs. Since I have three kids like Mann I decided to focus on my children as subject matter in my class.
I love some of the pictures I took....especially these of Angelina. These photos have also inspired me in some recent paintings which I will post shortly.

The Lake House II, Oil on canvas, 4 ft x 4 ft

2009-05-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

This is probably the painting with the most impact from the series. I love this one. It is big and done completely with a palette knife. It was also done very quickly and with ease....I did not struggle with it. I just let it flow and responded to the canvas.
It is a continuation on the theme of the Lake House.....I used to live by a lake and during my time there I was very isolated and lonely....I believe this painting does a great job in portraying the feelings that isolation brings.

The Lake House, Oil on canvas, 2 ft x 3 ft

2009-05-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

This painting was done for the most part with a palette knife. It is FULL of texture which is how I like my paintings. Very expressionistic in style and full of symbolism. Again, it is kind of a self narrative of my past life......it portrays feelings of being disconnected or isolated from the world that is why the house is uprooted from the ground. The figure is trapped in the house, looking at the beauty outside but unable to reach it.

The Visitation, Oil on canvas 3 ft x 4 ft

2009-05-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

This particular oil painting was done with a palette knife and paint brush....and of course my fingers. I always use my fingers. It really just symbolizes unfulfillment. The bird represents hope but at the same time is unable to fly above the tree.

The Somnambulists, Oil on canvas 18 in x 24 in

2009-05-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few paintings in the series that was done using a paint brush. The figurative image is very expressionistic and represents a dream I had once where me and the two children I had at the time were trapped in an overgrown graveyard and couldn't get out. The bird represents all of the hopes and dreams I had for my family at the time but the title, The Somnambulists (Somnambulists meaning sleepwalkers), means that although I had dreams they couldn't be realized until I woke up and figured out a way to better my life and the lives of my children.

The First Temptation, Oil on canvas 2 ft x 3 ft

2009-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Another oil painting in my series with a biblical reference. "The First Temptation" represents the time in my life when I made my biggest mistake. It changed the course of my life and led me down a hard road full of heartache and regret.
The eyes in the painting are darkened which represents our inability to see how the choices we make can have devastating effects on our future happiness.
But all is not lost because it is the struggles we go through that make us who we are....very interesting indeed. I realize that now.

Behind the Wall, Oil on Canvas 2 ft x 3 ft

2009-05-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

When your world is closing in around you and you feel helpless to stop it.

Daughter of David, Oil on canvas 2 ft x 3 ft

2009-05-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of my paintings from this series have biblical references. This is a self-portrait of a time in my life where I felt nothing but shame for things I had gone through. When I was a child I had a very conservative religious upbringing so I feel that is why these paintings have the biblical references.
Tamar shared her father King David's good looks. Young and innocent, she was naive to the danger that threatened from her own family.

Her Sorrow: That her half brother saw her only as an object for his lust, destroying her future as a result. And her father the King did nothing to protect her.

The Creation, Oil on canvas 4 ft x 4 ft

2009-05-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is an oil pinting I did with a palette knife and brush. I worked in a very sketchy style almost like I was drawing with the knife and brush. I worked quickly to get the mood of the painting down. This is part of a series I did to represent some things I went through in my past.
I will post the rest of the paintings from the series tomorrow....it's getting late.