Strokes of Paint

"Falk House"
8 x 9, oil on linen
(c) Maggie Siner 2014

At least in my book, one of the key things that makes a painting come to life is being able to see the painter's hand at work in the finished product. Don't we all love it when we can see the painter making his mark? That said, I must rush to add the following: Bravura strokes alone do not make a great painting. But as a friend of mine once said, "I like to see

Carpe Diem

I had an experience lately that underscores an important lesson about painting from direct observation (that is, painting from life, or painting en plein air). The lesson is that you can't ever plan on returning to the same subject

Bridges of Paris

"Overlooking the Seine"
9 x 14, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell
SOLD

Lately I have been working on a series of paintings featuring my favorite bridges in Paris. It seems that each bridge has its own personality. As I work, I have been thinking of this admonition, which has been shared with me by painters I admire:

Hue Knew?? Cerulean Blue

Cerulean Blue

Some time ago, I wrote about the various blue pigments. One of them is cerulean blue. (Trivia point: Movie buffs and fashionistas may remember Meryl Streep holding forth about cerulean blue in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada"). Cerulean is a light, bright blue pigment. It was first developed in the 1860's, and was an important part of the palette used by the Impressionists. Here is a favorite painting by Monet that uses plenty of cerulean:

Claude Monet
"Gare St. Lazare"

Chemically, cerulean is cobalt stannate. It is made by mixing cobaltous chloride with potassium stannate. As it turns out, true cerulean is a very weak color. And it is also quite expensive.

Enter "Cerulean Blue Hue". Many times, when you see the word "hue" on a tube of paint, it is an indication that the paint is of an inferior grade. Not so in this case. "Cerulean Blue Hue" is made from phthalo blue mixed with white. It is actually "stronger" than its namesake--which is to say that it has more tinting power. As as added benefit, it is also less expensive to make than the original cerulean blue. Hue knew?!

For the curious, phthalo blue is a "modern" pigment, first developed in the 1920's. It is VERY powerful...I have always found the phthalo colors too garish. Little did I know that phthalo blue is the basis of the Cerulean Blue Hue that I use every day! In fact, it played a prominent part in the painting below:

"Joucas from Below"
9 x 16, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2014

So, my exploration of cerulean blue taught me a few new things about the pigments on my palette. And I also discovered that the term "hue" on a paint label is not necessarily a bad sign! I am inspired to return to my series of studies on pigments, and see all the other nifty stuff I can learn...

Just Looking...

"Ile de la Cite"
10 x 17, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2014
(sold)

How many times have I entered a shop and had the salesperson ask "Can I help you find anything?". And how many times have I replied

Coming Attraction...

"Yellow Boudoir"
12 x 12, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2014

Coming soon to a theater near you -- my painting "Yellow Boudoir" has been selected to be on the set of the movie "Ashby", which has been filming in Charlotte. This is a first for me!

The movie is billed as a comedy-drama, and stars Mickey Rourke, Emma Roberts and Sarah Silverman. I don't know anything about the placement of my painting on the set, so I am in suspense. I will have to go to the theater when the movie is released next year, and keep my eyes peeled... If you spot it before I do, let me know where to look!