Stalking Our Quarry

Photo (c) Lesley Powell 2014

The area near Roussillon, France, has long been noted for its amazing red, yellow, and orange earth. In fact, mining and exporting ochre pigments was an important industry in Roussillon until the early 20th century. Nowadays the mines are closed, and the sites of the former excavations have left huge, colorful gashes in the hillsides. Our workshop group went to one abandoned quarry to paint. What a sight!

Workshop group in the quarry (c) Lesley Powell 2015

The terrain looks quite extra-terrestrial. The first time I painted there, I was not keen on the motif. I figured that no matter how good my painting, nobody would ever know what it was. The next time I painted there, I was thankful that it was an un-knowable scene: its very strangeness freed me up to focus on SHAPES and COLORS, and not to approach the painting in terms of rendering a subject. This year, some of my favorite paintings from the group came from the ochre quarry. 

Bob Dodson, (c) 2015

It's not easy to find your footing in the quarry, or to locate a flat spot to set up an easel. The intrepid Bob Dodson and Richie Carter both hiked quite a distance to find their spots. And both of them painted wonderful paintings. Bob's painting is above. I wish you could see it in person--the colors and textures of the foliage make a gorgeous pattern, and the jump in space from the foreground to the distance is breathtaking.

Richie Carter, (c) 2015

Richie's painting (above) is another knockout. His colors for the rocky soils are spot on. And I love the juxtaposition of the hard rocks and the soft trees. Another favorite came from the easel of Susan Guthrie (below). Susan told me that she was concentrating on volume, and boy did she succeed in showing the 3D nature of the rocks. I love the way her painting focused on just the rocks. Such an original take!

Susan Guthrie, (c) 2015

My painting is below. I was pleased with the ochre cliffs, but the trees were a real struggle for me. I need to take heed of the beautiful approach to the foliage in Bob's and Richie's paintings! 

"Ochre Cliffs"
Oil on Canvas, 13 x 6
(c) Lesley Powell 2015

While looking at our paintings, I could not help but recall some wonderful precedents from the great masters. One of the precursors of Impressionism was Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot. Corot was one of the first painters to work outside on location. Though he was a Frenchman, much of his painting career was spent in Italy. His early works are especially appealing to me. Here are a couple of his paintings from the 1820's, featuring rocks and trees very similar to those we saw in Provence:

"Rocks at Civita Castellana I
Camille Corot, 1827/27

"Trees and Rocks at La Serpentara"
Camille Corot, 1827

Finally, I would be remiss to write about the ochre quarries of Provence without mentioning the great master, in whose steps we all follow: Cezanne. These quarries were one of his  favorite motifs. I close with one of his paintings. The planes of the earth are so convincing you can practically feel yourself slipping and sliding on them. Enjoy!

"Bibemus Quarry"
Paul Cezanne, c. 1895