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| "Radish Trio" Oil on Linen, 6 x 8 (c) Lesley Powell 2015 |
It has been quite a while since I wrote about what I am painting in my studio. Lately I have been moving back and forth between two extremes--small scale still lifes and sweeping landscape vistas. I have wondered whether I am just indecisive, or perhaps have a split personality! Upon reflection, I think I know the answer:
I always prefer to paint from nature, and it's just too hot and humid for that, so I bring nature into my studio in the form of still life matter. Produce from the Farmer's Market has been a favorite lately, as you can see from the paintings in this post.
I always prefer to paint from nature, and it's just too hot and humid for that, so I bring nature into my studio in the form of still life matter. Produce from the Farmer's Market has been a favorite lately, as you can see from the paintings in this post.
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| "Joucas Vista" Oil on Linen, 12 x 18 (c) Lesley Powell 2015 |
And yet. I can't get my mind off of the beautiful long range views that I became so familiar with during my stay in the Luberon last month. I brought home several paintings done on location there, and have used them as jumping-off points for larger works in the studio. I love the patchwork fields---a pattern that endures from the days of the Romans.
No matter the subject, the process of painting remains the same: Trying to see the correct color relationships, and trying to think in shapes of color rather than things. As one perceptual painter (Connie Hayes) has said, we should not be naming things. Instead, we should be SEEING. "Naming" is projecting our preconceived notions outward, but "Seeing" is taking things in. We must aim first and foremost to see colors and shapes, without assigning names to the subject. Easier said than done, but here's to trying!
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| "Asparagus and Eggplant" 12 x 8, Oil on Paper (c) Lesley Powell 2015 |
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| "Belvedere" 24 x 24, Oil on Canvas (c) Lesley Powell 2015 |
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