We'll Always Have Paris...

"Place des Vosges, Fall"
10 x 20, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell, 2015

At any given moment, it is not unusual to find a painting of Paris on my easel. I have painted on location in the heart of Paris, and it was quite a thrill. I loved setting up my easel amidst of the graceful architecture, the parks, the bridges, and the monuments. There is simply no substitute for painting directly "on the motif"--that is, actually standing in the presence of what you are painting. It enables you to see and to feel what you are painting.

"Henri IV faces La Cite"
11 x 18, Oil on Linen
Available at Huff Harrington Fine Art

Since I can't be in Paris as often as I would like, I also bring home sketches, studies, and reference photographs. I use these in my studio to recapture the fleeting experience of being on the scene. When the events of November 13th struck in Paris, I had just finished a series of Paris paintings, including several  of the Place des Vosges, in the Marais (one of which is at the top of this post). My heart was heavy to think of the violence in this most beautiful City of Light. I wondered:

would it be possible to return in the next couple of months, hauling my easel and painting materials, without arousing suspicion or being shoo'ed off by the police? Certainly the collapsible easel and the solvents would be scrutinized, and perhaps forbidden. Even if the cumbersome equipment didn't draw attention, I worried that my standing about for several hours might be perceived as "loitering", not a positive thing.

Lesley on location in Paris

But hope springs eternal in the heart of the painter! My hope is to return to Paris before too long and do more painting on location. Whether sunny (above) or cloudy (below), there is always a painting to be made. Viva la France!

Lesley along the Seine