Ode to Paris

"Along the Seine"
18 x 18, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
Available

Reflecting on the year 2016, I keep coming back to one of the highlights--my trip to Paris. Paris is always a feast for the senses, and this time was no exception. There is a constant parade of special art exhibitions, and, beyond what's on display at the museums, the cityscape itself is a work of art. I love to stroll along the banks of the Seine, where the water informs the view, and the vistas are wide open.

"Notre Dame, Apse"
16 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

Whether there are brilliant blue skies or foggy mornings, the views along the river are always stunning. Sometimes I stroll along and just absorb the experience. Other times I roll

Nativity

What better, as Christmas draws near, than to visit the nativity scenes from a masterpiece of Western art--the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. If you have never visited this place, I can guarantee that it will not disappoint. Just to enter the little chapel and see the view pictured above takes your breath away. The frescoes that cover every surface of the Chapel were painted by Giotto de Bondone (a.k.a. "Giotto"). They were done over 700 years ago--and they are as beautiful today as when they were first created. 

The Annunciation

Giotto's fresco cycle tells the story of God's promises and the life of Jesus. The nativity portions of the frescoes start with the Annunciation (above). They show the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary with the message that she would bear the Son of God. To quote from Madeleine L'Engle's book, "What an amazing, what an impossible message...!   Possible

Originality

"Casting Shadows"
8 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

I am always striving to see with my own eyes, and preserve a unique point of view. It's easier said than done! We are inundated with thousands of images these days. For a visual person, that means that a lot of other points of view are lodged in the brain. As an inspiration and a reminder that each of us is unique, I am sharing some quotations today. Enjoy!

"Serenade"
16 x 20, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
Available

"There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so, he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted." --Henri Matisse

"[Regardless of the subject], there is richness to be found, because it rests not in the subject but in the way you experience your subject." --Richard Schmid

"Pont Alexandre III, Toward Invalides"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

"Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one's sensations".  --Paul Cezanne

"The beginner in painting begins by copying nature in all literalness, leaving nothing out and putting nothing in... By and by, he will learn to omit the superfluous and to grasp the essentials and arrange them into a more powerful and significant whole. And it is wonderful to know that these "essentials" will be essential to him only (and herein lines the secret of

The Shadow Struggle

If you've been reading here for very long, you already know that learning to paint is really all about learning to see. In learning to see, one of the trickiest things (at least for me) is learning to see the color of shadows. This is true for cast shadows (such as those in the top photo), as well as for the shadowed side of an object (called a "form shadow"). When light is striking a subject, its color is more readily apparent. But what lurks in the shadows??

One reason that shadows can be difficult to decipher is that their color is very subtle. In painting parlance, I would say that they are of "low intensity". Their color is a bit wishy-washy. It can be pushed in different directions, depending on the light, the immediate surroundings, and anything else in the field of vision.

"Miller Services Building"
8 x 10, Oil on Board
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

There are guidelines that can be helpful. For example, the painter Richard Schmid has written that warm light produces cool shadows, and cool light produces warm shadows. An

Jump Start the Holidays!

'Tis the Season! JOIN ME AT OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION Friday, December 2nd, 2016 6 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, December 3rd, 2016, 10 am to 2 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Third Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's South End Above: "Village in the Vaucluse", 12 x 18, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016. Come be Jolly!! The halls will be decked when I co-host the Holiday Open House at Dilworth Artisan Station, the first weekend in December. More than twenty-five artists will open our studios for the event. Here's who we are. Whether you enjoy art that is abstract or realistic, flamboyant or quiet, large or small--we have it all! NEW THIS YEAR: Most of us will also be open on Saturday, December 3rd, from 10 am to 2 pm. So if you can't make it Friday night, all is not lost! Take advantage of Saturday for a stroll through the studios. Friday night will feature live music, beverages and nibbles. Saturday promises to be more sedate, but I will have tea and cookies, and good conversation. Come, bring a friend, and get into the holiday spirit! Above: "Harmony in Yellow", 16 x 20, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016

Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. Or be adventuresome and take the light rail. I hope to see you Friday night or Saturday--or both! Above: "Straightaway", 7 x 14, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016. See more paintings on my website, Lesley Powell Art

Seeing the Light

"Hodgkin's House"
Oil, 28 x 36 inches
Edward Hopper, 1928

It was the great painter Edward Hopper who said "All I really want to do is paint the light on the side of a house."  We can certainly  see and feel his enthusiasm for that endeavor when we look at his paintings. I love the light and shadow he captured in the top painting. I can almost feel the warmth of the sunlight on one facade, especially compared with the coolness of the shaded side of the house. I think the reason that these paintings of Hopper's have endured as masterpieces is that they are no mere architectural renderings of structures--they are stories about light and shadow!

"House on Pamet River"
Edward Hopper, 1934

Equally compelling is Hopper's "House on Pamet River", just above. This one is more complex--a marvelous melange of shapes. I love the geometry here! Even though there are a lot of angles and rooflines, the painting retains a simplicity that is striking. I would not dare compare myself to Hopper, but lately I have been experiencing the same pull  to paint

Maggie Siner Workshop Announcement: 2017

(c) Maggie Siner, 2016
Oil on Linen

Exciting news--the dates are set for Maggie Siner's workshop in Provence this summer! We will be painting in Provence from July 8 to July 15, 2017.  You can check out the details here. 

"Wheatfields at Les Lombards"
6 x 13, Oil on Linen
(c) Maggie Siner, 2015

Our location in the Luberon area provides many inspiring painting motifs, ranging from perched villages to sweeping wheat fields and vineyards. And of course, Maggie is an incomparable teacher. Maggie used to live in this area of France, and she knows all of the

Art with a Will of its Own

Robert Frost

I recently re-read Robert Frost's wonderful essay, "The Figure A Poem Makes". I was struck by how much of what Frost says about poetry also pertains to visual arts, and especially to painting. Frost speaks of a poem as a living thing, one that "finds its own name as it goes".  The idea of an artwork as an independent being--something with a mind of its own-- is so striking. I think Frost would say that the poet is caught up in the poem, and that the poem is leading the way (not the poet).

Richard Diebenkorn
from his Ocean Park series

I know it's an unlikely comparison, but as I read Frost, I could not help but think of Richard Diebenkorn's remarks about painting. Diebenkorn said "I don't go into the studio with the idea of 'saying' something. What I do is face the blank canvas and put a few arbitrary marks on it that start me on some sort of dialogue." This comment suggests that, like Frost, Diebenkorn sees the art as having a life of its own--it is the other party to the dialogue.

I think that Diebenkorn would also agree that what Frost calls "the wonder of the unexpected" is what fuels the artistic process. For example, Frost writes that a poem "discovers the best waiting for it in some final phrase at once wise and sad..."  Ah yes, that moment of discovery at the end. Is there a painter out there who has not struggled at length with a painting, and only at the very end come upon the stroke that brings the entire work to fruition?

I will conclude with the last few sentences of Robert Frost's essay. "Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must ride on its own melting. A poem may be worked over once it is in being, but may not be worried into being. Its most precious quality will remain its having run itself and carried away the poet with it. Read it a hundred times: it will forever keep its freshness as a petal keeps its fragrance. It can never lose its sense of a meaning that once unfolded by surprise as it went."

Don't you wish we could all create art like this!?!

Finishing Touches

"Lady with an  Ermine"
Leonardo daVinci, c. 1489

I have written before about the painter's struggle to decide when to stop work on a painting. Many of us wrestle with the same question: "Is it the best it can be? Is it finished?". The answer is not always obvious. In fact, sometimes we think we have placed the final brushstrokes, but then we change our minds.

"Patina"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

For some artists, a painting is never finalized. At least not until it leaves the studio--and sometimes not even then (see below). As time passes, you have the opportunity to reflect on the painting. You may return to it after a few weeks with fresh eyes. Sometimes that fresh vision causes you to notice something that just begs to be adjusted. Then out come the brushes again! Just above you can see a painting that I THOUGHT was finished, until I 

Arts in the Garden

"Well Balanced"
24 x 18, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

I am thrilled to have been selected to show new paintings at Wing Haven Garden this week (details below). "Wing Haven" is a very appropriate name for this space, because it is also a bird sanctuary. I am a huge fan of Wing Haven. It is located right in the heart of Charlotte, and is an oasis of peace and calm in an otherwise busy urban area.

"Cottage Garden"
18 x 18, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

Even though Wing Haven Garden is a relatively small area--less than three acres--it has a huge heart. It is one of those rare places where time appears to have stood still. The personalities of those who created this place still sing through, loud and clear. Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson are the generous couple we have to thank for this legacy. They created this

Painting from Life, Part II

Last month I wrote about reasons that I enjoy painting on location. I ran out of space in one post to cover all of the things I wanted to share about painting form life, so here is Part II. Let me continue to count the ways...

(5) Painting from life involves all the senses! There is definitely a heightened awareness and connection with your subject when you are standing right there, in the same environment. For example, painting a lavender field is completely delicious (see above!). As you stand in the hot summer field, you feel the sun beating down, you smell the fragrance of the lavender, you hear the buzz of the bees among the blossoms. If you are painting at a lobster pier, as in the photo below, you hear the water lapping on the shore, you smell the brackish water and the fish, you hear the motors of the lobster boats. All of these sensations help inform your painting.

My setup on a recent painting session in Maine

(6) Painting from life lets you meet people. I know that bystanders can often be distractions to plein air painters. It can be difficult to paint and carry on a conversation at the same time. But, that said, it is amazing how often a conversation

Wyeth's Interiors

(c) Andrew Wyeth

I was recently in New England, and had the chance to visit the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. The museum has an extensive collection of works by Andrew Wyeth. I always think of Wyeth as a Pennsylvania artist, but he also spent his summers in Maine and did some beautiful work there. 

"Her Room"
 (c) Andrew Wyeth

Visiting the museum, I was reminded of Wyeth's evocative interior paintings. I don't know why I haven't thought of them before, in all of my posts about interiors! Far from the lush, inviting rooms that many painters choose to paint, Wyeth's rooms are stark. They seem to

Now Showing...

"After the Harvest"
12 x 18, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

I am happy to be one of the featured artists at the Christ Church Gallery for the month of October. I would be honored if you could stop by and see some of my latest work! You can click here to see more detailed information about location, hours, etc.

"Lavender Colonnade"
8 x 13, Oil on Linen, Mounted on Panel
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

The rotating shows at the Gallery are in large part the work of the talented Charlotte artist Margaret Salisbury. It's a labor of love! Margaret always does a great job of displaying the work, and choosing a wide representation of local and regional artists. And the shows help

Seeing Inside

"Dried Hydrangeas"
(c) Carole Rabe

It's always exciting to discover the work of a very accomplished artist whose approach to painting is the same as, or similar to, your own. It helps me see all that can be possible! I recently came across several paintings by Carole Rabe. The paintings immediately struck a chord with me, and I embarked on more research regarding Rabe's work. Lo and behold, I learned that Rabe studied with Robert d'Arista. D'Arista was also a mentor to a couple of my other favorite painters, Maggie Siner and Frank Hobbs. 'Tis a strong bloodline that holds together this group of perceptual painters!

"Dining Chair Lineup"
(c) Carole Rabe

I read an in-depth interview with Rabe, which confirmed many things that I had surmised simply from looking at her paintings. First, she paints only from direct observation of her subject, never from photos. As she says. only SEEING with her own eyes gives her the

Painting from Life

As faithful readers know, I prefer to paint from life whenever possible. (For the uninitiated, "painting from life" means standing before your subject in person, and painting what you see, as you stand there. By contrast, you do not paint from life when you paint from a photo, from memory, or from any other approach). Why do I prefer to paint from life? Let me count the ways:

(1) Painting from life is a thrill!  Something starts my heart racing and my brain brimming over when I stand in the landscape, studying to find my composition, and trying to discern the light and colors. Painting from life has a thrill factor (for me, at least) that painting from a photo simply lacks. The challenge of standing with the whole wide world around you, and then choosing the small slice of the world that you will paint to represent your experience of the whole--well, that's a WOW challenge. It is an entirely different experience than looking at a one dimensional photograph and reproducing it. Different, more difficult, and much more fun!

(2) Painting from life gives you more information to work with. For me, painting is all about learning to see. And you can't see from a photo what you can see with your eyes in person. Simply put, a human being sees things differently than a camera does. In life, you

This Magic Moment

Detail from a recent painting
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

"Living in the Moment"--we have all heard that expression. We have heard it so often, in fact, that it sounds trite. But the underlying message retains its power. 

Julia Cameron has written about this concept in her seminal book The Artist's Way. She refers to it simply as paying attention.  Cameron writes:

The quality of life is in proportion,

always,

to the capacity for delight.

The capacity for delight is the gift of

paying attention.

Moreover, Cameron writes that "The reward for paying attention is always healing." I was reminded of these truths recently, when I attended a community art show sponsored by Arts for Life. Arts for Life brings the arts to children in the hospital, tapping into their creativity to

Have I Lost my Edge?

"Polished Teapot"
9 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

Have I lost my edge? I'm not using the phrase in the conventional way, in which  losing one's edge is negative. Instead, I'm talking about a very painterly concept, in which lost edges are highly desirable. In fact, one of the key features of a strong and interesting painting is the presence of different types of edges. Some edges are sharp, some edges are blurry, and some edges can be completely "lost". 

"Silver and Lemons"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

What exactly is a "lost edge"? It is a place where there is literally no delineation between two different things. I love a lost edge! It lets the viewer fill in the missing information, and

A Little Levity

What the Pest Control Man Said...
(Author Unknown)

Over the years, I have approached many topics in this blog, ranging from the philosophical to the practical. But I don't think I have ever entered into the realm of humor. In an effort to remedy that, I am posting some material today that pokes fun at the art world. Gently or not!

Some of this content comes from the book Playing to the Gallery, by Grayson Perry. Perry is a British artist. A transvestite potter, to be precise. He has been awarded the Turner Prize by the Tate Gallery in London. His wonderful little book was shared with me by a dear friend. Hope you will enjoy a couple of Perry's pithy quotations and illustrations!

Ahead of his Time?

"The Scarlet Sunset"
Watercolor and Gouache on Paper
JMW Turner, circa 1835-40

While in Aix-en-Provence this summer, I visited a special exhibition featuring the works of the great British artist JMW Turner.  True confessions: there was so much to see and learn from the exhibit that I went twice! The exhibit was titled "Turner and Color", and boy was that an apt title.

"Impression, Sunrise"
Oil on Canvas
Claude Monet, 1872 

Much has been written about Turner being a precursor of the Impressionists. Turner died just eleven years after Monet was born, so most of Turner's career transpired before the great Impressionist "revolution" got underway. Yet for Turner, as for the Impressionists, the effects of color and light were far more important than the illustrative aspects of a painting. He invented a way of painting that got his point across without showing pictorial details. In-

Happy Trails

(c) Sherrie Russ Levine, 2016

I am not usually much of a hiker, but I found myself taking to the trail during the recent workshop in Provence. Our host took us to a beautiful spot on one of the "Grand Randonnee" trails (loosely translated as "Grand Hiking" trails, and commonly known as  the "GR" trails). I learned that this system of hiking trails crisscrosses the entire country of France (see a map here). You can cover the whole territory on foot, on a network of marked and cleared hiking trails. 

(c) Jane Robertson, 2016

I loved the spot we painted. It had many of my key criteria for outdoor painting: (1) a cool, shady spot to stand (the shade cover lasted until about noon, long enough for a full morning's painting session); (2) a choice of multiple different views and compositions; and

Close to Home

(c) Lesley Powell, 2016

One of my favorite days from the recent workshop in Provence with Maggie Siner was the day we painted in and around the tiny hamlet of Les Bassacs. Les Bassacs served as our home during the workshop, and I found that as I got to know it better and better, I grew to love it more and more. This feeling is due in no small part to the hospitality and encouragement of our host (and fellow painter), David Atkinson, and his wife Liz. Better hosts could not be found! 

(c) Robyn Spence, 2016

Sometimes when you become familiar with a place, your eye grows numb to its beauty, and to the potential paintings that it holds. Not so with Les Bassacs, at least not in my case! The top painting is mine, from the morning we painted right in our own backyard. I loved that tall, odd shaped building, and its rough plaster surface and irregular windows. When I saw the interesting shapes presented in the top painting, I just had to grab them. This turned out to

What I Saw at the Abbey

(c) James Currin, 2016

One day during the recent workshop in Provence with Maggie Siner, we painted at the beautiful Abbaye Saint Hilaire. I found myself thinking a lot that day about how light and shadow appear on a structure that is situated in the landscape--and how very quickly those lights and shadows change! Maggie's remarks that day also stimulated me to think about building my composition around an interesting pattern of shapes, both dark and light, rather than simply illustrating the subject.

(c) Bob Dodson, 2016

One of my takeaways from Maggie's lesson that day was to solve the big color blocks first. Only after doing that should I let myself move to smaller events or "details". I loved the way

One, Two, Three...

(c) Maggie Siner, 2016

I have just returned from several weeks in France--the highlight of which was a week long workshop with the inimitable Maggie Siner. We had a wonderful group of ten painters. As always, I learned a great deal from my fellow painters, as well as from Maggie.

One thing I took away from the lessons with Maggie is the benefit of simplifying the landscape into simple shapes. Maggie's related to us some wisdom from Robert D'Arista, which lodged in my mind as the concept that we can

Painting in Provence

"Through the Door"
10 x 8, Oil on Paper
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
(SOLD)

Greetings from sunny Provence! I am wrapping up a few weeks of painting here in the South of France, and wanted to share some favorite moments from the trip. Soon I will be back home, and I plan a series of posts focused on the trip.

I began the journey by spending a few days in Aix-en-Provence. I rented an apartment in the heart of the old town. Even though my building was in a busy part of town, it was located

The King of Soaps

Happy Bastille Day! I thought it would be timely to write about a French product this holiday. If you haven't discovered the wonders of Savon de Marseille, you are in for a real treat! It is an amazing soap, touted for a wide range of uses. Need  a moisturing skin treatment? Check! Or a high-powered stain remover? Check, Check! Personally, I have found that a nice block of Savon de Marseille is the very best thing ever for