Home from Provence....

"Murs, Beyond the Wheatfields"
12 x 16, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

There is nothing like a total immersion painting experience to re-charge your batteries! I have just returned from three weeks of painting in the south of France. The first week was devoted to a workshop with the immensely gifted painter and teacher, Maggie Siner. The next two weeks were consumed with independent painting--a perfect time to cement some of the lessons from the workshop.

"Fields off Chemin des Pradelles"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

We missed the lavender this year--it had all been harvested by the time we arrived in Provence. But on the bright side, the wheat had also been recently cut. That meant that we got

to see heavenly golden fields, which were simply magnificent in the sun. I was entranced. 

Left: Villars View, 14 x 7, Oil on Linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2018
Right: Roussillon, 14 x 7, Oil on Linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2018

Provence was full of delights and painting challenges. We tackled everything from simple fields to complicated perched villages. We painted inside of villages and also in deep rural farmland. Maggie is an expert at constructing challenges that improve a painter's ability to see. She kept us on our toes! Even though I have participated in this workshop a number of times, I learn more every time. 

"Chemin de la Tour"
10 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

I'm illustrating this post with a few of my paintings from the trip. Stay tuned for future posts on some more specific aspects of the painting journey, as soon as I recover from jet lag...