A Bouquet

"Hydrangea, Facing West"
16 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

Thank goodness that Trader Joe's carries beautiful white hydrangeas all year round! During a recent spell of wet, gloomy weather, I sought a pick-me-up by painting some fluffy hydrangea blossoms. The hydrangea can be intimidating to paint, because each blossom is composed of hundreds of separate little "flowerettes". That's a lot of detail that can really bog you down!

"Hydrangea. Threesome"
18 x 18, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(Available)

For me, the key to a strong painting is to see the big shapes of light and dark, and to avoid getting mired down in too much detail. To identify and simplify the big shapes--now that is the challenge! Meeting the challenge involves a lot of squinting, and using my peripheral vision. If I stare directly at
a particular small detail, it becomes too "important", and I lose the sense of its proper relationship within the overall subject.

"Hydrangea, Light"
14 x 11, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(Available)

Unlike many still life painters, I seldom use any artificial light. My studio has one big window, and I have learned how to regulate the natural light to illuminate my subject matter. It makes for a much less harsh contrast between light and shadow. And it allows me to see more natural colors.

"Hydrangea, Facing East"
16 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

Interestingly, a cloudy or overcast day is often the best one for painting still lifes. That's because the light remains consistent for hours, and is nice and soft. Maybe that's why I enjoyed working on these blossoms so much--long stretches of overcast skies gave me great working conditions! Hope you will enjoy them too...