Unpacking France

Greetings--if you have noticed a hiatus in my normal posting schedule, it's because I have been traveling and painting in France. I spent the first week in a landscape workshop with the inimitable instructor Maggie Siner. Then I stayed on in the Luberon area of Provence to paint independently for two more weeks. Such a treasured time!

"Murs, Top"
10 x 10, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell

There are lots of "cute" scenes in Provence--quaint little houses, colorful window boxes of flowers, pretty blue shutters, charming cafés. They are tempting subjects, but I also want to paint other things. I remind myself of the words of Ranier Marie Rilke: "Avoid those forms that are too facile and ordinary". And Frank Hobbs: "You have to experience a place deeply in order to get past the obvious exoticisms that captivate tourists."

"Murs from a Distance"
10 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

Though I am still a tourist, after eight summers in Provence, I am starting to get past the surface and feel a deeper connection to the land and its habits. The sounds of the birds and the cicadas, the rising of the moon, the cooling of the earth overnight, and its warming through the day. I am drawn to the subtle shifts in colors seen from a high vantage point, as the fields and mountain ranges slip further and further into the distance.

"Atmospheric Hills"
8 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

I love to see the marks of centuries past that are still visible in stone villages today. The perched village (village perché) always draws me in. I like the cubist look of the structures, and the way they tumble down the hill. Their drama stems from the fact that they were built on high for defensive and fortification purposes. Often topped by a church or a chateau, they all have a stories to tell, sometimes dating back to Neolithic times, often to Roman times.

"St Martin"
15 x 10, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

From exploring village life, to going far "off road", my sojourn in Provence has been deeply satisfying. Stay tuned for more details as I unpack...