New Year, New Exhibit

"Table, Chair & Tray"
oil on linen, 28 x 30
(c) Maggie Siner, 2014

What better way to start the New Year than seeing a solo exhibit by the talented Maggie Siner. Maggie's new show opens in Richmond, VA, on January 2nd, at the Brazier Gallery. There is an opening reception at the Gallery that evening--now that's a way to start the year off with a bang!

I can't make the reception, but you can rest assured that I won't miss the show. I have studied with Maggie

Merry Christmas!

Photo (c) Lesley Powell, 2014

Star of wonder, Star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Lead us to thy perfect Light.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!

Lyrics from "We Three Kings", Christmas carol composed by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in 1857.

Hopper in Paris

"Notre Dame, No. 2"
Edward Hopper, 1907

Over ten years ago, the Mint Museum mounted an exhibition "Edward Hopper: The Paris Years". I was completely taken by the wonderful Hopper canvases from Paris. These lovely paintings were quite early in Hopper's career. He made three trips to Paris between 1906 and 1909, as a young man in his mid-20's. This period was well before the development of his mature style, and before his famous body of work, which focuses on the 20th century urban world. I love what Scott Lucas wrote about Hopper's Paris paintings: "These are paintings by a driven and talented artist rambling through the treasure-trove of style and technique laid out before him in the galleries and museums of Paris