Arts for Life

Today I have the honor of announcing the beneficiary of my "Small Gems" sale for this year: Arts for Life. Arts for Life is a wonderful North Carolina non-profit organization that brings the arts to seriously ill children and young adults while they are in the hospital. I could not sum it up better than they say above: Inspiring courage through creativity.

A day in the hospital can seem to last a year. Arts for Life is right there where the rubber meets the road: in the clinic and at the bedside. It helps young patients discover the power of their own creativity and imagination, as they confront the toughest battles of their lives. The art gives these young patients something to smile about (see above!). Besides bringing a bright spot to the hospital days, there is even evidence that painting and drawing can help relieve pain in pediatric patients!

This year, Arts for Life will serve almost 7,000 people in four North Carolina communities (Winston-Salem, Durham, Asheville and Charlotte). That's 15,428 hours of direct contact with patients and families. No small impact.

With your help, I hope to make a contribution to the wonderful mission of Arts for Life. I will donate half of the purchase price for each painting sold in my Small Gems Benefit Sale to Arts for Life. Stay tuned for details on the benefit sale--it will run from November 5 through December 4---details in an upcoming post!

Art means WORK

"The Lacemaker"
Johannes Vermeer, 1675

Two years ago, I discovered the quotation you will find below. I saw it posted on the wall of a local pediatric cancer clinic, in the arts area operated by volunteers from Arts for Life. 

The quote really resonated with me. I was raised in a family where one of my father's favorite sayings was

Announcing Maggie Siner's Provence Workshop 2015

I am excited to announce that the dates have been set for Maggie Siner's 2015 workshop in France. Yes, "Painting in Provence" is on the calendar for June 27 to July 4, 2015! You could not ask for a more gifted, generous instructor than Maggie. Nor could you find more gracious hosts than our hosts at Les Bassacs, or more beautiful surroundings than the Luberon area of France.  

The hamlet of Les Bassacs, where we will stay
Photo: (c) Lesley Powell 2011

Maggie used to live in this area, so she knows the lay of the land. She has scoped out all the best spots for us to paint. We will work hard, paint without ceasing (almost!), and enjoy delicious meals home-cooked by our hosts. You can read all the details, and find out how to apply, on the Painting in Provence website. I am serving as the Trip Coordinator this year,  and I would be happy to answer any of your questions about the workshop. Meanwhile, for some inspiration,

Manual Labor

Lately I have been muttering to myself  "A painter's work is never done!" I know many painters sing the same refrain--if only we could spend all of our time actually PAINTING! But alas, there are many more tasks involved in our work. One distinctly unglamorous job is

Unfinished

"The Athenaeum"
Gilbert Stuart, 1796

I am often drawn to paintings that are not too finished, ones that are toeing the line of being "unfinished". Shown above is a very famous unfinished portrait, Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington. It is quite obviously unfinished---as in, somebody died or quit in the middle of the work. Screech!---you can practically feel the brakes slamming on. Rather than this sort of abrupt quitting in mid-canvas, what I really love are

Feels like Fall!

(c) Lesley Powell 2014

We are finally getting a real taste of fall! I was in rural Virginia recently, just on the cusp of fall, and took advantage of the perfect temperatures to paint outdoors. I was delighted to drive down a familiar road and see