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

Painting the Town: SouthEnd

"SouthEnd Scene"
12 x 9, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2014

Where I live, there is a very limited window of time in which the outdoor climate is actually a PLUS for outdoor painting, rather than something to be struggled with. In fact, I once heard somebody say that the reason there are fewer plein air painters in the Southeast than other regions is that

In Praise of Art and Artisans

"The Lacemaker"
J. Vermeer, 1670

I have intended in the past to write about the value of hand-crafted things--particularly original works of art. Somehow I never found the right words without them seeming rather self-serving. Then I read this in Design*Sponge. It is one of ten statements of values that they hold dear. They call these statements a "manifesto of sorts", which lays their beliefs squarely on the table. This one says it far better than I ever could!

We believe high quality work takes time and is worth investing in: Design*Sponge began with a simple goal - to build a platform for handmade design. Now that "handmade," "DIY" and "indie" are words we see in mainstream catalogs, our goal has shifted toward helping all of us understand, or at least respect, the prices makers have to charge for their time and materials. Do we believe that everyone has to shop this way? Absolutely not. 

But we believe that, in the long run, investing in pieces that are made well and have a personal connection to you and your community will lead to a longer life for the objects in your home and a more meaningful relationship with them.

       From Design Sponge blog Dec 2014

Tools of the Trade II

Lately several people have expressed interest in the taboret I use in my studio. So it seemed like a good time to embark on Part II of my "Tools of the Trade" posts, and divulge the details. I have to confess that the taboret design is not entirely of my own creation. Connie Winters put me on to the idea, and she had seen it used by Alice Williams.

The basic concept starts