Slash 'n Trash

I was recently asked by friends about the practice of destroying paintings. My friends were shocked that a painter would destroy a canvas that he or she had labored long and hard over. They begged me to explain how such a thing could happen. Hmmm. I immediately remembered what they say about professional photographers: The difference between the professional photographers and the rest of us is that the pros only show us a very small percentage of the photos they actually take. in other words, ruthless editing is essential!

I explained to my friends that painting is like any other enterprise in life--a lot of practice is required in order to make progress. You've got to put in the mileage. And along the way, there will be paintings that are just not up to snuff. You might stick them in the closet, thinking you will re-work them later. Or maybe you don't want to admit how flawed they are, so you hope that when you pull them out later they will be better. (Wishful thinking). Alas, my storage space is not infinite, and so eventually the new works crowd out the old, and the old works that never passed muster must be destroyed.

The phenomenon was described perfectly in the book Art & Fear. The authors wrote, "The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars." They noted that even the failed paintings are essential. I might say ESPECIALLY the failed paintings are essential. In one's failures lie the seeds of future successes. 

As we can see from the original score above, even Beethovan struggled and made mistakes. But we don't usually see the score, which reveals his struggles--we only  hear the beautiful music of the finished symphony. I wish that were the case with visual artists, but alas our mistakes are more tangible. At least until they hit the dust bin!

There is a real sense of catharsis when the old, failed paintings are destroyed. Getting rid of the failures makes me  feel so light, so energized, and so open to new ideas. It's a great New Year's ritual--what better frame of mind to start the New Year?

Merry Christmas!

"White Pines"
(c) Richard Schmid

Merry Christmas to All!

We won't have snow where I live this year, but "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"--and these beautiful paintings inspire me. Wishing you and all your loved ones the joy, love and peace of Christmas--now and throughout the New Year.

"Snow"
John Henry Trachtman

"Along the River"
John Henry Twachtman

Warm December Days!

My set up: Covenant Presbyterian

It's a dream come true for this painter: 70+ degree days in December! I love to paint architecture in the landscape, but there are some structures that I simply cannot see when the leaves are on the trees. I wait for winter when the leaves are gone, but by then it is often too cold to paint outdoors. In a wonderful twist (thanks to El Nino), this month has blessed us with both comfortable temperatures and leafless trees--at the same time!

My set up: Myers Park Presbyterian

The recent weather has been perfect for painting a couple of neighborhood churches. Their steeples are often obscured when the big oak trees that surround them are leafed out. Just look at the top photo--I would never have been able to see the chapel and the steeple at the same time had the leaves been on those trees. Want to see the results?

The Poetry of the Process

"Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando"
Oil on canvas
Edgar Degas, 1879

I recently purchased an out-of-print book about Edgar Degas (copyright 1984). I love the book because it takes a long look at the process behind his work. It is filled with pages from his sketchbooks, and studies for his paintings. No "coffee table book" this! Forget the big glossy photos--this is more like a tour through the mind and method of one of the Greats.

Degas' Sketchbook

I especially love the book's presentation of the notes that Degas made to guide him in completion of his paintings. I often jot down notes on site to hep me remember the scene later. But Degas was a real master of this. Here is an example from one of his notebooks. The notes are for the painting above. They are presented as a poem in free verse, and I think they are nothing short of poetic.  Leave it to the Master to make poetry as a byproduct of sharpening his seeing skills!

garnet band

on the bow

string of gold

bright green band

frame

gleam on the column

somewhat low

Golden yellow

Ornaments

as yellow

Golden yellow

blue dark green band

ditto white

narrow part blue green like the farms

reddish yellow

as far as the windows

the white underneath

the porticos is

brighter because of the

little chandeliers 

cornice

light

rose window gold sparkling green

PS: For the curious, the name of the book is Degas: form and space, ed. Jacqueline and Maurice Guillaud.

Art of the Garden

"Woman Reading by a Window"
Gari Melchers

Showing now at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC: a wonderful exhibit entitled "The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 2887 - 1920". I saw the exhibit recently, and felt like I had made the acquaintance of some artists who were new to me, and had also visited with some artists who are "old friends". 

"Garden at Giverny"
John Leslie Breck, 1887-1891

Starting in the 1880's, quite a few American painters travelled to France. They were drawn to Giverny, Monet's home and gardens. Many of them became neighbors of Monet and painted right alongside him. The influence of the French Impressionists on these American painters is unmistakeable. Thanks to the recent invention of the paint tube, they were able to paint outside. In fact, Breck's painting above was painting in Monet's garden. No longer  confined to the studio, these artists were intent on

We'll Always Have Paris...

"Place des Vosges, Fall"
10 x 20, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell, 2015

At any given moment, it is not unusual to find a painting of Paris on my easel. I have painted on location in the heart of Paris, and it was quite a thrill. I loved setting up my easel amidst of the graceful architecture, the parks, the bridges, and the monuments. There is simply no substitute for painting directly "on the motif"--that is, actually standing in the presence of what you are painting. It enables you to see and to feel what you are painting.

"Henri IV faces La Cite"
11 x 18, Oil on Linen
Available at Huff Harrington Fine Art

Since I can't be in Paris as often as I would like, I also bring home sketches, studies, and reference photographs. I use these in my studio to recapture the fleeting experience of being on the scene. When the events of November 13th struck in Paris, I had just finished a series of Paris paintings, including several  of the Place des Vosges, in the Marais (one of which is at the top of this post). My heart was heavy to think of the violence in this most beautiful City of Light. I wondered:

You're Invited~

Jump Start the Season! JOIN ME AT OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION Friday, December 4th, 2015 6 pm to 9 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Third Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's South End Greetings, Friends. I am co-hosting this year's Holiday Open House at Dilworth Artisan Station. More than twenty-five artists will open our studios for the evening. Here's who we are. Whether you enjoy art that is abstract or realistic, flamboyant or quiet, large or small--we have it all! Among other new paintings, my SMALL GEMS collection will be available. Proceeds from the Gems benefit Arts for Life, bringing the arts to children in the hospital. We will have live music, beverages and nibbles. Come, bring a friend, and get into the holiday spirit! Click on the title to learn more about either painting above: "Beach Shack" or "Land's End, Reflections". Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. If you can't make it Friday night, I will also be open on Saturday, December 5, from 10 am until 12:30 pm. Would love to see you! Above: "Roman Way". See more paintings on my website, Lesley Powell Art Copyright © 2015 Lesley Powell Art, All rights reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Basket of Fruits"
Balthasar vand der Ast, Dutch

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sending my best wishes to you and yours!

Fear and Hesitation

I had a friend who coached swimming at the collegiate level. He told me that even the superstar swimmers would arrive at the pool for early morning practice, then pace restlessly around, putting off as long as possible the actual plunge into the water. I believe that there is sometimes a similar delaying phenomenon among painters. It was described very eloquently by James Lord in his book A Giacometti Portrait. Lord said this about Alberto Giacometti:

[Giacometti] seemed to be avoiding desperately the moment when he would have to start work on something new. He is so poignantly aware of the difficulty of making visible to others his own vision of reality that he must be unnerved by the necessity of having to try to do it once more. Thus, he would naturally delay as long as possible the decisive act of beginning."

Ah, yes. The "decisive act of beginning". That's a moment fraught with pain and danger. The legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp has written that it is the most fragile moment of the creative process, the time that we are most likely to chicken out. 

Lately I have been experiencing the discomfort of beginning. I have even chosen to clean my studio (usually the very last task of all) before approaching the easel. I have found that the best cure is to get outdoors with my easel, and paint my surroundings. Even if the subject is one that I drive by every day, as in the photo above. It's all about learning to see, and translating what you see with paint and brushes. Here's to overcoming the fear of beginning...

Maggie Siner Workshop Announcement: 2016

Yes, the dates are set for 2016! The incomparable Maggie Siner will be teaching her landscape workshop in Provence this summer from July 2 to July 9. It's a perfect time of the year in Provence. We will visit perched villages, lavender fields, vineyards, and wheat fields. Maybe even an ochre quarry. In short, we will see and be challenged by all that Provence has to offer. 

Maggie lived in the Luberon area of Provence for a number of years, and she brings an insider's knowledge of the land and its conditions. If there is a strong wind from the north, Maggie knows a spot where we can paint and be sheltered from the gusts. She has scoped out the best places to take us

Preview the "Small Gems"!

A patient supported by Arts for Life

Thursday's the big day: the official start of my Sixth Annual SMALL GEMS benefit sale. I am very excited about this year's collection, and wanted to offer my blog readers a sneak preview. The Gems are my favorite small paintings, specially selected and priced for holiday gift-giving. You can see all of the Gems on my website here. To purchase, just click the "Contact the Artist" link at the bottom of the artwork page, and I will respond. Prices start at $150. Nothing makes a house a home like original art--and the Gems benefit a special cause. See details in italics at end of post.

This year's beneficiary will once again be Arts for Life. I have considered many options, but honestly none touch my heart the way that Arts for Life does. My personal experience working on art projects with a young cancer patient has left a lasting mark on me, and I am thrilled to have found an organization whose mission is to bring the arts to kids in the hospital. I could not say it better than their logo does: "Inspiring Courage through Creativity"!

Half the price of every Gem sold before December 25 will go to Arts for Life. We know that arts projects help make long days in the hospital seem shorter, and give young patients something to look forward to. In addition, evidence suggests that art actually exerts a healing power, Arts for Life is positioned to bring that power to thousands of young patients. Please join me by participating in the Small Gems sale and bringing a bright spot into the lives of these kids and their families.

If you have friends who may be interested in supporting the cause, please forward this post to them--thanks for sharing!

Design by Barbara Heath

Should you need inspiration for using Small Gems in your home, check out the photos  in this post (one of these is from my own house!). I love the small paintings grouped on the left in the photo above--they play so well with the large abstract piece. It doesn't matter whether your style is traditional or contemporary, elegant or rustic--a Small Gem is a way to make your space sing, and to help bring joy to kids facing serious illness!

Photo from Vogue

This one in my own house!

Decor by Phoebe Howard

Photo from New York Social Diary

Decor by Phoebe Howard

DETAILS: Each sale is "Satisfaction Guaranteed"--if the painting doesn't work in your home, you can return it within 10 days, no problem. Purchasers outside NC--no sales tax, but you pay UPS shipping. Check preferred, but credit card possible. Sizes and prices are on my website, in the description of each painting. Gems are priced with and without frames. I will gift wrap too! Click the "Contact the Artist" link on the artwork page to make a purchase. Thanks!

On the Rocks

"Ruins"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2015

I've been reflecting on the paintings I have completed over the past six months, and I realized that I have been stuck on the rocks. Literally! Without any express intention to do so, I have developed a body of work that features all different sorts of rock formations. Hmmmm. A peculiar fixation, no?

"Ochre Quarry I"
6 x 13, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2015

In France this summer, I painted colorful rock formations at an abandoned ochre quarry. Love these other-worldly shapes and colors. From there, I went on to paint

Sorolla Writ Large

Yes, that's me pictured above. Proof positive that the Sorolla murals at the Hispanic Society  of America are larger than life! I was recently in New York, and visited this hidden treasure of a museum. 

Readers know that I am a huge fan of Joaquin Sorolla, so it is no surprise that this museum was a top priority on my trip. I had read about Sorolla's painting cycle, "Vision of Spain", and seen photographs, but nothing prepared me for the real thing. The first shock was the staggering scale of these works. The canvases are about 12 feet tall, and extend a total of almost 227 feet, covering the entire (huge) room. Walking into the space, there is a veritable explosion of color and light, impossible to capture in photos. 

Despite the mammoth size of these paintings, Sorolla painted all but one of them en plein air, traveling to the provinces of Spain to work on location. Amazing! You can see one of the paintings, "Galicia", in process on the right of the photo above. I cannot even imagine working this large on location. Note the wooden stairs to Sorolla's right--he must have needed these to reach the top of the canvas.  Here is the painting today, as installed at the Hispanic Society:

On location, Sorolla also used models dressed in traditional local costumes. His contract required him to return the costumes to the Hispanic Society--I wonder if they are ever on display?

I was astounded at the way the paintings worked at so many different levels. Each panel contained portraits as well as landscapes; intimate moments as well as sweeping vistas. Some passages were worked in great detail, others less so. The way Sorolla rendered whites was amazing and gorgeous. I wish I could find a photo that did justice to the brilliant sailor's uniforms above. And the paint application showed such joy! Just seeing those loose, gestural brushstrokes made me want to grab a brush and start swinging some paint around.

These paintings were commissioned in 1911, and were painted by Sorolla between 1913 and 1919. They represent the different regions of Sorolla's beloved homeland. The cycle was a monumental undertaking, and one of the last of Sorolla's life. The year after finishing them, Sorolla suffered a stroke, and he died in 1923. Sadly, he never realized his dream of seeing the paintings installed in New York. But on a brighter note, the paintings were sent to Spain and exhibited there between 2007 and 2010. They drew more than two million visitors, and broke attendance records at every venue. I think that Sorolla's heart would be full to know that his tribute to Spain was so well received by the people whose homeland he so grandly depicted.

Through Thick and Thin

"Sunwashed"
8 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2015

I have been thinking lately about variety. Everybody knows the saying that "Variety is the spice of life." It is also the spice of ART. If you have been reading along with me, you may recall the quote from Arthur Wesley Dow: "There is a certain beauty in a contrast of large and small. It is the opposite of Monotony." Contrasts avoid monotony. They are what give rise to variety, and they can truly make a painting sing.

Dow mentioned the contrast of large and small, but there are many other contrasts that bring life to a painting. One of them concerns

Direct Painting

"Apache Trail"
18 x 24, Oil
Richard Schmid

Another vocabulary lesson: What is "direct painting"? Direct painting is my preferred approach to painting, and yet it is hardly an everyday word. Direct painting means painting from life, usually in a single session. It is sometimes called painting "alla prima" (Italian for "at first time") or "au premier coup" (French for "all at once"). Don't you love those fancy foreign words?  In Direct painting, you stand directly in the presence of your subject, and attempt to capture your experience of it, all in one fell swoop.

"Greenwich  Village"
Richard Schmid

I have been reading Richard Schmid's book Alla Pima: Everything I Know About Painting. It's an invaluable resource. Schmid says that direct painting is "the ultimate in representational art because

Step Back!

My Set-Up, Bailey Island, 2015

I recently read a post by the acclaimed painter Carolyn Anderson. She named four simple ways to improve your paintings. One of them was this: don't forget to step back from the easel often enough and far enough. I confess that I am often guilty of failing to step back from my painting. Stepping back is such a simple thing, but it is so easy to forget when you are in the throes of painting. That's why we all need to make it a habit--something reflexive that we won't forget.

Why step back? It allows you to see the entire painting at a glance. You can see

The Maine Event

"Sea at Ogunquit"
Oil on Canvas, 24 3/16 x 29 1/8
Edward Hopper, 1914

I have just returned from a painting trip to Maine. I was graciously hosted at the family home of a good painting buddy. She invited three other painters to join her for the week's adventure. We had great weather, and there was no shortage of painting motifs. I think I could stay on Bailey Island for months--or years--and still not tire of painting there.

"Across Linekin Bay, Maine"
Oil on Panel, 8 x 9 3/4
Robert Henri, 1903

Maine has attracted more than its share of artists through the years, Edward Hopper spent nine summers painting in Maine, early in his career. His luscious landscapes from that period are a wonder to behold, and are a far cry from his later urban scenes. If you enjoy such things, the Wall Street Journal just published an article

Doubt

"Shrimpers"
Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36
(c) Colin Page

I have been following the work of Colin Page for quite some time. He is an extremely talented artist who lives in Maine. You may recall that I have written about another Maine artist, Connie Hayes, and I believe that Connie has been an influence on Colin. In the world of perceptual painting, it seems that everybody's "bloodlines" cross somewhere!

"Secret Island"
20 x 36, Oil on Canvas
(c) Colin Page

I was perusing Colin's blog this week, and came across this quotation. Though it is long, it is worth sharing in its entirety. It captures perfectly some of the ups and downs of the painting life. Colin was responding to a question whether he was pleased with his paintings, and whether they had become what he was striving for. He answered thus:

Sometimes I am struggling with every part of a painting and I get in such a funk that I don’t think anything I have painted has any value, and other days I feel like I can do no wrong while standing at the easel. Of course it feels better to have a good day, but they are rare. Usually I am seeing things I want to get better at. Even though it is frustrating to constantly see flaws in our work, that is the only way to improve. If we don’t see flaws in our paintings, we become repetitive and uninteresting. To push painting to better results we always have to be a little disappointed in our work. We have to know that we can do better, and even though the painting you just finished may be the result of your most sincere hard work and effort, we have to know that the lessons from that painting will help do the next painting better. The painters whose careers produced the highest quality work were all searching for something just out of reach and doing everything they could to capture something fleeting. It may drive you crazy and be disappointing. But look at your earlier work and the improvements you’ve already made and imagine how much further you can go from here. A creative life is a constant battle between the disheartening and the hopeful.

Don't you just love that?! "A constant battle between the disheartening and the hopeful". Sometimes, at least in my case, the pendulum can swing between those two in a matter of hours. Or minutes!

"Around the Bend'
(c) Colin Page

Colin went on to share this quotation from Robert Hughes:

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is given to the less talented as a consolation prize. Indeed, the idea that doubt can be heroic, if it is locked into a structure as grand as that of the paintings of Cezanne’s old age, is one of the keys to our century.” 

"Masonic Street"
18 x 24, Oil on Canvas
(c) Colin Page

It's good for me to keep in mind, when my own pendulum has swung to the disheartening side, that the struggle is universal. And that every painting is a springboard to the next, informing the next and allowing you to move forward. As Connie Hayes says, the path to improvement is not linear, it's spiral...