A Bunch of Bull

Lithographs by Pablo Picasso

Faithful readers know that I am always striving for simplification in my paintings--elimination of unnecessary detail in order to portray the real gist of the subject. I also call it "leaving something to the imagination".  I have recently been studying a fine example of simplification from the great Pablo Picasso. He made a series of lithographs of bulls, starting 

Orchids--A New Series

"Jesse's Orchids"
20 x 20, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
(SOLD)

It all began very innocently. An artist in my building, the very talented John Seibels Walker, gave me an orchid. He was leaving the country for a few months, and wanted to find a good home for this lovely plant. Well...

"First Orchid"
12 x 9, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
(Available)

I had never painted an orchid, but as this one sat in my studio, it drew me in. Immediately above you see my first painting. Can you tell that I was fascinated with the pot?? I learned that orchids can be a difficult subject. The base, or pot, is typically very small compared to 

Diebenkorn/Matisse

Left: Diebenkorn, Untitled (Ocean Park), 1971
Right: Matisse, View of Notre Dame, 1914

Great news! While researching Richard Deibenkorn for a recent post, I learned that there will be a major exhibit coming soon to both coasts of the US. It will show works of Diebenkorn alongside those of  the great French painter Henri Matisse. Much has been written about the influence of Matisse on Diebenkorn. It will be so exciting to see their work hanging together, and to look for the connections and inspirations running between them!

"Studio: Quai St. Michel"
Henri Matisse, 1916

Diebenkorn first encountered the work of Matisse in the early 1940's, when he was in the military. While stationed at Quantico, Diebenkorn visited the Philips Collection in Washington, D.C., where he saw Maitisse's "Studio, Quai St. Michel" (above). Diebenkorn later said that he was quite stuck by this painting, especially by the sense of space it created. He was also intrigued by the problem of representing both interior and exterior light in the same painting. This inside/outside approach was something that Diebenkorn would return to time and time again. Here's one example:

"Interior with Doorway"
70 3/8 x 59 1/2, Oil on Canvas
Richard Diebenkorn, 1962

Diebenkorn studied Matisse throughout his career. I have read that seeing Matisse's  "French Window at Collioure" (below) must have been an epiphany for Diebenkorn. They say that that this Matisse painting was a touchstone for for Diebenkorn's wonderful and extensive series of Ocean Park paintings.  

"French Window at Collioure"
Henri Matisse, 1914

"Ocean Park #79"
Oil on Canvas
Richard Diebenkorn, 1975

The curators of this new exhibit had access to Diebenkorn's own collection of books on Matisse--wouldn't you love to see and touch those? I wonder if he scribbled notes in them, or made sketches. Maybe I will find out, because I really hope to see this exhibit. Mark your calendars: it will be at the Baltimore Museum of Art from October 23, 2016 to January 29, 2017, and at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from March 11, 2017 to May 29, 2017.

California Townscapes

"Sonoma Plaza"
9 x 12, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2016

During my recent time in California, I had many opportunities to paint the beautiful rolling hills and vineyards of wine country. But I was also drawn to urban scenes, particularly some street scenes that I saw every day coming to and from my friends' house. I was fortunate to be staying quite close to the historic central plaza in the town of Sonoma. I loved the old Sebastiani Theater building, especially in the late afternoon when it seemed to