Ode to Paris

"Along the Seine"
18 x 18, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
Available

Reflecting on the year 2016, I keep coming back to one of the highlights--my trip to Paris. Paris is always a feast for the senses, and this time was no exception. There is a constant parade of special art exhibitions, and, beyond what's on display at the museums, the cityscape itself is a work of art. I love to stroll along the banks of the Seine, where the water informs the view, and the vistas are wide open.

"Notre Dame, Apse"
16 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

Whether there are brilliant blue skies or foggy mornings, the views along the river are always stunning. Sometimes I stroll along and just absorb the experience. Other times I roll

Nativity

What better, as Christmas draws near, than to visit the nativity scenes from a masterpiece of Western art--the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. If you have never visited this place, I can guarantee that it will not disappoint. Just to enter the little chapel and see the view pictured above takes your breath away. The frescoes that cover every surface of the Chapel were painted by Giotto de Bondone (a.k.a. "Giotto"). They were done over 700 years ago--and they are as beautiful today as when they were first created. 

The Annunciation

Giotto's fresco cycle tells the story of God's promises and the life of Jesus. The nativity portions of the frescoes start with the Annunciation (above). They show the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary with the message that she would bear the Son of God. To quote from Madeleine L'Engle's book, "What an amazing, what an impossible message...!   Possible

Originality

"Casting Shadows"
8 x 12, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

I am always striving to see with my own eyes, and preserve a unique point of view. It's easier said than done! We are inundated with thousands of images these days. For a visual person, that means that a lot of other points of view are lodged in the brain. As an inspiration and a reminder that each of us is unique, I am sharing some quotations today. Enjoy!

"Serenade"
16 x 20, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
Available

"There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so, he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted." --Henri Matisse

"[Regardless of the subject], there is richness to be found, because it rests not in the subject but in the way you experience your subject." --Richard Schmid

"Pont Alexandre III, Toward Invalides"
12 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

"Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one's sensations".  --Paul Cezanne

"The beginner in painting begins by copying nature in all literalness, leaving nothing out and putting nothing in... By and by, he will learn to omit the superfluous and to grasp the essentials and arrange them into a more powerful and significant whole. And it is wonderful to know that these "essentials" will be essential to him only (and herein lines the secret of

The Shadow Struggle

If you've been reading here for very long, you already know that learning to paint is really all about learning to see. In learning to see, one of the trickiest things (at least for me) is learning to see the color of shadows. This is true for cast shadows (such as those in the top photo), as well as for the shadowed side of an object (called a "form shadow"). When light is striking a subject, its color is more readily apparent. But what lurks in the shadows??

One reason that shadows can be difficult to decipher is that their color is very subtle. In painting parlance, I would say that they are of "low intensity". Their color is a bit wishy-washy. It can be pushed in different directions, depending on the light, the immediate surroundings, and anything else in the field of vision.

"Miller Services Building"
8 x 10, Oil on Board
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

There are guidelines that can be helpful. For example, the painter Richard Schmid has written that warm light produces cool shadows, and cool light produces warm shadows. An