Summer Reading

August is almost upon us, and with the last days of summer reading in mind, I thought I would write about a few of my favorite art-related books. These are not instructional books designed for painters (maybe that's a subject for later!). Instead, these are books that any art lover--or any reader for that matter--can love.

In the nonfiction category, one of my favorites is Strapless, by Deborah Davis.  It tells the story of John Singer Sargent's infamous painting of Madame X, and how it affected the lives of both Sergeant and the woman who posed for the painting. I found it very gripping, and loved the insights into Sargent's

The Many Colors of White

"Hydrangeas from Vickie"
18 x 18, oil on canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(Available at Shain Gallery)

Faithful readers know how much I love to paint white things. It's a very interesting challenge, because of course "white" is never actually pure white. Its hue is quite variable, depending on what sort of light is shining on it, and what color objects are near it. Painting white things really does develop your color perception muscles!

"Big Leaf Hydrangea"
12 x 12, oil on linen, mounted on panel
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

My latest vehicle for the exploration of white has been the hydrangea flower. It all started very innocently, when a friend brought me an arrangement of hydrangeas from her garden.  (Top painting). They looked so cool and fresh, and were such a counterpoint to the summer heat, that I just had to paint them! 

"Half Turned Hydrangea"
16 x 12, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

After the first two paintings, I was hooked. I seldom start out intentionally to create a series of paintings. But sometimes the sense of discovery--and the desire to probe deeper--just spur me on.  In this case, I was trying to avoid getting bogged down in little details of all the flowerettes that make the big blossoms. I tried to see the blossoms in terms of big shapes of color, and light and shadow. My mantra was "Simplify, Simplify!"

"Second Verse"
18 x 18, oil on canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

Simple, however, isn't easy! It's a constant process of decisions about how much you can say with how little detail. I went through a lot of scraping off in these canvases--painting an area, then stepping back and seeing that it was too detailed, then scraping it off, and finally re-painting that passage using only shapes of color. In the end, I was pleased with the shapes and colors, and I think they manage to tell the whole story.  Thanks for looking!

Hot TownI!

"Uptown Silhouettes"
8 x 8, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

I don't know about your locale, but mine has been suffering unbearable heat and humidity over the past few weeks. The sixties song "Hot Town, Summer in the City" (remember the Lovin' Spoonful?!) keeps running through my head! Along those lines, I just delivered a new series of paintings to Shain Gallery in Charlotte--urban landscapes, featuring the skyline of Charlotte. 

Lesley at work along the Light Rail

The paintings were actually painted earlier this year, before the extreme heat set in. My studio is near the light rail line that runs from south Charlotte to Uptown. There is a wide walking and biking trail alongside the rail line, which provides a great place to stand, with a fine view of Uptown. Just above is a shot of me at work there, and below is the finished painting. I love this scene, because it shows both the