Unpacking France

Greetings--if you have noticed a hiatus in my normal posting schedule, it's because I have been traveling and painting in France. I spent the first week in a landscape workshop with the inimitable instructor Maggie Siner. Then I stayed on in the Luberon area of Provence to paint independently for two more weeks. Such a treasured time!

"Murs, Top"
10 x 10, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell

There are lots of "cute" scenes in Provence--quaint little houses, colorful window boxes of flowers, pretty blue shutters, charming cafés. They are tempting subjects, but I also want to paint other things. I remind myself of the words of Ranier Marie Rilke: "Avoid those forms that are too facile and ordinary". And Frank Hobbs: "You have to experience a place deeply in order to get past the obvious exoticisms that captivate tourists."

"Murs from a Distance"
10 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

Though I am still a tourist, after eight summers in Provence, I am starting to get past the surface and feel a deeper connection to the land and its habits. The sounds of the birds and the cicadas, the rising of the moon, the cooling of the earth overnight, and its warming through the day. I am drawn to the subtle shifts in colors seen from a high vantage point, as the fields and mountain ranges slip further and further into the distance.

"Atmospheric Hills"
8 x 16, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

I love to see the marks of centuries past that are still visible in stone villages today. The perched village (village perché) always draws me in. I like the cubist look of the structures, and the way they tumble down the hill. Their drama stems from the fact that they were built on high for defensive and fortification purposes. Often topped by a church or a chateau, they all have a stories to tell, sometimes dating back to Neolithic times, often to Roman times.

"St Martin"
15 x 10, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

From exploring village life, to going far "off road", my sojourn in Provence has been deeply satisfying. Stay tuned for more details as I unpack...

Keep Going!

"Keep Going!"  It's the title of the latest book by Austin Kleon.  The subtitle is "Ten Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad". This is a little book that you can practically stick in your pocket. It measures only 6 x 6 inches, but the messages it contains are far, far bigger. (And the messages pertain to  many life endeavors, not just painting or artistic ones).

Photo (c) Getty Images

I love Kleon's refreshing, no-nonsense way of thinking and writing. He has a certain irreverence that appeals to me. I wanted to stand up and cheer when I read the first sentence: "Whenever someone starts talking about 'the creative journey', I roll my eyes."  As Kleon says, it sounds too lofty, too heroic. Instead, the artistic life is really a non-glamorous, up and down path, and progress depends largely on finding a daily routine and sticking to it, through thick and thin. 

Some of Kleon's key ideas are ones I've written about before.  He notes that prolific artists have figured out a daily practice. Their practice is repeatable, and it insulates them from success, failure and the chaos of the outside world. It keeps them going. This message is very similar to that of Twyla Tharp, in her book The Creative Habit, which I've written about here. I am definitely a believer!

I also loved Kleon's suggestion to keep an ongoing list of ideas to work on in the future--because you never have time to pursue every idea at once. And they slip away if you don't jot them down. Kleon quotes people who call their lists "Someday/Maybe" lists, or "spark files". Twyla Tharp keeps her ideas in cardboard boxes. She pulls them out for inspiration. I keep a small notebook in my purse, so I can put my hands on it at a moment's notice and capture an idea before it fades.

Kleon also writes that "Silence and solitude are crucial". In this notion, he is on the same page with a number of other artists. Perhaps the most eloquent of them is Ranier Maria Rilke, whose book Letters to a Young Poet is a "must read".

Hope I have inspired you to check out Kleon's new book. Put it on your list!