Giotto's Frescoes

 

What could be better, on Christmas Eve, than to visit the nativity scenes from a masterpiece of Western art--the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. 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 things are easy to believe. The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, songs to our lips."

The Visitation

Next we see Mary go to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was also with child, and her unborn child recognized the baby Mary was carrying, and leaped for joy. Another Glorious Impossible event! 

Nativity (above), and Detail (below)

Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Nearby, shepherds with their flocks were visited by an angel, telling them of the birth. I love Giotto's depiction of this story in the fresco above, showing the host of heavenly angels, singing to the glory of God. And I can't resist mentioning how Giotto took a huge leap forward in the history of art by depicting these figures in such a natural, human way. No more stylized figures. Here we see very human gestures and expressions. The great art critic John Ruskin said that Giotto painted "the Madonna, Saint Joseph and the Christ, yes, by all means...but essentially Mama, Papa and Baby."  

The Adoration of the Magi (above), and Details (below)

Now we come to the Adoration of the Magi. What a gorgeous fresco, and how full of life! Madeleine L'Engle writes that the Magi (or wise men) were serious scholars who studied the heavens and movements of heavenly bodies. Each came to Judea at the time of Jesus' birth because of what he had read in the movement of the planets and stars. It is very fitting that this fresco shows a comet streaming through the heavens. The wise men believed that something happening in Bethlehem would change the world, and they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Above many of these frescoes we see the stars in their courses. Echoing the individual frescoes, the ceiling of the Chapel shows a vast expanse of sky, punctuated by beautiful stars. Their brilliance shines above all, and reminds me of the majesty of creation. Stirring thoughts during this advent season!

Small Works for the Holidays

 "Hillside", 8 x 8, Oil on Linen, Mounted on Panel, (c) Lesley Powell

Everybody else is doing it, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring too.  And what is "it"?  The annual Small Works for the Holidays project, of course~!  In the past I've held a "Small Gems" sale, and so I guess I am returning to my roots.

I'm offering a group of paintings that are sized and priced ideally for gift giving.  Whether it is a gift to yourself, or to somebody else, there is nothing like original art to add warmth to the home and the holidays.  Prices are below--if you'd like to purchase or get more information, just contact me through my website by clicking here.

"Sunset Magic", 8 x 8, Oil on Canvas, Mounted on Panel, (c) Lesley Powell

Here's the scoop on each of these paintings.  The top painting, "Hillside" was painted on location in Provence this past summer.  I can almost feel the hot, arid earth when I look at this one.  Lots of palette knife work--and I didn't event touch it up when I got home!  (Price: $325)

The next painting, "Sunset Magic", was also painted on location in Provence.  You have to be quick when you paint a sunset, because the colors change so fast.  I did this one a couple of years ago, and I have held it as a study to work from in the studio.  But I have finally decided to offer it to a new home. (Price: $295)

"After Corot", 5.5 x 9, Oil on Paper, (c) Lesley Powell

The next painting is a "master copy"-- painted from studying masterpieces of one of my favorite painters, Camille Corot.  This process is a time-honored way of learning.  The idea is not to reproduce a copy, but to interpret the master's work and to learn his thought process.  I learned a great deal from this project, and these one has informed some of my ongoing work. (Matted to 12.5 x 15.75, Price $300)

"Top of the Village", 7 x 10, Oil on Linen, Mounted on Panel, (c) Lesley Powell

Last but not least is "Top of the Village", which depicts the village of Gordes, in the heart of Provence.  This one was also painted entirely on location.  Those perched villages can be a challenge to paint, but a FUN challenge!  I love the cubist vibe that the buildings create as they tumble down the slope. (Price $350).

Thanks for taking a look at these, and do feel free to reach me here for any further information.  Enjoy!

Look in the Mirror

Self-Portrait    Lesley Powell, 2022

The self-portrait is a time-honored rite of passage for artists.  I have always shied away from attempting my own self-portrait, but recently I plunged in and took the challenge.  Wow.  A challenge indeed, and I now that I have undertaken it, I fear that I am addicted.

"Octagonal Self-Portrait"

Edward Vuillard,  1890

For me, the magic lays somewhere between a perfect likeness and a total abstraction.  And it's hard to find just the right balance.  I have always loved the octagonal self-portrait by Vuillard (just above).  It's a series of simple shapes, not much information within each shape, but the red beard and the shape of the head leave not doubt who this is.  The abstraction is more exciting to me than the faithful likeness seen in the Vuillard self-portrait below.  Interestingly, these were painted just a year or so apart.

Edward Vuillard

Self-Portrait, 1888

A contemporary painter who paints stunning self-portraits is Catherine Kehoe.  I could look at any of Kehoe's self-portraits for hours, and never grow tired of it. The planes in the face are so simple, and yet so deadly accurate.  The color relationships tell the whole story.  Here's a favorite:

Catherine Kehoe

Oil on Panel

I'm learning a lot by studying the work of others in this genre.  My own self-portraits pictured in this post are still in flux.  On some, the paint is still wet.  As I look at them, I continue to make changes.  I foresee lots of fun taking this project to the next level.  Stay tuned--meanwhile, check out the latest effort in process below!

Gouache On the Go

 

I've been on the road lately, and I left my oil paints at home.  This trip was primarily devoted to spending time with friends and to exploring new territory--Puglia, Italy, to be precise.  But I could not leave ALL painting behind, so I packed a portable gouache setup.

What, might you ask, is gouache?  (It rhymes with "squash").  It is a water based pigment, in the family of watercolors.  But unlike traditional watercolors, which are transparent, gouache is opaque.  Because it is opaque, it allows you to paint light over dark, as I am used to when working with oils.  And you can go back and make corrections, which makes it much more forgiving than traditional watercolors.

There are several reasons that gouache is great when traveling.  It requires no flammable solvents, because it cleans and thins with water.  You can use gouache on watercolor paper or other lightweight supports (much lighter in the suitcase than linen canvas).  It dries in a flash.  And I don't even need an easel--I can just balance the painting on my lap or on a tabletop while I work.

Gouache takes some getting used to, primarily because the colors change somewhat as they dry.  The darks tend to dry lighter, and the lights tend to dry darker. But once you adjust to that quirk, it's a wonderful medium for the right occasion.  Great for short painting sessions, for capturing an impression, and especially great for travel.  I'm becoming a fan.

I'm illustrating this post with some gouache paintings from my recent trip to Italy.  Some are finished works in themselves, others will be studies for new work in the studio.  Enjoy!  

Hidden Gem

"Bucko O' Malley"

Oil on Canvas

Robert Henri, 1924

I have just returned from a trip to Maine, and one of the highlights of the visit was the Colby College Museum of Art.  What a wonderful discovery!  Tucked away in the relatively remote small town of Waterville, this museum has a world class collection.  Little did I know!

"Frantic Flameng and Paul Helleu"

Oil on Canvas

John Singer Sargent, c. 1880

When I entered the first gallery, I was greeted by Robert Henri's "Bucko O'Malley" (top image).  Like many other painters, I consider Henri's book, The Art Spirit, a kind of bible.  Seeing this portrait by Henri was like running into an old friend.  In the same gallery was the beautiful double portrait by John Singer Sargent, "Francois Flameng and Paul Helleu".  Sargent is a master of the reds, and this painting proves the point.

"Portrait of a Child"

Oil on Canvas

James McNeill Whistler, 1885-95

I was already thinking this was an embarrassment of riches, when my eyes fell on a portrait by Mary Cassatt,  and another by James McNeil Whistler.  I learned that the Museum has the most extensive collection of Whistler's works in any academic museum.  Over 300 etchings and lithographs, and also works in other media.  Thanks to a robust website, you can see them all here.  

"Blue Umbrella"

Lithograph on Arches Paper

Alex Katz, 1979-80

The Museum's collection is not limited to old masters.  There is beautiful work by the American abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell.  And the current exhibit focuses on another American artist, who is still creating today, Alex Katz.  Katz has donated over 700 works to the Museum.  It's an amazing collection.

I know that Maine is an outdoor lovers haven.  But if you visit, try to find time for this fabulous museum.  You won't disappointed.

Home from France

If you've noticed a slowdown in my usual pace of posting, it's because I have been away in Provence, on a painting trip.  So wonderful to get back, after a hiatus of two years due to COVID!

"Murs Overlook"

9 x 14, Oil on Linen

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

The world continues to change, but the land endures.  This trip, I found myself drawn to paint the landscape just as often as the village scenes.  As a city dweller, I don't often get to see sweeping vistas like those provided by the Luberon area of Provence.  Or to enjoy the fruits of local agriculture! Looking out at the patterns of cultivated fields is a joy--as is eating the cherries, apricots and other delicacies that spring from them.

"Lavender and Clouds", 10 x 10, Oil on Linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2022

This trip happened in a heat wave ("canicule"), but we endured. Painting outdoors was possible, even comfortable in the mornings, but afternoons were often unbearable.  Temperatures often neared 100 degrees. After lunch siestas became the norm.  One plus of the heat is that it brought out the lavender much earlier than normal.  It's hard to beat the experience of standing amidst the lavender and inhaling that wonderful aroma while painting,

"Villars Hillside"

8 x 8, Oil on Linen

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

Once the jet lag abates, I plan to post more work from the trip, so stay tuned...

Supersizing

Untitled

12 x 12, Oil on Linen

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

One of my favorite books about painting is an old classic, Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting by John Carlson.  Some of the material is copyrighted as early as 1929--almost 100 years ago!  But the advice is timeless.  

Untitled

30 x 30, Oil on Canvas

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

Carlson's students painted mostly small to mid-sized paintings.  But he urged them to occasionally take on a large canvas. He said that facing a large expanse of clean canvas gives the painter a sense of power.  However, he cautions that one MUST organize and draw and paint well when working in a large format.  In his words, "A large pictures shows up ANY lack whatsoever.  What was (in a small sketch) a tree, made with one touch of green paint, becomes on a large canvas a formidable mass that requires construction."  Therein lies the struggle!

"Lavender Fields"

30 x 30, Oil on Canvas

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

I have recently painted several 12 x 12 inch canvases.  I love that size, and feel very comfortable with it.  So I decided to take some of the ideas expressed in that format and go bigger.  Hence the title of this post, "Supersized".  As a result of my work, I can definitely vouch for this statement by Carlson: "Any fault of composition shoots out with cruel obviousness from a large canvas."  A slight inaccuracy might be acceptable in a small work, but it is glaringly (or in Carlson's words, "cruelly") obvious in a large format.  Care is the watchword.

Untitled

30  x 30, Oil on Canvas

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

I'm illustrating this post with some of my recent efforts in the large scale format.  The top two images are a great illustration of what happens to me taking a small image to a large format.  The top image is the 12 x 12 canvas.  The second is the 30 x 30 rendition of the same subject.  Vive la difference!

Whetting my Appetite

"Ménerbes"

Nicolas de Staël

 

After missing the last two summers in Provence, I am now preparing to return. I have cancelled so many trips since COVID--I'll believe it if and when I actually arrive!  One thing I am really looking forward to is the opportunity to explore  the village of Ménerbes in more depth.  I'm not interested in the Méberbes of Peter Mayle (author of the bestseller "A Year in Provence"). My attraction is to the Ménerbes of Nicolas de Staël.  And the Ménerbes of Dora Maar, a romantic partner of Picasso and subject of many of his paintings, who was an artist in her own right.

"Agrigente"

Oil on Canvas, 60 x 81 cm

Nicolas de Staël, 1953-54

Painted in Ménerbes

De Staël lived in Ménerbes in the mid 1950's, and produced some magnificent work there.  I have written all about that period of his paintings earlier, so I won't repeat myself.  These are my favorites among all of de Staël's paintings--such brevity, such color, such strength, nothing wasted!  The top image is his painting of Ménerbes itself.  

The house de Staël bought and lived in in Ménerbes still stands (photo above).  In fact, the house was home to the British food guru Elizabeth David, before de Staél.  (It starts to seem that all roads lead to Ménerbes...). How I wish there were an opportunity to go inside.

"Portrait of Dora Maar"

Pablo Picasso

Happily, that opportunity does exist for the house where Dora Maar lived.  Dora Maar bought the house in 1944 after breaking up with Picasso.  She spent every summer there, painting in the isolation of the small rural village.  After her death, an American patron of the arts, Nancy Brown Negley, bought the house and renovated it.  It now hosts residencies for artists and writers. And you can book an in person tour!  

Portrait of Pablo Picasso

Dora Maar, 1936

This summer La Maison Dora Maar is mounting an exhibit with works by Nicolas de Staël, Dora Maar, and others who painted in Ménerbes in the 20th century.  Can't wait to check it out!  

Paper, Explained

"Peonies in Bud Vase"

12 x 8, Oil on Paper

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

 

In response to my latest newsletter, I have had lots of questions about how to frame or display works on paper.  There are more options than you might think.  Mounting, matting, glass, no glass....read on!

"Peonies, Back to Back"

9 x 6.5, Oil on Paper

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

First, about the paper.  There are several brands of paper that are specially milled and treated to accept oil paints.  The artist doesn't need to do anything extra to prepare these--they arrive ready to work on.  Another option is to prepare your own paper support.  I often use BFK Rives print-making paper.  I prepare it with two coats of shellac, which keeps the oil from permeating the paper.  It makes a wonderful, smooth surface.  You can do the same thing with sturdy multi-media paper, or watercolor paper.

Now, to the finished painting.  One option is to mat it.  I leave a nice margin around the painting, so a mat can go on without covering any of the subject.  You can cut the mat to a standard size, which enables you to buy a ready-made frame for it (thus saving money!). 

Do you need to put glass over the matted painting?  No.  I can be framed sans glass. But you can use glass if you want to.  Just be sure that the glass is not actually touching the painting.  A mat is typically thick enough to keep the glass spaced off the painting.  The image just above is a painting on paper by Erin Gafill that I bought and matted, then framed under glass.

 

Another option is to mount the painting on panel. The panel is first primed with an acrylic primer to prevent discoloration. I often mount paper on a flat panel (as immediately above), which allows for a number of frame options.  I have recently mounted the paper on a cradled panel (shown below), so that it can be put in a floater frame.  This makes for a really nice look.

Bottom line:  Don't be afraid of paper!  And feel free to contact me with any questions--I'll try to find the answers!

Studios Around the World

 

Table in Cezanne's studio, Aix-en-Provence

Paul Cezanne, Still Life with Fruit Dish

Faithful readers know that I am fascinated by painters' studios. I suspect that even non-painters share this fascination.  It's especially intriguing to visit "preserved" studios of some of the greats from decades (or centuries!) past. If you know an artist's body of work, seeing his or her studio brings a shock of the familiar. What art lover could possibly visit the studio of Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence (seen above), and not recognize  objects from his wonderful still lifes? 

I'm not the only one fascinated by studios and props.  The photographer Joel Meyerowitz has published an entire book dedicated to close ups of the objects in Cezanne's studio.  And that's not all--he also has a book featuring the objects in Giorgio Morandi's studio in Bologna.  Some day I am going to Bologna  to see the studio in person!

Paul Cezanne, "Still Life with Plaster Cupid"

Not that anybody's going to be writing a book about me anytime soon--but I have my own cherished collection of studio props.  The wonky silver-plate teapot from a Maine flea market, the bulbous vase that's shaped a lot like one Morandi had, and of course a full complement of blue and white Chinese export ginger jars (some authentic, some fake).  It's fun to get to know them all, as I observe them very carefully during painting.

Lesley's Objects

I'm closing with a list of artists' studios I have enjoyed visiting, and some that are on my wish list.  If you share the fascination, check them out below. Even those that are reconstructed (noted below) are very evocative.  Each name below is linked to more detailed info, if you care to click on it. Happy touring!

PARIS:  Alberto Giacometti (reconstruction)

                        Antoine Bourdelle  (original)

                        Jean-Jacques Henner (reconstruction)

BOLOGNA: Giorgio Morandi (original)

MADRID:  Joaquin Sorolla (original)

AMSTERDAM:  Rembrandt (virtual tour here) (reconstruction of interior, in original sturcture)