A 500 Year Old Publicity Stunt

Photo (c) Lesley Powell

For a number of years, I was lucky enough to visit Venice every spring. My husband and I used to go at just about this time of year--right before Easter. I love the whole of Venice, which is a visual feast, if ever there was one. Magnificent architecture, charming canals, a sweeping lagoon--and the art! Venetian artists gave a whole new meaning to color. One of my favorites is Jacopo Tintoretto. This year marks the 500th anniversary of Tintoretto's birth. In celebration, the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., is mounting the first ever American retrospective of his work. It opens this week--March 24th, 2019.

Self Portrait
Oil on Canvas
Jacopo Tintoretto, 1547

One of the marvels of Venetian art is how much of it was commissioned for particular spaces in public buildings, and how much of it remains in its original location--hundreds of years later~! Both religious and secular buildings are filled with glorious artwork. As you might imagine, there was fierce

Reflections

"Crazy Reflections"

24 x 18
SOLD

This time, the title of my post ("Reflections") is not about my thoughts, but instead about my subject matter. I have been fortunate to spend a great deal of time in Venice, and have always been fascinated by the undulating images reflected in the waters there. The way that the palazzos rise directly out of the water creates reflections that are unrivaled by any others. Not a thing to be missed! 

"Crazy Reflections II'

24 x 30

As the art historian Paul Hills writes in his book Venetian Colour (p. 9):

On clear days, the water appears glassy,

reflecting either the blue sky or the ochres, peach and rust reds

of plastered walls.

The surface is laced with small ovals,

interlocking, rocking, molten, mercurial,

shimmering in their alteration of brilliant sky blue

and intense hues of orange.

Keeping an Open Mind

 "Water's Edge"  

24 x 30  

Oil on Canvas

This is a large painting that I recently completed in my studio. I worked from a small plein air canvas (pictured below) that I painted on location, as well as a reference photo and a sketch that I did on location. The plein air painting was done in the late afternoon, standing on the edge of a large body of water.  I went there with a very specific plan in mind, aiming to paint the lovely church that stands on the opposite side of the water. However, when I arrived at my painting location and looked around, I saw this beautiful vista on my right. I loved the sweep of the waves and the curve of the land, and the way both elements drew the eye to the church dome and little garden at the end of the stretch. So...my original plan went right out the window, and I painted the scene you see here. I have learned that when something sparks your interest like this, you should go with it! You can learn more about this painting here.

The small plein air painting appears below. I used it as a color guide and inspiration for my studio work. It's impossible to see true color relationships from a photograph, and so I find the process of doing a study on location to be invaluable.

"Guidecca Afternoon"  

8 x 10  

Oil on Linen Panel