Memories of Paris

"Distant Pantheon"
30 x 24, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

It's been a while since I posted about the new work on my easel. Time to remedy that! Most recently, I have been working on a new series of paintings based on my time in Paris last fall. I am working from sketches I did on location, as well as from notes I took on site. I have also used reference photos I shot at the time. Granted, a photo doesn't give me the same information that "being there" does, but it helps fill in the gaps when I get home.

"Pont Neuf, Toward Place Dauphine"
18 x 18, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

This trip, I stayed in a new location: the Ile St. Louis. I had never stayed there before, and found it to be wonderfully convenient to all of Paris. Best of all, several of my favorite

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

A Geometry Lesson

Image by Martin Gommell

I have been using the "Rule of Thirds" for decades--ever since I took photography lessons as a college student. What, you may ask, is the "Rule of Thirds"? Explained simply on the PhotographyMad website, "The rule of thirds involves mentally dividing up your image using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. You then position the important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet."

There is a lot of research on this, but the bottom line (ha!, pun intended) is that the "thirds" distribution of shapes is believed by many to be the most pleasing to the human eye.

(c) Anne Blair Brown

Anne Blair Brown recently wrote an interesting post for the Oil Painters of America blog, talking about the Rule of Thirds. She gave an illustration(above) using one of her

Bridging the Seine

"Bridging the Seine"
12 x 18, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

I don't mind admitting it: I have a fascination with the bridges of Paris. It all started in 2013, when I spent a month in Paris, and had the opportunity to paint on location along the banks of the Seine. What a treat! I did plenty of sketching there, and took a number of reference photos to bring home for future inspiration. 

"Sun on Pont Neuf"
10 x 20, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
SOLD

Did you know that there are twenty three bridges across the Seine, just in the short stretch between the Ile St. Louis and the Eiffel Tower? To me, each bridge seems to have its own

All Roads Lead to Rome

Pont Julien (photo (c) Lesley Powell)

I wrote in my last post about how the Romans left a lasting mark on the landscape of Provence. It seems that I can't get away from the Roman theme--this time I am writing about the stone bridge called "Pont Julien", which was built by the Romans. It is between modern day Bonnieux and Roussillon. Maggie Siner took our workshop group there to paint last month, and I was astonished by the variety and beauty of the paintings that resulted.

"Pont Julien"
Oil on Canvas, 11 x 18
(c) Lesley Powell, 2015

Pont Julien is an exquisite bridge that dates from 3 BC. It was built by order of Julius Caesar, after whom it is named. The bridge has a series of perfectly proportioned arches, and is made of limestone taken from the surrounding hills. Thanks to the marvels of Roman engineering, the stones were set so perfectly that no mortar was required. The bridge carried automobiles until just a few years ago--which makes for two thousand years of continuous use. About this time we are all thinking the same thing:

Bridges of Paris

"Overlooking the Seine"
9 x 14, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell
SOLD

Lately I have been working on a series of paintings featuring my favorite bridges in Paris. It seems that each bridge has its own personality. As I work, I have been thinking of this admonition, which has been shared with me by painters I admire: