Open Studio!

Photo courtesy NY Times

It's that time of year again--my studio building is hosting its Spring Open House. Join us at Dilworth Artisan Station, this coming Friday, May 3rd, from 6 to 9 PM. Over twenty artists will hold their studios open to the public. It's a great opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes, see what's fresh off the easel, and meet the painters themselves. 

Lesley in her studio...

I'm reprinting below parts of an excellent article from the New York Times about collecting art. (Thank you William Grimes and Robin Pogrebin!). This excerpt discusses how to take advantage of Open Studios. Hope you'll enjoy it, and please come on down on Friday the 3rd! Details here.

Some of my still life props--lots of pieces of fabric!

KNOCK KNOCK! Open studios are annual events in art districts. Individual artists, or buildings housing multiple artists’ studios, join forces and hold an open house for a weekend, with maps and websites to aid navigation.

ENGAGE. The point of an open studio is to let the public see work outside the gallery system and promote dialogue. This is your chance to get the inside scoop on the art and the artist behind it.

"Beakers with Azaleas"
20 x 10, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2019

EDUCATE YOUR EYE.  Go see as much as you can--at galleries, museums and art fairs and by trolling online. The more art you see, the more you will develop clear judgement  Knowledge can  help put things in context, but expertise isn't a prerequisite. 

GET WHAT YOU LOVE.  All sorts of people will give all sorts of advice about what to buy and when and where to buy it. But the bottom line is, you have to live with the painting or sculpture or installation, so you should like what it looks like, how it feels to have it in your home. 

“Buy fewer, better works of art. Buy the best you can afford. Take your time. There is no art emergency.” — Liz Klein (art adviser)

Reprising the SMALL GEMS SALE

A patient supported by Arts for Life

Good News: I'm bringing back the Small Gems Benefit Sale! I have not held the sale for a few years, so it's fun to start afresh. This year, the Gems will take you on a journey of the places I've been and the things I've seen over the past year. And I am donating ALL--yes ALL, 100%--of the proceeds to Arts for Life. Nothing makes a house a home like original art--and the Gems benefit a special cause, so it's a win-win.

My personal experience working on art projects with a young cancer patient has left a lasting mark on me, so I am especially thrilled to serve on the Board of Arts for Life. Our mission is to bring the arts to kids in the hospital. We let young patients forget their fears for a few moments. Instead

'Tis the Season!

"Les Astiers"
Oil on Linen, 8 x 16
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
Available at Dilworth Artisan Station Holiday Open House

Hard as it may be to believe, the holiday season is nigh! Like everybody else, art galleries and painters have their own rituals of the season. One of the rituals is the "small works" show -- a collection designed to showcase paintings that are small enough to fit under the Christmas tree, and affordable enough for gift-giving. After all, who wouldn't love a gift of art??

"Cyclamen, Winter"
8 x 8, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell
Available at Dilworth Artisan Station Holiday Open House

Galleries often send out a call for small works as early as August or September. The early call gives painters time to plan and execute paintings that fit the bill. Many painters work in a very large scale, so producing small works is a diversion for them, something they do especially for the holidays. Some painters even paint Christmas-themed paintings just for these shows. 

"Fresh Mown Fields"
Oil on Linen, 8 x 16
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
Available at Huff Harrington

Lucky for me at this time of year, I often paint in a smaller format. As a result, I have plenty of paintings to consider for these events. And all of them have been created in the course of my ongoing approach to painting, throughout the year. I am illustrating this post with some of them.

"Gerbera and Lemon"
12 x 9, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018
(SOLD)

If you'd like to see Small Works shows in person, here are a few that will include my paintings. The dates are for the opening receptions, which will feature yummy food and drinks. It's a fun way to kick off the holiday season! The shows themselves will be hanging for most of December. Click the links below for more details. Enjoy!

"Little Jewels"

Huff Harrington Fine Art

Atlanta

Reception: Saturday, December 1st, 10 AM to 5 PM

"Small Works Show"

Shain Gallery

Charlotte, NC

Reception: Friday, December 7th, 6 to 8 PM

"Holiday Open House"

Dilworth Artisan Station

Charlotte, NC

Reception: Friday, December 7th, 6 to 9 PM

Coming Attraction

I'm excited to be the guest of The Gardener's Cottage in Asheville, NC, for a special event--one week from today.  On October 18, the shop will host an "Art in the Garden" reception, and I will be the featured artist.  Can't wait to come to Asheville and share my newest paintings! Some of them were painted on location in Asheville, specially in anticipation of this show.

"Distant Peaks"
Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2018

The main event will run from 5 pm to 7 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2018. It will be at The Gardener's Cottage, in historic Biltmore Village, at 34 All Souls Crescent, Asheville, NC. If you can't make it that evening, many of my new

Jump Start the Holidays!

'Tis the Season! JOIN ME AT OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION Friday, December 2nd, 2016 6 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, December 3rd, 2016, 10 am to 2 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Third Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's South End Above: "Village in the Vaucluse", 12 x 18, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016. Come be Jolly!! The halls will be decked when I co-host the Holiday Open House at Dilworth Artisan Station, the first weekend in December. More than twenty-five artists will open our studios for the event. Here's who we are. Whether you enjoy art that is abstract or realistic, flamboyant or quiet, large or small--we have it all! NEW THIS YEAR: Most of us will also be open on Saturday, December 3rd, from 10 am to 2 pm. So if you can't make it Friday night, all is not lost! Take advantage of Saturday for a stroll through the studios. Friday night will feature live music, beverages and nibbles. Saturday promises to be more sedate, but I will have tea and cookies, and good conversation. Come, bring a friend, and get into the holiday spirit! Above: "Harmony in Yellow", 16 x 20, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016

Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. Or be adventuresome and take the light rail. I hope to see you Friday night or Saturday--or both! Above: "Straightaway", 7 x 14, oil on linen, (c) Lesley Powell 2016. See more paintings on my website, Lesley Powell Art

Diebenkorn/Matisse

Left: Diebenkorn, Untitled (Ocean Park), 1971
Right: Matisse, View of Notre Dame, 1914

Great news! While researching Richard Deibenkorn for a recent post, I learned that there will be a major exhibit coming soon to both coasts of the US. It will show works of Diebenkorn alongside those of  the great French painter Henri Matisse. Much has been written about the influence of Matisse on Diebenkorn. It will be so exciting to see their work hanging together, and to look for the connections and inspirations running between them!

"Studio: Quai St. Michel"
Henri Matisse, 1916

Diebenkorn first encountered the work of Matisse in the early 1940's, when he was in the military. While stationed at Quantico, Diebenkorn visited the Philips Collection in Washington, D.C., where he saw Maitisse's "Studio, Quai St. Michel" (above). Diebenkorn later said that he was quite stuck by this painting, especially by the sense of space it created. He was also intrigued by the problem of representing both interior and exterior light in the same painting. This inside/outside approach was something that Diebenkorn would return to time and time again. Here's one example:

"Interior with Doorway"
70 3/8 x 59 1/2, Oil on Canvas
Richard Diebenkorn, 1962

Diebenkorn studied Matisse throughout his career. I have read that seeing Matisse's  "French Window at Collioure" (below) must have been an epiphany for Diebenkorn. They say that that this Matisse painting was a touchstone for for Diebenkorn's wonderful and extensive series of Ocean Park paintings.  

"French Window at Collioure"
Henri Matisse, 1914

"Ocean Park #79"
Oil on Canvas
Richard Diebenkorn, 1975

The curators of this new exhibit had access to Diebenkorn's own collection of books on Matisse--wouldn't you love to see and touch those? I wonder if he scribbled notes in them, or made sketches. Maybe I will find out, because I really hope to see this exhibit. Mark your calendars: it will be at the Baltimore Museum of Art from October 23, 2016 to January 29, 2017, and at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from March 11, 2017 to May 29, 2017.

You're Invited!

O faithful readers in the Charlotte area---come on down on May 6 for our Spring Open House~! I'd love for you to see my newest paintings in person!  Details below.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR OUR SPRING OPEN HOUSE DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION Friday, May 6th, 2016 6 pm to 9 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Top Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's South End Spring has sprung, and the artists of Dilworth Artisan Station are opening their studio doors for an Open House. This only happens twice a year! I am co-hosting this year's event, with more than twenty-five artists participating. Here's who we are. Whether you enjoy art that is abstract or realistic, flamboyant or quiet, large or small--we have it all! This time we are featuring a special bonus. Most studios (including mine) will showcase selected works that are priced at especially affordable levels. Perfect for the starting collector, or even for gift-giving.  Live music, beverages and nibbles--come, and bring a friend And there's an elevator operator to bring you right up to the third floor!

Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. Or be adventuresome and take the light rail! If you can't make it on May 6th, I am open any time by appointment. Just shoot me an email, or phone me at 704.609.0782 to set something up. I would love to see you!

Copyright © 2016 Lesley Powell Art, All rights reserved.

Art of the Garden

"Woman Reading by a Window"
Gari Melchers

Showing now at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC: a wonderful exhibit entitled "The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 2887 - 1920". I saw the exhibit recently, and felt like I had made the acquaintance of some artists who were new to me, and had also visited with some artists who are "old friends". 

"Garden at Giverny"
John Leslie Breck, 1887-1891

Starting in the 1880's, quite a few American painters travelled to France. They were drawn to Giverny, Monet's home and gardens. Many of them became neighbors of Monet and painted right alongside him. The influence of the French Impressionists on these American painters is unmistakeable. Thanks to the recent invention of the paint tube, they were able to paint outside. In fact, Breck's painting above was painting in Monet's garden. No longer  confined to the studio, these artists were intent on

You're Invited~

Jump Start the Season! JOIN ME AT OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION Friday, December 4th, 2015 6 pm to 9 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Third Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's South End Greetings, Friends. I am co-hosting this year's Holiday Open House at Dilworth Artisan Station. More than twenty-five artists will open our studios for the evening. Here's who we are. Whether you enjoy art that is abstract or realistic, flamboyant or quiet, large or small--we have it all! Among other new paintings, my SMALL GEMS collection will be available. Proceeds from the Gems benefit Arts for Life, bringing the arts to children in the hospital. We will have live music, beverages and nibbles. Come, bring a friend, and get into the holiday spirit! Click on the title to learn more about either painting above: "Beach Shack" or "Land's End, Reflections". Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. If you can't make it Friday night, I will also be open on Saturday, December 5, from 10 am until 12:30 pm. Would love to see you! Above: "Roman Way". See more paintings on my website, Lesley Powell Art Copyright © 2015 Lesley Powell Art, All rights reserved.

Flower Power

"Lilacs in a Window"
Mary Cassatt, 1879

Up now at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond: "Van Gogh, Manet,and Matisse: The Art of the Flower". I recently saw the exhibit, and was impressed with its breadth. There were masterworks from museums such as the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It's definitely worth a detour to catch this one. One might ask, "How many pictures of flowers can a person look at in one show??". No problem for me--the subject matter is not so important, because

You're Invited!

Please join me for this annual event!

DILWORTH ARTISAN STATION SPRING OPEN HOUSE Friday, May 1st, 2015 6 pm to 9 pm Lesley Powell Art Find me on the Third Floor--Studio #35 118 E. Kingston Avenue, in Charlotte's SouthEnd Please join us! I am co-hosting the Spring Open House at the Dilworth Artisan Station. More than twenty five artists will open our studios for this special event. It's a great opportunity to meet the artists, peek behind the scenes, and see all the latest work coming off our easels. New paintings available for sale. Live music. Beverages and nibbles. What's not to love?? Bring a friend and make a night of it!

Where to Park? The lot beside our building; spaces on the street; and in the overflow parking deck behind Carrabba's restaurant. If you can't make it Friday night, I will also be open on Saturday, May 2, from 10 am until 12:30 pm. Would love to see you! See more paintings on my website, Lesley Powell Art

Copyright © 2015 Lesley Powell Art, All rights reserved.

Holiday Open House: December 5th

An invitation to a night of art and fun in Charlotte's historic SouthEnd. I am co-hosting, along with twenty-some other artists in my building. Lots of holiday cheer! Hope to see you there! 

Dilworth Artisan Station Holiday Open House Friday, Dec. 5,  6-9 p.m. What: 28 artists and other businesses open their doors. Beautiful artwork in a variety of styles and prices will be available. Enjoy wine, music and more. Where: Dilworth Artisan Station,118 E. Kingston Ave. in SouthEnd. Parking: Lot beside the building, spaces on street and in overflow lot behind Carrabba's. Or use LYNX Bland Street Station. Make a night of it!: Our open house is part of the SouthEnd Gallery Crawl. With one stop you can visit many art venues, restaurants and night spots. These studios and businesses will be open Ada Shapiro - Alla Ostrovsky - Ann Conrad Anne Neilson Fine Art - Belgrave Associates - Bob Brooks Caroline Hall - Crossland Studio - Fryday & Doyne - Hodges Taylor Art Consultancy -Holt McLean -  Holt School of Fine Art - Janet Lasher  Jeff Cravotta - Jim Shannonhouse - Juliann Bannon  Kate Stewart - Kim Gibbs  Leonor Demori - Lesley Powell - Lita Gatlin  Miriam Durkin - Pamela Freeman - Pamela Winegard - Paul Hastings  Sandvi Studio - Scott Miller Associates - Sharon Hockfield   Terri Otten - Terry Thirion Copyright © 2014  Dilworth Artisan Station