Strolling in Sonoma

"Cottage Garden"
14 x 14, Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2016
(Available)

I have recently been working on a new series of paintings, inspired by the sidewalks of Sonoma. During my recent visit, I was enthralled by the beautiful gardens there. Strolling along the sidewalks was a feast for the senses, with a profusion of colorful flowers. Some of my favorites were picket fenced yards with flowers spilling out. I made a few color notes, sketches, and photographs, and have been reliving the scenes back in my studio. My goal

Happy Fourth of July!

"The Fourth of July, 1916"
Childe Hassam

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY
AND THOSE WHO FOUNDED

OUR GREAT NATION!

Quoting John Adams: "I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."

I am republishing this post from 2014, because it's just such a grand sentiment for the Fourth of July. Wishing you all a festive Independence Day!

A Bunch of Bull

Lithographs by Pablo Picasso

Faithful readers know that I am always striving for simplification in my paintings--elimination of unnecessary detail in order to portray the real gist of the subject. I also call it "leaving something to the imagination".  I have recently been studying a fine example of simplification from the great Pablo Picasso. He made a series of lithographs of bulls, starting