A set of monochromatic illustrations to The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky from the late 1930s incorporate a greater sense of narrative than many of Neel's other compositions and show the actors at various key stages of the existential drama; her own life is referenced in often richly colored,
quotidian scenes depicting herself in the company of her lovers.
While some of Powers» work sees the artist acting as a deft conductor of art historical moments set on a stage of the artist's making, another concurrent body of work sees the artist painting
quotidian scenes that
depict the places and people that surround the artist: most notably his wife and new baby, and the garden that lies out the door of their San Francisco apartment.