100 Day Project: Music Writing in Sketchbook
The sketchbook has played various roles in my life over the years. On some days it would hold thumbnail ideas, lists of materials and techniques to explore, or creative brainstorms. On others, it acted more as a journal, holding space for deep emotional sharing. However, it had never played an intricate part in my artistic process… until the day I found myself Music Writing.
Music Writing on painted sketchbook page
Suddenly, the sketchbook pages became the space for fully immersing myself in the new process. It was on a sketchbook page that I first stumbled upon the Music Writing. After that, I filled page after page with this new manner of mark making.
I started with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, repeating it’s musical passages over and over, observing any similarities in the marks created with each repetition. I was enthralled by the process and fell in love with what I saw and experienced on every page. The process of combining art with my most cherished pieces of music, left me entranced.
Music Writing sketchbook page with paint and collage
The Music Writing was primarily developed in my sketchbooks. They became the stage for exploring, experimenting, and playing with different pieces of music, painted backgrounds, and collaged elements. Before filling a canvas with the marks related to any piece of music, I would first create a trial run on a sketchbook page (or pages). This allowed me to view how the marks might appear and the opportunity to experience the movement of my pencil in hand in response to the notes of the music.
For the first time, the sketchbook truly became my creative playground.
You may also be interested in:
Music Writing: a Process in Progress
Power of Inspiration: How Music Fuels My Art