“Rhapsody” - the first completed painting on canvas with Music Writing.
One of the great things about being an artist is the ability to experiment with new techniques, tools, and materials. When a spark of an idea lights me up it is easy to go with the flow and play with it. I can dive right in to give it my time and attention. Often, a simple action can lead to a whole new creative direction.
That’s exactly what happened in May of 2023. I stumbled upon a new process leading to a journey of playful experimentation, and filling my heart with delight. It all began while drawing to music, directly onto a blank canvas. The objective was to create pencil marks that would express the energy of the music as a foundation for the layers of paint (with the possibility of some marks showing through).
Then a thought occurred to me… what if I tried drawing to the same music, but this time in a sketchbook instead of on canvas? By following that thread of an idea, a whole new technique presented itself. Day after day, page after page, I filled the studio with music and loaded up the sketchbook with a drawing process I refer to as, Music Writing.
Sketchbook page: Day 1 of Music Writing
So, What is Music Writing? While listening to a piece of music, I draw marks to just about every note that’s played as if I’m writing down the music… almost like taking dictation. Over time, and a whole lot of practice, I have found that very specific marks show up again and again. It’s my own musical shorthand. This process has taken me on a passionate journey of merging art with the classical music pieces I treasure most.
“Inspired Expression” painting detail with Music Writing.
I have often thought that in a fantasy other life, I would have enjoyed conducting an orchestra. It seems like the ultimate immersive musical experience, to connect with the energy, power, and beauty of every note. Music Writing magically entered my life, providing a similar connection, one more aligned with who I am and what I do.
A Series in Development… Immersed in this exhilarating new direction, I allowed myself to embrace the experience and creative flow. Exploration and experimentation became my primary focus with the sketchbooks as my playground.
“Fire Dance” painting detail with Music Writing.
As a series began to take shape, Music Writing covered the surface of each canvas for the initial layer, in pencil. This was followed by layers of paint inspired by the same musical composition, and allowing bits of the pencil marks to show through. Once the painting was near completion, a final layer of Music Writing added the finishing touch.
“Symphony of Soul” painting detail with Music Writing.
After completing several paintings, I became curious about how I might incorporate cloth layers alongside the Music Writing. Since then, I have played with a variety of methods for adding cloth… although, recently I have felt a tug to return to the simplicity of using only paint and pencil on canvas.
In upcoming blogposts, I will share how the sketchbook supported me in developing this process, as well as how Music Writing showed up in my other creative projects. It quickly became clear that when any of my artwork lacked Music Writing, it felt incomplete, as if something vital was missing.
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