Painting & music

SB Wang · 02-02-2004, 02:05 PM

Painting and music are sisters, although both has close friend: architecture is called fixed music; painting is closely related with poetry.

Wayne McMichael · 02-02-2004, 08:03 PM

A man after my own heart. Music is art. There are so many analogies, harmony, composition, passion, contrast, tension, resolve, theme, we all appreciate harmony in visual art but our art should have a melody as well. Music is my first love, my passion, painting is just easy.

I'm glad I can make money with my art and use my music to express my love, fear, desire, pain and joy. Music is a spontaneous art form. I tend to lean toward soulful, creative things. Juggling may make me smile, but when I see an artist pouring his soul into his art, it evokes a deeper emotion, even if it's not entertaining.

I think it's the soul connection that separates art from entertainment. Art, music, poetry spring from the soul like a fountain of emotion. When I play, I imagine I'm painting sound, a sonic artist. I could go on for hours about this.

Nothing helps my visual composition any more than music. Visual art is the oldest record we have of human thought, dated at over 70,000 years. It is a window to the soul and an outlet for chasing away our ghosts, retrieving our shadow, our baggage. It is the first thing we need in our schools and the last thing we should discard from it.

If culture could learn to express our fears, anger, love through art, music, poetry, we would all be the better for it. It might have the power to stop a war. Artistic expression (art, music, poetry) not only is evidence of human thought, it inspires, encourages human thought, it enlightens those who feel its passion, experience its uniqueness, and enlightened people create a better world around them and society benefits from it. Nothing is more important.

The creation process is responsible for everything else. Art is greater than science, science is greater than philosophy and philosophy is greater than opinion. Want a better life?... then recreate your self by creating your environment around you. Be art, do art, love art, free the artist.

Henry Wienhold · 02-03-2004, 01:22 AM

I often listen to music while I paint, I like some classical, folk and rock music.

The music I listen to and enjoy the most while painting is the stuff I loved as a kid. I still listen to the Beatles and Paul McCartney. The Beatles really produced some quality music, for me their songs never get old.

Linda Brandon · 02-03-2004, 10:40 AM

Wayne,

That was beautifully written. Thank you.

SB,

Since I'm guilty of posting a lot of poetry on this Forum, I appreciate your comments.

Marvin Mattelson · 02-03-2004, 11:51 AM

The most pleasureable part of painting for me is the wonderful music I listen to while I paint. I used to play fingerstyle guitar but realized that it was taking me away from my easel and if I wanted to be serious about one or the other I would have to make a choice.

Being that I am more naturally suited for painting I chose art. Now I have the best of both possible worlds. I listen to Leo Kottke and Bill Mize.

I have always enjoyed having music as my muse. Thirty years plus ago, when I first came to NY to start my career as an illustrator, I finagled my way into seeing Frank Zappa backstage at Carnagie Hall so I could show him my drawings between performances.

While he and his bandmates passed my drawings around, I mentioned that I was playing his album "Hot Rats" continuously while I worked on my illustrations. His reply was, "It's a great honor to be the wallpaper behind your creativity."

Since then I've always considered the music I play to be an integril part of my art. That night he comissioned me to do an album cover for him, "Waka/jawaka" sometimes refered to as "Hot Rats II"

SB Wang · 02-03-2004, 01:30 PM

Music, muse, amusement,... it seems music is more related to emotional mood, more powerful than a painting. When we recall a past time, it is the song or music of that time firstly enter our mind, less likely a painting. Music cures, painting too, maybe not portrait painting for the struggling artists. Why paint, just a word play, is similar to the word--pain? To be relieved from pain, we painters need music.

When besieged for three years, heroic Leningrad residents could live with little food but not without music.
When Sargent paints, he hums; when he takes a break, he plays piano.
A Chinese artist creates a lyric for his painting, for which to be imbued with the music.

Michele Rushworth · 02-03-2004, 02:46 PM

In the immortal words of Ziggy Marley, "When the lights gone out, and the food run out, all we have is the music."

Wayne McMichael · 02-03-2004, 09:22 PM

Hi Henry, I have Dish satellite with all the music channels. It

Julie Deane · 02-04-2004, 04:41 PM

Hi -

For myself, I can't work with music going on in the background. I seem to have an orchestra playing in my mind already and it won't brook competition!

Jean Kelly · 02-05-2004, 01:09 AM

Every person I paint seems to have their own music. Some have been Debussy, Robert Randolph and the Family Band (sacred steel), John Lange, Hot Tuna, Willy Nelson, Ravel, Janis Joplin, Native American flute etc. My current one, "Steve" is mainly Leo Kottke. I can go on and on, but the point is that I must have music when I paint. It is as necessary as the air I breathe.

Jean