Music has always played an important role in my life. Over the years, I've been fortunate to know musicians who shared stories from life on the road as they traveled from city to city, carrying their music with them. During my years in photography school—where my art career began—I was introduced to music I probably would never have discovered on my own. Many of those songs still resonate with me today and have become part of the soundtrack of my creative life.
Music carries its own kind of energy and, somehow, that energy finds its way into my paintings. My work is inspired by memory, emotion, and the places I've been, the people I've known, and the seasons of life I've lived through. Nature still holds the starring role, but music is very much a part of the conversation.
Music plays in the studio during every stage of a painting. In the beginning, I tend to gravitate toward upbeat songs that encourage me to paint with adventure—to be intuitive, playful, and willing to take risks. It's often when I stop trying to control the outcome that a painting begins to surprise me. I love that part of the journey.
Eventually, a painting reaches a point where it's time to slow the tempo and bring a bit more discernment to the process. Certain songs stir particular memories—the good and the not-so-good. Stories unfold in my mind and onto the surface of the painting. Brushstrokes become slower and more deliberate. Sometimes a painting comes to a finish at that point, but more often than not, it asks for something else. More energy. More movement. Faster-paced tunes. It's a dance, really, and I've learned to let the music take the lead.
I've put together a few Spotify playlists featuring some of the music that fills my studio while I paint. (See below.) One is a little calmer, another a little edgier. Take a listen and let the music lead you wherever it wants to go.
And then there are the days that don't come easily. The days when I walk into the studio and need a little nudge before I ever pick up a brush. For those mornings, I've created a playlist called In The Studio—songs that help shift my energy and get me moving. Sometimes all it takes is pressing play.
Playlists:
Gettin' In The Groove
The Dance of Creating
The Art of Listening