So...It Has Begun
Day #3 of the Art Every Day Challenge has continued into Day #4, which is today. Over the past few days I have been multi-tasking—both spending time with a Mandala I am working on trying to finish and slowly uploading some of the CD's from my music collection that never seemed to make it into my 30 GB ipod the first time around. I think in the beginning I had no concept of how much music it would take to actually fill up a 30 GB capacity...which is a lot! I originally selected some of the tried and true CD's and artist's from my collection that I knew that I listened to frequently or that I just could not see living without. Some good ones found there way in there in that first round, but I was to discover there were still some sweet ones left to be savored.Music Moves Me
Over the last two years, I have also downloaded a number of new albums and singles from itunes to add to my ipod collection, but I had never found my way back around to see if there were still any CD's that did not get put on my ipod during my original selection time. I am now reassessing what remaining music I have in my collection and listening, remembering and making selections of those that I might have forgotten and those that still held a special place or memory in my heart. So, while I sipped some green tea...wishing it was wine, but refusing to open a bottle in the middle of the day with still so much to do, I did art and listened to CD's to begin the assessing process. I am still working on the finishing touches of this Mandala which should hopefully round out later this evening after I go to the gym, but here are just a few snapshot details of it's progress from this mornings session. I have a lot of detail work to still add in, but, you can see some of what I am adding to the pastels in the gecko lizard area and the bursts of light rays. While I worked and listened, I came upon some gems of music that I had forgotten were in my collection and I found them to be new "must haves" on my ipod. Some of those included some obscure, but lovely ones such as: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Soundtrack, The Eagles-Desperado, David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars, John Coltrane-Blue Train, Four Bitchin' Babes-Beyond Bitchin', George Benson & Earl Klugh-Collaboration, and even a couple of choice tracks from The Doors-Greatest Hits to get me thinking "way back". I was not old enough to enjoy the original Doors chart releases in the late 60's and early 70's but I came to love them in college. Ah, the memories.
Overall, a nice day...AND it was even productive! What a plus! If you had to pick one or two albums that really made an impact on you or that you remember sticking out from your past, what would those be? Don't be shy...we all have them.
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Music and mandalas are a perfect match. My freshman year in college the album (remember albums?) "Silk Degrees" by Boz Scaggs was the rage in Virginia. Then, when I was living in NYC after college I remember everyone having the album "Aja" by Steely Dan. Are your paintings done with pastels? Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI like the movement and colors in this piece. Looking forward to seeing the whole. I need to create more with music on. I'm curious to see what would emerge.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm inspired to go create some art while listening to some good music! Depeche Mode or Radiohead are two of my favorites. :)
ReplyDeleteWow - the second Bakersfieldien in a row to post to your blog... amazing! Anyway - I saw this quote this morning and looking at your mandalas, these words rose in my soul to greet you and me, your art and your readers, together...“With Pastel you don't have the brush between you and the surface. Your hand is making the picture. It's almost like being a sculptor. You are making the person. It?s very tactile. And lovely because it's very difficult, learning what colours to use together to make shadows and so on? it's wonderful to do, to rub your hand over.”
ReplyDeletePaula Rego
I agree the movement and colours are beautiful and calming. Inspiring for sure!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very insightful measure of who you are underneath as it brings out the clearer you through the expression of motion. I love the colours. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, what a supportive group of artists who are leaving me nice messages. You are all so sweet.
ReplyDeleteExpressive Hart and BakoArtistConnect: I remember those music groups too. I have to say Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs were in my college years too...guess my age is out there now! :) I find it fun to see what kinds of music others enjoy and why. It is interesting how certain songs and lyrics can bring you back to certain memories and emotions so quickly and intensly.
Kathryn, Julie, Laura and Anna: You all seem to be talking about how much you connected with the movement in this piece and how much some of you felt that it revealed to you a part of the essence of who I am. I find that very interesting. I especially like the comparison of pastel to sculpting and the tactile aspects of moving the medium over the paper, creating movement and mood with the colors. I did feel that aspect when I was working on the piece. The piece is called "Fire and Gecko Mandala". While I was creating it I was thinking about the intensity of the fire that burns in the soul and how it sometimes bursts forth in flames and things escape out into the world that might have been held inside and sometimes through that process a "light" can go on that can lead to new opportunities or new ideas about how a persons life can transition or progress toward a more restful and peaceful place once the fires subside.
ReplyDeleteMusic...Jefferson Starship and the Grateful Dead (let's skip the 70's and 80's), to Bobbie McFerrin's Circle Songs, Meredith Monk, Jai Uttal, Dead Can Dance. If I were to listen to music while creating art these would be my choices.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you sorted out my dual personality :)
~Sue
Sue, now those take me back a ways in the old Music catalog...But, I did put some Grateful Dead AND some old Jefferson Airplane/Starship on my ipod when I uploaded all those cd's that last few weeks so there are still some good ones there. Were you a "Dead Head"? Once Grace Slick left, I wasn't as into the "Starship" but she did return for a while somewhere in there I believe. Thanks for sharing!
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