The essence of these paintings is motion, the force that brings light out of dark and substance out of void, the ultimate drama. Arts Magazine, September 1958.
Looking to continue the thoughts and process of Untitled 0.23, this piece flowed and developed in a very interesting way.
What was wonderful about this commissioned piece was that the client wanted a painting based off of a song. But not the music and composition; he wanted a painting based off of the song’s lyrics.
When we spoke about this piece and his instructions were simple and direct:
And the song lyric I want you to paint is…
Those you’ve known
And lost, still walk behind you
All alone
They linger till they find youWithout them
The world grows dark around you
And nothing is the same until you know that they have found youThose you’ve pained
May carry that still with them
All the same
They whisper: ‘All forgiven.’Still your heart says
The shadows bring the starlight
And everything you’ve ever been is still there in the dark nightThough you know
You’ve left them far behind
You walk on by yourself, and not with themStill you know
They fill your heart and mind
When they say there’s a way through this— Steven Sater
(from Spring Awakening)
This assignment was an amazing challenge! The basis of my art is deeply rooted in the emotional connection to the piece and here was an obviously emotional and personal song that needed to be translated to the canvas.
Those that know me, realize that music is a huge part of my life so this was a welcomed assignment. This song was deeply personal and important to the client, and I felt a huge sense of responsibility to truly connect to these words… it wasn’t hard.
I didn’t know this song and made the decision to not listen to the song. I didn’t want to be swayed if I “liked it” or not. I wanted to focus solely on the lyrics. The meaning. The connection I had to them.
To say the least… these lyrics were very emotional to me and I began my work. Composition in mind…
Happy. Joyful. Engaged.
art by ktoddstorch 