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Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) Celebration Project

While listening to the Carmina Burana Suite during the earth harp concert at the New Year's Eve DSSO concert, various images went through my mind. There were the lights, the conductor, the musicians, and the hard work put out by the harp player. You could even feel the sound. How was I going to express the feeling in a painting??

While visiting a  friend, I happened to be looking through an art book and noticed a paining that caught my eye. That was it! Something in the painting touched me.

Forest interior, by Gustav Klimt

The copy of the painting in the book inspired me to explore ideas for what was to be the  largest painting in the series so far.

Carmina Burana Suite

pastel

10x14

Carmina Burana Suite mini

pastel with gold

4x6

Listen to a selection from the performance from a concert recorded in 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sfOh738KwU

What do you "see"?

Flowering Hillside

There are certain places that just beg to be painted over and over.  I visited such a park with some painting friends.

There is always the preliminary walk-about, looking for the best spot, then the set up of easels and supplies. 

This day was not too hot, so I didn't need to hide myself in the shade. I chose a spot at the base of a hill.

 I had painted this view before, in pastel. This time I wanted to try oil paint. The clouds were moving quickly that day, so I did two paintings!

Touched by Gold (top)

Time to Dream (bottom)

Each are 6x8, oil

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) Celebration Project

Two former posts demonstrated the creation of paintings inspired by the Earth Harp performance at the New Year's Eve 2013 performance, and the refrain, "Over the Lake."
As I listened to the Carmina Burana Suite performed on the Earth Harp, the vision of a dense  stand of trees echoed in my mind's eye.

The first painting to come from that inspiration was created while I was at this year's Winter Camp. Winter camp is a plein air painting event that's part of the Grand Marais Winter Festival. Artists gather at a wilderness camp, not accessible by road, and paint, outside, for up to a week. We haul our camping and painting gear across frozen West Bearskin Lake to beautiful Camp Menogyn. Happily there was plenty of snow for our paintings. And so much beauty and quiet. 

Into the Light

pastel

8x10

Art lessons from a Master Painter - James Whistler Real Thing

When in Chicago, I make it a point to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. It is fabulous, but more about that in another blog!

There is nothing like seeing your favorite paintings in life, they are so much more beautiful than even the finest reproduction. There are my favorites I always look for, and I always see something new. Back in August 2011 I posted about being inspired by a photo of a painting. What a surprise I had when I saw the painting in the museum!



Check out the old post to see the painting and the process. My final painting was an award winner at the competition it was in, and was purchased.

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) Celebration Project

"Over the Lake" was a refrain during one of the first songs performed during the New Year's Eve Concert with the DSSO. My first painting for the Music Conductor Artistic Expression Celebration Project was inspired by that music and refrain. When I finished the painting, I felt like I needed to do another....and then....another. 

These were to be in pastel. I keep an assortment of pastels at my easel. I have hundreds in my main inventory, but to keep color harmony under control, I use a limited selection chosen for the particular painting. 

Each painting begins with a rough-in. Sometimes the rough-in resembles the finished piece, and sometimes it doesn't. Here I used the undertones of the sky and water first, so they would glow through in the finished paintings. 

I could do more, but I there were other songs to be inspired by!

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) Celebration Project

The DSSO is not just for listening to any more! Now you will be able to see the music!

The DSSO has launched the Music Conductor Artistic Expression Celebration Project.  Visual artists and poets have been asked to create work interpreting conductors Mr. Thakar or Mr. Meyer at work. The finished work will benefit the DSSO on various levels. I am happy to announce that I am a part of it.

The first concert I attended with the project in mind was the spectacular Earth Harp performance with William Close and MASS Ensemble. Immediately, images flashed though my mind! There was the conductor, the lights, the graceful strength of the harp, and the sound all around. The challenge was set.

 One of the first songs had a refrain "over the lake." That's what I decided was my inspiration.  In the studio I began by working my ideas in a sketch book. An image of the sun through the clouds seemed to express the feeling of the music during the concert.

It was planned to be an oil painting, so I selected a painting panel and laid out my oil paints. I don't paint with brushes, but with painting knives.  Laying on the paint with a knife is like putting the frosting on a cake!

                                                       "Over the Lake"  oil
                                                                    6 x 8 in.