Show Me The Art

I've shared pretty extensively about life in general...family, ah-ha moments, blessings and perspectives. So it was brought to my attention that with all this new found blog-thusiasm, I may have omitted a significant element. Thank you, kind family and fellow bloggers who politely noted...there is NO art on this site. After all, this is a blog about art and life. Hmmmm....this could be a problem!

Struggling with where to begin (a recurring theme in my life), it seemed choosing a piece interpreting the primary underlying theme of life might be a good start. But let me preface with my method before I present my first piece for a blog world critique.   A passion that has recently reignited for me as an artist is the desire to see music on canvas. To paint the kinds of songs I hear, the rhythm lines and of color that goes with the message in a song. I did quite extensive research on this in college and find it fascinating. Painting to music. Could it be considered an illustration? Perhaps synesthesia? Just an abnormal obsession with Wassily Kandinsky? Maybe all of the above and then some!

A discussion this weekend left me wondering the “How do we keep God front and center?” and “What is my purpose in this world?” kinds of questions. Surely, I want to honor God and live this awesome abundant life He promises. But… how? The answer is both simple and difficult. By approaching EVERYTHING you do as an act of worship to God. That’s it. That’s the real deal to keep the ball rolling, the smiles sailing and the sun shining.  Do you ever hear something you already knew, but somehow stored into some “don’t-throw-away-because-I-might-need-this-later” folder in your memory? That’s how I felt in this conversation I was participating in. I felt like I was being reminded to breathe.

So, earlier this year, the musician Steven Curtis Chapman came out with a catchy little tune called “Do Everything.” I claim no rights to the song other than having purchased the cd and listened to it about a hundred times, because it seemed to be my life song at that moment. To paint it meant sitting with repeat on the audio, and turning up the sounds so loud you could feel it in your bones. What unfolded as I brought brush to paint tickled me, and I hope it does for you too. I like fun in art, so this is my semi-primitive interpretation of Do Everything.  Using the imagery of Kokopelli as symbolism for productivity in life and tying in some Hopi Indian and African influences, these fun figures frolicked onto my canvas. I hope they bring you smiles. Check out the song while you are looking at it. And think about the big question…what drives your everything?