On the Street

In addition to the Drawn to Music Project, I have been inspired by musicians performing on street corners, parks, and various public spaces.  They pop open a guitar case, plug into a portable amp, or just raise their voice above the din of the world.  I feel a connection to these artists. Some even find a way to the spotlight and fortunes of pop culture.  Mellissa Etheridge performed on some of the street corners and subways in Boston where I found a new generation of musicians drawing attention and even crowds.  Here are a few of the paintings inspired by those street savvy performers.

The Drawn to Music Project

is a developing collection of works inspired by performances that take place within the city of Fall River, Ma. (Including the Narrows Center for the Arts). The work is intended to express the essence of music.  It is not intended to be portraits of performers, but rather an attempt to capture the feeling of a song, the movement of rhythm, or the simple energy of a riff.  The effort is to translate the sounds that are the structure of song to the structure of visual interpretations of song.

     Included here are a series of snap studies, 5x7 preliminary oils, Graphite drawings, and a collection of 16x20 oils. The 16x20 oils make up the grant funded portion of this project.

As of September 1, 2014 the grant portion of this project is complete.  The Idea itself continues to live and develop. There will be more of this work as it will continue to be an ongoing collection.

     This project is supported in part by a grant from the Fall River Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.