I've already mentioned that music is visual for me, which includes all music, regardless of style. Some may be wondering why I chose Hard Rock and Heavy Metal to be my artistic muse. To understand that you have to look back at a shy 12 year old girl who hears two pieces of music for the first time. The first was Pink Floyd's “The Wall” and the second was Deep Purple's “Smoke On The Water.” They were a revelation for me because the were so different from either the top forty music or the country music I was used to hearing.
I would spend my teens exploring various parts of the Rock N Roll landscape, discovering Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Cyndi Lauper, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and many others. I listen to a wide variety of music but as I got out of my teens I drawn strongest to the harder edge of the Rock spectrum. So when I went looking for new inspiration for my art, it was natural to turn to my Hard Rock and Metal.
When I create a piece of art, I try to do it in one sitting. I pick an album and artist randomly and see what images come into my head. I don't analyze them at all, but instead try and put them directly on paper as they are. Its a form of visual free association. If a painting takes longer than the album, I goto another album by the same artist. I have found that Hard Rock and Metal give me the most vibrant patterns and interesting colors combinations.
After I'm done, I'm often surprised by how placid some of my painting look. Metal is associated with images of skulls and fire and epic battles between demons. My mind seems drawn to more abstract patterns and flashes of colors.
I can't say how long I'll keep on using this approach. I plan to continue painting and follow this wherever it leads.
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