Friday, May 2, 2014

Music in My Blood

 
 "Instrumental"
11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas
$350

I added a few things to this still life between painting the sketch and the finish. With so many dramatic horizontals in the composition, I needed something to break it up - enter my Chinese Lanterns and a handmade ceramic vase. The sinuous shapes and shiny surfaces of the instruments are so inspiring to me right now, but they aren't exactly organic. I wanted a little organic energy in the larger piece. Just a touch.

You can read about my sketch (on the left, below) - and how I came by these lovely instruments - in my last post.


It's surprising that this is my first instrument-painting-foray. I don't own any instruments, I don't play - or even read - music, but I've been around music my whole life. My father is a professional cellist, and I have good memories of being parked in an opulent concert hall during rehearsals with my sketchbook and pen, and only the distant music and my eight-or-nine-year-old self for company.

When asked why I never started to play, my answer comes pretty readily: I never needed another hobby as a young person. I was drawing and painting all the time! 

I still don't regret not learning to play, but I treasure all my memories of being backstage (and in front of the stage), watching my father play in the orchestra.

2 comments:

Michael William said...

Beautiful job Sarah - I really like this one. The chinese lanterns creating that diagonal to break everything up really make a difference and the final is a definite improvement upon the sketch. Sometimes I wonder if I'm helping myself at all by doing a study before a final still life, and seeing these two together pushes me to believe that they really do contribute to improved piece.

Best,

_Mike

Sarah Sedwick Studio said...

Thank you, Mike! I really appreciate your comment, and love your work as well. - Sarah