Color of Music Descriptors: Artists A-J

ROBERTA BARNES
Halsey, Nebraska

Jesu Joy

Oil

When I taught elementary school, I showed the students a wordless picture book by Eric Carle. The story was about a conductor of music shown in black and white. As the images unfolded, ideas of music entered and became different things—the sun, a boat, flowers blooming—everything colorful. As the story ends, the conductor changed. He was now colorful. Music and Art changed his life and change our lives and who we are. They bring joy.

I had a tuba gifted to me years ago, I used it in the classroom for still life. I decided it would be a great place to plant Cosmos flowers, which symbolize order and harmony…also tranquility, peace, love, and beauty. Art and music do all these things. Herein lies the inspiration for this painting. When life seems dismal, the “sound” of art can bring life and beauty to our lives.

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso

MARCIA BAUERLE
Imperial, Nebraska

Circle of Fifths

Acrylic Collage

As a pianist for over 55 years, I’m learning lots since I recently started teaching piano. Knowing the Circle of Fifths (shown partially here) changes the way I approach a musical score, and aids in sharing the language of music with those playing other instruments. This tool shows the relationship among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and associated major and minor keys. It’s called the circle of fifths because of the intervals between each key signature:

Keys of C Major and A Minor, at 12 o’clock on the circle, have no sharps or flats

Keys of G Major and E Minor, at 1:00, have one sharp and are five whole steps up or a “fifth” on a piano from C/Am

Keys of D Major and B Minor, at 2:00, have 2 sharps, are a 5th up from G/Em....

WAVA BEST
North Platte, Nebraska

Rhapsody In Blue

Stoneware/Wall Hanging

The most complex human expression is in Art and Music. A rhapsody in music is a one movement work that is free flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, color, and tonality.

George Gershwin composed “Rhapsody In Blue” in 1924. He wanted to push the limitations of jazz. This music has always intrigued me with its repetitions and tempos. I used clay, glaze, and symbols to enhance the rhythm of color and music in this stoneware piece.

BEN DARLING
Sidney, Nebraska

Winter Solstice 2021, Winter Wakeneth

Oil

Winter solstice on the plains of Nebraska, a time of reflection and optimism, a rhythm of years as well as music. The poem is a medieval English lyric on winter. The first version I heard was sung by Maddy Prior in “The Fabled Hare”. For me, Prior’s setting is what makes the poem.

Wynter wakeneth al my care, (Winter wakens all my cares,)

Nou this leves waxeth bare; (Now these trees are going bare;)

Ofte I sike ant mourne sare (Often I sigh and morn)
When hit cometh in my thoht (When it comes to mind:)
Of this worldes joie, (Of this world’s joys,)
hou hit goth al to noht. (how they all go for naught.)

KAREN DIENSTBIER
Lincoln, Nebraska

Mountain Song

Watercolor

“The mountains are alive with the sound of music!” Yes, it is unabashedly taking almost the exact lyrics of the Julie Andrews song. Sorry, about that. For me, there is something very special about listening to the chirping of birds and the tinkling of a brook and waterfalls in natural places. They create their own symphony of sounds. This is often represented in pieces of music such as Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring. Add to that the roaring sounds vibrating in the mountains with the thunder in late afternoons sounding like the kettle drums and you really do have a full symphony. There are various natural sounds that come to mind when exploring the aspects of the Color of Music. Sometimes it can be a quiet love song or lullaby to nature, and at others the squawking of crows and the bellowing of elk in fall rut. All add to the musical tableau of the mountains. This is, for me a special place.

DEBRA JOY GROESSER
Ralston, Nebraska

Red Hot Blues

Oil on Linen Panel

I’ve always loved watching the lights at concerts and how they coordinate with individual songs and even different parts of the same song…cool blues for slow love songs, hot reds, yellows and oranges for rock and roll, sultry deep reds and purples for jazz. We were at a country/blues concert a couple of years ago and I took several photos of one of the guitarists. The way the red lights lit up his hair and hat along with the bright white/blue lights beneath making beautiful cool rim lighting around his body–a feast of both sight and sound.

JANNA HARSCH
Greenwood, Nebraska

She Wishes

Alkyd on Copper

‘She Wishes’ came together out of several wishes. I’ve always admired how musicians can think in key signature’s, sharps/ flats, intervals, chords- the language of music. The same way that visual artists learn to think in color, texture, line, shape etc. Also, the rhythm of tango music just reaches out and grabs me. Seeing tango dancers makes me want to do that. ‘She Wishes’ is my tribute to the language of, and power of music as it touches each of us.

SUSAN HART
Cozad, Nebraska

A New Path, A New Song

Mixed Media Collage

Music and visual art share many similarities, they both have elements such as composition, harmony, balance, and rhythm to name a few. The artist as well as the musician is interested in creating a mood and use their medium as a form of self-expression. They both represent the way we see, how we feel, what we hear, or experience.

Music for me and many artists is used as a source of inspiration. Music, can affect my painting process, orchestrating my brushes, to use color and line to express how the music makes me feel. The artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) described his paintings as “visual music”, with colors being like sounds. Apply this idea to my painting and what do you hear?

KEN HOSMER
North Platte, Nebraska

Symphonic Connection

Watercolor

This special painting captures the spiritual essence of connection—between musician, instrument, and the rhythmic flow of music.

The shifting passages of watercolor further enhance this sensation.

In this painting, I portray the double bass which is the largest of the string instruments in the symphony orchestra. Its low tones often provide a rhythmic and harmonic foundation which makes the whole orchestra sound richer and more resonant.

BETH JASNOCH
Kearney, Nebraska

Lyrical Cadence

Metal

Plato said: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” One thing is for sure, we all experience art/music in our own way, through our own life-colored lenses…

The curved, free-flowing lines of this sculpture remind me of the treble clef, or maybe a melody floating on the breeze! The silhouette of ‘Oscar’ (sickle from an old hay mower), calls to mind the importance of music in the film industry as well as other ‘visual art’ mediums. A song or a picture from a movie can evoke memories in an instant, seemingly out of nowhere, for no reason. Echoing in your mind it can ripple your world and even paint shadows on your wall!

What colorful tune is playing in your head right now as you enjoy the rhythm of this sculpture?