Painting To Rain

Wassily Kandinsky, Landscape with Rain, 1913

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my friend Evan about painting to music. He said he likes to paint to meditation music. I regularly meditate to music but have not listened to that music while painting.

One of my favorites is an album with only one song that is 55 minutes long. It is music to the rain...

I wonder while listening if I would be tempted to paint rain. I love this abstract piece by Kandinsky. What would your painting of rain look like?

Here are a few more artists' take on rain...

Edward Munch, Karl Johan in the Rain, 1891

Krishna Protects Gopis from the Rain, 18th century

J. M. W. Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed

Vincent van Gogh, Rain, 1889

Edgar Degas, Jockeys in the Rain, 1886

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Umbrellas, 1881-86

Do You Listen to Music While You Paint?

 

Almost all of my artist friends say they listen to music while they paint. I never have. I kind of like the silence of painting in my garden. However I am just beginning to try it to see how it changes my experience and paintings.

Here are two playlists I have gathered...

Quiet Painting Music

Paint the Sky with Stars - Enya

Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson

Queen of the Slipstream - Van Morrison

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum

Halleluja - K.D. Lang

Change the World - Eric Clapton

Crazy Mama - J.J. Cale

Gin and Juice - Andra Day

Perfect - Ed Sheehan

We Will Meet Once Again - Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Who Will Comfort Me - Melody Gardot

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Amazing - One Eskimo

You Send M - Rod Stewart

Sister Moon - Sting

Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman

I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingos

Seasons of Love - Rent

Painting For Energy

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

Feeling Alright - Joe Crocker

Hand It Over - Kew' Mo'

Sing About It - The Wood Brothers

Climb Up On My Music - Rodriguez

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

Go Crazy - LeslieOdom, Jr.

Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina

Yes We Can Can - The Pointer Sisters

Dangerous Mood - B.B. King

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson

Koop Island Blues - Koop featuring Ane Brun

Love Is Like A Heat Wave - Martha Reeves

The Girl Is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs

Every Breath You Take - The Police

We Will Rock You - Queen

Who Do You Love - Candye Kane

Shake Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner

I am working on two more lists - Classical Music and Latin Music. Watch for them soon.

Living My Dreams

 I have heard so many people in Mexico say "I am living my dreams." I have never been so grateful on a daily basis than I am now. In my NOB life, my dreams often got buried under my To Do list. There was always paper work, and bills and taxes. Even good things in life seemed to create additions to that ever growing list of things that had to get done. And for those days when the ugly things took  over the To Do list... I created a playlist of songs to help me remember to put a star next to the items that give me the most joy.

Songs About Dreams

1.   California Dreamin' - The Mamas and Papas
2.   DayDreaming - Corinne Bailey Rae
3.   Day Dream - The Lovein' Spoonfill
4.   Follow Your Dream - Sheryl-Dawn Ryan
5.   A Dream Come True - Leon Russell and Elton John
6.   In Dreams - Roy Orbison
7.   I Have a Dream - Amanda Seyfried - From Mama Mia
8.   Sweet Dreams - The Eurythmics
9.   Workin' On a Dream - Bruce Springsteen
10. Dream Lover - Bobby Darin

It's Hard Being an Artist,

Sometimes listening to some upbeat music helps.

One day when I was feeling a bit low, my niece Katie told me about a song from the Wood Brothers. I downloaded Sing About It and have been playing it and dancing around my kitchen ever since. It's a great mood booster. Thanks Katie.

Oh and if you like that one. Check out One More Day.

What songs do you listen to when you inspiration and to be lifted up?