Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Listen

Listen. It's different from hearing. Listening involves...involvement. And attention. And concentration while your brain processes meaning from sound, then chooses an emotional response. Working in the studio, making this image, I was listening to (in no particular order): Etta James, Bright Eyes, Otis Redding, Edith Piaf, John Lennon, La Boheme, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Power, Django Rheinhardt, Elvis Costello, The Ventures, The Corrs, Charlie Hayden, Cocteau Twins, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, U2, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Bach, Thelonius Monk. Thank you, iTunes, for playlists and genius mixes, for freeing us from the tyranny of complete albums (apologies to certain purists who consider this musical blashemy). Listening and responding emotionally while painting is one "multi-tasking" function I happily embrace.
I thank all my studio musical inspirations for "listen".