"Listening to Ave Maria by Schubert" 11 x 14" Pastel

"Listening to "Ave Maria" by Schubert"
Pastel on Canson Mi-teintes paper

I am so sorry that I have gotten out of the habit once again of posting on my blog.  I'm so busy painting these days that I just forget to blog.  This was a very difficult winter for my family and I due to a family tragedy.  I have not been this down in many years, so I wasn't sure how it would affect my paintings. Much to my surprise I picked up my pastels and just started creating... and creating and creating.  It soothed my aching spirit.  I was not creating in order to please anyone, or to make money, I was creating to escape and cope.  My social painting classes and my portrait commissions were paying the bills, so I decided that I was going to make what ever appealed to me, and I was going to paint about something that I loved and understood. 

My new series is about my personal visual interpretation of music. I am choosing bands and composers who have had the most impact on my life. As a child my family was very involved in the musical program at our church, and I grew up loving Schubert, Bach and Handel. I sang, played trumpet and piano for various churches until my mid 20s when I felt that I had to give up music to focus on visual arts.  

I no longer go to church, but I have been doing a lot of praying lately.  I no longer perform as a musician, but I am constantly listening to music in order to stay calm and ease my anxiety. Finally, now I have decided to combine my loves into this series. Listen to this golden, rich song by Schubert. It is filled with love.  I hope that I have done him justice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bosouX_d8Y