"Willow Creek Reflections"Oil on Panel
12x16"
2008
Most artists I know are pretty particular about what they listen to when they paint, and I'm no exception. Unless I'm outdoors, I have a hard time painting unless I have good music playing. I can't listen to the radio because commercials and talking just kill any flow of creativity/thought that I might have. I have to be listening to music I'm fairly familiar with - I love finding new music, but when I'm painting I like to listen to tunes that I know. I can't listen to anything that's distracting at all, even if it's distracting in a good way. For instance, I can't listen to classical music, because I used to play the piano and when I listen to classical music I find myself thinking about it too much. And I have to make sure that whatever I'm listening to won't end in the middle of a complex painting passage, which means that most of the time I just have iTunes playing in continuous shuffle mode on my computer.
When I'm working on something difficult, I'll switch over to my "Studio Tunes" playlist, which is basically a bunch of songs that I love that I know won't annoy me while I'm trying to problem solve. A lot of them are favorite songs from the past - songs that make me happy by association with good memories. A few of them are newer songs that get me moving. Some of them are mellow songs that help me reflect and think. I change the list every few weeks to keep up with my mood - here's what it looks like right now:
"See the World" by Gomez was my favorite song when I was pregnant with Aspen. "Let it be Me" by Ray LaMontagne is a more recent mellow favorite. "Rain" by George Winston gets me thinking, and reminds me of being outdoors. "Rock and Roll" by Eric Hutchinson gets me moving and excited. They all have a purpose.
I love to hear about other artist's working habits - I know one artist who listens to books on tape (I could never paint at the same time!!) and another who listens to NPR only, and another who always has the TV or a movie playing in the background.
So, what do you listen to in your studio, and why?
Good ole' iTunes! I use my iMac for a reference viewing tool and that let's me use iTunes streaming radio feature. My musical taste runs the gamut too. But recently I've discovered a station called 'Folk Alley.com', a streaming live feed station on iTunes. I've been listening to the Grateful Dead station, it's melodic and good working music for me. But this Folk Alley.com is a good mix of every thing from Jerry Garcia and David Grissman and the work they did together to Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell, bluegrass, Arlo Guthrie, Ray LaMontagne, Asleep at the Wheel, Nancy Griffith, Sara McGlaughlin(?)...and much more. Here's the url for the playlist-
ReplyDeletehttp://www.folkalley.com/music/playlist/
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ReplyDeleteit is interesting to learn what people listen to. if i listen to music it needs to be mellow or i get lost up in counting the beats and trying to isolate the different instruments. my favorite song to play while i paint is 'The Trapeze Swinger' by Iron & Wine..it's very mellow and not obtrusive..a very beautiful and long song.
ReplyDeletebut routinely, and i'm embarrased to admit it, i have movie's playing. i have ADD and I can't focus without a distraction. i don't actually watch them and half the time forget their on. i have a rotation of about a dozen movie's. it has to be something i've seen over and over so i don't want to watch. usually lite sci-fi....lord of the rings, star wars, jurassic park, contact or a romantic comedy like 'you've got mail'. ugh, i'm so embarrassed...LOL!
Yep iTunes!!! Great post Stacey and the painting is absolutely exquisite!! Like you they are tunes that are usually familiar ...but more so they strike something deep inside the same place that painting comes from. I am top heavy with Lucinda Williams especially her last two albums that are so poetic for the most part... I like American Roots music and folk...Bob Dylan, Calexico, Iron and Wine, Levon Helm, The Avett Brothers, The Begood Tanyas, The Felice Brothers, Patty Griffin or I could go to all blues or classical even though I did play classical piano. I also like jazz from the likes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington to name a few.
ReplyDeleteI agree about listening to music you know well so as not to be distracted. Lately I've been choosing Coldplay, the Decemberists, or Counting Crows. Mostly I listen to NPR and podcasts. I guess they keep the left brain occupied while the right brain runs free. It also reminds me to feel lucky that I get to paint for a living instead of talk about the financial crisis all day!
ReplyDelete(Great post, and painting - thanks for sharing!)
oh i am with SM Sedwick, i love the Counting Crows! and i forgot to mention what a beautiful painting this is. i admire how well you handle snow.
ReplyDeleteI can't listen to anything any more when I am painting.
ReplyDeleteI have not had studio music for about 3 years.
Maybe I should throw on some rock and roll and see what happens.
I listen to music, I like pandora.com for selection of music and how you can choose your own radio station. I also listen to audio books, I guess I like the chatter sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've tagged you. Please visit my blog for more info :)
I go the opposite to soothing when I'm painting. I like listening to the harder rock selections on my mp3 player (Nickelback, Cold, Seether, NIN) and very, very loud.
ReplyDeleteNo, my art isn't contemporary grunge, I just like blocking out everything around me with the sound. It forces me to get really visual and cuts down on the distracting mind-wandering while painting (ie. grocery lists, etc).
Beautiful painting and treatment of both the snow and water.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the painting is beautiful...and as far as studio music, for me it has to be pretty mellow and calm otherwise I catch myself painting at a frantic pace or slowing to a crawl depending on the music. Don't laugh but I occasionally listen to a little John Denver, and often folk or Celtic or World music - a variety(Christine Kane, Bruce Guthro, Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Jesse Cook...) and certain movie soundtracks.
ReplyDeleteStacey, I love the questions you ask! Yes, music is imperative to creating in oils. The only time I don't play music is at the very beginning. When I'm facing a blank canvas, I need to concentrate on the composition and initial blocking. Once I get the rhythm of the painting going, I usually listen to John Mayer, Lifehouse, Jars of Clay or Joni Mitchell - loud. That's what works for me.
ReplyDeleteThe odd thing for me is that I find the words more distracting that the tunes. I am a classical music lover, including opera (mainly Puccini). I also love Paris Combo, Latin and African music. Pretty much anything that is musically uplifting or mood setting, as long as I cannot understand the words being sung. Odd, I suppose, but it is an essential ingredient to my work.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see more posts from you Stacey!!! Beautiful painting.
Thanks for responding everyone!! It's great to hear what everyone listens to in the studio, and as I guessed you're all pretty particular about what works for you. I'll have to check out some of the music (and websites) you all have suggested - I'll save that for a day when I'm feeling like I need to procrastinate =)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting. If you have cable/satellite they have music channels of all genres with no ads.
ReplyDeleteI have just tagged you, Stacey, if you want to play come to my blog and see how its done.
ReplyDeleteWow Stacy, this is beautiful... I found tour blog through Frank's. I'm glad I did :o)
ReplyDeleteI choose the BPM station on my satellite TV and crank it. It's dance(as in DJ disco type stuff, really heavy beat) music and really moves me along, I also drive to it. When I get tired of it, by contrast, I turn to New Age CD's or channels.
ReplyDeleteLoving your paintings.
ReplyDeleteI'll check out your tunes, too.
A friend just told me about Pandora which is free online and let's you choose an artist or genre to play through the computer.
I am totally ready to go out and get a sattelite radio for my car, since I'm tired of buying new cds and I drive with my finger on the radio button, because the endless inane commercials and blather.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog http://slpeterson.blogspot.com/and think it looks great. I thought it would be good for both of us to do a content link exchange. If you are interested please send me a mail at davidwilsen@gmail.com .
Thanks
David,