Sunday, February 8, 2009

Mellifluous


Mellifluous- a word derived from Latin that literally means "flowing honey". This makes me think of melting glass, which definitely looks and acts like thick, flowing honey. But 'mellifluous' is actually a word associated with sounds that are pleasantly smooth, such as beautiful music. Where am I going with this? You'll see.

So many things spark my interest, are a balm for my soul, speak to my heart. The many paintings produced by Georgia O'Keeffe especially resonate deep within me. For me, there is no better way to appreciate the art of O'Keeffe than to see her works in person. Photos simply do not do true justice to the intensity of color and form or the scale of her works. It was by studying the works of Georgia O'Keeffe that I came to understand the power of color. One of my favorite paintings is this one, called "Music- Pink and Blue II". O'Keeffe created this piece while listening to music- just painted the forms that came to her as she felt the music pulsate in her mind. I think it is a stunning painting that also teaches two valuable lessons to artists of any genre. 1) Positive emotions can drive us to create works of beauty. 2) A wonderful way to stoke the flow of positive emotion is by listening to music that moves you while you create your art of choice.

5 comments:

  1. I love the inspiration of this post. I never thought of using music to create. I usually love to listen to fast music with a dancing beat. Maybe that's why I like bright, sparkly colors...they make my eyes dance. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh..I love Georgia O'Keefe!:)

    Btw...just found your blog on the indiepublic forum:)
    Julia x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love O'Keefe's work, too. I never get tired of seeing it in person.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jenn- Your work has a fun, playful flavor- no doubt influenced by your love of fun, playful music!

    ReplyDelete
  5. O'Keefe is one of my favorites also! Such a lovely sense of motion and color!

    ReplyDelete