Musical Strokes

Zoom workshop exploring connections between music and art, paper, pastels, oil crayons, charcoal, pencil, paper, 27 November 2021

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I had signed up for an online, 2-hour workshop on Creative Spirituality through music and art (any format you like). I hadn't realised it also linked to movement and dance. Just as well moving gets your two hips moving! In my case, in a rather genteel way, as I'd not long got back from my two hour high street shop walk, which certainly had a lot of movement. One photo is a composite of all the artwork I made, while listening to Robin Bowles, the musician, play a range of instruments, including harp, to my great delight.

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As someone, who plays root notes on bass guitar still after ten years, much to the chagrin of my two friends in the 'band', I loved the story he told of meeting a bagpipe teacher on a Scottish island. If you can make a noise, you're a musician. If you like what you play, you're a good musician. And if other people like what you play, you're a great musician! Needless to say...

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To the art! I didn't know what to expect but it turned out, Robin expemporised on kalimba, bells, keyboard and we reacted in whatever way we chose. I didn't expect so much to come out of it. You'll find the charcoal and pencil sketches in Drawings too. It gave me an opportunity to try out things, like oil crayons, pastels, charcoal on different types of paper, which I'd not done before, though I'd been given them as presents for Christmas! I love the pastels (you should see my fingers!). Not sure about the oil crayons, but maybe that reflects the fact I paint in acrylics quite fast.

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All in all, I loved this experience and the time flew over, as all good workshops do. There is a session each month, but they're on Dance and movement. You have the option to do art and wave your arms. Who wants to  do that for an hour?!? I did realise that when I paint a scene, say, from a photograph, I prefer to work in silence. But this felt like something very different. Everything that flowed onto the page was from your response to the music. And that felt hugely creative - calming, energising, troubling - bringing body and mind together. and for this, I am grateful.