Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Is anyone into the visual arts?

It is enjoyed without using your sight, so I can't see how it is a visual art...

well, this is big misconception. Auditory organs serve only as a connectors or transmitters. The real music experience starts once it is in our head where it's painting all the colors and shapes.

The best example was Beethoven who didn't need hearing at all.

(Serves me right for engaging... )

Maybe for you. Maybe for Messiaen. Certainly not for me, and not for Beethoven just because you say so.

-J

If this were true, then Beethoven could have been deaf at birth and still produced his works. That notion seems rather ridiculous, though.

I can hear things in my mind as well, both when looking at a score and when composing, but that ability was developed by using my ears.

What happened to Percival of Dorset?

Since you asked.....

While I've been involved in music my entire life, I've always appreciated the visual arts. During the last 15 years of my career as a government arts administrator I had the privilege of overseeing our city's Public Art Program. Public art involves working with professional artists, the community, politicians, engineers, architects, landscape architects, various government agencies and contractors/fabricators. The goal is to enhance the design of the city's infrastructure (bridges, plazas, streetscapes, public buildings, parks, canals, transit shelters, etc.) through the involvement of artists.

Here's a YouTube video highlighting one of our bridge projects. (I'm the gray haired guy in the blue suit and tie.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7JVHWTexzs

I continue to explore a variety of visual arts - including drawing, sculpture, photography and painting. Below is an example of one of many mandalas (circular design) i've painted over the years. The original of this piece is 5 inch square on watercolor paper. I use fine brushes and gouache paint (which is an opaque watercolor). I prefer to paint in an "abstract" style but also really enjoy doing these spontaneously designed and detailed mandalas.

Tomasino, your music stand is beautiful !

I like that mandala. On my end, it has the effect of being much larger than five inches.

I've played around with watercolors and acrylics over the years, but the results have usually been dismal. Recently I've been imagining some computer/inkjet things that may eventually see the light of day. There's a piece of inkjet art I did on my wall right now, but I don't really like it that much (which always a good reason to do something else). Way back when I was a teenager, I was into architecture and design, drew buildings and stuff, and I even thought I might find a career in that area, but it didn't happen (fool that I was at the time, I thought I should pursue music).

I still enjoy looking at buildings and interesting design, as well as art, but can't say I am terribly knowledgeable about any of it. But better something than nothing, and I have seen many pieces of art that affect me very strongly. I also love that effect that happens when you go to an art museum and look at a lot of wonderful art, and then, when you walk back onto the street, the world looks like a different place.

ears are overrated.

Painting, sculpture, photography, writing, singing, dance, music......I like to view as well as do.

I did alot of drawing and painting in high school and majored in Art for part of my time in college. I've always had a particular interest in architecture. I used to draw little houses on little roads all the time. I still have some of the posterboard sized neighborhoods full of them packed away. When I was having trouble with getting started on piano I thought about giving it up and going back to drawing because it was "easier" (came naturally) for me but I decided I had wanted to play for too long and it was time to do it.

Any Leonardo Da Vinci here?

again, to be fully an artist you have to cover all senses,
not just ears.