"Music of Life" 7" X 17" Watercolor and Acrylic Mounted on 1.5" deep Cradled Cherry Wood Panel:

Music of Life 
by April M Rimpo

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."  Plato

"If music be the food of love,
play on."
William Shakespeare 

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."  Berthold Auerbach

I love music. I learned a little piano and even less guitar when I was young and enjoyed playing music in a neighborhood group with my brother. After that I shifted to singing for pleasure, in high school chorus, and in another band with my husband years ago. I almost always listen to music when painting and think it helps me get immersed in the process.

In "Music of Life" the music ebbs and flows around the figures. As I painted different ideas came to me on how to portray musical waves using lines and swirls of color. 

Side View of Solid Cherry
Wood Panel with Maple Keys

It was fun to incorporate collage elements from sheet music, as I've done in some other paintings. The collage was used to create instruments held by two of the figures and to decorate their clothing. The third figure, who is dancing to the music, also has some wisps of sheet music in her dress. 

I'm really excited about the gorgeous deep cradled panel I used for this painting. It was commissioned from a local woodcrafter, Ewan Tulis, who has a studio in Ellicott City, Maryland. He built it using solid Cherry wood with corner keys in Maple. You can see the panel in the side shot shown here. Visit his website to see his portfolio.

I decided since my son and his fiance love music that this painting is just the right extra gift for their wedding. They received it yesterday and I can't wait to see it hanging in their home the next time we see them.