Debussy - Nocturne

This painting was envisioned to the music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918).  After the vision, I read his bio and found that he loved the sea, if he were not a composer he would have surely been a sailor.   He was classified as an "Impressionist composer"  and wrote this about his piece entitled "Nocturnes", written in three movements:

"The title 'Nocturnes' is to be interpreted here in a general, and more particularly, in a decorative sense.  Therefore, it is not meant to designate the usual form of the Nocturne, but rather all the various impressions and special effects of light that the word suggests.  Nuages renders the immutable aspect of the sky and the slow, solemn motion of the clouds, fading away in grey tones lightly tinged in white.  Fêtes gives us the vibrating, dancing rhythm of the atmosphere with sudden flashes of light.  There is also the episode of the procession (a dazzling, fantastic vision) which passes through the festive scene and becomes merged in it.  But the background remains persistently the same; the festival with its blending of music and luminous dust participating in the cosmic rhythm.  Sirènes depicts the sea and its countless rhythms and presently, amongst the waves silvered by the moonlight, is heard the mysterious song of the sirens as they laugh and pass on."

Mozart's Piano Concerto #21

From a vision I had in a dream, of the piano concerto #21(andante) by Wolfgang Amade' Mozart.

"Rick"

Sound Designer, Purdue University

Rick and I exchanged creative wares:  He sent me CDs of music he's composed and I whipped up a painting based on visions that came to mind.  The painting's geometric background seemed to reflect the constraints in place when creating for an existing production  - it actually felt like I was wearing a straightjacket when painting it.  The essence of the foreground symbolizes finding that wave of creative freedom within the confines of structure and riding it.

Richard K. Thomas is a Professor & Head of Design and Technology at Purdue University and co-founder of Zounds Productions.  His current projects include a production of Romeo and Juliet for Chicago and The Tempest at Purdue.