He might have stayed home and nursed his indecision. He had a dream, this musician. It was to play in front of an adoring, appreciative crowd and make some serious cash doing so. That morning, when he woke up, he lounged in bed, wracked with indecision. How best to make it big? He could look online for work, or maybe see if his friends got a gig and hook up with them. Or maybe go down to Seattle Pike’s Place Market and play for the folks there. Someone might see him and offer up a job as a musician. Or…he could have just hung around the apartment and thought about it.

But guess what. He didn’t. He didn’t stay in his apartment and mull it over. He got up and did something about his dream. He performed. Because I can tell you with a 100% certainty that nothing would happen if he just sat at home and thought about it. And maybe this is the day where the high-tech google-guy walks by, hears him play, and offers him a gig at his home for a party. His dream starts. Just by stepping out the door and doing SOMETHING. Here’s to you, Mr. Musician. Thanks for getting up and going down to Pike’s Place Market and playing music. Even though most people rush by and don’t even notice you. Even when your music is drowned out by the chatter and the cars and the ear buds. Thank you for being there. I noticed. I noticed and took a photo, and you are now on my “famous” (ehem) blog, and in an incredible (yep) painting. You might not have made much money today, or maybe you did, but you did pursue your dream today. So should we all. Don’t stay home and mull over indecision and possible failure. Just start.

The Painting

The photo of this musician sat propped up in my studio for 3 weeks while I worked on other paintings. I had been planning on placing this musician in the middle of the market chaos, but struggled with a good composition. Here is a thumbnail sketch I worked on:

Then suddenly, a simple solution presented itself.  Colorful vertical lines representing rain found their way into the background of the Seattle market behind the musician. Here’s how:

I began by loading my brush with a deep, rich combination of quinacridone burnt orange and ultramarine blue. After laying in the color vertically from the top of the painting down to the musician’s shirt, I washed the brush out and shifted the color to contain more burnt orange. Another vertical line later, I added cobalt blue to the mix.

First wash of deep value color in the background, connecting to the musician’s hat

Next, cerulean blue melded into the vertical lines while I continued the pattern all the way across the top of the painting, changing the intensity and color depth along the way. Before reaching the bottom of the canvas, I sprayed water into the paint, tilting the surface and allowing the drips to run all the way down the canvas. I tied in the guitar color with the background by using the same burnt orange.

Alternating the colors across the top and allowing drips to fall down the canvas

I continued the pattern across the top of the canvas, starting the drips earlier on the right hand side to give interest to the composition, and painting around the music stand.

Continuing the background across the painting

Once I finished the background, I introduced color into the musician and his clothes. Red/orange seemed a good choice, contrasting sharply with the background blues. His tie is cerulean, connecting again with the background.

Warm red for his shirt provided a nice contrast to the background

Once I painted the colors and values, I removed the liquid mask I had applied earlier, to reveal the reflected whites on top of the musician’s clothes. I used a damp brush to soften lines in the clothes.

Rain Jazz, 11×15, Watercolor and collage on plexiglass. Original $300, prints available.

As you can see in the final painting, the shirt offers a warm counterpoint and a bright focal point for our musician friend. Collaged circles of sheet music show up in the background and give the painting texture and interest. Seattle rain drips and runs around him, but he pays no mind. Thanks again, Mr. Musician, for getting up this morning and playing in the rain to inspire us all! Pursue your dream, people! And Feed the Beast!

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All images and paintings on this site copyrighted by Sarah B Hansen.