Kate Shaffer – October 2021

“Music and color inspire me. As I listen to music, colors emerge and begin to dance in my mind. Each type of music requires different colors. Even within one genre, the colors can be quite different depending on the mood of the music. This series deals with calming classical music. The colors reflect the peacefulness I want to evoke.
Abstraction allows me to express the emotions that motivate my painting. Colors and movement give voice to those emotions. I develop a language as I progress through the paintings and hope you can feel the emotion and see the music as I do.
I choose my materials for the great freedom of expression they allow. Acrylics dry quickly, but can also be worked wet in wet for blended colors. Brushes, palette knives, even my hands – each tool offers a different mark and a different form of expression. As I work wet in wet, the colors naturally begin to blend and layers of color are introduced. Marks reveal under-layers and lines. Color becomes my partner as I dance across the canvas with the music.
The marks I make emphasize the movement of the music. The colors combine to create the feeling. They mix and mingle as the notes do, creating harmony. Let your eyes move to the rhythm of each piece.”