Spotify playlist - A Convergence of Art+Music
Songs that inspired the titles of some of my paintings
The question I’ve been asked more than any other…”do you listen to music while you paint?” Absolutely! Listening to music is a big part of my painting practice. It’s a big swirl of being in the moment.
Over the years, my love of music has found its way into the titles of my paintings, so I thought, hey, why not create a Spotify list and dance my way down memory lane? I haven’t looked at a few of these images for many years. OK, here we go…
Marfa, Texas, and the Thunderbird Hotel. One of my favorite places to be. I adore Marfa, its art and history, and the west Texas desert aesthetic. I also love Tom Petty, one of my all time faves, and this song has got to be on my all time top ten list, so lets start it off here. Some of my favorite lyrics ever…
Talkin' to myself again
Wondering if this travelin' is good
Is there something better we'd be doing if we could
And oh the stories we could tell
And if this all blows up and goes to hell
I can still see us sittin on the bed in some motel
Listenin' to the stories we could tell
This painting’s title comes from a line from the REM masterpiece, Me In Honey, one of my favorite songs from the early 90’s. I have to dance whenever I hear this, so here’s hoping I’m not in the supermarket next time this comes on. The B-52’s Kate Pierson’s haunting back up vocals alone should’ve earned her entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ain’t it funny, that wonky thing called time? This piece feels like yesterday, and a prior lifetime simultaneously. What’s fifteen years supposed to feel like?
An Elvis classic, I know, but I’ve always been wild about Willie.
Trailer's for sale or rent
Rooms to let, 50 cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
The painting’s title was inspired by Tom Petty’s version, which I could listen to on a loop for hours and still sing along. Tom’s version isn’t available on Spotify, so I went with the original, by Hank Williams, but I’ve included Tom’s version via Youtube at the bottom of this post.
Two gunslingers walked out in the street
And one said, "I don't wanna fight no more"
And the other gunslinger thought about it
And he said, "Yeah, what are we fighting for?"
Either my favorite or second favorite band, The Beach Boys. Only one of them surfed, but that’s irrelevant with regards to their youthful harmonies and Brian Wilson’s unmatched genius. Here’s two, back to back.
Bonus song…here’s Tom Petty’s version…