DESCRIPTION:This violin was painted for the Denver Young Artists Orchestra (DYAO) - Painted Violin Artist, 2010-2011 program.
"In my youth I was an avid oboe player. I even had several solos at Carnegie Hall when my high school orchestra performed on Easter Sunday in 1994. So when I was approached by DYAO, of course I was very excited to participate in the Painted Violin project.
When I received my retired violin for painting, I knew that I wanted to enhance the natural beauty of the instrument, not cover the whole thing with paint. A violin is an amazing piece of art in and of itself, not just piece of canvas. My first step was to strip, sand and refinish the violin. The violin originally had a dark ochre stain. I decided to refinish it with several clear coats to enhance the natural elegance of the wood.
The subject matter of the artwork was obvious to me. My favorite classical piece of music is Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. I was able to honor both the musician and the music by creating a stand that lets the violin rotate 360 degrees. The front of the violin is a powerful portrait of the tormented genius, Beethoven. The back of the violin is an homage to the haunting yet alluring Piano Sonata #14. “The name "Moonlight" Sonata derives from an 1832 description of the first movement by music critic Ludwig Rellstab, who compared it to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne.” (wikipedia). I often begin my painting sessions by listening to the Moonlight Sonata at full volume. It is an amazing way to begin the introspective process of creating fine art."
- Christopher Phelps |
