This week the BBC Proms' orchestral music has become an inseparable part of my artistic journey, molding and shaping the way I approach and perceive art. The commentaries by Alexis Ffrench and Prom 4 by Finnish violinist and conductor Pekka Kuusisto have resonated with how I work and create. Just as composers borrow from each other like magpies, I draw from the vast reservoir of artistic traditions that precede me, interweaving their brilliance into my creations.
Each section of my paintings carries the weight of artistic context and history, a testament to the richness and diversity of human creativity. Just today I was painting a section whilst listening to one of last year's Proms where Nicola Benedetti plays Wynton Marsalis. I started to channel the patterned work of Hundertwasser, Hockney and Diebenkorn as if I was in conversation with them on the canvas.
As I listen to the music that transports me to distant worlds, I realise that my paintings have become more than mere images on a canvas; they are visual symphonies, harmonizing with the echoes of the past and resonating with the emotions of the present. The influence of orchestral music from the BBC Proms has not only elevated my art but has also deepened my appreciation for the timeless connection between music and visual art.