Dialogue: A Community Performance of Music and Art

I am the artist-in-residence for the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville this season. Over the weekend, they performed live at St. John’s Cathedral under the direction of Marguerite Richardson in the first concert of their 2017-2018 season. The orchestra is comprised of all volunteer members, representing many different generations and walks of life. They gave us a fabulous performance! Kudos to them all!

I paint to music, and my mission was to translate Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 “Organ Symphony.” I listened to this work multiple times while creating Dialogue (60x36 inches), translating movement, texture, and color onto canvas. This symphony has strong masculine as well as energetic feminine voices. Indigo, shades of grey, and patches of oxblood translate the boldness of the organ. Lighter blues interpret the seemingly feminine orchestral vibrations. Indigo and white shimmer like light on water to add the piano four hands component.

As much as I loved listening to the recordings, none of them compared to the live performance I experienced last weekend! Thank you to all who stopped by to view Dialogue and say hello after the concert. This painting is for sale and a portion of the proceeds from this work will be donated back to the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville in honor of my mother, Wilma Mae Renneckar Watson, who was an accomplished organist and pianist.