As November 8th draws closer I am shut away frantically trying every bizarre technique imaginable as I try to find the best way to create paintings that illustrate the musical stories in this concert in the shortest possible time. At the moment I am favouring household emulsion paint but I’ve been trying oil pastels with paint, with scratching and scraping, drawing and splashing… oh everything. I want all the scenes to begin with a black (and blank) canvas, to make the effect suitably spooky. I find painting at an easel very hard though, and some pieces of music only last around three minutes!!! Detail is no good – the cameras can’t project anything other than bold high contrast images. Anything subtle doesn’t show very well. I also have to narrate the stories before the orchestra play the music (and I begin to paint). Here you can see a version of Night on the Bare Mountain, and an attempt at The Swan of Tuonela. Neither is good enough yet!!! I KNOW I can get them better. Practise…practise…practise.
Posted in Katie
6 responses to “Spooky Tunes concert sketches!”
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I really like the atmosphere in these, esp the swan one!
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Thanks Victoria. It’s not quite there…it needs to be very cold and nordic to suit the music by Sibelius. But I appreciate the vote of confidence!
James
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This is great music. I’m sure you will manage, James. these samples are superb.
Break a leg! But not a paintbrush.
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Hi Thomas,
The music is fabulous… so I really want to do it justice. I’m sure I’ll be pinging paintbrushes all over the place in my frantic bit to finish as the music does…
J
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You’ll do it James, we’ll all be rooting for you. Wish I was in London to come see the show.
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Thanks Saviour, that’s kind… I’ll try to remember that when I’m a crumbling wreck of nerves!
Events
Peter & the Wolf at Ipswich Book Festival- 3 October 2026
- Ipswich
Peter And The Wolf at Saffron Hall- 4 October 2026
- Saffron Walden
Peter & The Wolf Book Launch at FuzzypegFolk- 9 October 2026
- Bungay
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