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play the way

Abstract 1 - digital art - improvisation - Dan Beck 2008

Creating an abstract painting for me is like improvising music without a chord progression. I start without a plan - just moving and creating shapes - overlapping , building, not so much thinking as observing.

The digital painting is about the process - the movements, the colors, the layering. Whatever form there is happened out of this dance of color - out of the play of comfortable swirls and movements - watching, observing - adding with balance - but not so much that is feels even and symmetrical … these are my rules - my way of doing - one layer of color at a time - occasionally coming back to an original color, but generally adding only new variations.

The black lines were not thought through either - but there seems to be a bit of a tree shape - a common theme right now - not surprising a comfortable motion would yield such a reference.

This is probably the truest dan art - if there is such a thing. All my representational, impressionist, landscape art, or figure art etc. draw from the vocabulary and techniques developed from this abstract play, and if not, it was because I permitted the same degree of looseness in the other work.

See Also

• Abstract Art Gallery - some of the abstract explorations at Outhouse Studios
• Improvisation - Milestones of the Millenium - discussion of how classical composers improvised - though not discussing how communication itself is about improvisation - music and art connect and this connects to something I was thinking about earlier today

jazz painting revisited

Vertical Jazz - digital painting /art prints - Dan Beck -2006

Having strategically placing this piece in the new blog banner, I thought I would feature it again.

It was included for two reasons. First, I happen to feel like this is a strong piece - it reads well and is fun. There is the sense of flying sticks and it has the energy of music itself. And even small it is understandable.

Second, I wanted it to be obvious that this is also a site for music - it has not been the main focus but as I record more and get the podcast thing down - I anticipate this site becoming a fun place to listen as well as view.

In the course of my own developing creativity, I have found that art and music play off each other - and I in turn off them.

See Also

• On Developing Creativity - Good quotes about creativity - if you can read through the jungle

• Vertical Jazz - purchasing options and art print availability for above digital painting

• Can’t Stand Still - not all that jazzy but it does have some improvisation and it seemed right to put up a track - even if it can be found on the website - a taste of 1danband

Musical conversations are portrayed visually

All That Jazz - digital painting - 2006 - Dan Beck

I love music - if you’ve been on my site, you might have noticed, I write music and play a number of instruments.

There are many similarities in the creative processes for music and for art. They are there even when one is not taking on such an obvious reference to the other - as in the above.

When I created the above piece, I put on some jazz and referenced instruments I was hearing and the kind of interplay that the instruments might have. I could probably make it out to be more thoughtful than it was - but in truth I didn’t think that much.

Having said that, I am well aware of my own education in jazz and music.  Improvisational music is a conversation - not an idea I invented - but it is.  The vocabulary changes with musician and background - but it is about listening, conversing and offers one’s take or perspective.

As a brand new piece - All That Jazz has not yet been set up with a way to purchase the original art prints - please send inquiries to specialorders@outhousestudios.net .

See Also

• Jazz 1
  Earlier piece with similar theme
• Improvisation
  Quick synopsis of conversations in music
• from The Age of Intelligent Machines
  similarities in art and music from new technological perspective - completely different angle but interesting