Kara Lockmiller: Pop Music
June 4-25, 2021
Kara Lockmiller: Pop Music
Opening reception: Friday, June 4, 5:00-8:00 PM
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM
I am a chromesthete which means I see a vast array of real colors in my mind when I listen to music. I like to think of it as my own personal light show. My goal for each portrait is to let you glimpse music and musicians the way I do. There is a kinship between color and music – both can say what words can not.
I paint in shadowed hues using the grisaille technique. After sketching out my musician in a grayscale underpainting, I add opaque and translucent acrylic colors according to what I see when I listen to their music. They come together like puzzle pieces on my canvas.
A Knoxville resident since birth, I began painting for others in 2017 as an outlet to share all the mesmerizing colors I see. While I can remember the lyrics to almost any song I’ve ever heard, I am most fascinated by the people who pen them.
My 10+ years as a journalist and graphic artist left me with a great understanding of design principles as they relate to color.
I think Wassily Kandinsky said it best: “Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting and … stop thinking. Just ask yourself whether the work has enabled you to walk about into a hitherto unknown world. If the answer is yes, what more do you want?”
All of her works are original acrylic portraits on canvas. Upcoming exhibitions in 2021 include Bliss, Barrelhouse Gypsy Circus, and Wild Side Salon.