Tuesday, October 4, 2011

New Brain Painting: Brain Rhythm | 24"x24" | Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

It's DONE!!! Finally!!!!

I'm very happy to introduce you to the 6th painting in my Brain Series.
(c) Michelle Hunter 2011


Brain Rhythm
24"x24"
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas




This painting came a long way. Things were smooth sailing until I hit the part with the grill. Did not anticipate having to make soooooooo many circles and how long that process was going to take. Let me first take a couple of steps back.

In the Beginning....
The concept, in general, was to paint what parts of the brain are most active when it comes to music. While doing further research, I learned that different parts of the brain become active when doing different musical activities: listening, playing (instrument) and reading.

An object that brought those components together for me was the speaker. What's music without being able to hear it? Also sheet music is the way to capture the details of a piece so it's able to be recreated. A speaker and sheet music, along with the brain, were the pieces I wanted to put together in a way that felt right. Given how a speaker is made of layers, having the brain at the center surrounded by wavy sheet music underneath a grill/mesh became the composition.

(c) Michelle Hunter 2011
Brain Rhythm [Detail]

The Brain and Music
The concept in general was to paint what parts of the brain are most active when it comes to music.There are areas both in the outer cortex and inner brain that are connected to our experience of music. For this painting, I focused on the outer area:

Prefrontal Cortex (yellow): When you are listening to music, ever have an experience where something didn't "sound right"? Perhaps you feel that a beat was missed.

After a few bars of music, you begin expecting a certain pattern to repeat correct?  Thank your prefrontal cortex's ability to sense when something is off.


Motor Cortex (green): Here controls when you are tapping your foot and bopping your head. It's an especially important area of the brain if you are a musician as you need the ability to control time movements.


Sensory Cortex (purple): Which string to strum on a guitar, keys on a piano, maneuvering a violin etc requires an acute sense of touch.


Auditory Cortex (blue): This area of the brain becomes alive when we hear music. It holds information pertaining to pitch and tones.

Visual Cortex (pink): Involving sight when reading music and watching performers. If you are like me and are not a musician but catch yourself imagining yourself on stage, the visual cortex helps get your imagination flowing.

Tell me what you think...don't be shy :)


Michelle Hunter
info@hunterart.com
http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
Hunterart Line: 646-504-5034
Twitter: Artcoholic



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Monday, October 3, 2011

My Interview with C3Stories

Hello there, 

Recently, C3Stories began releasing 3 minute videos as part of its Story-on-Story project with resident artists, film makers, composers and other artists living in the New York City area. We are artists that are making the time to do what we are passionate about even if we have day jobs and other responsibilities. Is that something you can relate to?

View my interview below. Hear in my own words what I struggle with and what advice I have to offer to other artists out there that feel that they can't make the time to do what they love.

[Should play automatically]

It's a great project and I recommend you visit C3Stories website at http://www.c3stories.com/c3s-story-on-story. See what other artists are up to, in their own words.

Regards,
Michelle
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