Thursday, April 5, 2012

A to Z, 2012-- E is for...

ELLA!

Not ella as in "under my umbr-ella-ella-ella"... Ella Fitzgerald!

Love the dress she's wearing-- I might just have to make one just like it for myself, minus the things that look vaguely like mealworms from a distance~!
I absolutely love this woman. She was an inspiration to so many other musical artists, an icon of her time, and a master of jazz and blues. Such class, such poise, and such a voice!

Now I *know* that at least one of you is asking yourself what on earth this lady has to do with my art and my jewelry.

Aside, of course, from the inexplicably powerful need to sing along to her music that I experience pretty much all the time... simply put, she inspires me. Her voice encourages me to create in ways that I can't explain~ my best work has been created while listening to her music.

My music needs change quite a bit depending on what medium I am working with, but no matter what I always end up going back to Ella and her contemporaries. Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Forrest, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and so many others... and don't forget all those fabulous "big bands" and big conductors they played with!

Ella and her friends shape my jewelry and my other art, much the same as the smell from a neighbor's barbecue shape one's dinner choices-- if it wafts into your senses, you feel the powerful need to make something that fits that aesthetic! Music is a big part of my life, and it is where I draw much of my artistic inspiration.

What music-- if any-- helps you create? Does music inspire you to get those creative juices flowing? If not, then what helps you put passion into your art?

There are only a few days left to enter my giveaway, so scroll your way back a few posts and enter to win-- the details are all there, along with pictures of the prize. Thanks for joining me today~ I'll see you tomorrow for yet another day in the A to Z blog hop!

5 friends stopped by to chat:

YNP.214 said...

Music is incredibly inspiring and plays a huge part in my everyday life for that very reason!

I love many genre, but what you have listed and big band music (Tex Beneke--what an amazingly mellow and wonderful voice!, Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole etc.) are some of my favorites.

Then of course there is Pink Floyd which the melodies and instrumentals just speak to me and flow into my body. I lose myself in their music!

Two very different genre, but my two favorites!

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

YOU have great taste in music! Another jewelry designer who loves music! Awesome!

jean xox

AntiquityTravelers said...

... could not agree more! It is impossible to listen to that gorgeous music and not sing along. Inspiration comes from everywhere for me ... and absolutely from great music. The music you've picked is some of my personal favorites - especially love her Songbook series.

Jaime said...

This is a great post. I really like your post about Decisions as well. I hope that things get easier. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I look forward to reading your upcoming posts.

Laura said...

Would you believe that I have never heard one of her songs? I'll head over to Yahoo Music and find one now:)
Thanks for stopping by my blog- I would love to see a photo of your shelves made of chopsticks! I can't figure out how you did that!

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