Hello Everyone! As promised this post is dedicated to answering your questions. I often get questions via private messages or e-mail from some of you after I post something, so I decided to answer them all out in the open, so everyone can read them. I had some really great questions, and was going to only pick 10, but there were more than 10 that I thought would help everyone really get a glimpse into what I am doing here………..ready? ………….
1)
From Marcus N.
Q. When did you realize you were good at art?
A. When I was in 3rd grade, I did a crayon picture of 3 clowns and it was chosen to hang up in the lobby of the school administration building for a month. My grandparents noticed and would always make sure I was drawing something whether it be copying a greeting card scene my grandmother liked, buying me learning to draw books and stuff like that.
2)
From Khloe G.
Q. What type of lyrics inspire you the most?
A. I do not have a specific type of lyric that inspires me more than others…it's more of the lyrics and voice as a whole. That's where it gets hard to explain because obviously, there are soooo many talented songwriters in the world and the history of music…. Ones that have been inducted into the hall of fame, started revolutions… but you know what?..... No other songwriter has had this affect on me… I love other music…there are other non Lee songs that make me happy when I hear them…. But they do not speak to me…so that is a hard question because I do not even know the answer honestly….
3)
From Melissa W.
Q. When you are listening to music do you get images in your minds eye?
A. Yes, when I am listening to the music images come to my mind almost like it’s illustrating whatever story the song is telling. Most of the time it happens while listening, but there have been more than a few times where they would come out of nowhere, like when I’m laying in bed or working.
4)
From Sabrina:
Q. Favorite media?
A. Hmmm, I guess it would be acrylic since that is what I primarily use. However my paintings fall under”Mixed media” since I use several other things to create textures & patterns. If I had to pick a favorite out of those, it would defiantly be Distressing Ink and paint crackle. (To be specific, Tim Holtz products)
5)
Q. How do you get your creative juices flowing when you hit a block?
A. Well since I get my inspiration from the music which is rarely not playing in my ears…I do not encounter that many creative blocks to be honest. When I have, it was more from self doubt and not being able to find the time….so I step back and wait for it to come back. Another reason I do not get “blocked” is because it’s not like I do this for a living or HAVE to continuously paint. I do it when it comes to me and I FEEL it…. that makes it different if that make any sense.
6)
Q. What does it mean to embrace life as a creative person?
A. It has come to be extremely important to me. As I have mentioned in previous posts, although I could draw, I didn’t unless people asked- or I was just re-creating something I happened to like. It was just something that I had the ability to do and that was that. However now…it has made me finally feel like me. I am actually CREATING something and connecting to something because I want to, I feel connected to it…not because I am trying to please anyone else. I’ve never been good at doing things for me. Now I do and it feels amazing….
7)
From Natalie P.
Q. Have you ever heard a song 2 different ways or many ways and had two different pictures in your head? (Acoustic vs. studio vs. live) And how do you decide which one to paint?
A. Yes!!!! All the time. If you look back through past sketches, you’ll see I have a few different visuals for the same lyric. Most of the ones I do are coming from me listening to the live recordings because they should the most passion. Those are the ones that win for me. Also, it depends on my mood at that time because ANYONE, no matter how much you listen to a song…. Will hear that song however it relates to them at that moment. I don’t really have to think about which ones I will use… I do the one that keeps coming back to me. I go with my gut….
8)
From Noelle A.
Q. What is your favorite piece of yours? Is there one that’s a personal favorite and one that you think speaks to the music the most?
A. I have two personal favorites: first is for the song “Silver Lining” and 2nd “maker of music” and I will tell you why…one night I could not sleep, you know, cause my brain never stops… but this time I just had the urge to paint Lee playing the guitar. It was 2am and I could not stop thinking about it…I knew the colors I wanted to use, the textures….everything. I actually got up, went downstairs and sketched out my idea, writing down notes so I would not forget. The next morning when I woke up Lee had Tweeted, “It’s 2am, I am up and writing a song” … how amazingly weird is that? And normally I will have my idea planned out and it will change several times before I am done. This one came out EXACTLY the way I pictured it the night before. That is the one I think speaks to the music the best…it’s not a specific way I see the song... it’s just him doing what he does best…making music.
9)
From Barry W.
Q. What do you think is the best way to spread the word about music and art? How do you think it helps each artist by combining the two?
A. I think the best way is doing exactly what I am doing because it creates a larger fan base for both. You have other visual artists, friends and family that will see my stuff and ask about it as you are, want to know “who is this Lee DeWyze?” “Why is he so special?”…it’s going to make them go check out his music which is why I do it. I mean, seriously… wouldn’t you be curious? For someone to be this passionate about his music and put that much work into…It has to be amazing…
On the other side, other Lee fans see the art…they relate because they get the music to, they spread the word and then more people see and like my work….
10)
From Erika L.
Q. Which speaks to you first more often? Music or lyrics? Can you listen to just a melody and create a picture without words?
A. The lyrics. I am 100% a lyrical person. It is the words that speak to me. Song writers fascinate me, they are the ultimate story tellers. Haha honestly, I NEED lyrics…sometimes I get anxiety when listening to instrumental because I am waiting for the lyrics…. Think about it as a really good hug… The lyrics are like “the embrace”- feeling the arms around you, physically…. The words could affect you in a soft, caring way... or with more passion, holding you longer than a hello hug …where the melody/ music for me would be like… if that person smells really good. It adds a level of comfort or excitement….triggering other senses creating different emotions. Ya know?
11)
From Peter ( Lead singer of When Karma was King)
Q. When hired by an artist to create album artwork, what is your first step in this process? Meeting with artist? Listening to the material?
A. the first step would to obviously listen to the music, then get to know the artist. That way you’d get a feel for their vibe…what makes THEM tick. I think its obvious looking at an album cover if they just had any talented artist create something cool for them, as opposed to seeing something that was well thought out based on the music.
Ps: Pete is also a singer/songwriter and a longtime friend, so check them out also if you get a chance. http://www.whenkarmawasking.net/mobile/about.html
12) From A.M.
Q. Do you sell your work? Where can I get a copy?
A. No, I currently do not sell my work. I do this out if the need to create and I just do not feel it would be right “profit” off of someone else’s talent. I mean, yes, I am creating the art…but if it weren’t for Lee’s music, there would be no paintings and in a way they are just as much his as they are mine. Maybe someday I will sell prints, but as of now I only have the originals and they are extremely special to me and could not imagine handling them over to anyone for any amount of money…Unless Lee himself wanted them and they would be gifted. Lee actually does have two of them.
Maybe in the future… we will see….
