The Butterfly Effect: Lee DeWyze style

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world - Chaos Theory

 

The Butterfly Effect refers to a popular hypothetical example of chaos theory, which illustrates how small initial differences may lead to large unforeseen consequences over time.This post is not about time travel or “chaos” like in the movie, "The Butterfly Effect", but an explanation of how this theory applies to inspiration. How is this relevant you ask? How does this apply to the music of Lee DeWyze? Think about it. This all started with one act. It started when Lee auditioned for American Idol. Technically, it goes back to his friend that talked him into auditioning for American Idol. If that one event had not happened…most of us would not be friends; we would have never met. I might not even be creating art at all. Can you imagine? I went several years without creating anything. In the last 4 years of being inspired by Lee DeWyze, I have created a total of 18 paintings and 223 sketches. All inspired by HIS words & HIS voice. That’s kind of a big deal. Lee’s voice creates a Butterfly Effect of inspiration. When I hear his voice & lyrics, it inspires me to illustrate his story and post the story behind it, then seeing me post something might inspire someone else to do the same and so on and so on… get it? The continuing acts of us inspiring each other builds and builds into what can almost be the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

 

This post is not going to be about my art. Outside of the title piece, you’ll see none of my stuff today. This is dedicated to all the other Lee DeWyze fans that have been inspired by Lee and his music. There are so many people out there affected by his music… he inspires them to draw, play instruments, sing, write....even get his lyrics as tattoos...The list is long. Obviously his lyrics play a huge part when inspiring his fans, but it’s not just that. It is his delivery of his words, his character… the whole package.

 

You are about to enter the online gallery I have created to show you how Lee inspires his fans. Halls of picture frames....full of brilliant thoughts, inspirations and other musings from fans inspired by Lee DeWyze. There are so many talented people out there that have been affected by his music and they deserve to be in the spotlight. So many people actually, that I was unable to use ALL the submissions in this post due to the size, however… that just means we’ll be able to do this again! You never know, seeing all this other work might inspire more people. So without further ado, Welcome…….

“You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.” 
― Andy Andrews, 

 

 Below each piece, you will find the creator's name and some info: 

Portrait by @Maximized702- this is just one of Max's amazing Lee drawings! He has done several more of Lee , including one with Jonna. 

Portrait by @cristististi – this is just one sketch out of the many creative projects that were inspired by Lee 

Portrait by @ArtByAbigail- Abigaail is an amazing artist that does all kinds of portraits and figure drawings. She actually does commission work! So, if you are interested in any of her work or want something more custom, you can e-mail her at abigailervin@gmail.com

The two pieces above were not submitted, but found by other fans on the Deviant Art site. I made sure the artist’s names were posted on there so it was clear who creates them. These are SOOO amazing and way too good not to share! That bottom one in color? Crazy good! 

Tattoo in progress: @Marekatslp –This is an in progress tattoo inspired by Annabelle, the first song she ever heard that had a life of it's own and she just wanted that feeling with her always.

The two above were submitted by the same person, @Lees_biggestfan. Kelly not only created this amazing picture frame with song lyrics on it, but her “Stay” tattoo represents her favorite song. Lee actually wrote the word on her ankle and the tattoo was done over it.

These two lyrically inspired tattoos belong to @sidewaysSavage. Both are beautiful pieces designed around beautiful lyrics.

This tattoo belongs to @Freecielynn. Set in a beautiful frame to capture the essence of his latest album “Frames” is a message from Lee, with his signature.

The two collages above are by @Jessk2489. Not Only has she created amazing gifts for Lee like this guitar strap, but she has a lyric tattoo, plays guitar covering his songs, and has created a bunch of little Lee DeWyze treasures.

@Jessk2489, @Lees_biggestfan & @Palantineleefan have become super close friends through meeting up at Lee shows, before a show they created this bear dressed like Lee to give him after the show.

@marekatslp-Mare is an amazing writer. She did the visual Album review with me for "Frames". She has often explains how she finds herself again & again in the music. That connection makes her want to write

 

The two above pieces are portions of a novel that @alloftheabove90 is working on that was inspired by listening to the music. This is the first time she has shown anyone. I can not wait to read the final product!

@Assorted_raisins (instragram)- Sabrina writes and takes photos. She created this “frame” piece to tell you how Lee inspires her

@melissawill1 – is currently learning to play the piano thanks to Lee. I cannot wait to hear her play! Melissa is from Australia and has traveled to L.A to see him perform.

@67grandma – Claire travels all over the US to see Lee play. She is been to 28 shows so far spanning from Boston to L.A. and at 72 years old, does not plan on stopping anytime soon. I love this woman

@Isye8586- Isye is so amazing and sweet. She is so moved by Lee and his music that she traveled to Chicago to see him all the way from Indonesia!

 

@MissDeterm1ned- above you can read how Lee inspired Jenna who is currently enrolled in a program in Chicago. Lee inspired that journey all the way from Finland.

This is just one of the MANY creations made by @Weyesoxboo. Boo is an inspiring person in her own right, but above you can read how Lee inspires her and her many colorful creations

Click on the link to bring this image to life! 

http://ashea.net/SL_TakeTheTimeToFind.gif  

Another animated creation! Click here: http://ashea.net/DontBeAfraidMaze.gif

These last 3 pieces were submitted by @dewyzefan6 . Follow the links to bring these creations to life. Annie id one of many people that are totally invested in promoting Lee & his music.

Thank you to everyone that has submitted the work above!Everything looks amazing. The stories are very inspiring.

  Due to the amount of submissions I received and hopefully those of you that have been inspired by this, we WILL be doing it again, so stay tuned and  Thank you ALL for all you do for Lee…I can not even begin to list everyone that spends their days requesting songs, spreading the word, etc. You are ALL amazing. I feel so blessed to be able to have gotten to know you all and can’t wait to welcome more into our continually growing circle.

A message to Lee:

 Dear Lee DeWyze, Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you for sharing your amazing gift with us, bringing us together and for not letting the industry change you. We may be viewed as crazy fans to people outside of the FamiLee, but I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say that is ok! Through your music, your words… we have all found something special and applied it to our lives…. Each one of us is an artist…...and a writer...and a musician... a friend...a promoter... and most of all a famiLee. All because you made that decision to audition for a reality show. So, Thank you. Thank you So much Lee!

 

  I highly suggest that if you aren't currently following Lee DeWyze, you do so. Go out and purchase "Frames", I literally listen to it everyday..... 

Below are all the ways you can follow Lee and keep up with what he is doing. If you are lucky enough to be near wherever he might be playing...don't miss it! There is nothing like seeing this man perform live!!! The music is taken to a whole new level when you can SEE the passion behind that voice!!! Never before have I seen or heard someone more meant to make music.Go check him out!!! 

And check this page out also! Another fan creation full of Lee info!!! Fans working together to promote what we love! 

http://www.ashea.net/LeeDeWyze_Info.pdf

Thank you everyone!!!! 

-Jenn 

Real life vs LeeLand.... What's the diffrence?

 

 

Hello everyone!

So I am still in sketching mode, I am a little behind on my “sketch a day for 2014”but not by much! However, I have had time to do an actual painting… on actual canvas! (not gonna lie… it felt good) This painting “Again” was inspired by one of Lee’s newer songs of the same title

 

 

The background is an actual map that I distressed and mod podged it down on the canvas before painting my image. This painting is a large scale piece… 12” x 36”.  I’m pretty pleased with how it came out. Applying the map & mod podge and waiting to dry bit took a few days…. But the actual painting part only took about 15-20 min. There is still some detail to go back in and do, but it’s finished enough to share with you. I hope you love it, I do!

 

As always, I am constantly searching for the perfect explanation on why I paint/ sketch what I do. I am constantly asked by people (outside the Lee Fandom)…Do you ever paint anything else? Are you obsessed? What is so special about this guy’s music? And the same worry that I am limiting myself as an artist… but only painting things inspired by Lee DeWyze music.  I’d like to try and explain this again to those that don’t get it. First I will tell you that although I can draw, I don’t nessesarily have the “need” to do it unless I am inspired. Having said that, I have also been asked why I do not draw Owen, or things like that? Don’t THEY inspire you? This is the part that is hard to explain…. I love my family more than anything in the world. I have an amazing husband and son… I love them dearly, they always come first … but it’s different. When I think of them , my heart is filled with love, joy and happiness… the wishy washy love kind. They are my world.

But when I am feeling inspired…. That feels totally different…. When I am listening to music, as soon as I hear Lee’s voice and lyrics… it’s almost like a physical reaction that just comes out of nowhere and hits you. All these ideas just start coming to me, it’s like I can see the songs perfectly through closed eyes and I’m just filled with this excitement that it needs to be brought to life ASAP! This feeling is obviously stirred up while listening to the music, but a lot of times It comes to me in the middle of the night, keeping me awake. Trust me, I have NEVER had this happen to me before, so I am fully aware that it sounds over the top, but that's what happens. I'd probably think the same thing if it weren’t actually happening to me.

 

Since it is so important to me to find the right words to describe this, I was talking to Sarah Bates, an AMAZING blogger/ Author. She does the “Teaspoon of Happy” articles for HelloGiggles in Sundays. She always just has the perfect words for anything she is trying to explain to you and has been a huge help to me with a lot of things. (I ADORE her!!, she is amazing.. you should go read her work!!!)

You can read some of her work here: http://hellogiggles.com/dream-dream

 So I asked for her advice. I explained to Sarah the point I was trying to get across and she asked me, “Why is it inspiring? It's whatever stirs you deep within - some echo of a shared emotion or truth? Or just an artist that shares your exact wavelength so you hear their voice in super-surround sound. Almost like channeling…” 

Umm.. YES…. To ALL of that! That is EXACTLY what it feels like… it’s weird and I know I’ll never be able to fully explain it...but that's pretty close . Just to prove and echo what she asked me, I think I told this story before but last summer I could not sleep because I could not stop thinking about an idea for 2 paintings. It got so bad that I actually woke up in the middle of the night, sketched my two ideas & wrote out my notes and went back to bed. In the morning, I saw that Lee had tweeted almost around the same time that he could not sleep and was up writing… ooohhh…. queue the Twilight Zone music… Those two paintings were for “Fire Away” (Which I actually gave the original to Lee) and “You don’t know me”.

 

Last week, Lee was on vacation, so I did a bit of an experiment… I do not know if it was because I know vacation meant he was not writing songs snd creating ,etc… lol.. but I totally went into a creative funk… it was like I could not draw, it was weird, like I had this super power that was taken away… So I spent the week doing sketches of things that were not Lee-related… but ones that have special places in my heart:

1) A portrait of my husband and son: pretty much self explanatory. I love them with all my heart, and capped it off with a song by the Roots. “Lovey love my family”... How fitting ...

2) My cat. Although I am allergic to him…he is a kick ass cat. He thinks he is a dog, he is obsessed with me and I with him… lol… even if you hate cats, trust me… you’d love him….that is him sitting on my sketchbook because he gets jealous

3) “The Drinking Girl” by Edward McCarton- This is a statue that is on display at our local museum. I have been fascinated by it since I was little. No matter what exhibit we are going to see, I always make time to go visit her….

4) Owen on his BMX bike- My son is 6 ½ years old and is a master BMXer. Between his racing and my husband’s racing,that is all we do. We basically live rock star lives with all our travel. Lol…

5) The logo for the Stone Cat Café… my FAVORITE restaurant in the world. Seriously, out of all the nice, expensive and fancy places I’ve ever eaten…. I’ll always choose this tiny, converted old chicken coup. It’s located on Seneca Lake in upstate New York. Not only is the food amazing… it has emotional attachment for me…. It’s a super special place.

 6) my grandmother's house; the house I grew up in. It's the place I always felt the safest in, it's the place I felt the most "me", similar to the state I'm in when I'm bringing Lee's songs to life, and in the words of Miranda Lambert... It's "the house that built me". 

So since I was in this funk last week… I tried to fill that little void with sketching the things I love in real life. Almost trying to keep me grounded, ya know? I'm fully aware that I let the Lee stuff carry me away a bit. It did help though- They are all things that make me smile.  The sketches came out great I thought… they are embodying everything I love in my life…but again, they invoked that gentle loving feeling in my heart… not that spark of pure inspiration that induces the NEED to create…. Does anyone understand what I mean? Have you ever felt like this about something…. I know I said it before, but I just feel like this is what I have to do…like I am meant to do it. It’s not something that I can make a career with (unless of course I can get paid to ONLY paint Lee art) lol… I just feel I have to do it and when I can’t, it makes me sad and anxious.

I told myself I'd not write a book here, but I'll end with this... Mare actually broke it down to the simplest explanation... That makes so much sense ...(duh Jenn,face palm) the reason the Lee inspired art feels do different is because I'm creating them... I'm turning the music, my thoughts , feelings and daydreams Into something you can see also. I'm giving those things life. Those other sketches , of the things that I love more than anything? Those things already exist, they have a visual that I'm merely copying...as she put it (brilliantly I might add) " It's creation vs copying. Concrete versus abstract. Imagination versus still life. The outside world versus what you alone feel." I love my friends , it feels good to know there are people that just "get it" 

-Jenn 

3 of 3: MY final thoughts on the visual review of Lee DeWyze's new album "Frames"

Hello! There is no better time than this exact moment to do this “Frames” review because today, I just felt extra connected to the music. 

Taking my art out of the equation for a second: One of my favorite writers out there, Sarah May Bates once wrote “There is nothing more attractive and enchanting than Authenticity” and you know what, she is right. There is nothing more beautiful and enchanting than authenticity and that is exactly what Lee DeWyze and his music is. You can sit there and compare him to bands like Mumford and sons but why, because they both have banjos? There is nothing out there exactly like Lee DeWyze and with “Frames” he proves that. Every single song is majestic, heart-stirring and awe-inspiring.

 You know you are amazing at what you do when your abilities shed light on the abilities inside of others... that other being me in this case, obviously.  Thank you Lee, from the bottom of my heart for this breathtaking album. As a fan, I am so proud of you. I am proud of you for sticking to what you believe in and not conforming to anyone else’s vision of what kind of artist you should be. I have never had so much respect for a person in my life. You inspire me, not only as an artist...but as a person. For the first time in a REALLY long time, I feel like me... I feel like people “get it” and that is an amazing feeling, and it's all because of your words & talent. Thank YOU. You were born to do this, please don't ever stop & never let the fame change you. Your mind, lyrics, melodies and soul are sheer perfection... Yet you are the most humble and down to earth person I have ever met. Your voice is like my security blanket...thank you for always being there for me with your music. "Frames" is stunning...every single track.... I absolutely love it.  

I loved every second of creating this art and I can not wait to finish the remaining songs. As you all know, I live a very busy life. With all of our traveling, I might as well be a rockstar myself. I usually forget to take time for me...having this music awaken my need to create reminds me that I need that time for myself.... To do what makes MY soul happy. I do not create my art for attention. I do not create my art for money-they will never be for sale. I create SOLELY for having the outlet to get out all these overwhelming emotions and visuals I get when listening to this music, and I get that added pleasure of knowing that people get it. They enjoy it and hopefully Lee gets it. **Warning, this is about to get incredibly real, but cheesy**...

I truly believe that I was fated to find this music and to bring it to life. I don’t listen to a song and ask myself “what can I paint that goes with this song”... I just “Feel” it and there is really no way to explain it exactly. I know I keep saying that, but it's important to me to get that point across... That this is real and I'm not just playing a part. Each song hits me like a vision. You know really, a “heavy heart” is a feeling of unhappiness according to the dictionary... however the feeling I get when I listen to this man’s voice feels like my heart is actually filling up until it’s heavy... if that makes sense... which is the exact opposite of unhappiness. It’s a confounding flood of happiness like my heart is going to burst. That is really hard to explain without sounding crazy. I, myself think it sounds crazy... So there ya go. lol, I warned you.. It sounds cheesy and there are no words to exactly describe it, but I'm doing my best. 

I’d also like to thank Mare and my sister. 

Mare, 

I have had many great friends come into my life at different crossroads. I have met SO MANY amazing people through this journey with my art and Lee’s music, But you truly get me. My art is inspired by Lee’s music.... the best way to describe this is...picture a huge, beautiful perfect bonfire. This bonfire burns bright; creating beautiful & comforting warm flames- this represents my inspiration from Lee and his music. 

When you started telling me how YOU felt about my art and how connected you felt it was to the music.... picture throwing a little gasoline on that fire.. making it brighter and twice as powerful... that is how YOU have effected my inspiration. Thank you. I love your way with words... I love how you can take the words of my favorite songwriter, add your thoughts of my interpretation of those songs... and create an even bigger picture. You are turning this beautiful illustrated story into a novel. You really should write a book. You are an amazing writer and an even more amazing person. I know you like to not put so much of yourself out there for the world, so I feel lucky that you opened up to me the way you did. I think it was also fated that we met as well. Thank you for doing this review with me... If I just wrote it alone... it wouldn’t have been nearly as special. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening to my ideas, encouraging them and  even being there for me when I needed to vent about an awful & stressful day. 

Dani, 

“Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.  ~Margaret Mead”

You and I have come a LONG way in our relationship and have been through so much...experiencing things that most kids shouldn’t have to...but I think we turned out pretty damn good. ... Don't you think? We weren't raised by a family that hugged or said I love you on a daily basis... But I can say that although we were always divided into different worlds... I couldn't have asked for a better sister . 

Thank YOU for being apart of this project with me. I loved being able to connect with you over something this special and important to me. Thank you for listening to me gush for hours over Lee’s music and listening to me talk about my paintings while on the treadmill. Instead of making fun of me and telling me I am completely nuts..... you seem to get it. You know that there is no way I can fake the excitement I get when talking about something I believe in this much.

Thank you for ATTEMPTING to help me build my own frames for the art.... we worked the saw and we still have all our fingers... “Yah!”  and most of all, Thank you for not getting mad at me when I had to send you 100 texts a day asking when you’d be finished with your write ups. LOL. Although we are polar opposites.... you are the one person on this Earth that knows all the things that make me... ME...

I am truly proud of you for the woman that you grew up to be. You are an amazing mother, you work hard and you are always out there looking to be better. I’m proud to have you as my little sister. I love you! thank you again. 

I also want to thank all of the wonderful friends I have made and the entire “FamiLEE” ..... I’m truly blessed to be apart of such an amazing fandom. Yes, there is the occasional drama... and the divide amongst groups.. but that is what makes it real... like a REAL family.... Not everyone is going to have the same thoughts on everything, or like what the other has to say all the time. But you know what? It’s the love we have for Lee and he music that keeps us there... we are all there for the same purpose... to help show the the rest of world the part of Lee that we already saw.... Thank you for encouraging me... Re-tweeting my art and all the sweet comments. I didn’t grow up in a conventional family... but you all make me feel loved, make me smile when I need it and I love you all also! :-) 

Thank you! 

- Jenn

A visual review of Lee DeWyze's new album "Frames", track #9 "Don't be afraid"

**due to the size of this painting, I needed to have 3 views. Please note this is still in progress**

This is one of my favorite songs and I will just warn you now, this will be a long post. We all have lots to say about this, so get comfy...

“Don’t be afraid” Penetrates & frees your soul as soon as you even hear the first few lines. It’s the lyrics, Lee’s voice, everything about it.

I can not imagine anyone listening to this song and not feeling 100% at ease. It’s so beautiful and powerful. Could you honestly still be afraid of something hearing this voice telling you not to be????

 

People tell you all your life to follow your heart...Although this is encouraging, “Don’t be afraid” should go hand in hand with that because if you think about it, anything that that allows you to follow your heart is scary as hell… Denying your heart & mind from what it really wants lets that fear creep in. When I listen to this song, I am hearing this amazing voice (my favorite sound in the world by the way) telling me not to be afraid. So yeah, this song holds a special place in my heart. If you think about it, before this song was even written his voice was helping me not be afraid. I created my twitter account for the sole purpose of posting my art for Lee to see. Before this, you’d never catch me being anywhere near showing my art to the public eye, especially ones that are so personal and special to me.

If you get a chance, listen to this interview Lee did a few months back with The Heights 88.7... 1) Hearing HIM describe this song is perfection and better than anything I can right about. I get it… I mean, I know EXACTLY what he means…and when he references internal monologue…I swear he reads my mind ...and 2) it is by far the best version I have heard of this song to date. I never heard his voice sound better… there is nothing else to say besides I am in complete utter AWE…

 

I found the link to that interview… it really IS my favorite interview to date from the version of “Don’t be afraid”, his talking voice, how he describes the song…everything about it. This video belongs to WyzeOwiz, you can hear it here, and it really is worth listening to the entire thing:http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_bxEMpcFyHQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_bxEMpcFyHQ

 

As far as the painting goes… I chose a sugar skull because I love the vibe and the way they look…. But I chose to show him looking into the mirror with this image looking back at him… in order to NOT write a novel here, when you read Mare’s review below...That is EXACTLY what I was going for… The mouth is made up of piano keys and his guitar fret tattoo…I will tell you though that the eyes are the most important part to me. You hear that the eyes are the windows into someone’s soul…. I was trying to capture an exact moment there. A few months ago, I flew out to Chicago to see Lee perform (right there is another way Lee encourages me to not be afraid, I hate flying, let alone traveling on my own) well I got to meet a lot of the people I have gotten to know so well through Lee & his music, It was an amazing experience. But that was when “Silver Lining” was released as his new single. Annie, (Dewyzefan6) had handed out red glow sticks to everyone in the venue to hold up when he played that song. When it happened, it looked amazing, but the most amazing part was when Lee looked up and noticed them…. The look of awe and appreciation that took over his face was almost overwhelming… Seriously, that moment needed to be captured…. This was my ode to him so he has that visual reminder of that spectacular moment… It’s the view of the crowd from HIS eyes, holding up those red glow sticks……

Here are some actual pictures of that moment taken by the amazing Karen (@Weyezsoxboo) Thank you Karen!!! 

 

Mare’s point of view knowing the art AND the music:

Listening to music is a personal experience and each song you listen to brings forth memories, emotions and feelings that no other person can exactly share in the same way. The truly gifted songwriters create songs whose words and notes make you see yourself in a new way or remind you of things buried deep within. It’s songs like these that nudge your soul. Look deeper. What are you made of? And when you see it.... Don’t be afraid.

 

The art. Of all of them so far, this is my favorite... because you really have to understand it, think about it and study it. Many people will look at a skull and be reminded of death and associate it with scary connotations. A sugar skull is actually a reminder to look at LIFE. It takes something associated with death and adorns it with reminders of life and beautiful things. They represent life. Again, the message is... look deeper. The musician is looking into the mirror and what is reflected back is a skull. The first instinct would be to turn away. It would be sending a message of ugliness, death, fear. Look deeper. It’s actually a sugar skull. A person whose true gifts, his life, his SOUL are reflected back at him. He is made of music. Reminders of his lyrics, instruments, his fight and belief in music, and the people he makes that music for.... can all be found within the skull. The musician is standing in front of the mirror, in a form everyone knows....but the reflection is one that says “Don’t Be Afraid.... Look deeper, reach deeper, trust yourself and you will see the real you.... you, who are strong and made of much more than what is on the outside. You are more than the scars, hurt, confusion and ugliness of the past. Trust in who you really are because beneath all of that is the soul.... that is where life is.....look at who you reallyare and know that it is beautiful....” 

 

Don’t Be Afraid is a personal monologue for all of us. We’ve been made by the good and bad in our lives. Life comes down to love and loss...whether it be loved ones, or something within ourselves. It comes from times of hurt and happiness.... it’s just up to you to decide which you will allow to live in your soul, which one you choose to remember. Will you allow the bad times to define you, make you guarded, untrusting, and insecure? Or will you allow yourself to let go, be open, and be grounded in the good within your life and who you are? Do you trust yourself enough....Are you strong enough to look deeper.... and not be afraid? Maybe you’ll find the answer for yourself in the soulful notes of the guitar strings and quiet but strong and peaceful voice within the song... if you truly listen and look deeper....

 

 

Danielle’s point of view from looking at the art ONLY:

 Ok let me just start by saying I love love love sugar skulls, there I feel better had to get that out in the open hehe! This painting has so many things going on that I hope everyone notices. Every little detail on the skull shows a different part of the man. He's standing there looking into himself, he knows who he is he knows every little thing that makes him who he is. The keyboard, the piece of the guitar...this is who he is this is exactly where he wants to be. If you look close you can see red glimmers in his eyes, I imagine this is his inspiration ;rather his motivation. Those red glimmers is what drives him to be the best he can be! Don't be afraid...this painting says....don't just look at me...get to know me..look inside me! He's not looking into a mirror of a man he's looking into a mirror of a soul! Don't be afraid...just be you

 

**I was going to post another link to the song here… but I think you really NEED to hear the version in my link above**

 

Lyrics: “Don’t be afraid”

Well I've seen love

And I've seen pain

But never in my life will I fear these things again

So I'll hope, and I won't let go

But if I'm holding on too tight my darlin'  let me know

 

(hey yeah....)

 

Fix my heart, and my broken bones

If I can't stand up on my own don't make me stand alone

Lift me up

So I can see the light, but when the sun goes down

I will lay in your arms tonight

 

Everybody's waiting for a fault

But I won't let them se me stumble now

I'm never gonna fall

 

Don't be afraid

Your heart has been repaid

Don't be afraid

Your soul will not betray

 

(oh....)

 

Well I've been lost

And I've been found

But never in my life did I beg to hear the sound

Of your voice

But I'm calling now

And if you ever lose your way, I'll find your heart somehow

 

Everybody's waiting for a fault

But I won't ever let them see me stumble now

I'm never gonna fall

 

Don't be afraid

Your heart has been repaid

Don't be afraid

Your soul will not betray

 

(hey yeah....)

 

 

 

---

A visual album review of Lee DeWyze's new album "Frames": track #8 "The Ride"

Hello! Most of you have already read a huge portion of this because we posted this before the album was released. In order to post the songs in the order they appear on “Frames”, this is track # 8, “The Ride”. This way, my sister can also speak to the painting itself.

Now when we originally posted this, the only versions we had to go on were live ones.  I LOVE the album versions, but I think when it comes to the painting capturing the vibe of the song, you have to hear it live, which is posted below. The live version is just sexier and just… _________... I’ll just stop there, you get the point. I will just leave you to read what Mare and Danielle have to say because when it comes to this song and this painting… no one can describe it as well as Mare did…It is  absolute perfection and I never get tired of reading it……in this case it wasn’t just the song that inspired the painting.. it was reading and discussing how she felt about the song. Team work at it’s finest:

 

Here is a recap of Mare’s description of the song….

The idea for this painting came the morning after I saw Lee sing “The Ride” for the first time....right in front of me, in Asheville, NC. It was the first time I’d heard the song and I had an immediate physical reaction to it. I wanted to live INSIDE the song. I felt the music crawl up my skin, make my heart pound..... and as it was giving me chills, suddenly the room fell away. I heard the music, I heard the words, but I was no longer watching the person in front of me sing. Instead, a song turned into a story that I fell into... with my own images, my own feelings.... That is truly when you get “lost” in a song. I knew, after hearing it just once, that my reaction to the song, the world it created for me, and the way I could let go and get lost in it..... HAD to come to life.

I contacted my friend Jenn the next day. We had spoken about her art and Lee’s music many times in the past. I always felt that what she painted is how I would explain Lee’s music visually. She makes his songs into pictures.... The entire vibe and feeling of a song in front of me VISUALLY. I was so affected by The Ride, that I knew I had to ask her if she would paint the song.... Her response was: “What if I paint what YOU see? Describe it to me, everything you see and feel about the song and I’ll make it real...”.... I wasn’t sure how that would work....

That night, I sat down to write a short hand of what that song looked like in my mind. Here are the exact words I sent to Jenn:

“The scene is smokey to me, fiery, it burns. Reds, black details, sepia tones, not clear, more like you're looking thru smoke except maybe one detail that's in focus. It almost reminds me of 1920's prohibition basement music with sexual tension, withheld aggression, a warning, but chill vibe all in one.

 

A few visuals: that new mic with a hand holding it, maybe to the forearm to see a tattoo to know its him, and lips to the mic.

 

I also see him writing this song.... paper and pencil on an empty stage, with lights above shining down.

 

It also creates a sexual kind of pic.... I see two people up against the wall in a kind of struggle.... Arms pinned. But even though I see the whole pic, on a canvas, I can only see the couples arms in an aggressive hold.

 

I see SO many different pictures, but the FEEL of it is always the same....”

The next morning, Jenn had read what I wrote, and the amazing thing is..... She had seen the same visuals. She knew EXACTLY where I was going, and from that point on, we collaborated on the picture, the art, of The Ride.

The more talks we had, and the further the painting evolved and became what it is, the further inspired I became. Someone could take my feelings, my reactions, my imaginings.... and transfer them to canvas. When you really “listen” to a song that affects you, it becomes more than notes and words. It takes on a life of its own. Suddenly, the song has texture, it has color, it has shades, a vibe, a feeling.... it creates a snapshot of the world you got lost in for those few minutes. 

It takes a circle of inspiration to create something like this. A musician that writes a song from his heart and performs it so well that you get lost in a story..... An artist that is so in tune with that music that she can create a visual.... And a fan that was so affected, that the song had to become “real”.... through nothing other than words....

 

 

Now, Here is my Sister, Danielle’s point of view looking at the art work alone: 

 Wow, ok so The Ride...I'm sitting in a cozy little jazz bar, the room filled with a smoky curtain! As I sit and sip my martini...a man walks out on the stage and mesmerizes the audience with his laid back, sexy voice! The man is cool and confident I imagine he rolls his eyes up to the ceiling as he feels the melody and let's the lyrics soar into my soul! This is the kind of painting you look at before picking up a 50 shades book hehe!

You HAVE Listen to "The Ride" here (courtesy of Kelly (@Lees_BiggestFan) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzAV_6JGLQk   

(**warning, be prepared to not want to do anything else the rest of the night except repeat)

 

Lyrics  for “The Ride” 

 

I don’t break apart so easily...

Maybe you would like to try.

But I’m the one who waited carefully...

Thinkin’ I would take my time.

But you knew better than I....

Somewhere buried underneath the lights...

You wait.... You wait.... You’d wait and you’d see...

The time it takes to bend someones knees...

And who, who knew better than you?

No no no, no no no, no no no, no 

Who knew better than you?

Hold on tight, the ride has just begun...

If you care to come along.

Cause being right for you was too much fun...

And being right for me was wrong.

But you knew better than I.....

Somewhere buried, somewhere buried, underneath the lights.

You wait... You wait.... You’d wait and you’d see...

The time it takes to bend someones knees.

And who.... Oh who knew better than you?

Knew better.... Knew better..... Knew better than you?

Who knew better than you? Who knew? Who knew better than you?

Who knew better? Who knew better? Who knew better..... than you?

 Hopefully you are enjoying reading and seeing how we think and feel about this album.... Next post, "Don't be afraid" ... 

A visual review of Lee DeWyze's new album "Frames", track #7 "you don't know me"

We are back!

This is the “other” painting I was referring to when I told you about track 2- “Fire Away”

The night I was actually up the entire night with ideas running through my mind. I woke up and worked on this painting and “Fire Away” at the exact same time. I’d add paint to one, and then while that dried… work on the other. Both paintings were completed by the end of that day. Both paintings are similar in the fact that they are simple, yet the message is pretty legit. As a matter of fact, the message on both songs is very similar as well.

 

The beat of the song is upbeat however I think that vibe changes depending on if you are hearing Lee sing it live, listening to the main recorded version or the acoustic version on the Deluxe album… I painted this one with the main album version in mind. To me, when I hear this song, from the very beginning I am just picturing a record spinning the entire time…skipping & jumping over the cracks. Although the music seems upbeat, the message is quite clear “you don’t know me!”  I painted this from the perspective of dealing with people that THINK they know you and THINK they know what is best for you. I can speak personally to this song as well from my past and at times in even the present.  It could be from a creative standpoint… where your creativity is being repressed and governed by people that think they know better and try to change you, but also in life, in general. I have always been that person that was always there for people when they needed me, I never asked questions I just was there when I was needed… but you know what? That takes it’s toll on you. You may think you are being the good person…not making waves….going with the flow, but eventually, it will catch up with you. As I grew as a person, learning to do what is best for me and what I want to do… I found that those people you were always there for… they refuse to acknowledge your growth, your opinions, etc. They think they know you; they look down on you when you grow a back bone… and you know what, you find you don’t need them or want them around anymore. No one can tell you what is good for you than YOU can… it took me far too long to realize this, and I still struggle with this. This is how I take this song… You are dealing with these people and now you are fed up, you do not want them around…you wish it worked out, but hey- it didn’t and you are doing it your way.  I think Lee did just that and I do not know about you, I’m pretty damn excited he did!

For someone to stand up for what they feel and believe in, then use that to fuel even more creativity?... hell yes! Slow clap to you Mr. DeWyze !

 

Here is Mare’s point of view from the music & the art: 

 There are times when people will make assumptions about you, stereotype you, or put you into a mold they’ve created and they’ll say “YOU have to be THIS!”... but it will be based on THEIR views, judgements, thoughts and needs. Sometimes, people have blinders on and can’t see others for who they really are... but they are convinced they are right. When someone makes an assumption about me or they think they know me and it’s completely wrong.... it pisses me off and it’s hurtful, however.... it makes it easier for me to write them off. I’ve learned that there’s nothing I can do when someone refuses to see the real me... I accept it and move on. Because somewhere, there ARE people who will.

Some people choose to conform, thinking things will be easier. People can get locked in to that and start to become what others think they are....and lose themselves. The people who KNOW who they are.... they refuse. When you don’t or can’t conform, you have three choices: bend, break or say goodbye. You can only be what someone else needs for so long before something has to give. You can only tolerate the “mold” for so long. You can only tolerate other people’s assumptions about you for so long. Sometimes people start out on the same page, and as time goes by, one grows and one doesn’t and you begin to go in opposite directions. Do you stay together or go separate ways? What happens when expectation and reality go in opposite directions? There is a shock that comes with the realization that people you’ve been close with WOULDN’T know you. No matter how many times you try to show people who you are.... they just can’t grasp it because they need or want you to be someone else. Whether it’s a relationship, partnership, personal or business.

Breaking out of that and walking away.... that’s freedom. Leaving the frustration behind and realizing that it’s ok for people to NOT know you, because YOU know you.... and then continuing to BE you.... that’s authentic.  

This song MUST be sung with attitude... and personally, I like to get a little “salty” with it.... because it can’t be helped. It isn’t an angry kind of song... It’s the stage just past that. It’s just confidence, without being arrogant... someone washing their hands of the past. A shrug, and a “peace out” kind of vibe... “I’m done”.  It’s an old time chill vibe with a definitive but easy beat mixed with the roughness and grit in a tone that delivers the message.... A confrontation, an acceptance and a goodbye.  

The art is obviously a record that is broken.... in a way that looks like it was stomped on. Behind it are the lyrics, torn up, stained in a vintage look...the past. It looks like frustration left behind. The record....a break from the past, and perhaps the road to true creativity.... and freedom.

Here are Danielle’s thoughts on this painting looking at the art alone without knowing the music:

 

This is such an interesting piece. On first glance I think about the broken record and that makes me feel like the music has stopped. Then I notice the words in the background and I think to myself…ha ha you may have broken my record but the music lives on...even in its choppy texture the words are still there! It's like the record is saying, "you can break me but you sure as hell won't shut me up" Now, if you remember I said at first glance...when I take note of the name of the painting I suddenly I feel like this painting is saying I know I sound like a broken record but this is who I am...the words are here you're just not listening...the painting screams, "MUST I SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU"

 

You can hear “You don’t know me” here: 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EVGxBdqDE1U 

another amazing in studio video posted by Lee DeWyze 

 

“You don’t know me” Lyrics

 

You don't know me

So why you staring me down

You don't know me

And I don't want you around

 

And like a bullet from your lips that hit me right between the eyes

We knew it had to come to this, so it shouldn't come as a surprise

The problem is, in all of this

 

You don't know me

You don't know me

You don't know me, like you did before

You don't know me

You don't know me

You don't know me

Like you did before

 

What happened to your kiss

There is nothing left inside

Well there must be more than this

At least I can say I've tried

 

The problem is

In all of this

 

You don't know me

You don't know me

You don't know me, like you did before

You don't know me

You don't know me

You don't know me

Like you did before

 

I wish I was wrong, I wish I was wrong,

Wish I was wrong, I wish I was wrong

 

oh....oh....oh....oh....

oh....oh....oh....oh....

oh....oh....oh....oh....