Music & Memories: How One Guitar Inspired a Collection of Paintings
Sometimes a single story can change the direction of your creative life.
For me, it started with Willie Nelson and a guitar named Trigger.
I watched a documentary about Willie and his beloved guitar, and I couldn't stop thinking about their relationship. Trigger is worn, scarred, repaired, and full of history. But Willie has remained loyal to that guitar through decades of music and memories.
Something about that devotion stayed with me.
The next morning, I woke up with a painting already formed in my mind. I went into my studio and painted it in one sitting. I hadn't felt that kind of creative excitement in a long time.
And I wanted more of it.
That painting became the beginning of something I hadn't planned: Music & Memories, a growing collection of watercolor and mixed-media paintings inspired by music and the stories we carry with us.
More Than Songs
I've always been fascinated by the way music connects us to our past.
A song can transport us back to a particular summer, a first love, a friendship, a concert, or a moment we thought we'd forgotten.
And sometimes, when we hear that same song years later, we discover that its meaning has changed.
The music hasn't changed. We have.
That's what I want to explore through this collection.
Some paintings are inspired by my own memories. Others come from stories people have shared with me. Each one is an opportunity to explore the connection between music, memory, and emotion.
The Story Behind Music & Memories
I've started a new video series to share the stories behind these paintings, beginning with the one that started it all.
In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing the paintings, the inspiration behind them, and the memories that brought them to life.
And I'd love for you to be part of the conversation.
What song or album instantly takes you back to another time in your life?
Maybe it reminds you of someone you loved, somewhere you lived, or a version of yourself you haven't thought about in years.
Those are the stories that interest me.
Because the stories we carry become part of who we are, just as the wear on Trigger became part of her music.
Art You Can Feel, Stories You Can Hang.
Explore the Music & Memories collection: https://www.deellahobergarts.com/
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