The Exploring Beauty Project

The “Exploring Beauty Project”(also known as “The Song Project”) was an artistic endeavor I embarked on in August of 2020. It began by me asking for song suggestions from friends and family with the sole qualification that it was a song they found to be beautiful. I then listened to one of the songs every weekday for three months, often on repeat, and I would try to visually capture the beauty that I felt emanated from the song, either in its music or lyrics, or both.

It was done in an attempt to remind myself of the beauty of the world and the beauty of other people in the crazy and chaotic world of COVID 2020. It resulted in an interesting exploration of my art style, as well as in great growth as an artist.

I started primarily creating the daily pieces using watercolor and ink on watercolor paper; I gradually began introducing more digital elements in the pieces until finally all of the pieces were entirely crafted in Adobe Photoshop.

The rather wonderfully eclectic Spotify playlist for this song project can be found here.

Day 1: “Sleeping Sun” by Nightwish, suggested by Delaney T.
Day 2: “Tonada de Luna Llena” by Natalia Lafourcade, suggested by Raleigh B.
Day 3: “I Wish I Knew How to Be Free” by Nina Simone, suggested by Eli B-S.
Day 4: “Pretty Fix” by Takenobu, suggested by Cat S.
Day 5: “Vienna” by Ultravox, suggested by Johanna O.
Day 6: “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, suggested by Galen B.
Day 7: “Comptine d’un autre ete” by Yann Tiersen, suggested by Terra S.
Day 8: “Blue Boat Home” by Peter Mayer, suggested by my mum, Maura M.
Day 9: “Recessional” by Vienna Teng, suggested by Monshin P.
Day 10: “You’re the One That I Want” by Chris & Thomas, suggested by Kati E.
Day 11: “Parasite” by Nick Drake, suggested by EJ F.
Day 12: “Hello in There” by John Prine, suggested by Kelsey R.
Day 13: “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne, suggested by Lora D.
Day 14: “Barefoot in the Park” by James Blake & Rosalia, suggested by Coral F.
Day 15: “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday, suggested by Jess W.
Day 16: “Moya” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, suggested by Andy S.
Day 17: “Nightswimming” by R.E.M., suggested by Dana S.
Day 18: “My Friend the Forest” by Nils Frahm, suggested by Isabelle E.
Day 19: “After the War (Tsutro Remix)” by Branches, suggested by Tamarah H.
Day 20: “The Moon (Acoustic)” by The Microphones, suggested by Bryan C.
Day 21: “Church” by Laura Zocca, suggested by Nicole B.
Day 22: “Boots of Spanish Leather” by Bob Dylan, suggested by Jess N.
Day 23: “Symphony No.6, 2nd Movement ‘Scene by the Brook'” by Beethoven, suggested by my dad, John M.
Day 24: “String Quartet No.2 ‘Intimate Pages'” by Leos Janacek, suggested by Mike E.
Day 25: “Wild Goose Chase” by Dark Dark Dark, suggested by Minna J.
Day 26: “Party of One” by Brandi Carlile & Sam Smith, suggested by Jack T.
Day 27: “Suzanne” by Nina Simone, suggested by Jo E.
Day 28: “Arrabi al Arabe” by Mariem Hassan, suggested by Daisy B.
Day 29: “One Day More” from Les Miserables, suggested by Jenny H.
Day 30: “I Already Forgot Everything You Said” by The Dig, suggested by Travis M.
Day 31: “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, suggested by TJ B.
Day 32: “Safaera” by Bad Bunny, suggested by Gaia P.
Day 33: “Star Witness” by Neko Case, suggested by Annie W.
Day 34: “Avril 14th” by Aphex Twin, suggested by Matt P.
Day 35: “Lebanese Blonde” by Thievery Corporation, suggested by Zuri V.
Day 36: “She” by Alice Phoebe Lou, suggested by Jodi G.
Day 37: “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope, suggested by Christina C.
Day 38: “Going Gets Tough” by The Growlers, suggested by my brother, Will M.
Day 39: “Travelin’ Far” by Murder by Death, suggested by Maria M.
Day 40: “Wait” by M83, suggested by Shane S.
Day 41: “Real Slow” by Megafaun, suggested by Greg T.
(This is the only song not on the Spotify playlist, found on SoundCloud!)
Day 42: “Opus Dei” by Laibach, suggested by Darien F.
Day 43: “Heartloose” by Diane Cluck, suggested by Elliot C.
Day 44: “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” by Melanie Safka, suggested by Tucker P.
Day 45: “Patience” by River Tiber, suggested by Rhys S.
Day 46: “Liberation” by Harold van Lennep, suggested by Rachel I.
Day 47: “Northern Town” by Fruition, suggested by Jimmy U.
Day 48: “I’ve Been” by Sun June, suggested by Katie A.
Day 49: “Love and Happiness” by Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou Harris, suggested by Kelsey D.
Day 50: “It’s Quiet Uptown” from Hamilton, suggested by my partner Michael G.
Day 51: “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, suggested by my Nana, Betty M.
Day 52: “Body Gold” by Oh Wonder, suggested by Deja C.
Day 53: “Vision One” by Royskopp, suggested by Dyson B.
Day 54: “Vuelta al Mundo” by Calle 13, suggested by Kelsey B.
Day 55: “Wildewoman” by Lucius, suggested by Andrea E.
Day 56: “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers, suggested by Peter M.
Day 57: “Nattsud” by Axel Boman, suggeted by Nick P.
Day 58: “You Can Close Your Eyes” by James Taylor, suggested by Jordan S.
Day 59: “Aftertaste” by Loud Luxury & Morgan St. Jean, suggested by Max C.
Day 60: “Sing to the Moon” by Snarky Puppy”, suggested by Reed I.