Synesthesia
When I talk about color in music (besides being a composer, I am also a painter), I am often asked whether I have synesthesia. I do not, and I am … Continue reading
A Unifying Principle
How do I express this movement musically? And when I hear gripping music, how do I paint it? These two artistic disciplines have been closely related in my creative output. … Continue reading
Terabyte Tiara – New Painting
I have been working intensely on the harpsichord concerto and came to a point where I felt that a quick change in artistic disciplines would do wonders to reset my … Continue reading
Instant Inspiration
Work in progress. Sometimes I see someone in the crowd and know immediately that I want to paint him/her. There is just something about the face or the eyes, maybe … Continue reading
No Commitment
Medusa – one of my early paintings. Remarkably, as I look back, I feel myself drawn to the same color palette again; soft grays, blue, black. Maybe I have come … Continue reading
DIY Watercolor Palette
Since I have grown weary of fighting the tubes and wasting precious pigments, I have decided to move my watercolors into tiny plastic containers. Hopefully this new system will work … Continue reading
Ingrid – New Painting
Ingrid – acrylics and ink on paper. 18 x 24 in (45 x 61 cm). http://www.dosiamckay.com/art/gallery.shtml
Music as Color
I don’t have synesthesia but I find that different keys (tonal centers) have distinct “flavors”. When I compose, a transposition of a musical passage may or may not make sense, … Continue reading
Endless Immersion Now On Spotify
Endless Immersion is now on Spotify. 2 hours of pure, gently enveloping bliss to wash away all evil and pain from the face of the Earth. https://open.spotify.com/album/1o9kiRc1sn39JSEBTCQRWw http://www.dosiamckay.com/endlessimmersion.shtml “Endless Immersion … Continue reading
Midsummer – New Painting
Winter might be lingering on but I have a springy / summery feeling inside. Do you ever come to a point where you are surrounded by gloom but find this … Continue reading
To Create is to Be Alive
I paint to remember and to forget. To celebrate and to mourn. To rage and to be still. In all of these I want to affirm life and gratitude for … Continue reading
Symbiosis – An Artist’s Internal Dialogue
An artist’s internal dialogue never stops. Isn’t it enough that I have to interact with the outside world? Wouldn’t it be nice to “come home to myself” for the respite … Continue reading
Joyful Surprise
By all calculations I should not have a good day. Yet I woke up with a renewed strength and a desire to face obstacles on my path to creativity. Give … Continue reading
I Used To Know Everything
I used to know everything, some 20 years ago. I wish I could talk to my younger self today so I could gain clarity and perspective on my present life. … Continue reading
Unveiling – Music Painting
“Unveiling” composed for string orchestra is an exploration of layers of sound. Beginning with one solitary note, new aural strata gradually unfold in which multiple layers of counterpoint constantly shift, … Continue reading
Delusion
Art is not necessary. Art is not indispensable. There are more urgent issues such as maintaining peace, feeding the hungry, and protecting the environment. And yet, if we don’t have … Continue reading
Translating Color to Music
I feel restless again. Restless to translate these colors I have been dabbing with into music. I don’t hear the sounds yet. I just feel the need to remove myself … Continue reading
Seeing is Believing – New Painting
To me, painting in abstract style is synonymous with attaining complete freedom. It never ceases to amaze me that a single piece of art can lend itself to many interpretations. … Continue reading
Geometry, Language, and Music – My Path to Composition – Radio Interview on “Zero Crossings”
What do geometry, language, and music have in common? The ancestral shadows, George Michael, and creative loneliness – it’s all there. I am talking about my convoluted path to composition … Continue reading
Unquenchable
I was not born with a paint brush in my mouth. My father was an engineer and spent hours (after work) drawing futuristic cars with ink pens on graph paper. … Continue reading
Eternal – Mandala Drawing
The beauty and power of geometry. The mysticism of sacred mandalas brings order into chaos. I have been experimenting with these concepts lately and find them inspiring, centering, and relaxing. … Continue reading
Dream Machine
Dreams have no rhymes or reasons. We are thrown into a cacophony of images and sounds, making decisions with convoluted outcomes, trying to make sense out of random encounters, unexpected … Continue reading
Face To Face – New Abstract Painting
“Face To Face” Acrylics on stretched canvas. The sides are painted, no need to frame. Medium gloss finish. 18 x 24 x 0.5 in (45 x 61 x 1 cm) … Continue reading
New Paintings – New Color Experiments
Here are a few paintings in progress. I am experimenting with new colors and textures. http://www.dosiamckay.com/art/gallery.shtml
Endless Immersion Installation and the Magic Algorithm
The Endless Immersion installation and the creative process of composing the music for this unique environment. I discuss the double stereo loop design and the capabilities of the magic algorithm. … Continue reading
Work Hard, Play Hard
I am working non stop on this latest release, hoping to bring the music to life this April. Music is done, graphic design for the album cover is done. Now … Continue reading
Endless Immersion – Challenging the “Stereo-Types”
With sound engineer Julian Dreyer, trying different alignment patterns for the looping layers. There are so many interesting combinations, there is not enough lifetime to explore them all. We are … Continue reading
Endless Immersion – Painting With Sound
Painting with sound – I spent a solid day in the studio working with the sound engineer. This project feels very much like painting to me. I stretched the canvas … Continue reading
Music in a Kaleidoscope?
I am putting finishing touches on Endless Immersion before I take it to the recording studio for final edit and mastering. Until today, the “kaleidoscope” design of the music was … Continue reading
To Be and to Hear – Abstract Painting
This is a hand-painted digital artwork utilizing new media with abstract fractals. I created this series of paintings in 2007 while I was working as a technical illustrator for patent … Continue reading
Color Me Blue – New Music for Soprano Sax, 2 Vibraphones, and Bass
I am updating my score catalog and came across this fun piece for soprano saxophone, 2 vibraphones, and bass. Jazz meets counterpoint! http://www.dosiamckay.com/mp3/DosiaMcKay_colormeblue.mp3 http://www.dosiamckay.com/music/colormeblue.shtml
Play With Fire – Abstract Painting
Play With Fire http://www.dosiamckay.com/art/artwork/077.shtml Acrylics on stretched canvas, 24 x 36 x 0.75 in, (61 x 91 x 2 cm). Medium gloss professional finish. No need to frame, the painted … Continue reading
Custom Portrait
Have you ever had a portrait drawn? Would you like to surprise a loved one with a unique gift? Commission a custom portrait and I will prepare one of a … Continue reading
New 3-Dimensional Music
If I have been quiet recently, it’s because I am working intently on new music. It’s a large-scale innovative project whose harmonic progression and formal design resembles some of my … Continue reading
Predominant Impulse – Abstract Art – Acrylics on Canvas
Predominant Impulse – Acrylics on canvas http://tinyurl.com/macaums
Shedding – Old Feathers Fall Away With Old Fears
“Shedding” – Old feathers fall away with old fears. http://tinyurl.com/nr4mobn I created this series of paintings in 2007 while I was working as a technical illustrator for patent attorneys. By … Continue reading
Awakening – New Media Painting
No matter how hard I try, I can’t get away from color. I have to restrain myself not to turn the saturation all the way up. I think I know … Continue reading
New Painting / Drawing with Musical Theme
A detail of a new painting / drawing I am working on. This one will have a musical theme.
First In Flight – New Music for Vibraphone and String Quartet
“First In Flight” is the title of my new composition for vibraphone and string quartet. I wrote it for vibraphone player Jason DeCristofaro who regularly performs classical music and jazz. … Continue reading
Uncovering the Hidden Message of a Moth
I haven’t yet talked about the inspiration behind the cover of my album Lacrimosa. Let me share with you this fascinating story. In July of 2011 in North Carolina, I … Continue reading
Vasily Kandinsky – It’s Only Art. Or Is It?
“Every work comes into being in the same way as the cosmos – by means of catastrophes… The creation of the work of art is the creation of the world.” … Continue reading
Music Well - Dosia McKay, Composer, Painter, Writer 