The Lesser Known Creative Genius of Sir Paul

Paul McCartney     BIG MOUNTAIN FACE

Sir James Paul McCartney, is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", McCartney gained worldwide fame as a member of The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. McCartney and Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular songs in the history of rock music. After leaving The Beatles, McCartney launched a successful solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda Eastman and singer-songwriter Denny Laine. According to the BBC, his Beatles song “Yesterday” has been covered by over 2,200 artists — more than any other song in the history of recorded music. McCartney has composed film scores, classical and electronic music, and released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist.

And with all of that said, I’ve never been a big fan of the Beatles or the music of McCartney, surely one of very few. But I am a huge fan of his fine art. Millions know and love his music, but I’d venture to say most do not know of or appreciate his outstanding works of fine art. I admire the creativity, freshness and spontaneity of his works. His oil and acrylic paintings are intense, colorful and full of life, revealing  McCartney's spirit and creative sophistication.

McCartney's love of painting surfaced after watching artist Willem D Kooning paint, in Kooning’s Long Island studio. McCartney took up painting in 1983. In 1999, he exhibited his paintings (featuring McCartney's portraits of John Lennon, Andy Warhol, and David Bowie) for the first time iin Siegen, Germany,  The first UK exhibition of McCartney's work was opened in Bristol, England with more than 50 paintings on display. McCartney had previously believed that "only people that had been to art school were allowed to paint", as Lennon had. He noted “I'm really excited about it. I didn't tell anybody I painted for 15 years but now I'm out of the closet."

With his music, fine art paintings and poetry, Paul McCartney is surely the epitome of creative genius.

excerpts from wikipedia

Painting a Song on Canvas

HOT AUGUST NIGHT II    acrylic on yupo paper   J.Plesh

I cannot sing or play a musical instrument; in fact, I cannot even read music. But music has been very inspiring to me through the years and has played a part in many of my paintings. Sometimes I prefer quiet solitude while creating; however, on those occasions when I paint with background music, I can feel the music’s influence and allow it to engulf me and likewise become part of the painting. Sometimes it’s like the brush or palette knife is the baton swinging in concert with the melody and momentum of the music. That’s the joy and beauty of expressionistic painting. Feeling and emotion come into play, generating creativity and encouraging spontaneity and the imagination to move in unison with the rhythm and beat of the music. Usually the music is an accompaniment to the creation of the painting. But sometimes the music itself is the reason for the painting. My painting, through its creation, represents the music. The song or music is the model, the image in my mind that I am intent on replicating. 

Years ago I attended a Neil Diamond concert with my family at the Providence (RI) Civic Center. It was a great show and we had a great time. Arriving home late in the evening after the concert, my wife and children went to bed. But I was way too pumped up and inspired to call it a night. Being in this creative zone, I chose instead to paint and did so for hours into the night. I painted with the image of the concert and the music playing in my mind. The result was a painting I titled “Hot August Night.” The movement, excitement and inspiration of that evening were all captured in the painting. It was purchased not too long after its creation by the Corning Glass Corporation for display in the lobby of their corporate medical division. The painting, like the music, lives on.