Melanie Bethke, Radiating Waves Study II, oil on wood panel, 8" x 8", 2023

Underlying color energy illuminates my work. This exploration led to the Perpetual Motion Series: an exploration of the use of line and  color to create rhythm and convey the perception of constant movement. These works are all painted on round canvases because the  circular shape represents the central theme of the series with its endless, perpetual line. The synthesis of energies that occur between  the sonic and the visual reveal the unseen sound experience. I capture music’s fleeting moments and impose its overall impressions  into the painting. Each painting takes form through the accretion of layers of paint, counteracted by scraping or the use of resists, and  by drawing upon the work with miniature power tools. The language of music is revealed on panel via the dynamic synthesis /  interaction of sinuous lines, shape, pattern, and color fields.