ABOUT

SARAH CAPPS is an artist and designer from Lynchburg, Virginia. Inspired by the gift of sound-to-color and shape synesthesia she shares her visual experience of music through paintings. In addition to music, Sarah is inspired by the rhythms and patterns found in nature and finds solace in painting landscapes and botanicals.

PROCESS

How do I create paintings based on music? Good question. I have Synesthesia, or a crossing of two or more senses, and it allows me to have a unique visual experience of colors, shapes and various textures while listening to music. My goal is to capture the song and its feeling by sharing my experience of particular instruments, the singer’s voice, and/or a collage that serves as an imprint of the entire song. It’s like trying to hit a moving target. I attempt to convey that movement by using many layers of paint to express the forms I see within the song, which also allows for greater texture and vibrancy in the final product.

My process is unique for each painting that I create. I typically paint abstracts or landscapes, but all of my work is inspired by music and the local landscape. I love painting with acrylic, oil, and watercolor in particular. Other mediums I play with are charcoal, pencil, pen, ink and colored pencil. 

When I begin a painting, depending on whether it’s a commission or a song that I’ve chosen, I listen to the song a number of times, usually at least 20, and select a meaningful portion of the song related to the requester (or myself if I’ve chosen it). Then I attempt to capture the emotion and meaning of that song with a number of layers revealing the movement of the visuals I experience while listening to the music. I frequently receive commission requests for weddings, anniversaries, proposals, birthdays, and just because!

Click to read more about — synesthesia

All images and artworks are Copyright © 2023 Sarah Capps. All Rights Reserved.