Bluegrass Art: Painting & Music- "Mountain Souls"

"Mountain Souls" Oil on Canvas 72x72” diptych by Marsha Hammel. Private Collection, Asheville, NC.

When Tom Godleski, leader of the bluegrass band, Buncombe Turnpike, asked if I would be interested in creating art for the bands' newest CD, I was delighted to say YES!

As the band rehearsed in Tom's handmade barn near West Asheville, I made drawings of the musicians with their guitars, mandolin, fiddle and stand-up bass. The original music that Buncombe Turnpike is known for is true to the traditions of bluegrass yet the lyrics are timely and contemporary; a perfect example of the RetroForward concept (see the above entry on Jazz: Music and Painting).

The resulting painting, a two-panel (diptych) whose title, "Mountain Souls" was named by ten year old Grayson Hackett, has been one of my most enjoyable collaborations to date.