Title: ‘Joni’s Dream – Back to the Garden’

Painting 1 in an ongoing series
Size: 90cm x 90cm (36 x 36 inches)
Medium: Acrylic on canvas

This original painting entitled ‘Joni’s Dream’ is inspired by the lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s 1969 song ‘Woodstock’.

This dramatic painting depicts jet planes turning into butterflies. Below the foliage and flowers of the garden, the stage area at Woodstock can faintly be seen, perhaps indicating ‘the nation’ above which this symbolically peaceful event is taking place. This is my visualisation of the powerful lyrics and I hope that the renowned songwriter would approve.

Completed in August 2011, this is the first in a series of paintings for which I have drawn my inspiration from the lyrics of classic songs from the 1950s to the 1970s, attempting to capture on canvas the personal visions that these lyrics evoke. The initial ‘set list’ for this collection of art includes rock ‘n’ roll, Woodstock era pop, folk, hippy, psychaedelic, classic rock, prog rock and singer songwriters. Over the next few years I intend to expand this series of paintings into an exclusive, unique and collectable body of original art.