“Feeling the Blues” depicts an intimate moment on stage shared by 5 musicians. They are turned away from us, breaking from their roles as performers to engage with each other. Their unrestrained energy bounces from artist to artist and invites you, the only audience member, to witness this private exchange between colleagues. 

As the artist, I feel it is my responsibility to confess that I do not know these men. I have not had the pleasure of visiting BB’s Jazz club, nor any part of St. Louis.  When Chris first approached me about this project in 2023, I was admittedly hesitant; I do not often work from photos, nor do I center my work around recreating photos taken by other people.

What attracted me to the project was his description of the photo that he’d taken while promoting a show in St. Louis. My experiences with the Blues were tied to special moments I’d had with my dad as a child and I found myself drawn, first to the high contrast of the lights, then to the unique cast of subjects claiming center-stage, and finally to the vivid depictions of how it felt to experience this moment in person. Recreating that energy became my primary goal. 

Thus ensued an intense partnership between myself and the massive wood panel that occupied my studio for 12 months and 2 weeks. Though I found myself jokingly referring to the piece as my overnight 9-5, in truth my relationship with it fell somewhere between that of a parent with a needy child and a married woman with an obsessive lover. 

I witnessed every form that it took, truly nothing changed without my perception. Bit by bit, the humble shapes blocked in with a 3” brush led to the tiny guitar strings painted with a 2 mm ‘hair-brush’. As the musicians on the stage revel in the hours dedicated to their work, this piece reflects 2000 hours of my life dedicated to sharing their secret joy with you. 

• EM