Staccato II (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by Diannah Lowry

Music in all its forms is a real passion for me. While painting in my studio my music of choice is typically either classical music or jazz, since I generally find music with lyrics too distracting (other than operas where I don’t understand the language!). This painting is an attempt to capture the notation of staccato and the energy it injects into music. It's the second in a series exploring the musical notation of ‘staccato’. To me, the detached and abrupt rhythm of staccato lends itself perfectly to an abstract interpretation of the sharpness of energy, separation and vitality of movement found in various musical forms.
The use of a limited palette in this work formed a real challenge to me since I typically use a wider spectrum of colours in my paintings. The limited palette in this work allowed me to focus on the rhythms of the shapes as abstract interpretations of musical notation, rather than focus on the colours themselves. While the palette is a limited palette, it is harmonious, with the red forming a bright contrast to the muted colours. I love the palette, and it will now be informing much of my new work.

Materials used:

Acrylic paint

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 90 x 90 x 2cm (unframed) / 90 x 90cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Geometric
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative