Rob, this is awesome! Execution in the clouds. I

Now my 17-year-old son (a violinist and spare-time composer and portrait painter) wants to buy the CD also. He did listen to a segment of the music, however, so it wasn't just the cover, but it definitely had an influence on him.

Jean, Mark and Mischa - many thanks!

Mark, no worries. I designed the type and all the packaging. I taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator when the millenium turned over. I was once a full-time illustrator, so I felt it was prudent to know these things.

Alexandra! I must tell Phil that he is already influencing young musicians! He will be ecstatic.

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Linda wrote: My thoughts exactly. Perfect for the music you describe.

Rob -

What an achievment! Excellent execution, excellent composition. That will definitely sell some cds, and that can never be bad for your portfolio! Did you enjoy the experience?

Congratulations,
Linda

I don't know, Michele. I think that sometimes Linda B. knows my work better than I do!

And hello to Linda N! Long time! Thank you for your lovely words. And to answer your question - it was hard to find anything BUT enjoyment in the experience.

Working in tandem with another artist - especially one so incredibly gifted, in this case - is a situation that I think we all would love to have. I had to pinch myself on numerous occasions - especially when I arrived at his studio after a looong day of teaching: He put a glass of Balvenie 15-year in my hand, sat me down in a comfy chair, and proceeded to play a haunting and beautiful movement on the piano. He insisted on doing this on a weekly basis as integral to the project. I thought, "What did I do to deserve this?"

Another huge thing (that I'd mentioned before) was the fact that the very nature of the agreed-upon visual was concurrent to my penchant for the female figure in a landscape, and how they can work together to create an overall mood, color or emotion. It's VERY rare, I find, that I can paint what I truly want and have it fulfill a particular need. Let's hope this keeps happening; it makes for better art from me.

Isn't that great! I had a similar situation working with the directors of the Pacific Northwest Ballet company on this painting: http://www.michelerushworth.com/ballet2.htm

It was truly a "peak experience," having a creative collaboration with the two of them.