Hearts from Song
The heart is the most important part of our bodies – keeping our blood flowing and supplying oxygen to every tiny cell while also serving as our emotional center. Naturally then, it fits that so much emphasis is put on the heart in pop culture. As a huge music lover, I noticed how many songs mention the heart in unique, metaphorical ways, and wanted to give a visual representation to the song lyrics. Hence, the title of this collection is “Hearts from Song”, and each piece is named after the song or individual lyric – or, as the series expanded, line from books or conversations – that inspired it.
Due to the wide and varied nature of my source material, I have worked with a wide range of materials in this series to more accurately portray the song writers’ intention. Although many of the hearts are ceramic or ceramic based, others are made predominantly out of metal, fabric, paper, or plaster. One of them is a functional drum based off an Irish bodhran! And I attempted to be as true to the intent and emotional weight of the songs as well – some of the pieces are dark or gory to express emotional distress, while others are more upbeat. Each piece presented me with challenges and learning experiences, and as a result each one holds a bit of my heart in their essence.
Heart with Strings of Steel
“Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel, Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3.
Ceramic, sheet metal, wire and acrylic on wood.
Just a Memory – Train
“I’m sailing away on these tears that I’m crying.” – Just a Memory, Train.
Ceramic and acrylic on wood.
Overdose
“My blood would pass on every test, but every test my heart would fail. My substance isn’t physical, it’s just the thought of you.” – Overdose, Siobhan Holden
Ceramic and acrylic on wood.
Australia
“Light up my heart, take it all down, or send me packing out of Australia.” – Australia, Siobhan Holden.
Aluminum and acrylic on canvas.
Nevada and Mexico
“My heart lies between Nevada and Mexico, wherever you are. It’s in the roads that you travel, the stars up above. A piece of me follows you wherever you go, attached with a string between Nevada and Mexico.” – Nevada and Mexico, Siobhan Holden.
Ceramic, wire, fabric, paper, cork, and acrylic on wood.
Dark Love
“I’m not talking Cupid’s arrows, I’m talking daggers and knives.” – Dark Love, Siobhan Holden.
Ceramic and acrylic on wood.
Driving Rain
“Left her heart in a letter, said she’d never been better, but now I know.” – Driving Rain, Slash ft Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.
Paper, wire, ink on wood.
All I Hear
“All I hear now is the sound of my heart breaking down. Slowing down.” – All I Hear, Train.
Aluminum, wire, ceramic and acrylic on canvas.
Key to My Heart
Inspired by the phrase ‘Key to My Heart.’
Ceramic, keys, chain and acrylic on wood.
Jar of Hearts
“Who do you think you are? Running around leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart.” – Jar of Hearts, Christina Perri.
Oven bake clay and acrylic in glass jar.
No Souvenirs
“You packed up your heart and left no souvenirs….
Burn the pictures, break the records, run far away to a northern town, sell your fear and leave me standing here with no souvenirs.” – No Souvenirs, Melissa Etheridge.
Ceramic, photography, found object multimedia sculpture.
Rhythm of My Heart
“The rhythm of my heart is beating like a drum with the words ‘I love you’ rolling off my tongue.” – Rhythm of My Heart, Rod Stewart.
Wood, leather, goatskin functional drum.
Heart as an Engine
“Think about it; all an engine needs is fuel, oxygen and a spark. All a human needs is food, oxygen and an electrical pulse – our spark.” – Conversation with a mechanic.
Ceramic and acrylic on wood.
Heart of Darkness
Inspired by the title of Joseph Conrad’s novella, but there the similarities end.
Ceramic, plaster, resin, and acrylic on wood.
Butcher
Pen and Watercolor on Paper.
Heart Earrings
Nickel silver and wire.
Break on Me
“There’ll be days your heart don’t want to beat, you pray more than you breathe, and you just want to fall to pieces.” – Break on Me, Keith Urban.
Acrylic on canvas.
Heart Print
Linocut print on paper.
Thunder Rolls
“As the storm goes on out of control, deep in her heart the thunder rolls.” – Thunder Rolls, Garth Brooks.
Acrylic on canvas.
Chrome Plated Heart
“I’ve got a chrome plated heart, wings on these fingers tryin’ to tear it apart. I’ve got angel’s crying from up above and they’ve got rust in their eyes, got rust on their love.” – Chrome Plated Heart, Melissa Etheridge.
Aluminum, wire and acrylic on canvas.
Self Portrait
Pen and watercolor on paper.
Strangled
“As if my own heart were reaching out to strangle me.” – Siobhan Holden
Colored pencil on paper.