Portrait of an Artist

In 2001, Mark Wood released his “Portrait of an Artist” album, a musical tribute to his father inspired by his paintings, and presented it to him along with a live performance, at the dedication of the Paul Wood Gallery at Temple Emanuel in Great Neck, New York. Paul Wood passed away in 2003; what a gift it was that Mark did this while his father was not only still here, but quite able to appreciate and be moved by it. Paul was in his own home that he built with his wife of 50 years, and was surrounded by music and light and the love and warmth of his family. He was an extraordinary man and an equally extraordinary artist. In Mark's own words... Just the way a painter paints a portrait, seeking to capture the true essence of the artist’s subject, my intention was to capture, through music, the true essence of my father Paul Wood, a gentle and loving man with a howlingly great sense of humor and a deep-rooted spirituality. When a person grows up in a family with a father who is a painter, a mother who is a pianist, and two violin players and a cellist for brothers, what kind of kid comes out of that? Hmmm . . . As a child, I was joyously surrounded by music and art; it never occurred to me how special and unusual that was until I grew older. As a young adult, exploring and searching for my own personal voice in a music career, I chose to sleep on the floor of my family’s woodworking shop, which also served as my father’s art studio. There I lived with the sounds of a brush moving against canvas and the smell of oil paint and sawdust. These were the magical seeds being planted in me by my family; and along with other lessons I’ve learned along the way, they have empowered me to take this next important step in my career. "Portrait of an Artist" is the by-product of my entire life’s experiences - it is my interpretation of the sensory stimulus and energies emanating from my father’s paintings and my family’s world of artistic and musical endeavors. For this project, I have chosen three familiar themes that my father greatly enjoys – Music, Family, and Spirituality. I have selected groups of paintings under each of these categories to explore their deepest meaning and transform them onto a musical canvas. My goal was to create a soundtrack for the character and spirit of my father’s life in which I can convey my sense of awe and profound respect for this truly unique artist. For a man who rarely if ever told his sons what to do with their lives, Paul Wood’s actions and behavior and the way he handled his own life have spoken volumes – a far more powerful statement than words could ever convey. I dedicate this music to my father, who will always be my guiding light in my creative life. I hope I’m as good of a father to my own son as my father was to me.