Can you hear the music?

The soulful voice of a singer, the gentle rhythm of a guitar, the warmth of an audience gathered together to enjoy a live performance.

Concert | Ira May is an original acrylic painting on acid-free paper, created during a live concert by Swiss soul singer Ira May and her guitarist at Cheesmeyer in Sissach, Switzerland.

In January 2023, I spent a delightful month painting at Cheesmeyer, a historic café and cultural meeting place. You can read a press text (in German) published in the Volksstimme newspaper about the event here.

It is a wonderful place where people gather to enjoy coffee, food, conversation and cultural events. There is always something happening, and I was invited to immerse myself in its daily life and capture the atmosphere through painting.

One of the highlights was a concert by Ira May.

Painting music

How do you paint music?

It is a fascinating question.

Music is invisible, yet we experience it so powerfully. It fills a room, changes the atmosphere and brings people together.

As a painter, I am interested in capturing more than the physical appearance of a scene.

I want to communicate something of what it feels like to be there.

During Ira May's performance, I was surrounded by music, movement and the warmth of people enjoying a shared experience.

I painted directly from observation, responding to the musicians and the atmosphere of the room.

Working during a live performance is wonderfully exciting.

Nothing stands still. The musicians move, the light changes and the music carries you along.

There is no time to become too concerned with details. I have to trust my eyes, my instincts and my brush.

Perhaps there is something musical about painting itself.

The rhythm of the brushstrokes, the relationships between colours, the movement of shapes across the surface.

Just as a musician brings individual notes together to create a composition, a painter brings marks and colours together to create an image.

And when everything comes together, something rather wonderful happens.

The warmth of a shared experience

During my month at Cheesmeyer, I was particularly interested in the atmosphere of the place.

The friendliness of its staff, the warmth of its guests, the conversations between friends and the enjoyment of cultural events.

I wanted my paintings to communicate this feeling.

A live concert is a particularly beautiful example of human connection.

For a little while, people who may have very different lives come together to listen, experience and enjoy something.

Music creates a shared moment.

And although the performance eventually ends, the memory remains.

I love the idea that a painting can preserve something of that fleeting experience.

In Concert | Ira May, I wanted to capture the energy of the musicians and the atmosphere of a room filled with music.

I hope that when you look at this painting, you can almost hear the performance.

Perhaps you can imagine the singer's voice, the sound of the guitar and the pleasure of sitting among the audience.

Would you like to join them?

Perhaps order a coffee or a glass of something delicious and settle down to listen?

Bring a little music into your home

At 64 × 50 cm, Concert | Ira May is an expressive original painting that would bring warmth, movement and character into a living room, music room, dining room or study.

It would be particularly meaningful for a singer, musician, music teacher or anyone who loves the atmosphere of live performances.

It would also make a lovely gift for someone who believes, as I do, that art and music are essential parts of a rich and meaningful life.

And perhaps, when you look at it, you will remember a concert that stayed with you long after the final note.

A painting full of rhythm, atmosphere and the joy of live music.

Can't you hear it?

Artwork details

• Title: Concert | Ira May

• Original artwork: One of a kind, only one original exists

• Medium: Acrylic on acid-free paper

• Dimensions: 64 × 50 cm (height × width)

• Inspiration: Live concert by Swiss soul singer Ira May and her guitarist

• Location: Cheesmeyer, Sissach, Switzerland

• Date: January 2023

• Technique: Painted directly from observation during the concert

• Presentation: Supplied unframed, ready for framing to your taste

• Style: Contemporary expressive figurative painting

• Themes: Live music, musicians, concerts, human connection and café culture

• Artist: Sibylle Laubscher

This is an original, one-of-a-kind painting. There is only one in the world, and once it has found its new home, it will no longer be available.

Packaging and shipping

Your original painting will be carefully wrapped and sent either rolled or protected in a sturdy cardboard envelope to prevent bending, ready for you to have it framed according to your taste.