Can you draw music?

Music is invisible. You cannot hold it in your hands, and yet it can fill an entire room, change the atmosphere and move us deeply.

So how does an artist capture something that is constantly changing and disappearing?

With charcoal, a large sheet of paper and a willingness to work very quickly!

Musik im Cheesmeyer is an original charcoal drawing created during a live jazz performance by flautist Ben Zahler and pianist Lorenzo Vitolo at Cheesmeyer in Sissach, Switzerland.

I made this drawing during a delightful month-long painting and drawing residency in January 2023. You can read a press text (in German) published in the Volksstimme newspaper about the event here.

An evening of jazz

Cheesmeyer is a historic café and cultural meeting place in the heart of Sissach.

It is somewhere people gather to enjoy coffee, food, conversation, music and all sorts of cultural activities.

During my residency, I spent my days observing and recording the life unfolding around me.

The café provided an endless source of inspiration.

Friends meeting for coffee, people enjoying a meal, conversations at the tables and, on Thursday evenings, live music.

One evening, flautist Ben Zahler and pianist Lorenzo Vitolo were performing jazz.

I took out my charcoal and began to draw.

Drawing to the rhythm of music

There is something particularly exciting about drawing musicians during a live performance.

They are never still!

A head turns, a hand moves, the body responds to the rhythm of the music.

And, unlike a photograph, a drawing made from life develops over time.

I have to observe, remember, respond and make decisions very quickly.

Sometimes a single charcoal line can communicate more than a carefully finished passage.

A sweeping gesture might suggest movement, while a few dark marks establish the relationship between the musicians and the space around them.

I love the freedom of charcoal.

It allows me to move between delicate lines, broad expressive marks and deep, velvety blacks.

I can draw rapidly, allowing the energy of the moment to influence the marks on the paper.

There is a wonderful relationship between drawing and jazz.

Both depend on observation, listening, rhythm and improvisation.

Both involve responding to what is happening in the present moment.

And both leave room for the unexpected.

Capturing something fleeting

What fascinates me about drawing from life is that no moment can ever be repeated exactly.

The musicians will play another concert, but it will never be precisely the same.

The audience will be different. The atmosphere will change. The music will unfold in new ways.

This drawing belongs to one particular evening in January 2023.

It is my response to that performance, made while the music was still filling the room.

Rather than attempting to create a photographic record, I wanted to capture something of its atmosphere, movement and energy.

I hope that when you look at Musik im Cheesmeyer, you can imagine being there.

Perhaps you can hear the flute, the piano and the gentle sounds of people enjoying an evening together.

Would you like to join them?

There is probably room for another person at one of the tables.

And what would you order?

A striking original drawing for your home

At 64 × 95 cm, Musik im Cheesmeyer is a generously sized original charcoal drawing with a strong horizontal composition.

Its monochrome palette gives it a timeless quality, while the expressive marks bring a sense of movement and spontaneity.

It would make a wonderful focal point in a living room, dining room, music room, study or creative workspace.

It would be particularly meaningful for a musician, jazz enthusiast, music teacher or anyone who appreciates the energy of live performance.

I would recommend framing the drawing behind glass, with a suitable mount and enough space to allow the charcoal marks to breathe.

A moment of live jazz, captured in charcoal, where music becomes movement and movement becomes art.

And perhaps, if you listen very carefully, you can almost hear the music.

Artwork details

• Title: Musik im Cheesmeyer

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

• Medium: Charcoal on acid-free paper

• Dimensions: 64 × 95 cm (height × width)

• Subject: Live jazz performance by flautist Ben Zahler and pianist Lorenzo Vitolo

• Location: Cheesmeyer, Sissach, Switzerland

• Date: January 2023

• Technique: Drawn directly from observation during the performance

• Style: Contemporary expressive figurative drawing

• Colours: Monochrome charcoal

• Themes: Jazz, live music, musicians, improvisation, movement and human connection

• Artist: Sibylle Laubscher

This is an original, one-of-a-kind drawing. 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 charcoal drawing will be carefully rolled in a layer of tissue paper for transport.

As charcoal is a delicate medium, I recommend having the drawing professionally framed behind glass, using archival materials to preserve it for years to come.