This work was inspired by the following poem written by my father, Dennis Aska:

A canvas stares relentlessly
Vacant space restricted merely by its sides

Then serenity shattered!

And a violent brush
Pushes in a stormy sky

Pushes foamed waves against a jagged shore

Where wind worn limbs cry empty

Weary brush drying now
On an oil-cumbered palette
Artist lost in a bottle of wine
Amiable mistress

Artists, writers, and even composers often struggle with the beginning of a creation. The empty page can be intimidating to even the most creatively-inclined individual. A blank canvas has the potential to become anything; it is completely unrestricted in its capabilities. This total freedom, while appearing to be a catalyst for artistic creation, instead can prove limiting early in the experience as the artists searches for the right direction among an infinite number of possibilites. This composition is intended to follow the artistic journey. The opening motive represents the artist’s struggle to find direction; it is developed more and more until finally it gives way to an artistic epiphany. Nearly continuous pedals throughout the piece provide the illusion of mixing colors; some of the notes blend together to create beautiful colors, and others create eerie dissonances. A melody emerges in the vibraphone, bowed, when the artist finally finds subject and direction. This melody contains elements from the original motive, but it is transformed from disjunction into a smooth melodic line. However, the return to the original motive at the end of the piece represents the slight dissatisfaction many artists feel about even the best creations. The work is done, but the journey for the creator of art is never truly finished.