Living Art by Autumn Dawn Leader

Whilst I have been performing music since the tender age of four, I didn't come to life-modelling until my late forties. And, it was a revelation! One, that I am so good at holding difficult poses for such long periods of time, but also how empowering and body positive I found it. As a woman (and with all the societal pressures THAT entails) and at an age that society would deem me 'past her use by date', the experience I've found in, literally, BEING ART has been a positive experience - and one that was worth me writing and recording a song about. This song is different from most of my others, in that it ISN'T morose or dark or edgy. This is about that joyous side of art, of the BEING of ART.

Now, I must talk about the track art here, which was painted by my friend, the astoundingly talented Melanie Pegge. You may know her already as the enchantress who enthralls audiences with her unique and utterly gorgeous classical guitar playing and songs that are full of magic and poignancy, but she is also a visual artist, as well. She draws and paints glorious things. Melanie has often painted me, and has depicted me in rivers and on the moon and flying through the air on a magic carpet, but this particular day she envisioned me sitting atop a tiger!

When I pose for a group of artists, I always like to look at their works, to take in what their eyes see. I am often amazed at how beautiful and powerful they make me look. This is why art - all art - is so important. Why we must never lose sight as a culture or a society of its magic.

Critics call Autumn Dawn Leader - aka The Songmistress - a musical maverick. Autumn is a classically trained contralto vocalist & multi-instrumentalist songwriter with a unique dark, emotive & bewitching flavour. Difficult to impossible to put her in a genre box, she's best known for delicious chord changes, sublime vocal sorcery, poweful lyrical hammer blows & intensely passionate performances.

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