User submission
163K
459K
Art5 years ago
I See Music Because I Have Synesthesia, So I Decided To Paint What I Hear
459Kviews
As a synesthete, the music I hear is translated into a flow of texture and colors. Synethesia, although not disorientating, can sometimes leave me at odds trying to describe what I can see to others.
Painting in oils and acrylics is a way to express and exhibit the beautiful colors that I see on a day to day basis, whether it’s hearing someone’s name, or that song on the radio. I paint a variety of artists from Led Zeppelin to Stevie Wonder.
More info: Etsy | melissasmccracken.com | Facebook
Radiohead – Lucky
David Bowie – Life On Mars?
John Lenon – Imagine
Prince – Joy In Repetition
Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing
Soulive – Interlude II
John Mayer – Gravity
Led Zeppelin – Since I’ve Been Loving You
Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
Radiohead – Karma Police
Glass Animals – Flip
Airhead – Callow
Paintings are available on Etsy.
459Kviews
Share on Facebook
Popular on Bored Panda 
These are beautiful. I hope that you post more of these in the future. I love art and this is magnificent! Great work Melissa! :)
Your paintings are really great! Go for a pro artist career!
I love them all because they are so beautiful and I like the colors that were used.
do you do requests? like can I ask you to paint me a song?
the thing that struck me the most is how similar the colors used for the "Life on Mars?" painting are to the video for the song itself...
Asa synesthete with the reverse, it was great fun to hear sounds and music of my own while looking at these. Mahalo!
Where do I get one? These are awesome! Do you take requests?
I have synesthesia too and this is the way I see music. I always describe it as watching a silent fireworks display that's set to the music I'm listening too. I love being alone and just watching the different colours jump around and play in time to the music and how the bass note colours throb in the background while the main melody explodes, swirls and dances with the beat.
These are beautiful, colorful paintings. I felt what are you feeling and expressing through your paintings just by looking at the colors. Amazing!
Do you always see the same thing for a particular song?
Do you see these colors layered on top of your normal vision, or is this something you see in addition to the normal world? Can you explain "where" you see it?
I always tell people close to me that I wish I had great artistic talent so I could paint or draw these images into concrete medium and explain to them that it's what I see when I listen to music.
I'm pretty sure it's in the mind. I'm not sure if I have chromesthesia too but I see many landscapes and images when I listen to songs that evoke emotions out of me. They just come out of nowhere in my head and I enjoy the surprises. I've always wondered if others see the way I do so I'm looking around to find the answer. :)
I wonder if the author/artist ever says... "let's get... MCCRACKEN!" because she should.
Fake, i can draw some shit too and say it's driven by the music i hear. No talent.
Sorry to hear that you can't empathize with people that actually have this ability.
I hope she just keeps painting!! Its funny the amount of famous artists and musicians that had or have Synesthesia. Phar. Williams, Stevie Wonder, Kandinsky of course and the list goes one also i just found this synesthesia test in videos that really builds on the subject http://www.synesthesiaworld.com/synesthesia-test-in-videos/
I hope she keeps doing it!! Also i just found a list of famous artists and musicians that had or have Synesthesia, and well let me tell you! some times it makes a lot of sense! Also theres a test to follow http://www.synesthesiaworld.com/synesthesia-test/
This is me as well, great to read about others: https://www.facebook.com/artofkevinking
This is me as well https://www.facebook.com/artofkevinking
Is there an ability to purchase these? And/or ask to see how you'd see certain songs? I can't imagine the career you could have translating
Absolutely stunning, what a beautiful idea! Thanks for sharing :)
Amazing paintings. I'd love to see you paint some Syd Barrett songs, that would be intense.
I would love a print or 2
do you have prints? would love a couple of these
I don't know if I already posted this comment, but I would love to know what the songs "Something" or "Flying" by the Beatles makes you feel
I would love to know what "Something" by the Beatles makes you see either that or "Flying", also by the Beatles Peace and love:33
As a synesthete with the reverse, it was great fun to explore what I heard looking at these! Mahalo.
bravo
Love these Melissa, thanks for sharing I have the same sort of synaesthesia! https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
Yay, love these Melissa, thanks for sharing your work! I have the same sort of auditory/visual synaesthesia and have been painting it for ye
you are gifted to have synesthesia. :)
BeYOUtiful!
How interesting, I have the same synaesthesia! You can see my paintings here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
How interesting I have the same thing Here's the link if you'd like to see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
This is truly amazing!
Are you selling them? You should make an etsy shop!
I don't know most of these songs, but I can hear them when I see these paintings. I have synesthesia also
Love these! My synesthesia is mainly sound to taste and it's pretty mild (for instance, loud bangs like a door slamming taste metallic)
Amazing! So now you can have a favourite song and it's painting too! Great paintings!
These are beautiful! Do you ever sell these, and or offer the ability to be commissioned to paint a specific song? These are amazing!
normally I am not so found of modern painting, but this I really, really LOVE! It touches me, it tells me something, it talkes to me.Thanks!
Hey what do you see when you hear the name Lyric
Absolutely phenomenal, I love them!
Are they snapshots of a moment in the music, read left to right from beginning to end...or the like. I'm a synesthete too. Beautiful colors!
These are amazing! Do other synesthetes see the same colors or is it dependent on the person?
Is there any way we can purchase these prints!?
Really great work, man.
They are beautiful thank you for sharing! Keep painting would love to see more!
Breathtakingly beautiful. I'm sure I can't afford the paintings, but are your prints available?
I love these! I had the same idea once, but you are a much better painter :)
Priceless paintings..love them....is there any way I can get reprints...I wish I could afford the originals..i.e. if they were up for sale!!
Amazing!! But to paint like that you need to be a pro. I have a strong suspection that I have synthestesia too.. I would love to try that!!
You should totally post these on Etsy and offer up that you will paint songs or spoken word poetry for people. What a great gift!
My daughter says music has color. I never knew that there was an actual name for it. Thank you so much for sharing!
beautiful,
I would buy prints for sure.
are these for sale someplace?
consider showing your works in galleries, I mean. Consider that.
gorgeous paintings - should def should consider it. . . Are you familiar with Kandinsky? very diff, but idea of colors + sounds is similar.
gorgeous works. you should be showing!
very interesting work- I think I will try interpreting some songs in paint- Thank you for sharing it....
So great really amazing paintings beautiful
Wow these are really beautiful, I can really see how you have emotionally connected to the songs. I see those colours!
Can you work with somebody to make a computer simulation that reproduces what you see accurately? Please, it's beauty and can help understa
This is truly breath-taking! What an awesome ability!
Good lick to you, Melissa, your works are truly one of a kind.
What a miracle..)
I would love to know if the image relates to a section of the song or is a response to the whole piece.
Beautiful mind!
Absolutely fabulous, are these for sale and or are there prints available.
STUNNING ..
I think you should paint some Sonic Youth or Spiritualized
I am so mad I'm not a synesthete.
They´re all so beautiful
Where can we buy prints???
i ALSO have chromesthesia (don't know why they changed it) and two other forms of synesthesia. i also paint........eerily similarly...
These match the songs amazingly well! Great job!
Omg I am in love this is so cool!
Im so curious! Do you paint from sorta from left to right, or do you layer what youre seeing on top of eachother or in a sporadic fashion?
Not heard of this before. Is it a blessing or a curse? - you use the word 'disorientating'. I love your paintings!
Can we do an art swap??
Can i have one?
They are amazing.
What beauty there is in these works of art
Amazing, you're truly talented!
Awesome art
They take my breath away~ I am humbled
Interesting that I like best the paintings of songs I like to listen to. Beautiful work!
Amazing thank you for sharing.
I also have synesthesia and see sounds. It's amazing how differently we see them. Synesthesia rocks!
Id like to see what you see when you listen to modern pop, or some subgenres of electronic. The sounds and moods have lots of variety.
Beautiful and poignant.
How very wonderful! It makes me think you are very lucky to have this condition.
Wow I'm amazed... You should mount an exposition!!!
AWESOME! I'd love to see what you see if you'd listen to Pink Floyd or Sigur Rós...
in these comments: "I see the paintings while listening to the song and I can totally see what you did there!!" no you can't
Lovely and a great use of your unusual ability -- well done!!
Totally awesome........well done and very beautiful!.......more please :)
Awesome
I have synesthesia as well and I love painting the music I hear too. This is an amazing work, keep posting your paintings please!
Amazing work! Absolutely love it ; ) I only wish I could see that kind of world myself.
being a synesthete myself, I learned spelling, maths and music by "translating" letters, figures and notes into colors!
I'm an abstract painter as well and this is EXACTLY what happens when I'm painting. I always paint with the emotion I feel from the music.
These are beautiful! I did almost the same project but with photographs! http://www.jordanhefler.com/synaesthetic-experience
This is literally the same project I did but with photographs! http://www.jordanhefler.com/synaesthetic-experience
My synestesia combines odours with colours, wish I could express that as well as you! Keep posting these for us to admire, please!
Could u record urself doing with with the music going on video... im very interested to see when u paint the colours to which sounds please
where can I purchase one of these?
can you paint this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnM8f9WphFw i'd love to see what it looks like.
You have an absolutely incredible gift.
Gorgeous thank you for sharing. I have synesthesia in the same way, i see colors when I close my eyes and listen to music. very inspiring!
I have synesthesia too and its really hard to describe it for others. These paintings are a beautiful representation!
good taste of music :D
They are beautiful. I can actually relate the painting and the music and I'm not an artist. Love them!! Hope to see more ?.
These are really really beautiful. Please keep sharing. Do you sell them? Xxx
Stunning! Do you sell them? Are prints available?
I love your work! It reminds me of Wassily Kandinski and the Blue Rider Group!
more jackson pollock to me thank kandinski.
Is it the same image each time? Can you tell which song by the painting? Can you see specific parts of song in painting? Fascinating!
The funny thing is the paintings I prefer are also made after the songs I prefer in this list
Amazing!!
stunning!
I'm not usually a fan of abstract art (they'd be in that category) but some of these are GORGEOUS. Lucky; Gravity; Tonight, Tonight; Callow.
I love Bored Panda... I have told everyone around this site. Thank you so much for putting it together for us to enjoy!
These are beautiful. I hope that you post more of these in the future. I love art and this is magnificent! Great work Melissa! :)
Your paintings are really great! Go for a pro artist career!
I love them all because they are so beautiful and I like the colors that were used.
do you do requests? like can I ask you to paint me a song?
the thing that struck me the most is how similar the colors used for the "Life on Mars?" painting are to the video for the song itself...
Asa synesthete with the reverse, it was great fun to hear sounds and music of my own while looking at these. Mahalo!
Where do I get one? These are awesome! Do you take requests?
I have synesthesia too and this is the way I see music. I always describe it as watching a silent fireworks display that's set to the music I'm listening too. I love being alone and just watching the different colours jump around and play in time to the music and how the bass note colours throb in the background while the main melody explodes, swirls and dances with the beat.
These are beautiful, colorful paintings. I felt what are you feeling and expressing through your paintings just by looking at the colors. Amazing!
Do you always see the same thing for a particular song?
Do you see these colors layered on top of your normal vision, or is this something you see in addition to the normal world? Can you explain "where" you see it?
I always tell people close to me that I wish I had great artistic talent so I could paint or draw these images into concrete medium and explain to them that it's what I see when I listen to music.
I'm pretty sure it's in the mind. I'm not sure if I have chromesthesia too but I see many landscapes and images when I listen to songs that evoke emotions out of me. They just come out of nowhere in my head and I enjoy the surprises. I've always wondered if others see the way I do so I'm looking around to find the answer. :)
I wonder if the author/artist ever says... "let's get... MCCRACKEN!" because she should.
Fake, i can draw some shit too and say it's driven by the music i hear. No talent.
Sorry to hear that you can't empathize with people that actually have this ability.
I hope she just keeps painting!! Its funny the amount of famous artists and musicians that had or have Synesthesia. Phar. Williams, Stevie Wonder, Kandinsky of course and the list goes one also i just found this synesthesia test in videos that really builds on the subject http://www.synesthesiaworld.com/synesthesia-test-in-videos/
I hope she keeps doing it!! Also i just found a list of famous artists and musicians that had or have Synesthesia, and well let me tell you! some times it makes a lot of sense! Also theres a test to follow http://www.synesthesiaworld.com/synesthesia-test/
This is me as well, great to read about others: https://www.facebook.com/artofkevinking
This is me as well https://www.facebook.com/artofkevinking
Is there an ability to purchase these? And/or ask to see how you'd see certain songs? I can't imagine the career you could have translating
Absolutely stunning, what a beautiful idea! Thanks for sharing :)
Amazing paintings. I'd love to see you paint some Syd Barrett songs, that would be intense.
I would love a print or 2
do you have prints? would love a couple of these
I don't know if I already posted this comment, but I would love to know what the songs "Something" or "Flying" by the Beatles makes you feel
I would love to know what "Something" by the Beatles makes you see either that or "Flying", also by the Beatles Peace and love:33
As a synesthete with the reverse, it was great fun to explore what I heard looking at these! Mahalo.
bravo
Love these Melissa, thanks for sharing I have the same sort of synaesthesia! https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
Yay, love these Melissa, thanks for sharing your work! I have the same sort of auditory/visual synaesthesia and have been painting it for ye
you are gifted to have synesthesia. :)
BeYOUtiful!
How interesting, I have the same synaesthesia! You can see my paintings here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
How interesting I have the same thing Here's the link if you'd like to see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexshaw/sets/72157623833479277/
This is truly amazing!
Are you selling them? You should make an etsy shop!
I don't know most of these songs, but I can hear them when I see these paintings. I have synesthesia also
Love these! My synesthesia is mainly sound to taste and it's pretty mild (for instance, loud bangs like a door slamming taste metallic)
Amazing! So now you can have a favourite song and it's painting too! Great paintings!
These are beautiful! Do you ever sell these, and or offer the ability to be commissioned to paint a specific song? These are amazing!
normally I am not so found of modern painting, but this I really, really LOVE! It touches me, it tells me something, it talkes to me.Thanks!
Hey what do you see when you hear the name Lyric
Absolutely phenomenal, I love them!
Are they snapshots of a moment in the music, read left to right from beginning to end...or the like. I'm a synesthete too. Beautiful colors!
These are amazing! Do other synesthetes see the same colors or is it dependent on the person?
Is there any way we can purchase these prints!?
Really great work, man.
They are beautiful thank you for sharing! Keep painting would love to see more!
Breathtakingly beautiful. I'm sure I can't afford the paintings, but are your prints available?
I love these! I had the same idea once, but you are a much better painter :)
Priceless paintings..love them....is there any way I can get reprints...I wish I could afford the originals..i.e. if they were up for sale!!
Amazing!! But to paint like that you need to be a pro. I have a strong suspection that I have synthestesia too.. I would love to try that!!
You should totally post these on Etsy and offer up that you will paint songs or spoken word poetry for people. What a great gift!
My daughter says music has color. I never knew that there was an actual name for it. Thank you so much for sharing!
beautiful,
I would buy prints for sure.
are these for sale someplace?
consider showing your works in galleries, I mean. Consider that.
gorgeous paintings - should def should consider it. . . Are you familiar with Kandinsky? very diff, but idea of colors + sounds is similar.
gorgeous works. you should be showing!
very interesting work- I think I will try interpreting some songs in paint- Thank you for sharing it....
So great really amazing paintings beautiful
Wow these are really beautiful, I can really see how you have emotionally connected to the songs. I see those colours!
Can you work with somebody to make a computer simulation that reproduces what you see accurately? Please, it's beauty and can help understa
This is truly breath-taking! What an awesome ability!
Good lick to you, Melissa, your works are truly one of a kind.
What a miracle..)
I would love to know if the image relates to a section of the song or is a response to the whole piece.
Beautiful mind!
Absolutely fabulous, are these for sale and or are there prints available.
STUNNING ..
I think you should paint some Sonic Youth or Spiritualized
I am so mad I'm not a synesthete.
They´re all so beautiful
Where can we buy prints???
i ALSO have chromesthesia (don't know why they changed it) and two other forms of synesthesia. i also paint........eerily similarly...
These match the songs amazingly well! Great job!
Omg I am in love this is so cool!
Im so curious! Do you paint from sorta from left to right, or do you layer what youre seeing on top of eachother or in a sporadic fashion?
Not heard of this before. Is it a blessing or a curse? - you use the word 'disorientating'. I love your paintings!
Can we do an art swap??
Can i have one?
They are amazing.
What beauty there is in these works of art
Amazing, you're truly talented!
Awesome art
They take my breath away~ I am humbled
Interesting that I like best the paintings of songs I like to listen to. Beautiful work!
Amazing thank you for sharing.
I also have synesthesia and see sounds. It's amazing how differently we see them. Synesthesia rocks!
Id like to see what you see when you listen to modern pop, or some subgenres of electronic. The sounds and moods have lots of variety.
Beautiful and poignant.
How very wonderful! It makes me think you are very lucky to have this condition.
Wow I'm amazed... You should mount an exposition!!!
AWESOME! I'd love to see what you see if you'd listen to Pink Floyd or Sigur Rós...
in these comments: "I see the paintings while listening to the song and I can totally see what you did there!!" no you can't
Lovely and a great use of your unusual ability -- well done!!
Totally awesome........well done and very beautiful!.......more please :)
Awesome
I have synesthesia as well and I love painting the music I hear too. This is an amazing work, keep posting your paintings please!
Amazing work! Absolutely love it ; ) I only wish I could see that kind of world myself.
being a synesthete myself, I learned spelling, maths and music by "translating" letters, figures and notes into colors!
I'm an abstract painter as well and this is EXACTLY what happens when I'm painting. I always paint with the emotion I feel from the music.
These are beautiful! I did almost the same project but with photographs! http://www.jordanhefler.com/synaesthetic-experience
This is literally the same project I did but with photographs! http://www.jordanhefler.com/synaesthetic-experience
My synestesia combines odours with colours, wish I could express that as well as you! Keep posting these for us to admire, please!
Could u record urself doing with with the music going on video... im very interested to see when u paint the colours to which sounds please
where can I purchase one of these?
can you paint this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnM8f9WphFw i'd love to see what it looks like.
You have an absolutely incredible gift.
Gorgeous thank you for sharing. I have synesthesia in the same way, i see colors when I close my eyes and listen to music. very inspiring!
I have synesthesia too and its really hard to describe it for others. These paintings are a beautiful representation!
good taste of music :D
They are beautiful. I can actually relate the painting and the music and I'm not an artist. Love them!! Hope to see more ?.
These are really really beautiful. Please keep sharing. Do you sell them? Xxx
Stunning! Do you sell them? Are prints available?
I love your work! It reminds me of Wassily Kandinski and the Blue Rider Group!
more jackson pollock to me thank kandinski.
Is it the same image each time? Can you tell which song by the painting? Can you see specific parts of song in painting? Fascinating!
The funny thing is the paintings I prefer are also made after the songs I prefer in this list
Amazing!!
stunning!
I'm not usually a fan of abstract art (they'd be in that category) but some of these are GORGEOUS. Lucky; Gravity; Tonight, Tonight; Callow.
I love Bored Panda... I have told everyone around this site. Thank you so much for putting it together for us to enjoy!