Winnipeg's James Culleton literally draws inspiration from musicians in new book "Lyrical Lines"

Drawing of The Dylanaires from Lyrical Lines by James Culleton (James Culleton) 

When not gracing the stage himself as the "ringleader" of The Minglers, James Culleton has been looking to his musical contemporaries as muses for his work as a visual artist.

The result is called Lyrical Lines, a book containing over 200 pages of lively drawings that capture bands, singer-songwriters, and audiences gettting down to it.  

Culleton's artisitc works make you really feel the music, conveying both movement and tone with his semi-abstract representations of people, places, and most of all musical instruments. 

"I started drawing in sketchbooks at music shows almost ten years ago to keep myself busy when I wasn't playing music on stage." writes James Culleton in the preface fo the book. "Like an old photograph holds a memory, these drawings have captured significant musical moments for me. Whether it's a band's final performance, or a songwriter playing to a full house, these scribbles are lyrical in that they pick up on the mood of the show." 

His work in sculpture now graces the front of the West End Cultural Centre while Lyrical Lines, this collection of Culleton's drawings, shows off an assortment of performers from locals like Greg MacPherson and The Weakerthans, to legends like Hank Williams and Gordon Lightfoot.

Below is a little snap shot of just you can find in Lyrical Lines.

Image in article: James Culleton sketching (Kathryn Antenbring)