ART and music will fuse in a unique exhibit opening at the Bermuda Society of Arts in City Hall this evening.

, the latest body of work by Caroline Troncossi, will take centre stage as a live disc jockey spins tunes in the background. Adding to the atmosphere will be an artistic display of a completely different form ? a mixologist will be on hand to serve a number of tasty Bacardi potions.

According to Ms Troncossi, the blend of music and art is representative of the process she used in creating the series.

"The process of making my paintings for was an experimental venture with music," she explained. "I used various artists' music to paint the pictures, allowing the music to influence the moods and rhythms of the strokes, colours and forms that I chose."

Though many artists listen to music as they create, Ms Troncossi explained that she actually "made visual responses to the sounds" that she was hearing: "I allowed my gestures to be affected by the different types of music I was listening to."

A broad range of music was utilised in the process ? from salsa to funky grooves, from jazzed-up drum and bass to the unique sounds of Jack Johnson and Modest Mouse ? and each had their own impact.

"The key was variety," she said. "I started off on one piece with some classical style, Jeff Mills' , then moved on to Sigur Ros, and ended listening to by Blame. Some of the work came directly through listening to a friend mixing on his turntables; I reacted to those sounds.

"There was poly-rhythm, multiple rhythms, in the style of music he was mixing and those sounds created textures, shapes, space and colour for me. (As well), the various levels of sound elevated the work I was producing ? it was a kind of 'live' art making. The act became so raw as the music was being mixed and immediately influenced the art being made.

"Each painting has a life of its own. I worked through many variations during each process of the painting, multi-layering the paints ? colour on top of colour ? to achieve the results."

As a consequence, she said, "depth, energy and visual enticement" might be evidenced in her works.

In celebration of that, each person who buys her art will receive a CD compilation of the music she listened to while painting.

"I live and breathe what I do," Ms Troncossi said, adding that she takes strong risks so that she is able to produce strong paintings. "When something isn't going your way, you have to work harder at it. Dive in deep, and eventually it takes form.

"What you produce is stronger than what you started off with, plus, you learn a few lessons along the way. I never give up. With each body of work I try to take myself out of the box and mix it up a little to see what happens."

opens tonight at the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall and runs through November 15. For more information, telephone the BSOA, 292-3824.