Last photo is from 9:46pm CT.  The Birthday painting for Rod Stewart’s  Forever Young became a struggle as the day moved into night.  It is hard to compress three weeks of effort into a fourteen hour exercise that stresses the mind and the body.  But, I got to do the two most important things that I could possible asked for on my Birthday: listen to music and paint all day, resulting with an artwork that may, someday, be a minor masterpiece.

Listening to Eva Cassidy – Tennessee Waltz,  Judy Collins – Suzanne

August 1st update: Late in the day I was getting color despair and needed something for contrast, and that is when I added Light Violet.  That color  is not in Van Gog’s Wheatfields under Thunderclouds, but guess what I do not see the thunderclouds in this picture, either. I have a number of named blues, but when I need more shades adding white to any of the blues, makes the same blue shade no matter which named color you start with.  This art works because of  strong contrasting colors, and yesterday I just ran out of options. So, today I added a few light violet flowers, among the red and white flowers, to legitimize that colors used.  This is all silly, I understand, so next year I will certainly choose a Van Gogh Masterpiece, with more variety of color options.  Also, the second painted flow note should have been a 16th note.  Instead the connected 8th note got that honor.  That error has been left.  It also silly, and makes no difference, except to me. One last change, beside minor clean up, was an added triplet.  And once again, a small meaningless addition, but it makes me feel better.

I think over time this work will grow on me.  I expected more creativity, but ended with a finished artwork, without a creative thought left, that day.

Scott Von Holzen

Picture taken at 5:58pm.  I am feeling the strain of the days work, and have a few issues that I am having problems with.  So there is more work to do, but it is time to take a break and enjoy a Birthday Dinner with my Wife Barbara.  Be back soon.

Scott

This years Birthday Painting with this photo update from 3:40pm CT.    I have used Vincent Van Gogh 1890 painting Wheatfields with Thunderclouds to make color decisions and to educate myself with much Vincent put into each of his canvases.   The flow of the  music is not done, but that will be work for later. Next up the applying of the words from Rod Stewart’s Forever Young.

Listening to  Why Can’t We Be Friends – War,

Tori Amos – Playboy Mommy

The time of this image is 1:06pm CT.  The basic background is done for now.  It is time to put down the music.

Photo taken at 11:30am.   In the style of Van Gogh I am applying horizontal steaks of paint using a palette knife.  This painting is proceeding quite well, which I am somewhat surprised.  Over the next hour I will be using the palette knife to fill-in the rest of the background with different  shades of greens and blues, while always keeping on eye on the original Van Gogh work.

This image three 10:06 CT.    I did not want to add an extra canvas but, there was no choice, and the extra 16×20 canvas connected easily.

Listening to Little River Band – Take It Ease On me

Birthday Painting 8:19am CT.    This is canvas is 2 feet by 6 feet.  In the past few years, I have chosen a masterpiece painting for color.  This year I have again Vincent Van Gogh.  The painting is Wheatfields Under Thunderclouds that he painted in the last month of his life.  Here is the link to better view this great work of art.

Birthday Painting 8:57am

Listening to High Hopes by Frank Sinatra

Scott Von Holzen