This is Bach 2 of the two Bach series.  After I finished the first Bach the client asked for changes that I could not make: once signed, done.  I offered two options: returning their money or painting another New Bach.  They choose  the New Bach.  The client suggested that the work be less geometric in appearance, less pop art look, less white in the background,  more spontaneous to the feel of the music,  and that the coloring consist of  deeper colors such as  red oxide, which they like in that old canvas they choose for an example.  Luckily, I had already ordered more canvas which arrived on Friday.  It was Sunday, with the wonderful help of my son-in-law Steven,  that we able to get it nicely stretched.  Late in the afternoon I started the background and finished that night. Monday late afternoon into the evening, I put down all the notes, and did some testing on the beams and stems of the music.  Last night I finished painting the music, and started to work on the color contrast.  All through this new work, I had to keep reminding myself to keep the colors muted, and the style loose.  Actually, their request to make the work more ‘spontaneous’ worked to my advantage. I did not have to create the perfect artwork, like I tried with Bach 1.  All I had to do is keep the precision, using  sharp lines sparingly to keep up the structure , and let the paint go where it wanted to, when it did.  I was being spontaneous.  Well,  I was making it look like I had swish splashed the artwork.

Bach 2, the sister work,  image 2 BWV 1065, almost midnight last night.   Here is a link to the music.  This painting starts at 4′ 19″ and goes to the end.

As I am writing this blog entry, the work is actually finished. I spent more time then I thought, fixing mistakes, adding interest, and doing something very special (I like to shake the tree) with that lone tie that you see curving along the middle bottom .  I have sent a near finished image, to get the final approval of the work. Now, I am waiting for my go-ahead-and-ship email.

Hopefully, I can post the finished image, yet this evening.

Scott Von Holzen