Month: December 2016

S_V_H Mr. Brightside Final Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

mrbright_finalMr Brightside is finished and is the final painting from this temporary studio.  Over the last three months, from my Daughters children’s toy storage room I have also finished Burgundy Shoes,  and Ave Maria.  As I am writing this blog entry I am working on the setup of my new permanent studio, in a new home, in this new city.  So begins this new adventure with many new stories to come.   To quote Semisonic “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

 

Once again, here is the video that inspired this artwork:

County Kerry Bar Sings ”Mr Brightside’ to Remember Lost Friend Ger Foley

Mr. Brightside is a simple song made up of mostly quarter and eighth notes in a fairly even pitch.  This than shows in the  musical flow, and in the solid blocks of color used in the background of the artwork. Besides using the colors from the video in the painting I wanted to represent the people and the spirit of the bar.  To do this I took my two eighth notes and added to them some left over wood pieces in different shapes and colors. I know that is not much, but that was all I had left after three months of working in a toy room.

Throughout the later part of my stay,  all through the day, no matter what I was working on, I would ask my Amazon assistant, Alexa, to play Mr. Brightside.  And she would respond “Playing Mr. Brightside.”  Then would come the guitar intro, and for some unknown reason I would feel instantly uplifted by this “feel-good” rock music, “I Never,..I Never…I Never,……..I Never………………………. This helped me through the last few weeks in the delightfully alien world of small children. “Bless their Hearts.”

 

Scott Von Holzen

 

S_V_H Ave Maria Final Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

avemariafinalThe 2016 Christmas painting, Ave Maria,  is finished.  Here is this years Christmas Cards sent out to those who have purchased a painting,  and to recognize those who have supported this art in the past year.

cardbb

What I have learned from Ave Maria is that I could paint a smaller artwork, and still keep the “look” of a larger painting.

Here is another version of Ave Maria by Vladimir Vivilov\ Giulio Caccini

Starting with this years Christmas painting, and soon adding the rest of the Christmas paintings that I have painted over the years, I will be donating any sales of these works to Charity.  You will soon find these paintings listed at my Etsy Store. I will be posting details on Etsy in the coming months.

 

Scott

S_V_H Ave Maria 2016 Christmas Painting Image 1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

avemaria_1

Ava Maria is this years Christmas Painting.  For those who have purchased one of my paintings they will once again receive a Christmas card with a signed and numbered canvas print of Ave Maria.

Of the different versions of this song this one written my Franz Schubert probably is the most well know, sung by the soprano singer  Maria Callas:

That is not the version used for this painting.  I prefer this aria of Ave Maria composed by  Vladimir Vavilov in 1970, and attributed later to Guido Caccini:

This year’s Christmas painting music,  by Vavilov/Caccini,  sung by mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca:

What convinced me to drop the Schubert version was the words.  Originally written in Italian, the translation to English loses much of the power of the music for me.  In this Vavilov version the only words are Ave Maria.  For me this projects a stronger message,  because the  singing of those two words, without sounding repetitious and boring,  creates a magical and hypnotic sound.

Scott Von Holzen

This is a small work forty inches in length by ten or so inches in height. I wanted this to be a small painting for a number of  a practical reason:  I needed to work on methods to produce, and feel good about,  small works in the same way as I have always felt with my larger works.

I am also trying to be practical, smaller works are easier to sell for they take up less wall space,  have a lower selling price,  are cheaper to ship, need less storage space,  and actually take less time to produce.  Another reason for small is I am still working under temporary and constrained Studio conditions.

For my Christmas paintings I never try new ideas.  Over the years I have learned to see these artworks as a summary of the year’s artistic style, which than eliminates any thoughts of risky style changes. Each year my singular goal with this artwork is to get the painting finished, photograph,  printed on canvas, signed, numbered,   create a new card design, address all the envelopes, and mail out a week before Christmas.

When finished I always have the feeling that all this extra work is worth it. I have never regretted this annual artwork. Those that have supported me over the years need to be told, at less once a year, how much I appreciate their belief in this art.   That includes you Pat, Kevin, and Matt.

Scott