Previous early new year paintings have anticipated directional changes in style to come in the new year.  Africa continues that trend with the added incentive that it will be my submission for the local library juried show, this April.  For 2019 the library is celebrating its 40th Art West exhibition.  Last year I entered the wonderful In The Mood, which until today was the header picture for this blog.  That artwork was not accepted.  That surprised me. What was and am I missing?  I suspect that same result with this years Africa submission, because this is a “celebration” year for the Library.  That means, and this is only my sense, that the entry competition will be strong with a prejudice tilted to the popular and known local artists.  My hope lies with the two experienced artists doing this years judging.  One of them may will have a momentary Art insight with the independence to invite me.  They may see Africa as I do as a leading contemporary artwork, not just locally, but everywhere.  If nothing happens, maybe they will have the respect to email my rejection, without my requesting.  Otherwise no regrets,  I still will have a great Artwork to start to a new year.

This third image shows the upper and lower music mounted to the background.  Drilling holes and screwing canvases together brought back memories of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Artworks, and the care needed to support and align canvas parts correctly. I had the easier option to attach the top and bottom canvases to the top and bottom edges of the background, but that looked too two-dimensional.  The top section theme is the night sky and the day with rain falling. The lower music color theme  is the Serengeti, along with the eventual addition of mount Kilimanjaro.

During our local Art association Christmas party, Sandra an artist,  who had exhibited along side me in a fall art show, suggested that to increase the interest in my music paintings,  that I could take a song like Blue Moon, and paint that as a landscape with a blue moon. Although her thinking had merit I felt a little taken back.  I did not tell her that most of my artworks already include colors, and design aspects related to the music,  or that if I did paint the song Blue Moon,  a blue moon would be certainly be a visual point of interest, along with other shades of acrylic blues.  I did thank her politely, and turned away, stunned that I had nothing else to say.  Only now do I understand my silence: I have never had to defend my artwork to strangers.  Up to that Christmas party moment no one,  beyond close family and my first CVA meeting in Wausau, over the last thirteen years, have ever challenged the merits of my art.  Sandra, was a big surprise, and a come to Jesus moment.

For now here are two examples of this art connecting paint to flow.  This is a an image of Waylon’s guitar and the artwork Waymore’s Blues.

Another example of Sandra, and her Blue Moon effect, take look at George Harrison’s guitar and the artwork My guitar gently weeps:

 

Scott Von Holzen

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