I like this artworks use of ubiquitous words that also appear in this music’s lyrics. Some of the phrases on the artwork were scratched into the still wet paint, while in other words, I used the convenience of acrylic pens to write away in my distinctive style. I like the unusual overall use of red shades of acrylic paint on this artwork. The solid red looking of the notes works well with the background colors. The paints I used for the notes are Compose Rose by Holbein, and these Golden colors, Quinacridone Crimson, Pyrrole Red, Red Light, and Pyrrole Dark Red, mostly hand applied.

This Zombie project started building the cover music on October 25th. That means I have finished this work under three weeks. What helped to speed up the creation process for Zombie is that the music box is a single finished piece that has a length of under six feet and 42 inches wide. That is the limit I have for traveling these artworks. Otherwise, over 72 inches would have needed two separate sections. That would make the artwork a lot more complex and time-consuming, see the project Yellow. This artwork also uses 3 1/4 inch size notes. Their size limits the sampling numbers of the cover music, saving production time.

Zombie. Completed. Where does this art go now? Inspired by the lyrics of Waylon Jennings “Lord, it’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar. Where do we take it from here?” played live with Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. That is the question that I may or may not resolve. After 17 years, I still do not have a consistent market for these music boxes. Therefore, I could take this music, down size it, to a 3×2 foot one size fits all standard design music box. These sized to sell boxes I could then offer custom colors, along with music of choice. This would surely reap bundles of commissioned sales on Etsy ranging from 300 to 500 dollars. Nay, that will not happen. Or I could replicate my most popular Etsy print and its classic style pumping out knockoffs commissions with the theme of pick your color, name that tune, for a grand or two. Nay, been there and now see there in the work of my fellow members of EmptyWallsArt.

Again, to repeat, “Where do we take it from here?”

I do like the sound of the 20-watt stereo system used for this project. I also know that I dislike the two watt stereo systems I have used lately with these projects: Shenandoah, One, For No One, J S Bach Concerto 2023, What’s Up, Yellow, and Flight from the City. My thinking was that they were all smaller, less important projects. I thought I could save money and time using the simpler two watt systems. This worked reasonably on those projects if the cover music was less full, and I limited the number of instruments. And yet, my overall feeling of the sound from a 2-watt stereo system was okay, but disappointing. Two watts through 4 inch speakers is not enough power to project when I wanted more from the cover music. Considering that I value the artwork and the music as equal contributors to the quality of these music boxes, all those 2-watt systems, I now feel the balance is questionable. That leads me to the decision to use only the time consuming and expensive 20-watt system, with the better 5×7 inch speakers. Unless some other consideration makes the 2-watt system the obvious choice.

Final thoughts. I added Zombie to my portfolio at EmptyWallsArt. After which I listened to these years’ snippets of music. As an observer I admit, they impressed me. And yet, it lingers: this art has yet to find how to “…break on through to the other side,” I know this will happen, eventually. My question is the timing. At 75 I am still pushing to “Keep on keeping on,” knowing “If you build it, he will come.” While being inspired by these Neil Diamond lyrics: “They have sweated beneath the same sun. Looked up in wonder at the same moon. And wept when it was all done. For bein’ done too soon. For bein’ done too soon.” Not done.

Scott Von Holzen