Author: Scott Von Holzen

I am currently renewing an artistic adventure that first started in 1974, and ended in the early 1980's. A casual comment restarted the quest in art in 2004. Now, at night I am surrounded by artworks done and in progress, shelves full of art books, my music collection playing through a classic NAD amp and a pair of solid, classic free standing speakers, my piano, violin, blues guitar, and saxophone. So all is musical no matter what I am up to in the studio. Since I was a kid I have had the urge to be creative Now, in my later sixties, I am determine to know. I want to follow this to the end to see what these paintings, and all this music amounts to. This is probably the last great adventure I will have, so I am all in. So, watch out for nonstop music, canvases with multiple panels, with paint spread thick or dribbled on, words with meaning, and results that will challenge, push the meaning of music, and may even splash back. This blog's real purpose is to document my story in the making, and you are welcomed to follow along. Thank you for your support. Scotty Von Holzen

S_V_H Bach BWV 1065 – Allegro image1& 2

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

bachBWV1065_Image1

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.

Bach1065_image2

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

S_V_H Bach BWW 1014, Adagio Final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

bach1014_Final

Bach Sonata 1014. With image 8 you are seeing the Ties in all the color glory.  I save the Greens for them. There are twenty of them. What you are seeing is an entire artwork which does not just focus on the music flow that you see.  I see importance in every aspect of the music, and use color and shape to create dramatic, or contrasting images, that create interest which is my main goal of every work I do.  Great music with out an interesting flow, is boring.  My job is to find those great phrases in the music that not only define the music but make it fun to paint.

Next up are to add the sharps and fix a couple of the stems, that I can make longer, followed by cleaning up the edges..

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Bach BWW 1014, Adagio image7

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

bach1014_6

This is image 6

bach1014_7

This is the current image, image 7

Bach Sonata BWV 1014 Adagio.  As can be seen this artwork is coming together.  The background is becoming what it is, and the music is beginning to shine above. I can create movement with the shafts, especially with the use of darker colors. This contrast with the notes and the background creates a dramatic vertical movement to the music. 

The colors for the shafts where fairly easy to decide:  I wanted a darker color with some contrast added.  The easy choice was an old favorite Phthalo Blue Red shade.  The beams where more difficult. I tried using a Red Magenta, and then spreading white across, followed up with a violet-blue.  Not good enough.  I removed the paint and played with a couple of other ideas, before deciding to stay in the reds for color.  The only decent contrasting Red was Cadmium Orange? I spread it heavy over the Pyrrole Red, and after it was dry, it looked good.  Good enough to leave it alone.

Next up, what will put this work over-the-top, are the Ties.  Does that not sound exciting?  It will be, once you see my Ties.

Scott Von Holzen