S_V_H Like A Prayer image3

Like a Prayer two panel 24 inches by 8 ft:

Prayer, is progressing, although the updates lately, have been far between. Projects around the house and more so Memorial Weekend set this Artist back a week.  With so many distractions, the Art suffers.

This popular Madonna piece was a favorite of this artist:  the rock, the words, the theme, the Gospel sound, the spirituality, the sharp beat, it all works and builds nicely.  Still far from finished Prayer has found its separation from Thunder and Hallelujah, striking out on its own direction.  That is nice. That is how it works. That means there is probably more to come.

One concern with Prayer was that the colors might appear to be in conflict, but that feeling has faded.  Understand this Artist wants more colors and not just shades or tints of red, blue, green, yellow, and brown.  That is why the use of of Acrylic Iridescent Colors by Golden have their part to play.  When there is just not enough colors to work with they can fill in the need.  There is the understanding that their are millions of tints and shades of blues, or greens, but most are so close in the results that for all practical purposes, a tinted Prussian Blue and a tinted Ultramarine Blue give equal results; they are lighter blues.  What is important to grasped is that this art rejects, cutesy brushstrokes, or fine details.  So minor changes in tints of blues, is poo, poo and simply rejected.  This art’s impact comes from the bold use of color and shapes.

First stop, the Artists stands away to view the  entire work; then quickly the move in close, refocused eyes sweep across the canvas seeing bits of shapes and colors, and depth; then with eyes wide shut the gently placement of spread fingers tips on the canvas.

That Touch with Madonna  singing Sorry; and it all feels mysterious. It feels loud, and direct, and it is pointed straight at you.

Scott Von Holzen

Categories UncategorizedTags ,

S_V_H Like a Prayer image2

Like a Prayer 2 panel 24 inches by 8 feet:
This image is the completed background for the music.  Next, the notes will be drawn in using a slow drying titanium white acrylic. In the past the background was reworked only after the music had a mature look to it.   What will be a different technique, this time, is once the  basic draft of the notes are in place, and checked for position, the background is going to be worked once again.  Color contrasts in the shape of basic rectangles will move with the notes.  Not sure the look here, or even the colors that would work.  Beyond that, the only sure thing is that they will be either 5mm or 10mm in width,  elongated rectangles with a look that will shake up the background and create interest and probably movement. Maybe this will be too much, or too decorative, or too meaningless.  It is idea that just popped up.  We will see.

Scott Von Holzen

Categories UncategorizedTags ,

S_V_H Like a Prayer image1

Like a Prayer 24 inches by 8 feet:
Prayer is the third and final image in this made up trilogy: music themes dealing with faith.  It is going to be a hard fit.  Madonna was a favorite of this artist many years ago.  Prayer only surface during a browsing search for a new music theme for the next painting.  As always, it is hard to start on the next work until the current one is finished.  That is not the way this artist wants to work that is just how it works.  Since it was hard to break the mood of Thunder, Prayer seemed a logical choice.  The music has a lot of musical variations that help, and words that offer different meanings, but how small of a canvas could be used?  Hallelujah was ten feet.  Thunder was nine feet and length.  With some effort Prayer could fit on a chosen eight foot canvas.

Not much to look at.  The first picture is usually the results of  an exercise in putting paint on canvas in a effort to cover up big chunks of whiteness.  The color theme of Cyan just seemed a natural fit with this music.

Even after a music theme is picked there is some reconsideration that occurs because this artist knows that there are many great pieces of music that he will never have the opportunity to interpret.  There is this feeling that only the best of the best should be a considered. But, it just does not work that way. It is like what is happening right now, listening to Cherish by the Association that just happen to play, and knowing that there is something about this music that reminds the artist of days gone by. It is about the mood of the artist.  It is about taking a walk and the music just comes up next, that puts it in the mind.  It is about hearing  the music done by a different artist that surprises. It is about finding a part of the music that fits on the canvas size that is chosen to be used next. And it is about finding just the right words that makes the work  come together.  The art does not care what music it is portraying, it only cares that it is interesting, and fits.

Scott Von Holzen