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 Naive Melody image5-8

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Naive  Melody image 5:

Naive Melody image 6:

Naive Melody image 7:

Naive Melody image 8:

Images 5 through 7 stages where done on the 23rd.  The final image 8 is the tweak to 7 and the way it looks this is the finished base.  The yellows are somewhat more orange then reality.

This is a interesting song.  Playing it over a number of times, This Must Be The Place,  has become an enjoyable and uplifting musical piece.  With such a catchy beat, a keep on moving the feet song, it should be a fun project.

Looking at last nights final image 7, early this morning before going off to work, it jumped into the mind that it looked like the side of a circus wagon.   That did not sit well.   The album that this music comes from uses a lot of the same, or similar colors, so it makes sense that the image ended up the way it did.  Still?

Tonight, the challenge was to tighten up on the base giving it more depth and color to move it away from the mono tone circus wagon look. Naive was pushed and fine tuned, and surprisingly the effort stopped with the decision to leave this work sit over Thanksgiving to see if the base could still hold its own.  Early there was some thoughts to blending and softening the contrast of  the colors of the staff, or better that center rectangle, but after listening to the music a few more times the bounciness of beat and the canvas colors seem a nice fit.  Next up the notes will be drafted.

Scott Von Holzen

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S_V_H Naive Melody image1-2-3-4

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

This is the start of a commissioned art work 2 feet by 6 feet based on the music This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).  Not knowing that much about this artist some research was done with everything following-in-place when the music was found on the album Speaking in Tongues by the Talking Heads.  Naive Melody was played during the wedding some 30 years ago and it is this artwork that is going to be a part of an anniversary celebration.   It is the hope of the artist that she has a sense of humor.

Commissions are rare at this early stage of this artist career.  So, there was a passing concern that being that there was money on the line that this would affect decisions.  Surprisingly, so far that has not happened and hopefully, never will compromise be the controlling factor in anyone of the many decisions that are required to create this, or any other, work of art.  It is late and time to go, but there will be much more to be said about this subject, but to finish for now.

With Naive, it is the interesting album cover for this music, that makes for a challenging but door opening use of color.  This method is a reminder of the Birthday painting whose colors were based on a Van Gogh landscape.  There are actually 7 photos taken tonight of progress with this work, of which here are 3 more:

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Cry me a River imageFinal

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Cry me a River was finished on Sunday.  A much more detailed image will be uploaded this week to the website at   www.scottvon holzen.com. The Progress notes for this week are such:  Interesting use of color.  Lately, there has been too much of the blues and greens, and a general feeling of color boredom.  The use of different shades of Magenta and the mixing of magenta with different shades of blues to move the colors towards violet worked with this music.

Cry has been generally sung as a torch song, but when it was first heard way back it was Joe Cocker and his more upbeat version that has been remembered over the years. There is some Joe and some Julie London, and Etta James so this work holds well.  The shade of blues and deep reds are bluesy and the bright greens and yellows opens up the work to not be too drab or too sad.

Progress with style: the one lone eighth note using copper, gold and blue worked and may move the styling of these notes a head just a bit.   The lines drawn below the main background, where also made to work, but not enough to move forward like the Birthday Painting from July.  That was the main disappointment with this work, given some cover by the use of yellow to pop the lines and give them more definition.

Again with the lower lines section, the left side throughout this work had been a challenge.  The problem started with beamed eighth notes being drawn high on the canvas.  This necessity amounted to a lower left side devoid of interest.  Because of that the word ‘you’ was quickly chosen to fill space. Finally, near the end  after the signature was deliberating placed, more shades of magenta where applied to that left side to darken areas to contrast them with the lighter, and in places,  bluer right side. That technique of  changing shades in flat paint areas was first displayed in the Birthday painting, an amazing work that pushed hard the way forward, and all in one day.

Cry me a river is an interesting work, and one that had enough persistence to keep the artist honest.

Scott Von Holzen

Scott Von Holzen