Category: 2011

S_V_H Thunder Road final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Thunder Road 3 panel 36 inches by 9 feet.
Just few dabs of paint, the cleaning of the canvas edges, and the name, date and signature and this work is finished.  It has been over a month. The song Thunder Road, all ten versions in the collection,  have now a total number of 273 plays.   It would have been more except this last week, the music filter was set for Bruce Springsteen, so another 150 songs were given a chance to be heard.  Of those the one song that stuck a chord, surprisingly was Youngstown, especially the live version.  There will never be enough time in this lifetime to get to that music, but it’s effect lingers, as Thunder Road will for weeks to come.

How would this painting rate, with its rival Hallelujah, and with this artist progress?  The darkness of Hallelujah’s background and the power of blue is hard to criticize, and could have been used with Thunder, but that seemed redundant.  The strength of the violet strip in the middle of Thunder does give it a snap that the Hallelujah lacks.  Thunders eight notes are a lot more intricate in design and colors, but it is not sure that is better then the simpler , and maybe stronger, Hallelujah. The more complicated colors relationships, and shapes use in Thunder, does add considerable more interest.  The notes themselves in Thunder spin across the canvas and are more interesting then the dimmer and basic design used in Hallelujah.  Hallelujah’s word is stronger but its thickness did not seem appropriate in Thunder. Also, more important in Thunder, was that its words blend more with the whole canvases muted color theme.

One thing that grew over the weeks with Thunder, that strongly resembles Hallelujah, and even exceeds it, is its emotional impact of being music of faith. Thunder is not a song about God saving the poor soul, that cannot save itself.  It is bigger then that. It is about the strength of faith in the beliefs of two people, to lift themselves up and above that they once where. Thunder is about a chance for salvation.  Thunder is about a belief greater than any pray to God.  Thunder is about people taking control and responsibility for their own destiny.  Thunder surprised  this artist, and hopefully Thunder will stir a better understanding of what true salvation is about.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Stand By Me finalImage

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Stand has come to and end, Thursday evening.  The heart is moving on, and the art seems satisfied.  The night was spent preening.   Great art requires care, understanding, and disciple. Great art knows when it is the time to let go.  All artist who are worth their brushes, know this.  If this is a great work of art, time, luck, and a good promotional story, will all certainly help. But there is no real worry, the art knowns, the art cares nothing about the fragilities of humans, or its own worth.  Art exists to make living worth just that. Art knowns that its greatest worth is in its existence.

Although Stand By Me is done it is not finished.  For some reason the eighth note, just before the word darling, a drawn line is going to be left as is.  No work is obsessed over, as far as painterly perfection, and this time it was decided to make that obvious.

Now, time to move on to one of the greatest songs of my generation, Thunder Road.  Thunder Road will challenge Hallelujah.  That is what it is telling,

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Hallelujah imageFinal

Published on by Scott Von Holzen1 Comment

Hallelujah is near completion.  The final, final image will be posted on the website  scottvonholzen.com.  This is an impressive painting. It was started around February 27th and will be finished tomorrow March 23rd.  Not bad to complete such a large work, under a month.

That means this artist can do a minimal number of ten foot paintings of twelve a year.  So, to put that in perspective, maybe fifteen such large works could be finished in a year.  To be a full time artist, this artist needs a gross income of sixty thousand.   So, that means this work must sell for four thousand.  So, in taking  those numbers and other considerations, four-thousand it is.  Better buy this baby now, it is only going to get more expensive.  Just think, this is probably the only work that is ever going to be done that celebrates the music of the Hallelujah.  This is it, there’s not going to be anymore.  This is a one-of-a-kind.   And, she is a beauty.

This work has broken with the previous I call your Name.  That is never easy, for it cannot be told how many times Call was searched and studied for the next move to be made for Hallel.  Finally, there came a moment that the head turning was getting to be a distraction.  Then that was it:  Call was wired was and upstairs it went to be hung on a living room wall to replace the Christmas song.

Totally, this artist has forgotten the name of that December canvas.  It is amazing how much is put into each of these works, and then when it is over, it is just that, over.  Later when looking at a finished work it is similar experience, detached from, that a stranger would have seeing one of these painting for the first time, and being pulled in by curiosity.  It works that way. Each of these works are meant to work that way. Each demands to be treated that way.  That is how they work and that is how this art works.

Scott Von Holzen