S_V_H The Pretender image4

The Pretender the music of Jackson Browne.  Why, are there not more colors.  Sure there are a lots of reds, yellows, blues greens, and some mixture of them all, but at times, they all appear, in their groups, to be much the same no matter what names they are given.  I need more colors.  It feels limited that there are only three primary colors red, yellow, and blue. I could use a forth.  Until then I have been mixing combos like Diarylide Yellow and Indian Yellow Hue, or Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Quinacridone Magenta, just looking for something different, that works.

Listening to Love Shack – The B-52’s

Not caring about those splotches of blue on the shafts.  When that happens, and it happens without notice, something is going to have to be done to make them work with the painting.  Everything evolves, and what looked decent at first can, like now, lose its appeal as other shapes and colors come forward. At times colors are tired, and then over painted, when they fail to work.  It is all very subjective: a quick look and the answer is clearly, yes or no.  There is rarely the feeling of that will have to do, except at the end.  When it is over, and time to move on, then good enough, is just that, good enough.

An artwork grows from nothing to something. It is that something that holds, at first all the big dreams and expectations of the artist.  And then, reality finally sets in hard after a few weeks, and the artist accepts what the painting always did know: time is not unlimited, but life is, and whatever that final something is is all that can be expected.  Time to move on.

Seal – Kiss From a Rose

There has been a lot of distractions interfering and limiting art time, this week. But out of all the interference and idea has developed to finally market this art. When this work is completed, that next new project, large in scope could change everything, and could span a couple of years.  We shall see.

Listening to Vivaldi – Opus 3 no2 in G minor -L’estro Armonico

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H The Pretender image3

The Pretender 4 panels with main panel 20 inches (51cm) by 5 feet (152 cm). The color is off with the far left lower panel, which should be more golden than orange.  I will work on the photography.  There is a lot to learn for with these odd shaped works it is more difficult to get the perspective corrected.  Matching colors is always hard, but this usually improves with the updates.  Obviously, it is important that the viewer is seeing what the artist sees, and this means being carefully, and honest, when working with these images in Photoshop.

The three panels where chosen and placed to better display the flow of this music.  Adding them actually solves a problem that has existed since this art was started: finding the right size canvas to  fit the music chosen.

There has always been a limited number of canvas sizes to chose from.  Because of that, it became the common practice to drill holes in the sides, and connect multiple canvases together with bolts, so that the music would fit.   It is only lately, starting with the Mozart work, that the idea of placing canvases on top of others, just seemed the right thing to do.  This artist has in the past enjoy the creation of a couple of sculptures, made out of wood, so this, in a small way, will satisfy that desire, for now, while opening multiple doors.  The fun is just starting.

Listening to Coldplay – Moses

This size work was also chosen to offer flexibility in design and options, and to lower the cost of painting things over, if change is required.  A smaller work does lower the invested time, and can better maintain the momentum and pace for the learning and creative process to be put to canvas.  Once, the basics of multiple canvases is understood, that includes how they are carefully mounted,  it will be back to the big boys.

The Band – Up On Cripple Creek

Next up, is do more color work with the smaller three canvases, and then draw in the rest of the music flow that they will cover.  After that, my notes will  be given a color and that will decide what color options the body of the music will have.

Laura Nyro – Blowin’Away/Wedding Bell Blues.  She was a early favorite artist of a naive third year college student, staying in his first dorm room, on a big time campus.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H The Pretender image1&2

The Pretender image1 from Friday night.

Image 2 of The Pretender from Sunday afternoon.  This is a single panel, right now, 20 inches (51 cm) by 5 feet (152cm).

There was some time, and debate, between the finish of Mozart’s Eine and the choice to what to paint next. The original song choice was a Concerto in G minor by Vivaldi; but that would have been a big work that would have required a large canvas and another month dedicated to one work.  This artist wanted a break from that, and also wanted to do a smaller work that would use a lot less resources,  allow easier directional changes to be made, and different ideas to be tried, to see what sticks.

This artwork is an improvisation of  the song The Pretender,  written and sung by Jackson Browne. There where a number of great phrases, from this music,  that would have each required larger canvases, but  one small part of this music was found that would work on a 5 feet canvas.

Listening to B.B. King – Tired of Your Jive

The side thought about choices made: because of the shortness of time and the amount of effort that is required to complete each of these works, my thought is that once a particular piece of music is painted, I would never return to it for another canvas.  There are just too many great pieces of music still to be painted.  But, you never know, in the future a commissioned work for this music still leaves those other choices.  This is a good quality piece of music that fits well with Thunder Road and Hallelujah, in diversity and artist options.

What closed this choice of music, was watching the following video, where Jackson Browne explains the meaning of the music, and how it relates to many a working man and women’s life, including myself.  This music speaks of choices made whether we want to or not.  For now,  this life we lead, may not be the best option, but it does get us through the day.

Listening to  Little Milton – That’s What Love Will Make You Do.

Right now,  there will be two added canvases to this work, one top middle, and one lower right. Because of the impact of those two additions will be quite important, the thinking is to let this tempoary background stand as is, for now.  Next step is the drawing in of the music flow, to see where everything fits.  After that, the two extra canvas can be added, and the background finished up.  We will see.

I nice ending to this entry:  I’ll Be Back by Shawn Colvin.

Scott Von Holzen