Category: 2013

S_V_H Keep on Loving You final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

keepOnLovingYouFinal

Keep on Loving You this five foot 4 inch artwork look is more interesting, to me,  than the original music.  I think I could have reduced the physical size of this work, but the canvas I used gave me the extra room, (that is rare in most of my musical portraits), to let my slurs, those huge almost circles you see above the musical flow, a chance to really express themselves.  I had the space so I used it to their advantage.  Those slurs come straight out of my last Vivaldi painting.  I have realized that if done right my slurs do not need any squiggly lines. That is how it works: I am learning as I go.

Originally, I was going to go with the words “I’m Lovin’ you,”  but strange the word ‘i’m’ I could not find any space for on the first canvas, so I dropped it.  Lovin’ you, says it all, covering a lot of territory.  I see it is important to paint more than just one Vivaldi after another.  These little works offer ways to try to maybe explore painting techniques I am trying to do on the large work.  When I see that a new idea works on a 15 foot canvas, I then know I can move that idea to a much smaller work, and see a greater effect of that idea on a small surface, which carries with it a bigger impact on the artwork.

I like this artwork, it has that look.  Now on to another Vivaldi.  This time it is the late fall movement.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Allegro Final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

SummerAllegroFinal

This 15 foot 4 inch monster that began on July 3rd is now finished.   I am glad to move on. That only leaves four more Vivaldi’s to do and the set of thirteen is complete.   A good guess, for the finish of this project,  would be something in June of 2014, or probably July of 2014,  just in time for a needed vacation.

I do not have many thoughts lift about this work, because I have worked on this one work almost three months.  Here is what I can say:  it is big, it is diverse looking, and it represents the best effort  of this artist.  That is so far.  You could remove the bolts from this work,  separate them, and it would look like each canvas belongs to another artwork.  That I find fascinating and a direction I plan to keep developing to see how far it goes. Because as you know the real quest of this artist is to find out how it will all end.  Although the canvases are each unique you cannot but see that when they are all put together, it works.  I am sure those of appreciate this music will wonder why I pick the phrase that I did from this music considering how powerful most of the music is, and this is not.  This phrase of music, about 10 seconds,  is the sound of a little finch chirping.  I use it because this part of the movement is unique in the concerto.  There that is it, which you will be able to see, and hear,  when I post the walk through tomorrow evening.

Next up is the last of the Autumn  movements completing the first of the four concertos.  It is also called Autumn Allegro.  So the fall concerto starts with Allegro and ends with Allegro.  Maybe I will have to call it Autumn Allegro last movement.

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Allegro image 6

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

SummerAllegro6

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Summer Allegro this is a near finished work.  I need to worked on better defining the words which translated are, “The North-wind appears nearby and suddenly,”  Then after painting in the ‘threes‘ I will move to cleaning up this fifteen foot image.  An important part of this work, because of the words is to make sure to add a lot of movement in this work.  You see that effect, in the musical ties that look like tall grass swaying in the wind., along with the color contrast with the background, that creates a small visual simmering. Then I added more speed in those little circles inside the music, which all rotate clockwise, across the canvas.  I do not see much else to create more motion except maybe the  shafts if I make their look solid with greater color contrasting.  Not sure that would be worth the effort.  I may try some ideas to see if the results are worth the time.

The question I ask is can this art be displayed during a live performance by professional musicians?  Is this art good enough that gifted musicians are not offended?   I know that this art works when seen while the music is heard, but I have not made that public step, to prove that connection.  I have made an inquirer to a local Orchestra but have heard nothing back.   Maybe a greater understanding of musicians would help to move this art to the next level.  I am not sure, but it may help this art if I had more opportunities to speak and listen to more musicians. I guess what I am debating here is contacting, once again, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. They are performing Vivaldi’s four seasons several times in February and March of 2014.  Would it not be nice to take, at least one of the Winter Vivaldi’s or maybe all three, to one of their performances.  Would the art and I look silly even trying?  Should I even contact them?  Somehow I must.  I will compose a solid well reviewed email that hopefully works around these issues, just to see, what they might say or do.  I may even get a reasonable answer to my request. If nothing else it will add an adventure line to this story.

Scott Von Holzen