Category: 2015

S_V_H I Won’t Dance Final Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

IWontDance_Final

I Won’t Dance is finished, and I am liking what I see. This artwork looks to challenge, looks interesting, and looks like nothing else. Now, none of those adjectives guarantee that this art form, including this artwork, will have any lasting value, but for now, if you want to own, I Won’t Dance, you will have to check out the listing on Etsy.

Once again here is the video this artwork is based on. I cannot tell you exactly what elements from this black and white film clip this artwork uses.  What does matter is what I felt watching Fred and Ginger interact, their style and the atmosphere around them. That is all I needed to create the theme for I Won’t Dance.

What do  I think of this artwork? Well, I will  tell you, it is crazy cool, and out of sight. Not only is this a great Jerome Kern song, it is catchy tune that, over the years, has been persistently a favorite song of mine,  popping up, and putting a smile on my face. Maybe I like this music because I am such a reluctant dancer. When I was in college I had to push myself  to ask the girl to dance. I was okay once I did, but up to that point, I was a one man debating team.  Well, I have grown since those days (although I am beginning to race back to the future), and the thought of dancing feels good to me.  I see this artwork as something special, and very approachable dance piece.  My  impression looking at I Won’t Dance  is that it makes you want to dance, dance, dance!  Enough said.  I should shut up, for this artwork had me at the first dance.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Presto Final Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen2 Comments

summerPrestoFinal

This is the final image of Vivaldi Summer Presto Third movement from The Four Seasons concertos. This twenty-foot artwork is  the last artwork in the thirteen painting Vivaldi series that I started almost three years ago, March of 2012.  I have always believed that I could actually accomplished this project.  The surprised is that this could be done.

This is the longest painting in the Vivaldi series.  I can say that this is also the most complicated painting from that group that took an incredible long time to complete.  Looking at my notes I put together the plan for this artwork on November 5th, actually starting the project on November 8th. I put a finish date on the back of this artwork of February 25th.  I actually signed it on the 26th, and on the 26th I realized I had missed a part I wish to add from the music. That small addition, added to all eight panels I finished on the 27th. Summer Presto was then photographed, and I created the video for the walk through.

This painting owes much to the other Four Seasons paintings, but like the other twelve artworks, this one stands out as its own unique work of art. When I approach this last artwork I kind of wanted it to be a summary of  the past works, or an artwork that took from the past, and turned it into more than the sum of the rest. That did not happen. Each artwork eventually finds it own way, and eventually I see that and then I do my best to catch up to the obvious in front of me.  They become something beyond me. They guide, they demand, they expect, and they always win. I do their bidding.

I became an artist, in the hope, to get back my definition of me,  that I felt I lost in 1993 (long story). That might sound ridiculous, and I agree, but I want to be known as Scott the Artist (another long story). A secondary goal is that I would like to be the boss of my life (silly but true).  I may eventual gain my identity back, but the boss I will probably never be. These Vivaldi artworks make it clear to me each time I sign my name, who is in charge. I am their caregiver.

After working on a single artwork for almost four months most of the excitement that goes into creating art gets spread  thin across such a considerable amount of time that there is little emotion left when done. Right now I feel good that this series is over, but I do not feel any urge to celebrate. I guess my feelings towards the Vivaldi Group will not change because the only way I can see all thirteen paintings is to view them on the website. Even though all the Four Seasons painting are within fifty feet of me stacked away where all I can see are the parts that stick out from storage. The only three paintings, I can view in their entirely,  are Summer Presto on my easels, Winter Largo that has hung below my bookshelf ever since I completed it  a year ago, and hanging in the living room wall is Spring allegro.  My joy and pride will be there when all thirteen painting are on view. I am thinking my reaction of seeing them all together would be the same as Vincent Van Goghs, when he first saw his artworks scattered all through the apartment, while visiting Theo in Paris.  When and how that day is going to happen is the next chapter in this story.

Let me talk about chapter two of the Four Seasons Paintings.  I will be putting together a new website dedicated to these thirteen paintings, to display, and to promote them. This website will have one goal and that is to give free to an art museum, hopefully in America, this entire Vivaldi The Four Seasons series. This will be an interesting chapter, that hopefully adds a lot charm to this story of a boy and the dream to be something more than me.

Scott Von Holzen