Category: christmas

S_V_H Let It Snow image 1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen1 Comment

Let it Snow is this years Christmas card painting. This work consists of three panels, two 16×20 inches, and one 16 by 40 inches.   In past Christmas Paintings I have not taken any risks,   mainly trying to paint a pretty, Christmas colored music theme, and get those cards sent out in time.  This year because of how long Autumn – Allegro took for me to finish, I need a break, to free my thoughts, those skills and question all those silly assumptions about how to paint this art. Not sure why, maybe I am just restless, or bored, or I like to compete against myself. You can see some of the results of a change in direction in the photo above, for originally I had prepped this painting with one canvas 24 inches by six feet.

This Art is about capturing the flow, the movement, the feelings of a musical piece.  This painting is just small enough that I can throw paint of all colors and textures at it just to see what sticks, and meets those goals.  Really, if it does not stick it is coming off.  So, I will be getting to work on this piece on Monday.  Looking at these canvases I have an interesting start.  Hopefully, I will find other ideas to push this work and this Art forward. Otherwise, if not,  I will paint another pretty Christmas Card picture with lots of Christmas Colors.  And once more get the card out-the-door just in time.

We shall see.

One final comment.  I brought up this blog site on an iPad and expanded the final image of Autumn -Allegro to its full size.  And  I must admit, I was impressed. Not because I did it, but because it exists, like no other piece of Art.  The future will be interesting.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H The Christmas Song finalimage

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

The Christmas song Music Count is 175 plays dating from about November 18th to December 6th. Some of the favorites versions of The Christmas Song, in the order of most plays from over 20 different Artists:

Joe Williams
Nat King Cole
Mel Torme 3 versions  one specially enjoyed with Judy Garland
Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
Diana Krall
Frank Sinatra
Also enjoyed where the voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Toni Braxton,  Christina Aquilera, and a surprisingly cover of The Christmas Song by Trace Adkins.

You would think that listening to the same words over and over again would strain the enjoyment of the music, but it does not.  It helps that there are a couple of instrumentals, for example by Glen Miller, but the song is just that good, and it lingers in the mind and heart.

This painting is clean looking and that fits well with the Christmas theme.  The feature of the round snow flakes works well helping to move the music across the canvas to where one flake dots the “i” on the word Christmas.  The far right Tie feature worked out well, and is part of the evolution of the last few paintings. The difference in this work is the softening of the tie to blend better with the rest of the canvas.  Of course, the use of  a number of iridescent colors,  including gold, silver, and  bronze, fits with Christmas.  All-in-all this may be the best of all the Christmas works, so far.  A larger version of this music will be uploaded to www.scottvonholzen.com over the weekend.

Next year’s music has been booked marked.  It is is another great classic Christmas song, sung by a group of outstanding Artists. The clue is that the word “Christmas,” is a part of the title.

Tonight a two panel 30 inches by 80 canvas is being prepped for the next artwork,………. Blackbird by the Beatles.

Scott Von Holzen  Listening to Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song

S_V_H The Christmas Song image3

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

The Christmas song 24 inches by 6 feet. This a a likable  work. Those oblong  green colored objects,  in the above image that make up the beams, are based on the mistletoe shape. That idea is from this line in the music, “Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe.”  No, there will be no turkey images or any realistic images.  This art is about color, shapes, and music, and not about fine details.

Listening to a favorite Something to Believe In – Poison,  followed by the wonderful All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers.

In a effort to describe  an artworks progress the use of musical terms are used, like the word beam. This may help a few viewers, trained in music, to relate to the painting’s musical flow. In reality it probably does not make any difference to 99.95% of people what exactly they are looking at, and what this artwork represents.  Unlike a canvas of a landscape, a portrait,  a still life, and even an abstraction that fall into categories, this artwork is nothing less than E  or None of the above.  So, this artist’s thinking is that at first sight most people do not know what to think. Once they learn the work’s musical title, they may begin to see the musical flow as something other than an abstraction.  That they may have, or not have, a clue about a particular piece of music, or how that music is depicted may not be important to them. It is the viewers love of music that can redefine Category E into the artwork’s title, or in-other-words the hook.  Hopefully, this will pulled pull them in closer to investigate, to ask questions, and wonder.

Piano Man – Billy Joel

So to go from a likable wall covering to art could be in how good this artist is at musical interpretation: can he somehow paint what he feels? Can he make  a picture as unforgettable as the music it represents? Can he add that special feeling that reaches out to the viewer? Hum, all good questions for others to answer.

Bach – Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, Adagio followed by the wow! of  Teddy The Toad – Count Basie

Concerto in G Minor for 2 Cellos, RV 531 a Vivaldi favorite.

Finishing this entry with Madonna – Heartbeat followed by The Cure – Lovesong.  Yum! Yum!

Scott Von Holzen