Category: christmas

S_V_H You Raise Me Up image3

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

raisemeup3

You Raise me up this is the third image of this largest Christmas painting I have created.  Usually, I do not try to do anything fancy with Christmas painting.  The reason is that I am under a lot of time constraints, that I ignore because time is my less concern when creating a new artwork.  Of course, when it is two weeks before Christmas time does become important.  There is a lot of work to do besides completing the artwork, with Barb helping to make sure they get mailed out in time.

My first job is to complete the artwork, then I have to spend much time cleaning up the artwork.  That means touching up, cleaning up, fixing, and cleaning the artwork.  Next is the photograph.  I try to take the finish artworks portrait outside, but the light is short this time of the year, so that means I  can only do it on weekends, and this weekend, such as the temperature that I walk three miles in was nine degrees above.  Once I have the photograph, next up comes the work in Photoshop to create a credible image of the artwork, which take time.  Next up, is to design this years Christmas Card, which I do in Illustrator. This starts with last years Christmas card, and tweaks  to the design, with this years music’s words placed on the cover. Designating and printing the card and takes several days. I print just the needed number of cards plus three extra which I keep. The printing of the artwork then is next, which can go good or bad.  Once I have the master sheets, usually three pictures per, with Barbs help, I carefully cut out the images to fit the cards, sign and number them, which is a stressful exercise.  I attach the image to the card using a safe glue that I spread lightly along one edge, align,  and finish by placing a weight on the cards. We address the envelopes, based on a list of people who I have put together earlier. The next day we start with numbered image four, and always using some thought about who should get what numbers, Barb and I put the cards and the envelopes together, and the next day Barb mails them out.  Anyone who has bought, and still owns an original artwork will receive a Christmas card.  Then there are close relatives and occasionally a few special cards go out to those that have touched by life this last year in a positive way.

You raise me up, is a powerful song with a message that can stretch beyond the Christmas Season.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H You Raise Me Up image2

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

raisemeup2

You Raise Me up consists of six panels almost 100 inches in length. In this image you see that I have added the musical flow using different shades of gold paint, a common practice with the Christmas art, along with Cobalt blue.  Next up  I will be filling in more details of the music adding to each of these panels objects for added interest.

This artwork represents three major techniques that each in their own way is somewhat unique. Those three characteristics are first, the use of connected multiple panels, many arranged in multiple layers.  The second unique technique of this art is that each panel has their own appearance that is different from its connected neighbor. If separated, each panel could stand on its own, of course, greatly diminished from the connected whole. The third special characteristic of this art is the applying of the music. It is this unique depiction of a song’s musical flow, that connects all these diverse panels together, to represent a single musical artwork theme.

Also, when their has been a break with the Christmas painting I have worked on Up On The Roof. I have added an interesting look to the last panel, of this artwork, that I will post in a couple of days.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H You Raise Me Up image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

raisemeup1b

You raise me up, laying all over the floor. This is the part where I fit the music to the canvas.

raisemeup1

You Raise Me is six panels, and 99 inches in length, by a max height of 30 inches.  This is a requested Christmas song that I received from a prominent, and important person, that has been apart of my life for many, many years.

I think it is a great choice and brings me back to my roots of this art, with my first Christmas painting which was Joy to the World, by Three Dog Night.  You see, back then, the original idea was to produce of Christmas artwork, that celebrated the joys of this time of the year.  At that time I thought Joy to the World fit that idea, perfect.  Things changed after that first year, and I started to products artworks of real Christmas music, like Sleigh Ride, and Winter Wonderland. This years suggestion caught my totally be surprise, and as I said brought me back to my real goal, which is to produce an uplifting artwork to fit the season.  I think this choice does that well.

Here are three versions of this music. In iTunes these artists have the most popular versions, along with a group called Selah. Their best performance video, I felt was an over the top sentimental cover, that belong in a save the species  info-commercial. So, it has been left out.  I can see where this music can go in many emotional directions, and I can understand its appeal to God being the one the artist is singing to.  I see this music, and artwork not as a Jesus thing, but as song that speaks to real people making real differences in other lives. To me this music is about the meaning of friendship. 

Scott Von Holzen