Category: Classical

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter Largo image2

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

4SWinterLargo2

Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Winter – Largo. This work not has 10 panels and is just over 15 feet in length.  What I did find interesting about the progress of this work, is the idea that each panel can have a unique style.  Of course all the panels do work together, which is important in that they support the musical theme which flows across the entire work. The beams in the past appeared as simple rectangles with patterns of colors, or as pieces from a rectangle scattered about, or even left out of the picture.  In this work they are now being portrayed in a far more interesting way.

With a good start learned from The Christmas Painting of 2012, the beams now are adding a dramatic movement to the artwork.  As said many times before, the feeling of motion is a must in these artworks. So, if you look at the beams you can still make out parts of the original rectangles, in Prussian Blue, so there still is structure; but then over them comes the curving figures, that add interest and motion that just was not there in the past.  This is good approach that offers lots of options for future works.

4SWinterLargo2b

As for the CloseUP view, you can see how sketchy the artwork appears at this stage.  In the final week of this work, I will spend a lot of time cleaning up edges, filling in the gaps and giving the entire work a cleaner look.  Actually, getting to that finished look, still surprises me, in how much difference that does make in the overall feeling to the painting. It is only getting to that looked that I know it is time to move on.

I think that a video is useful in portraying  the Artist and his connection to the Artwork.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Christmas 2012 & Vivaldi’s Winter Largo

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

letItSnowFinalCLUP

I am starting a new feature call CloseUP.  The above image is from this years Christmas painting 2012.  I like the idea of close up images, just to get you closer to what I see.   This image is very abstract.  Of course you can see that I was running out of time and failed to clean up the edges of this painting. and yet the image still works, balances well and creates tension between the two main objects.

I have also included a video about this painting and an introduction to the next Vivaldi painting from the Four Seasons, which is not Winter Allegro mentioned in the Video.  It was an honest mistake, for Winter Allegro was the first piece of Classical music that I completely fell in love with. To put it in perspective I have over thirteen thousands songs in my current iTunes collection. In that collection there is a  piano version of Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen, and Vivaldi’s Winter Allegro Non Molto which are the only pieces of music with a five-star rating.  So, the Vivaldi work that I am about to start is actually Vivaldi’s second movement from his concerto RV 297 The Four Season Winter Largo.

I have also updated the Website with the latest Vivaldi Painting.

S_V_H Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons – Autumn – allegro image4

Published on by Scott Von Holzen3 Comments

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons – Autumn – Allegro. This is my first attempt at Photo merge using Photoshop, and there is room for improvement, but not for today.

I mentioned in the video that I am taking a Music Theory class at the local campus of the University of Wisconsin.  It is challenging,  that consumes an enormous amount of my free time, and the free time that I have left to work on this painting has been drastically cut.  It is worth it.  This class only lasts through December, so I will be back deep into the Art soon after,  with a greater depth of understanding of the structure, and the harmony that is music.

Listening to Dave Brubeck – Take Five

Until that time, lets move on and talk about the music of this great composer.  The more I listen to classical music the more Vivaldi’s music rises in importance and meaning to me.  I still have Mozart and Chopin, along with Bach and Beethoven, but ….aaaaaaaaaaaa….Viavldi your music reaches deep inside.

As far as my progress on this work, the beams,  which are discussed in the video, have greatly improved the emotional impact of this work.   To not make the disruption of the beams too predictable there is a change with the last set.  I pulled them back  away from the increasing breaking apart that is occurring as you follow the music.  By painting this last set of beams, not so much as flying apart, but as cracked pieces, they have halted their destruction. This than lets these 6 seconds of music to end, and the flow to continue  into the next measures.

Listening to Vivaldi’s Great Concerto for two Cellos in G minor, RV531.  When it comes to Classical Music it does not get any better than this,  with only Mozart at times its equal.

Aimee Mann’s – Little Tornado

Next up, is finishing the cracking beams, painting in the words, which will be interesting because they, at times will move over the beams, and work on those violet note heads, giving them more depth, character and speed.

Listening to Jack Johnson – Upside Down.

Scott Von Holzen

Scott Von Holzen