Category: Modern

S_V_H Winter image5

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Things began to change with Naive Melody with the use of circles.   Using circles solved a major hang up with what to do with the 8th notes.  Now, Winter has taken that step much further with the evolution of the symbol of a musical note.  Over the years this art has gone from representing notation in it’s mostly low angle lean to almost a vertical stance. With Winter the shape of a musical note has gone from the oblong to the circle. At first there was a feeling that it made the canvases less professional looking.  That attitude changed quickly. It was obvious that the flow of the music was improved, because of the size  of these bubble notes.  This look fit the direction that the backgrounds and the other musical shapes, like the 8th notes,  were heading.  The circle is here to stay, but it’s evolution has only begun.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Winter image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Winter is the title of this musical piece.   Not sure there is a lot of the winter look yet, but this is the results of the first few hours of painting, after completing Ev’ry Time.  Inconsideration of Ev’ry Time we say Goodbye, personal comments about the finish of the Cole Porter classic and a final image should appear on this blog sometime soon.  For now, here is the current thought which is it just felt like the time to do away with the Rothko rectangle.  These boxes stem from this art’s beginnings and where a source of  inspiration.  It was Rothko’s works and their color combos that helped to show a way to represent music.  Still in the past, there were some canvases that did away with the rectangle that symbolized a musical stave.   The song In This Life is an example.  But, looking at this painting that is hanging in the studio, different thoughts cross the mind that question a change in direction.  The now thought is that those  Rothko boxes missing from Life, and prominent in the Birthday painting, do add visual strength, interest, and variety to the work beyond their symbolism.  Looking at the above image the main rectangle is just barley visible so the look of this image, so far, is just one big and boring abstract painting.  That will not hold.   Look forward in the next image for the change of mind that came about in a couple of sentences.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye image6

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Ev’ry time we say goodbye nearing completion.  The issue with this image are the note color.  They look bright here and all most as bright in person.  Today, they where all given another coat of Cadmium Red Light, with Magenta to add definition and contrast.  The reason for the extra coat, and probably more tomorrow, is to get the red to hold.  After a few days the notes, so far, have gone to matte, dull and somewhat lifeless.  Hopefully, more layers will help put enough depth in the color.  Maybe, the problem is the Windsor & Newton water based oils.  Other options are being researched with few choices, so far.

Everyone who has been in the studio has been happily surprised by this canvas, which has been a surprise.  This work appears to make a good first impression.   Second impressions must included, does this work balance?  Helping that balance was to move all the notation up somewhat to improve the top, bottom, balance.  The left to right balance is good till the far right where the upper area lacks interest other then the base.  The signature will help here, but is that bad or good.  The canvas is about the music but the signature is about the artist.  Interestingly the signature on a number of previous works has played the roll of balancing  and creating interest.  There is no doubt that the size and placement of the signature has been considered an important part of these works, so although the main focus is the music and it’s display, the signature should not be under estimated.  Simply put, walking into a room and seeing this canvas on the far wall,  anyone who has seen this artist works will know, no matter the work,  who the artist is. That would be confirmed by the prominent signature.  The signing has always been important to this artist, and now it is  a part of the music..

Scott Von Holzen