Category: Modern

S_V_H The Pretender image1&2

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

The Pretender image1 from Friday night.

Image 2 of The Pretender from Sunday afternoon.  This is a single panel, right now, 20 inches (51 cm) by 5 feet (152cm).

There was some time, and debate, between the finish of Mozart’s Eine and the choice to what to paint next. The original song choice was a Concerto in G minor by Vivaldi; but that would have been a big work that would have required a large canvas and another month dedicated to one work.  This artist wanted a break from that, and also wanted to do a smaller work that would use a lot less resources,  allow easier directional changes to be made, and different ideas to be tried, to see what sticks.

This artwork is an improvisation of  the song The Pretender,  written and sung by Jackson Browne. There where a number of great phrases, from this music,  that would have each required larger canvases, but  one small part of this music was found that would work on a 5 feet canvas.

Listening to B.B. King – Tired of Your Jive

The side thought about choices made: because of the shortness of time and the amount of effort that is required to complete each of these works, my thought is that once a particular piece of music is painted, I would never return to it for another canvas.  There are just too many great pieces of music still to be painted.  But, you never know, in the future a commissioned work for this music still leaves those other choices.  This is a good quality piece of music that fits well with Thunder Road and Hallelujah, in diversity and artist options.

What closed this choice of music, was watching the following video, where Jackson Browne explains the meaning of the music, and how it relates to many a working man and women’s life, including myself.  This music speaks of choices made whether we want to or not.  For now,  this life we lead, may not be the best option, but it does get us through the day.

Listening to  Little Milton – That’s What Love Will Make You Do.

Right now,  there will be two added canvases to this work, one top middle, and one lower right. Because of the impact of those two additions will be quite important, the thinking is to let this tempoary background stand as is, for now.  Next step is the drawing in of the music flow, to see where everything fits.  After that, the two extra canvas can be added, and the background finished up.  We will see.

I nice ending to this entry:  I’ll Be Back by Shawn Colvin.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H BlackBird final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen2 Comments

This is the final image for BlackBird, 30inches by 6 feet.  The color reproduction is not the best representation of this painting: the darks are not dark enough and  it leans to the red side of the spectrum. Will pull out the flashes the umbrellas and try it again some slow January day and do a better job with the next finished work, and then I will re-shoot this interesting work.

This artist has mixed emotions over this work.  With the Holidays and a personnel health issue I have been somewhat distracted, and drifting.  In the end a work ends  at the right time, no matter the expectations of the artist.  There is no outstanding features with this work, although the ties and those two flowing notes above are quite appealing.  The thought is to take this canvas into work to exchange out, a previous display, in the office of the person that bought a previous work. Not sure the logic of why of  this other than he would appreciate it, and it gets this art out of the basement.

Don Henley – The End of The Innocence

Also, this work is going to a the signature piece to be email to a local art museum curator of  exhibitions. Two years ago, around this time, I sent him a Christmas card and a CD with images, and asked for his opinion. He was nice, when I contacted him again, and he then responded.  Basically, what he offered were musical painting examples to follow,  interesting, but  no helped in anyway: been there, done that.  If and when he is contacted again, he will at less see that this artist is focused and determined if nothing  else.  There will be nothing else to come out of this contact, that is for sure.  But it is known, that being totally unknown, is not a good thing for any artist.  So, any contacts with those in the establish art world is not a bad idea, no matter how this artist appears to be shying away from them.  Know this, this artist comes from a strong salesperson family. I know what efforts need to be done to get this work out, but doubts linger, and so the process is excruciatingly slow.

Listening to Don McLean American Pie

Priming a 3 panel 10 feet canvas to paint Mozart’s Eine Kleinie Nachtmusik, Romanze Andate.    A long time a go another work was done from the Allegro part.  There is hope in new ideas, and frustrations that need to be dispersed,  that may make this is a strong work, that pushes this art hard forward.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Blackbird image5&6

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Blackbird 24 inches by 6 feet, photo taken December 21st.

Blackbird the music from the Beatles White Album,  started  way back on December 8th with this photo taken today, three weeks later.   During his last few year Van Gogh production amounted to sometimes 3 to 4 canvases in a day.  Obviously, he knew what he was doing, and this artist current position is similar to Van Gogh’s Paris period.  For an example of today’s influence, take a look at the Sean Scully  style, in miniature,  added to those flying notes above.

That being understood,  this art is complicated, dealing with a complicated subject which is music, being preformed by an artist that is certainly far from reaching a mature artist style.  So, lets move on to Scully. This art started with Mark Rothko has it’s first inspiration, and it remains today.  But, Sean Scully was not an inspiration, even though his styling has been present in the background of every work done recently.  Scully became known when I received the wrong used book, from Amazon.  I had ordered a Hans Hoffman book, but instead received Sean Scully: Wall of Light. The book was sent back for credit, and never received the Hoffman book, probably for the best.

Also, thinking back, for a time,  using the book The Art of Richard Diebenkorn as inspiration, I thought this could be a  influence on this art, but that faded.  Now, there is an wakening to the work of Sean Scully, that may be sustained.  Not to copy but to learn from.    And not only his stripping techniques but also his layering of canvases.  This artist has seen alot of nonconforming art shapes, for example Frank Stella.  But not until stumbling over Scully, did the possibilities of using that technique became clear.   Hopefully, with the next work there is going to be an added canvas on top of the rest, not for decoration, but there to emphasize  a particular piece of the music.

The backgrounds in this art, are doing what they are suppose to do, create interest, and move the music across the canvas.  Lately, working with this music, there has been a frustration, not only with the choice of colors, and with how to paint the music that is about a bird, but with the hope of creating a background that has a larger impact on the music.  Those  Scully miniatures where painted in to at less show an effort is being made.

Scott von Holzen