This is the first image of Eyes on the prize started last night. I have put down mostly an orange and burnt sienna base. Tonight I am beginning to cover that up with different golds.
Scott Von Holzen
abstract work in progress
At Last
This a terrible picture from my iPhone. What can I say At Last is a 36″ by 10 foot painting and you loose a lot when you are displaying it using 400 pixels. Had a trial of a time with the two 8th notes. I kept walking over to, whatever is the name of my last painting that is currently being posted on my website picture, to see how it was done. So I gave it a try to repeat myself and guess what the unexpected expected happened. Each painting demands it’s own identity and refuses to cooperate when I just try to refine a technique I learn from a previous work. It never happens, and eventual I find a way to make the canvas happy, and bring all the parts back into focus.
I love this battle. I know I am still young and naive to the techniques and understandings of paint and the infinite possibilities that are there………….there to figure out each night from hundreds of problems each of these canvases present.
Scott Von Holzen
At Last, 36 inches by 10 Feet, finished background
It is ten feet long……..much of the work done is hard to see in an image this small; but understand there is plenty of ‘attention to detail.’ I have become driven in my efforts to create backgrounds that can stand on their own. They all are abstractions. And it has become increasingly challenging and rewarding to know that my efforts to allow this part of the project to have its own meaning has gain emphases.
OK, I just took a look at examples of all of the Artists in the current Whitney Biennial 2010…………and a few of the abstract works I liked. Most of what I looked at was ‘been there, seen that’ or just boring. I am hoping they are all getting good money for the efforts; earned, no doubt. I do believe there will be a little room eventually for me at a place like the Whitney, it just going to take and cost a lot of my precious time.
Scott Von Holzen
AT Last musical Standard, 36″ by 10 Feet
I thought this canvas was going to be shaded towards Burnt Sienna. I did use different shades of sienna, then proceeded to use orange, magenta, and a few shades of other colors in between. At the end of the night I was using a lot of maroon. I think I will try to work more shades of sienna, with some green tones? in the upper and lower sections of this canvas.
Scott
Time After Time update
I have been told to free it up (my words) so I am looking to do that with this canvas. This is an evolution, for each work is a learning experience, and each work opens little doors to other ideas and ways to express my appreciation for the music I listen to everyday. There will always be a structure that relates to the original music but I am moving away from following the strictness of sheet music to my own self expression. I want to keep following this path I started on except now I am pushing myself, and I truly want to, widen it. There is a lot more to come.
Scott Von Holzen
Imagine music theme, 2 panel 30 by 96 inches
The first flow of this music is done. It went quite well. When I find a section of music that I want to paint I always try to push it to the two edges with as many note objects as I can fit in the canvas I have prepped. I sometimes take a number of evenings trying to decide the note size, and their separation. It can get frustrating at times that I just cannot fit the music in the space provided. I rarely compromise, and in a final acceptance I give up and look for another piece of music. Then it is the challenge to fit everything in and mistakes have been made in the past where I miss a note object and have to wipe clean the work I had done that night. Even when no one will ever know, I do it all because I care about the music and want to represent it in my art the best that I can.
Scott von holzen
Chopin Fantasy nearing completion
I am dropping a note that I am in the process of wrapping up this canvas and starting the thinking ahead and the need to prep a new project. I have spent much of this weekend working this canvas.
When all the main objects are in place, then there comes a judgement. I pick the music because of it’s parts and now that they are all down on canvas, I must discover next how to make it a cohesive work of art. A lot depends on liking the impact of the colors and their relationships to each others. I go over and over the same parts on different days, changing, adding, and balancing the contrast of many shades of colors. That is what separates just doing this digitally and painting the idea on canvas.
I apply, like all people that paint, thousands of individual brush strokes, to get the shapes, color and contrast right. Nothing special about that, but I have realized how important that is today unlike when the idea of creating works of art based upon music was developing.
There was a time I thought I could create what I do with paint now just by using Illustrator and Photoshop on my computer. No way, I know today that that. would never do. And that is one good reason why I am not posting an upgrade picture of my efforts lately. You see, moving in close, is one of the differences, that separates wall decoration from art. And ……..that will probably never happen……for quite a while.
Scott
Chopin_fantasy music on Canvas
Chopin – Fantasy 3 by 5 feet
These are three inch in size notes that represent the flow of the music from the beginning of this Chopin piece.
Chopin fantasy-impromptu
Spent the last two nights on this base. It turns out that it is not as experimental as I would like: more like a technical training exercise. Has all ways a canvas just goes the way that works for me. Tonight I will be putting down the music.
scott von holzen
art IN music 