Tag: Antonio Vivaldi

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Allegro image 6

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

SummerAllegro6

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Summer Allegro this is a near finished work.  I need to worked on better defining the words which translated are, “The North-wind appears nearby and suddenly,”  Then after painting in the ‘threes‘ I will move to cleaning up this fifteen foot image.  An important part of this work, because of the words is to make sure to add a lot of movement in this work.  You see that effect, in the musical ties that look like tall grass swaying in the wind., along with the color contrast with the background, that creates a small visual simmering. Then I added more speed in those little circles inside the music, which all rotate clockwise, across the canvas.  I do not see much else to create more motion except maybe the  shafts if I make their look solid with greater color contrasting.  Not sure that would be worth the effort.  I may try some ideas to see if the results are worth the time.

The question I ask is can this art be displayed during a live performance by professional musicians?  Is this art good enough that gifted musicians are not offended?   I know that this art works when seen while the music is heard, but I have not made that public step, to prove that connection.  I have made an inquirer to a local Orchestra but have heard nothing back.   Maybe a greater understanding of musicians would help to move this art to the next level.  I am not sure, but it may help this art if I had more opportunities to speak and listen to more musicians. I guess what I am debating here is contacting, once again, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. They are performing Vivaldi’s four seasons several times in February and March of 2014.  Would it not be nice to take, at least one of the Winter Vivaldi’s or maybe all three, to one of their performances.  Would the art and I look silly even trying?  Should I even contact them?  Somehow I must.  I will compose a solid well reviewed email that hopefully works around these issues, just to see, what they might say or do.  I may even get a reasonable answer to my request. If nothing else it will add an adventure line to this story.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Allegro image 5

Published on by Scott Von Holzen2 Comments

SummerAllegro5

This is a composite image of the ninth in the series The Four Seasons with music by Antonio Vivaldi.  You are looking at  a very small part of the flow of Summer Allegro.  In fact Landon describes this exact part of this music in his book Vivaldi Voice of the Baroque, . “The goldfinch has trills and very high alternating notes…..” That was a surprising find.

This is the point  that proves that all the measuring, and calculating was correct.  As always, to reach that conclusion, It took some nudging  and small compromises.  There are always these adjustments to the guessing and the planning.  In the end it all needs to fit: the music to the canvas, and my expectations.

This is an early summer work and I am going to throw as many colors that I can blend, mix, or use straight from the tube, to brighten up this image, to present to the viewer a vibrant picture of this time of the year.  I did some of this also with the first finished Vivaldi painting, Summer Allegro non molto,  that is  the lead in part of Summer Allegro. Nothing too special about the circles that represent the musical flow.  For my stems I did  mix complementary colors to help pop the look of summer color.  Now I am on to my musical beams, and again I am looking to build the shifting look of complementary colors.  I am hoping to fit the words, from this part of the summer sonnet,  in the frame you see above.  That one canvas is four feet in length.    Altogether is artwork is another fifteen foot canvas.  My hope is that someday when a first time viewer see this artwork, that they will see it through my eyes, and heart:  some may most won’t.

Scott Von Holzen.

S_V_H Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer Allegro image 4 & Jordyn’s final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen1 Comment

SummerAllegro4

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Summer Allegro composite image 4. I am near completion of this base.  The only plans left, before starting to add the music, is to add a second layer of red on the four small vertical rectangles that will each contain a musical trill and one note each.

I am always surprise by how different and the strength  of each of these Vivaldi backgrounds. A lot of effort has gone into each of them to enrich their contribution to the work.  Looking at this background, before adding the music, this artwork could easily stand on its own as a work of abstraction.  How good this look is, or the others  as abstract art, I am not sure, but for now the backgrounds are there to support and visually challenge, what is next,  the music.

jordyn6

This is Jordyn’s final image. This was a three-day project that amounted to multiple hours of work each day.  Her enthusiasm and concentration, I thought was outstanding for a nine-year old.  Jordyn especially like the work she did on the far left panel of her favorite animal which is a pig.  Her laugh was so different and so real that I knew she loved how it had turned out. Jordyn’s depiction of people is greatly influence by the works of Miro and Picasso. From left to right the panels read as follows: two people playing catch, fireworks with a person watching, houses in town, the city, the farm, and her pig. Many times I offered direction to awaken her efforts or to move this project along, but never did I make the final decision to subject matter, or choice of colors. I let her lead us through  this project with my main duties being brush cleaning,  paint mixer, and guide. This work came all from her, and she deserves a lot of honest praise for it has truly  been earned.  Jordyn’s did more the exceed my expectations. For three days and a lot of hours she let her imagination out and down it came in reds, blues, greens, yellows, an a pink pig.

Scott Von Holzen