Tag: ART

S_V_H Ave Maria 2016 Christmas Painting Image 1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

avemaria_1

Ava Maria is this years Christmas Painting.  For those who have purchased one of my paintings they will once again receive a Christmas card with a signed and numbered canvas print of Ave Maria.

Of the different versions of this song this one written my Franz Schubert probably is the most well know, sung by the soprano singer  Maria Callas:

That is not the version used for this painting.  I prefer this aria of Ave Maria composed by  Vladimir Vavilov in 1970, and attributed later to Guido Caccini:

This year’s Christmas painting music,  by Vavilov/Caccini,  sung by mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca:

What convinced me to drop the Schubert version was the words.  Originally written in Italian, the translation to English loses much of the power of the music for me.  In this Vavilov version the only words are Ave Maria.  For me this projects a stronger message,  because the  singing of those two words, without sounding repetitious and boring,  creates a magical and hypnotic sound.

Scott Von Holzen

This is a small work forty inches in length by ten or so inches in height. I wanted this to be a small painting for a number of  a practical reason:  I needed to work on methods to produce, and feel good about,  small works in the same way as I have always felt with my larger works.

I am also trying to be practical, smaller works are easier to sell for they take up less wall space,  have a lower selling price,  are cheaper to ship, need less storage space,  and actually take less time to produce.  Another reason for small is I am still working under temporary and constrained Studio conditions.

For my Christmas paintings I never try new ideas.  Over the years I have learned to see these artworks as a summary of the year’s artistic style, which than eliminates any thoughts of risky style changes. Each year my singular goal with this artwork is to get the painting finished, photograph,  printed on canvas, signed, numbered,   create a new card design, address all the envelopes, and mail out a week before Christmas.

When finished I always have the feeling that all this extra work is worth it. I have never regretted this annual artwork. Those that have supported me over the years need to be told, at less once a year, how much I appreciate their belief in this art.   That includes you Pat, Kevin, and Matt.

Scott

S_V_H Mr. Brightside Image 1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

mrbrightside_1This is the Wonderful, the uplifting, the emotional charged song,  Mr Brightside, that became more important  to paint once I watched this surprising video:

County Kerry Bar Sings ”Mr Brightside’ to Remember Lost Friend Ger Foley

It was in the last few months of my last and final “job”  that I stumbled on this video. Watching this musical tribute and seeing the camaraderie  brought back memories of the times when I  lived, and worked,  in Northern Wisconsin. It was Up North that I  found a lot of entertainment and friendships in my favorite bars and supper clubs.  Those days are now long gone, but I could not help but drag my co-worker friends (Pat, Kevin, and Matt)  into my office to listen and watch this video. I guess my intention was to share and re-live my past glories, but that did not happen. They watched and it turned out, to my disappointment,  that they were “all wet matches,” (a Mom quote).

Maybe they never drank and sang with friends in a local bar full of  like-minded strangers, or maybe being at work ruins the mood,  Or maybe I over-estimate people’s ability to “see beyond the end of their own noses”. That last “maybe” is a quote from my Mom.  Lastly, and probably the best answer “maybe” my work friends could give a “rats ass” (common phrased used by my Mother), that I valued our friendships.

Then on September 30th months after retiring from “job work” (my first job was while in grade school was I delivering Sunday newspapers in the Ashland Wisconsin winter), I again sent them this video, along with this tweet: “……..the “music” Is what brought us all together. Let us always celebrate the songs of our lifetime.” That move to awaken the walking dead was as silly as their responses.   “I am not going to hold my breath”,  then came to mind, another saying my Mom.   We all moved on to fresh silly bantering.

Obviously friendships have their limits.  Just for “shits and giggles” (must I tell you)  I can see us four friends all in a big white box, with each of us standing in our own secure corners with sarcasm as our only method of communication.  Hey, guy friendships kinda amounts to that level, which than levels off.  Still, I realize that such guy friendships do offer each of us a choice of different  rewards.

Maybe, for me, the real outcome of sharing this video was not to “maybe”  build  deeper connections with three friends, but only to slow the guilt of letting the past fade too quickly away, including losing touch with three valuable friends.

As you can see from this first image, I have taken my color scheme from the video. That tells me a lot about Music’s versatility: A great song can have many meanings, and create different reactions in people. This than is my take on the Music in the form of this artwork inspired by a video: Just “maybe” unlike the video, this painting I call Mr Brightside, that I will dedicate to them,  will break through that “no chance in hell,” (Mom again) wall to eventually build a  stronger and longer lasting connection with my three amigos. …..Silly me.

Scott

 

S_V_H Burgundy Shoes Final Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen2 Comments

burgundy_finalBurgundy Shoes, from the Music of Patty Griffin, is finished,  and I believe this artwork represents in a charming way a beautiful musical story.  You can listen to the music from the painting which starts at the 1:16 second and continues to 1:33 seconds.

Here is Burgundy Shoes in its temporarily holding spot, in my Daughters home, for now I have no better safe place to store it. My new Studio is still weeks away from being completed.

burgundy_1I really do not have much more to say about this work. It is strange my transformation with a finished artwork. It is like all my emotions that where the reason I chose the music, and why I put my best effort into creating a new musical artwork, suddenly vanish.  While the painting is a work in progress my relationship is in the first person. Than when I declare it finish, the connection between me and the artwork changes to the third person.  I view all my finished artworks is as if some other artist had created the work. I have said this several times before, each of these artworks take on a life of their own.  They will become a long-lasting narrative about one piece of Music.  While for me each of these experiences, while barely a footnote in their lives, gives value to my days. I than have the wonderful opportunity to look back at a long forgotten artwork and say, wow, I did that. I like that feeling. Yea,  I do.

Music First

Scott Von Holzen