Tag: ART

S_V_H Body and Soul image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Body and Soul 3 panels 30 inches by 104 inches.  No, this is not Vivaldi, or the rare Country music painting that were both next on a made up list.  The timing was not right for those works.  The Vivaldi music flow was the first choice, but it was feared that it would require 3 panels 36 inches by 18 feet to fit it all in.  As usual, there was no time spent preparing for the next work, so none of the needed canvases had been prep, or put together. Then, just like that Heart was done. Luckily, remembering that there where these three other canvases all ready prepped, and needing only to be bolted together, the gears shifted to look for other music.

Since this canvas is larger, the Country music choice was  ruled out, and of course, since this was not a large enough canvas, the Vivaldi was out. So, began the much dreaded ritual of flipping through music books. But the first one grabbed happened to be a new music book just purchased of Jazz Standards. Just like that the song Body and Soul stood out, and made me think.

A few weeks back I saw the video of Tony Bennett singing Body and Soul with Amy Winehouse. But, it did not hit home how great of voice she had until listening to the entire Duets II album by Tony Bennett.  Besides, the fine tracks with Aretha Franklin, and a cute and playful, Lady Gaga (especially when viewing the video),  Amy Winehouse’s voice stood apart from every other track.

Here is a YouTube link that requires the viewer to suffer through a terrible commercial.  Body and Soul may survive a hundred years from now. With that thought, this musical choice became surprisingly simple.  Then when it could fit, barely, on this size canvas, that also made the decision easier.   That is how it works.  Music is sometimes chosen by coincidence or simple circumstances.  But what actually closed, this choice, had to do with the emotional sense of loss of such a great voice, now, and in the future.

The colors, are going to be, obviously a lot of different blues, purples, and maybe some violets, as a start.  Colors lead to colors, so we will see what surprises we are in for.

Listening to U2- In The Name Love

Scott von Holzen

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S_V_H Heart Of the Matter final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Heart of the Matter, 3 panels 36 inches by 104 inches is finished.  This is a strong painting in that it is in places rough and sketchy which contrasts with the soft, smooth, sharp, and precise areas of this work.   It is those such differences that are all of us and in all of us, and also in this canvas, that captures this music.

Listening to Wait A Million Years – The Grass Roots.

Here is the list of the different artist’s versions of  The Heart of the Matter that where listen to every night sometimes in a continuous play:

Cuppa Joe, Gwen Sebastian, The Harvard Opportunes, Idia.Aire, Roger Kardinal, Something Borrowed Something Blue, and two version by Don Henley, the album, and a live version that was the standard for this music.  Here is the YouTube link, performed live in 1994, so you can understand where this art is coming from.

The major first impression a viewer will have is how this music flies across this canvas.  This work, along with More than you Know, have accelerated that push from left to right.  Moving the music across the canvas has all ways been the major goal of this art.  What separates this art, from most abstractions of music, is that directional movement, that is consistent with the music, itself.

Listening to Domino – Van Morrison.

The take for this work:  The use of the one word is perfect for this music.  The Tie, seen on the very lower left, is beautiful and works beyond expectations.  The background, maybe still could be painted to better unite the work.  Then again, maybe not, for there was a lot of that done with this work to accomplish that point. So, maybe enough is enough, and this is all Heart wanted, or needed.  A concern also is with that one musical representation that is that very magenta or so note on the left of the image above. The question is whether this works or not.

The other objects, do work, and they are seen as the style to lead the way into the next work.  Sometimes it is hard to change what has become of a painting. Each of these artwork soon develop their identity, their own momentum, and when you have an artwork that has nothing to compare it to, you just finally except what is in front of you, and move on.

Such as it is with life.

The next work, started, is Body and Soul, with an explanation of why soon to follow.

Finally, there is The Black Crowes – She Talks to Angels, Chopin Valse Op.64 No.2, and Fragile by Sting.
Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Heart of the Matter image6

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Heart of the Matter, 3 panels totally 30inches by 8 1/2 feet.  There is only one image of a lone 8th  note in this work.  That in itself was a reason to use a different color pattern from the rest of the music.  On looking at it the next morning there was some surprise. There is a look of dissonance to this note, which may have some negative feedback from the viewer. It works for me, though.  That one note strands for a lot, including refusing to cooperate. I am at times as defiant and like minded.

Frank Sinatra – High Hopes, remember this song from when I was a kid.  It was a motivational song.

I would like to comment, once again on the photography.  The camera is a Canon 7D  with a Canon 580EXII flash, and a couple of bounce white cards.  The effort is to try and duplicate the actual live work. These images are close with the colors accurate, but no photo can compare to actually viewing. At times there is concern that the contrast may be too high in the photos.  This work sits on a easel which is one easel that is actually composed of  five other easels which gives it a length of about twelve feet. It is lit quite close from  above by nine 60 watt fluorescent 3500K  floods, my preferred color.  Maybe with this amount of light some of the the contrast is being washed out. Obviously the light environment can change colors, but since most of these works basically travel from the easel to storage its is impossible to come to any firm conclusions on the accuracy of what is viewed on these pages.

This latest image shows some of the needed work done to up the contrast of the background bringing it forward into the music. The note heads are now starting to move, but still they seem lacking. That very bottom violet edge needs to be pulled into the work. There is yet to be added the Tie, and a couple of  Rests. Finally, there is finishing to be done to give it that look.

Amiee Mann – Little Bombs “….Life just kind of empties out…”

This work is beginning to fall in place so it was today while walking, and listening to music, that two musical  ideas for the future came to mind. Not sure which one will go first.  One piece is a work by Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos, RV531 and the other is a country song,  Jesus take the Wheel,  made popular by Carrie Underwood.  I know, I have no idea either where that thought combo came from, but that is not unusual while out for a walk. What is unusual is having any kind of ideas about what is to be painted next.  Still, there are no certainties.  There are many, many musical pieces this artist would love to have the time to paint.  Most of the  time the decision on what is to be painted is an emotional  choice, with the only practical decision being to make sure that the music fits on the chosen canvas.

Listening to Concerto For Two Cellos – Vivaldi.

Carole King – You’ve got A Friend.  Finishing this blog entry with Beethoven’s sad Moonlight Sonata.  This is a must paint, but since it is so sad, I have yet, luckily, never found the mood.  And finally finishing this blog entry with Roy Oribison – Oh, Pretty Woman.

Scott Von Holzen