Tag: Music

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

S_V_H Blackbird image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Blackbird 30 inches by 80 inches, 2 panels.  A hundred years from now, especially children, will be singing the music of the Beatles, not knowing who they once where.  Hopefully, Blackbird from their White Album, will be one of those standards that survive time.

This is the base after a couple of days of work, over the weekend.  The dark bands of color are not black, but Paynes Gray (a gray that is dark and bluish in color).  The starting guide for color choices,  was that of a Blackbird with it’s blue-indigo plumage, and purplish head.

Interestingly I did not know Neil Diamond covered Stagger Lee, the song Pop classic by Lloyd Price.

The two upper middle bands, one Mars Violet Deep above the other Red Iron Oxide, where chosen for their added  interest, contrast and earthy appearance.

Bridge Over Troubled Water –  Simon & Garfunkel

The next step is to draw in the music,  nudging it here and there in the effort to make it fit. That may become the issue, for there was the requirement of a wider canvas to cover the range of the music, but  there was also a resistance to add a third panel to better accommodate the flow of this music.   There is a chance that a middle panel may have to be added.

Ending this blog entry with Chopin Prelude #6 in B Minor, Op. 28/6

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H The Christmas Song finalimage

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

The Christmas song Music Count is 175 plays dating from about November 18th to December 6th. Some of the favorites versions of The Christmas Song, in the order of most plays from over 20 different Artists:

Joe Williams
Nat King Cole
Mel Torme 3 versions  one specially enjoyed with Judy Garland
Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
Diana Krall
Frank Sinatra
Also enjoyed where the voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Toni Braxton,  Christina Aquilera, and a surprisingly cover of The Christmas Song by Trace Adkins.

You would think that listening to the same words over and over again would strain the enjoyment of the music, but it does not.  It helps that there are a couple of instrumentals, for example by Glen Miller, but the song is just that good, and it lingers in the mind and heart.

This painting is clean looking and that fits well with the Christmas theme.  The feature of the round snow flakes works well helping to move the music across the canvas to where one flake dots the “i” on the word Christmas.  The far right Tie feature worked out well, and is part of the evolution of the last few paintings. The difference in this work is the softening of the tie to blend better with the rest of the canvas.  Of course, the use of  a number of iridescent colors,  including gold, silver, and  bronze, fits with Christmas.  All-in-all this may be the best of all the Christmas works, so far.  A larger version of this music will be uploaded to www.scottvonholzen.com over the weekend.

Next year’s music has been booked marked.  It is is another great classic Christmas song, sung by a group of outstanding Artists. The clue is that the word “Christmas,” is a part of the title.

Tonight a two panel 30 inches by 80 canvas is being prepped for the next artwork,………. Blackbird by the Beatles.

Scott Von Holzen  Listening to Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song