Tag: Music

Like a Prayer 2 panel 24 inches by 8 feet:

It is not hard to let go. There was an interviewer asking a artist about selling her art and if it was hard to let them go, and she said it was, but she did sell them.  This artist sees that also, but not like that example, or like Rothko who found it hard to let his work go.  This artist just lets it go sold or not.

When a work is finished, after weeks and many, many hours of effort, when the work sends the message that it is ready to move it, this artist does just that.  And the artwork is then begins to be view entirely differently: the painting is signed on the back. photographed and most likely leaned up against a studio wall.  It is left in the studio for a while especially through at less one or more new paintings.

It is there to compare and set a standard for the next work. It is there to scare the hell out of the artist.  It is there to challenge, the next work to who is better.  It is there to push and force the artist to not repeat and to tweak the direction just to prove that there is still room to grow.

One thing that is  surprising, when visiting pass works, is that the name of the artwork is sometimes forgotten.  Seeing an artwork , whose name and the music is unknown, puts the artist in the same situation that a first time visitor viewing the artwork from a distance would have: does it attract, is there a curiosity that brings them forward to find the name of the work?  Does the work, work?

Like a Prayer is near completion, and should be finished sometime this weekend.  There has been a change in thinking in that the backgrounds need to be more aggressive.  For example, looking a Prayer the broad middle mostly Phthalo Green, looks to smooth, and lacks variety. It is not sure what can be done with this current work, anymore, but the next work will try to experiment more with contrasts and colors.  The problem is making the background interesting and not hurting the drama for the music as it flows.  For now, prayer does stand out from it companion paintings, Thunder Road and Hallelujah, and that is good for now.  The scribble of the ties works well with this work and the new added dimension of making a tie possible spell out a word add greatly to this work. This idea will surely be used in the future when it works. There is still work to be done with the background and the three eighth notes, and the there is some doubts about the stems and the red outlines.  This work obviously is not ready to let go.

Scott Von Holzen

Like a Prayer two panel 24 inches by 8 ft:

Prayer, is progressing, although the updates lately, have been far between. Projects around the house and more so Memorial Weekend set this Artist back a week.  With so many distractions, the Art suffers.

This popular Madonna piece was a favorite of this artist:  the rock, the words, the theme, the Gospel sound, the spirituality, the sharp beat, it all works and builds nicely.  Still far from finished Prayer has found its separation from Thunder and Hallelujah, striking out on its own direction.  That is nice. That is how it works. That means there is probably more to come.

One concern with Prayer was that the colors might appear to be in conflict, but that feeling has faded.  Understand this Artist wants more colors and not just shades or tints of red, blue, green, yellow, and brown.  That is why the use of of Acrylic Iridescent Colors by Golden have their part to play.  When there is just not enough colors to work with they can fill in the need.  There is the understanding that their are millions of tints and shades of blues, or greens, but most are so close in the results that for all practical purposes, a tinted Prussian Blue and a tinted Ultramarine Blue give equal results; they are lighter blues.  What is important to grasped is that this art rejects, cutesy brushstrokes, or fine details.  So minor changes in tints of blues, is poo, poo and simply rejected.  This art’s impact comes from the bold use of color and shapes.

First stop, the Artists stands away to view the  entire work; then quickly the move in close, refocused eyes sweep across the canvas seeing bits of shapes and colors, and depth; then with eyes wide shut the gently placement of spread fingers tips on the canvas.

That Touch with Madonna  singing Sorry; and it all feels mysterious. It feels loud, and direct, and it is pointed straight at you.

Scott Von Holzen

Like a Prayer 2 panel 24 inches by 8 feet:
This image is the completed background for the music.  Next, the notes will be drawn in using a slow drying titanium white acrylic. In the past the background was reworked only after the music had a mature look to it.   What will be a different technique, this time, is once the  basic draft of the notes are in place, and checked for position, the background is going to be worked once again.  Color contrasts in the shape of basic rectangles will move with the notes.  Not sure the look here, or even the colors that would work.  Beyond that, the only sure thing is that they will be either 5mm or 10mm in width,  elongated rectangles with a look that will shake up the background and create interest and probably movement. Maybe this will be too much, or too decorative, or too meaningless.  It is idea that just popped up.  We will see.

Scott Von Holzen