Tag: Music

S_V_H Like a Prayer image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Like a Prayer 24 inches by 8 feet:
Prayer is the third and final image in this made up trilogy: music themes dealing with faith.  It is going to be a hard fit.  Madonna was a favorite of this artist many years ago.  Prayer only surface during a browsing search for a new music theme for the next painting.  As always, it is hard to start on the next work until the current one is finished.  That is not the way this artist wants to work that is just how it works.  Since it was hard to break the mood of Thunder, Prayer seemed a logical choice.  The music has a lot of musical variations that help, and words that offer different meanings, but how small of a canvas could be used?  Hallelujah was ten feet.  Thunder was nine feet and length.  With some effort Prayer could fit on a chosen eight foot canvas.

Not much to look at.  The first picture is usually the results of  an exercise in putting paint on canvas in a effort to cover up big chunks of whiteness.  The color theme of Cyan just seemed a natural fit with this music.

Even after a music theme is picked there is some reconsideration that occurs because this artist knows that there are many great pieces of music that he will never have the opportunity to interpret.  There is this feeling that only the best of the best should be a considered. But, it just does not work that way. It is like what is happening right now, listening to Cherish by the Association that just happen to play, and knowing that there is something about this music that reminds the artist of days gone by. It is about the mood of the artist.  It is about taking a walk and the music just comes up next, that puts it in the mind.  It is about hearing  the music done by a different artist that surprises. It is about finding a part of the music that fits on the canvas size that is chosen to be used next. And it is about finding just the right words that makes the work  come together.  The art does not care what music it is portraying, it only cares that it is interesting, and fits.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Thunder Road final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Thunder Road 3 panel 36 inches by 9 feet.
Just few dabs of paint, the cleaning of the canvas edges, and the name, date and signature and this work is finished.  It has been over a month. The song Thunder Road, all ten versions in the collection,  have now a total number of 273 plays.   It would have been more except this last week, the music filter was set for Bruce Springsteen, so another 150 songs were given a chance to be heard.  Of those the one song that stuck a chord, surprisingly was Youngstown, especially the live version.  There will never be enough time in this lifetime to get to that music, but it’s effect lingers, as Thunder Road will for weeks to come.

How would this painting rate, with its rival Hallelujah, and with this artist progress?  The darkness of Hallelujah’s background and the power of blue is hard to criticize, and could have been used with Thunder, but that seemed redundant.  The strength of the violet strip in the middle of Thunder does give it a snap that the Hallelujah lacks.  Thunders eight notes are a lot more intricate in design and colors, but it is not sure that is better then the simpler , and maybe stronger, Hallelujah. The more complicated colors relationships, and shapes use in Thunder, does add considerable more interest.  The notes themselves in Thunder spin across the canvas and are more interesting then the dimmer and basic design used in Hallelujah.  Hallelujah’s word is stronger but its thickness did not seem appropriate in Thunder. Also, more important in Thunder, was that its words blend more with the whole canvases muted color theme.

One thing that grew over the weeks with Thunder, that strongly resembles Hallelujah, and even exceeds it, is its emotional impact of being music of faith. Thunder is not a song about God saving the poor soul, that cannot save itself.  It is bigger then that. It is about the strength of faith in the beliefs of two people, to lift themselves up and above that they once where. Thunder is about a chance for salvation.  Thunder is about a belief greater than any pray to God.  Thunder is about people taking control and responsibility for their own destiny.  Thunder surprised  this artist, and hopefully Thunder will stir a better understanding of what true salvation is about.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Thunder Road image8

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Thunder Road 3 panel 36″ by 9 feet.

Looking for the individual strength of this work to surface, completely, with today being a month into it and more work to go.  This closing phase can be the difficult and long trying to unite the whole work by connecting the pieces, smoothing out the details, refining the impact, balancing the flow, and excepting its limitations.

Today will be a hard day to make much progress being tired and emptied by work, but the energy will return as night approaches and the feelings come back. It is all fine, nothing less is expected, this artist is not ready to go it alone, and work pays the bills.  It is all about switching gears, a phrase that is well understood.  The music helps, listening to Bruce singing Youngstown, The Ghost of Todd Joad, Eyes on the Prize, and Thunder, gets the mind in focus encouraging the heart to remember why. Louder is better.

There is a concern that this work maybe too decorative.  There is no response, the paint just went down that way.  The smaller circles inside the notes certainly kick the flow across the canvas.  There is a concern that there are just too many circles populating this work. That could be, but it is too late now, but that may play into future decisions.  Every little style changed must be push to its limit just to wear out its vision, and open a path to the next, next.

Time to close the eyes and spread the fingers and slowly move across the canvas feeling the paint, feeling the connection, feeling the music, and touching the art.  When you can you should touch the art. Sure that is a rare privilege, but leaning forward and staring hard is not good enough, with this art touching is considered very desirable, and very well welcomed.

Scott Von Holzen

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