Art expressed in Music:

My name is Scott Von Holzen and for over the last five years I have simply painted music. I am in the process of defining this passion with this theme. There are 24 versions of an artist statement to prove that there is more to be learned and understood. Lets start with a little art history.

My official art training was one semester in a UW Center in basic drawing. All I remember from that class was that it was held in some old garage building, the models wore leotards, and for some unknown reason I chose to draw a paper bag. How I got from there to actually starting to paint portraits in 1974 is unknown, but probably it originated from the influence of Matisse and Picasso. I painted those first years in the spare bedroom of the apartment. Later when Barb and I moved to Tomahawk the painting became more difficult to pursue. My studio was the backroom of the motel office, in the narrow electrical room that feed the whole motel and cottage complex.. The techniques changed to try and accommodate the art but no matter the painting stopped in the early 80's. I am guessing that it was the loss of vision and drive diminished by distractions and working 24 hours, 7 days a week. The results were that the artistic dream just came to a halt: ending with air brushing portraits on foam core. In time the creative drive returned, but this time it was photography and a little poetry that kept the dream alive for many years after.

The return to art started in 2000 after I earned a Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems and found a job at a paper company. It was at this job during a casual conversation that art was brought up and the question was why had I quite so long ago. I had no answer. What I did know was that this new career that I had invested some much effort and expectations in was not now or ever would be the life rewarding dream that had been originally hoped. The painting resume in 2005 with a first attempt being a self portrait, the first painting completed 30 years after it had all stopped. After finishing a number of portraits the doubts returned probably similar to what may had occurred in the early eighties.

This quest for self enlightenment, I guess that works, has been going on throughout my life, by trying to be the next Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, to the next Robert Frost, or E E Cummings, to the next Ansel Adams, to the next Pablo Picasso. There was even time found to throw in was a little Frank Lloyd Wright, Edgar Allan Poe, and Edward Weston. And here I was at the end of 2005, 57 years old and standing on the end point of the dream that had yet to be reach and in reality, so far, had never existed.

Then, on New Year's Eve night 2006 the phone rang and my wife Barbara answered a call from work. Startled I awoke and at that precise moment I knew I wanted to paint music. I don't know how that happen, there had never been any thoughts before that evening about painting music, none.

My musical journey actually started at the age of seven with accordion lessons (I still have one of the accordions). Later in high school and into early college I was part of a rock & roll band singing backup and playing the Vox organ (John Lennon played a Vox organ). Then while attending the University of Wisconsin in Madison earned a degree in Business Administration, taught myself how to juggle, and played the folk guitar and Blues harp. Honestly, I was a hack musician then and am not much better to this day. Even practicing to improve my skill and to better understand music theory, on an electric piano, the improvements have come slowly: the art gets in the way.

That night a unique artist style was discovered, a way to express myself in a creative way, that I hoped, had not done by anyone else in art history. The question was how, how do you paint music? I knew from the awakening that New Year's Eve night that it was music notation that I was to paint, but how? Finally, on an unfinished self portrait in mid January of 2006 the first attempt at a music theme was completed. This was followed three days later with a first all music painting, titled Bird's Fly, based on the music Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Today that journey continues. This is today's goal: To walk into the MoMA in New Your City with my Barbara, my Daughter Kinsey and her family, my Brothers Roger and Jeff, and my friend Tom Haley. Then into a gallery filled with modern art, and hanging in the middle of the far wall will be one of my favorite music paintings. From that moment, the search for the next personnel goal begins; this time with no regrets.