Christopher | Christopher Stott

By Christopher

Christopher Stott is a contemporary realist painter.

Corona & Royal Typewriters

Corona No.3 Typewriter Oil Painting by Christopher Stott — Corona No.3 / 24 x 36 / oil on canvas

Typewriters are all about ideas and writing. They seem to spark the act, I think it’s because of the physicality of them. They make this amazing noise, your words literally express themselves vocally as you tap away at the keys. You have to immediately concentrate, your whole mind and body becomes involved. You focus.

Royal Typewriter Oil Painting by Christopher Stott — Royal Typewriter / 20 x 40 / oil on canvas

These two typewriters are a great contrast to one another – the Corona with its sleek black curves and stately design, the Royal with its crisp blue and modern edges.

I have these typewriters in my collection, and when they’re out of their cases they invite anyone around to sit down and type.

Both of these typewriters were found at Everything Old – an antique store in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island.

George Billis Gallery LA, May 21 – July 2, 2016

I had a great time in Los Angeles at the opening reception for my exhibition at the George Billis Gallery LA.

Christopher Stott / New Paintings / George Billis Gallery LA / 2016

For the most part, being a painter is a solitary experience. One spends a great deal of time focussing and concentrating on making the paintings, then things turn completely and you find yourself sharing the finished pieces with everyone you possibly can. It can be a little jarring to go from solitude and privacy to a public, open space.

But I’m very happy with the way the paintings turned out. And I think the gallery did a great job of displaying the paintings.

The gallery is also showing a few sculptural pieces by John A. Peralta. These exploded camera and projector pieces are fascinating. I see it as a deconstruction / reconstruction way of looking at things. Viewing these exploded objects has the same effect as my paintings – they make the viewer slow down and really investigate the object.

John’s construction of these sculptures is absolutely meticulous. True craftsmanship.

art ltd. June 2016

Check out this ad for my exhibition in art ltd. magazine.

The World Around Us

Always these vintage books conjure up a narrative – perhaps naïve, perhaps blindly optimistic. But that is precisely the charm I’m looking for. I like the contradiction this casts over the regular pall of doom we are forced to endure every day. Read more

New Paintings at the George Billis Gallery LA

I’ve been working toward this exhibition of a dozen new paintings over the last several months. I’m very happy with the way each one turned out – you can see them here.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, please do check it out. The paintings will be hanging at the George Billis Gallery LA from May 21 – June 25, 2016.

I will be at the artist’s reception on Saturday, May 21 from 5:00 – 8:00pm. Come say ‘hello’ if you can.

Working on the details

Here are a couple of close-up shots of me working on the details. The final stages of a painting are always the most satisfying. The camera I’m painting was found at Everything Old – one of my favourite places on planet earth.

These are the final two paintings of a dozen new ones for my May 21 – June 25 exhibition at the George Billis Gallery LA.

Work in Progress

Before this I shared a crowded clock piece. This week I’m sharing a clean, simple trio of clocks. I like the sense of space and order in this one.

This is one of the dozen new paintings that’ll be heading to Los Angeles for my exhibition next month.

Work in Progress

Another quick glimpse at one of the paintings I’ve been working on.

I’ve spent a great deal of time working on the shadows and highlights on this piece.

As with all my work, looking at it on your screen – a computer, a phone, an iPad – it’ll look far more tight than it does in the flesh. When standing in front of the actual painting you’ll see several think layers of paint.

Work in Progress

Putting the finishing touches on this vintage 16mm Ampro film projector. This will be for my solo exhibition at the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles, which will feature a dozen new paintings starting on May 21, 2016.

I have a little over a month to finish up the work, so I came up for a quick breath and then I’m heading back down to focus on finishing the paintings.

Work in Progress

Above is an early evening view of the easel as I shut down after a long day of working with tiny brushes on the details of these vintage cameras. I like seeing the paintings in different light, I grabbed my iPhone and took this quick snap as the light faded.

For over a month now I’ve been flowing along in the studio, working on numerous paintings that will be heading to the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles for an exhibition running from May 21 – June 25, 2016.

The paintings I’ve been working on are complex and full of details, so all my focus and energy has been on the paintings. By the time I’m done a painting session I find myself a bit mentally exhausted. Retreating from social media is important when I’m focussing on painting. There seems to be this pervasive pressure to constantly share what one is up to in the studio, but honestly, I find it easier to just rest instead of coming up with something put on Facebook or Instagram.