Christopher Scott or Christopher Stott?

I get called “Scott” all the time. I think it’s the hard ‘C’ on my first name and the uncommon, but sounding so close to ‘Scott’, last name that people just assume and jump in to calling me Scott.

And then I Googled ‘Christopher Scott‘ and saw that over the last few years some bloggers have shared my work, which is cool, but have called me Christopher Scott. It has even happened in a publication. The first one I ever was in in 2009. So people are also reading Scott where they should be reading Stott.

So I’m writing this blog post as a way to perhaps catch some of those random Christopher Scott searches and shares that are actually looking for the art of Christopher Stott.

Work in Progress

After hosting visiting family for summer adventures, I’ve been enjoying quiet time in the studio and focussing on getting paintings complete. These will be part of my October 13 – November 14 exhibition in New York.

Sometimes I get so hung up on social media that I forget that my real goal is to make paintings, not constantly share in the river of images.

Christopher Stott chair painting, Augst 2015
Work in Progress / Swivel Chair
Christopher Stott Art Painting
Work in Progress / Phone / August 2015

Corona No.3 & Tom Thumb

Corona No.3 Typewriter painting by Christopher Stott
24 x 30 / oil on canvas

Typewriters are ambitious.

What I mean is that whenever I set out to paint one, I realize how technically difficult they are to paint and I feel like I’m being ambitious. They are full of these intricate details and repeating shapes, they take full concentration and a great deal of time. Getting those keys right is a slow process.

Then there is the idea of writing, story telling, compiling ideas. Getting it right the first time. Typing your thoughts on a typewriter is all about concentration – just like painting them.

The little green Tom Thumb below is a working children’s typewriter from the 1950s. I love how it contrasts with the classic Corona No.3 above.

Tom Thumb Typewriter Painting by Christopher Stott
24 x 30 / oil on canvas

Studio Visit in Four Photos

This past week I took over the Elliott Fouts Gallery Instagram (@efgallery) as their featured artist for the month of July, 2015.

If you happen to have Instagram on your phone, you can find me there as @xmarksthestott

Christopher Stott Artist Studio
In the studio / July 2015

On July 11, I was at the reception for my latest solo exhibition at the EFG. I talked to many collectors about how I work, my studio space and life as a painter. Read more

The Art of the Camera

Bencini & Leica Cameras Oil Painting Art Christopher Stott
12 x 24 / oil on canvas

Kodak, Bencini, Leica, Yashica. USA, Italy, Germany, Japan.

Learning about these cameras is like a 20th century world history lesson. The makers of these cameras have all been affected by world events, the economy and changing technology. Even though they are obsolete, they still have avid collectors and enthusiasts.

Vintage Kodak Camera Oil Painting by Christopher Stott
22 x 28 / oil on canvas

With the Kodaks painting above, I composed an arch with the lenses and flashes, giving the painting an architectural feel.

We have had PHD (Push Here, Dummy) cameras in our pockets for a hundred years, but it’s the ones that look like they were pieced together by watchmakers that are fun to paint.

I like that they were all used to make art, to document holidays, travel, weddings and so many other happy events. What’s strange is that the photos from the cameras are all missing, lost or hidden. It really makes me wonder what will happen to the billions of photos we upload from the cameras on our phones now.

Two Yashica Cameras Oil Painting by Christopher Stott
18 x 14 / oil on canvas

Three Lanterns

24 x 36 / oil on canvas
24 x 36 / oil on canvas

It is important that a painting have more to it than just a cold representation of the subject.

Three Lanterns. The triad, the most noble number according to Pythagoras.

Lanterns are symbols of guidance and enlightenment. They are beacons. Composed here, there is a suggestion of three figures – two of them almost protecting the smaller lantern in the middle. Like parents, guardians or teachers passing on a tradition of knowledge.

Beginning, middle, end.

I have always been aware that the subjects in my paintings have a built-in narrative because of their age and what they were used for. Here the idea of a story arch is built in with the significance of three. It can be any story you can imagine.

Past, present, future.

That story idea continues along with the three tenses, the three states we choose to live in. Dwelling on the past, gleefully enjoying the present, or anxious about the future. I am defiantly at fault for focusing too much on the future.

And then there is the significance of three in religion. You can find it in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and even in mythology long before these world religions.

The significance of three rings true in so many different ways, on so many levels.

Three Lanterns at Elliott Fouts Gallery / Photo: Michelle Satterlee
Three Lanterns at Elliott Fouts Gallery / Photo: Michelle Satterlee

 

Crafted Kodaks

Two Antique Kodaks oil Painting by Christopher Stott
12 x 24 / oil on canvas

These elegant and finely detailed antique Kodak cameras are works of art on their own. They have a patina about them. Cameras are now and always have been ubiquitous – but some were made to stand out. These cameras have lost their function, but now exist as sculpture and ideals of craftsmanship.

These two paintings are part of my July 2015 exhibition at the Elliott Fouts Gallery.

Antique Kodak Oil Painting by Christopher Stott
16 x 16 / oil on canvas
Antique Kodak oil painting by Christopher Stott