Steven Lee Scott


EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Business Administration/ Marketing, Texas Tech University
Associate of Arts, American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Maryland Institute College of Art, Summer in Sorrento, Italy

Steven is a self-taught artist living in Los Angeles. A creative spirit, he has worked in a variety of media including: textiles, sculpting, ceramics, painting, drawing, and woodworking. Usually gravitating toward bold, strong colors, He uses the canvas to convey deeply held emotions in an effort to connect to his viewer. Once described by a collector as "evocative", his artwork is sometimes formless, other times not. It is Abstract Expressionism. He often chooses large canvas because of the bold challenge of being vulnerable on a huge scale due to its undeniable presence.

Steven has had the unique opportunity to live in a variety of places, from a small Kansas town of less than 3500 people to Topeka, Dallas, Houston, Washington D.C., N.Y.C., and Los Angeles. Throughout his life, he has had an almost comical array of jobs (most of them to support himself while going to school): bellhop, hotel switchboard operator, beer labeler and inspector, parking lot line-striper, Six Flags over Texas ride operator, sales clerk, retail buyer and area manager, gas station cashier, house painter, waiter, busboy, fry cook, artist, fitness club membership salesman, actor, realtor, landlord/property investor, bodywork/energy worker.

These experiences, as well as his travels to Europe-- Italy in particular--have definitely added flavor to his art. He was one of those kids who was always drawing on his bedroom walls, or lying down in the middle of the street with his tricycle when he heard an ambulance siren just to make neighbors think it was coming for him; or hiding to see if someone would realize he was missing. After he didn’t arrive home from kindergarten one day, his mother found him walking in the town cemetery contemplating the reality of death.

It is not surprising then that his approach to life and art has been affected most by the loss of close friends. After the death of a childhood friend at age 12, he consciously began questioning the reason for his existence. And, after the loss of many friends to AIDS, Steven realized how important it is to live life to the fullest each day. Now he lives his life in simple gratitude, and is grateful for every living moment, and the opportunity to let the creative forces work through him. He considers himself an intuitive and sensitive soul, and believes it is imperative that he give expression to those elements through his art. When he grows emotionally or energetically stagnant, he asks himself if he would have any regrets if his life were to end at that very moment.

It was after asking his self this very question while attending a very dear friend’s funeral in 1990 that he decided to put his painting business on hold and study acting. He is very proud of having been selected to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC and Los Angeles, where he received the prestigious Kirk Douglas Scholarship to participate in the elite 1994-95 Repertory Company after graduation, as well as the Charles Jehlinger Award for Outstanding Acting, which was given to him by the faculty. He went on to perform at the Geffen Playhouse in the West Coast premiere of the play Love, Valor, Compassion, and, he also appeared in the 2 person play Mother & Child with Tony Award winner Ann Wedgeworth, and many other productions. Ultimately, acting school helped him to develop a direct line of communication with his emotions which is, coincidentally, when he started painting on canvas. At first, he was overwhelmed by the blank, white canvas in front of him, so he chose to start with a design that was uniquely his own—a doodle—theorizing that his doodle sprang forth from his subconscious and was entirely his own. He then added color to the doodle and had his first painting. It was a beginning for his approach to art through the form of abstract expression. His sister, Cindy, owns that very first painting.

Steven has been fortunate to be surrounded by creative individuals throughout his life. His teachers recognized his creativity and encouraged it. And he most often found solace and comfort in the art classroom in school. Aside from his painting business, he also currently offers color consultation for clients' homes and businesses. Most of his art has been sold through his website, and through private appointments at his studio in Los Angeles.

Steven is inspired by the artist George Innes, particularly his belief in the underlying and unseen spiritual presence in nature and the world, and how he attempted to express that presence in his paintings.