InFocus Magazine

Although his paintings depict a remarkable level of creativity that is vibrant, whimsically flamboyant, full of mischief and zest for life, Brian Scott is surprisingly normal. The artist doesn’t have wild Einstein-style hair and he dresses in regular clothes. The only indication of the creative genius within is the paint splatters on the toes of his sensible shoes.

I meet him at his home in Black Creek, which also does double duty as his studio and personal art gallery. I take a few minutes before our meeting to check out the Brian Scott originals that hang on the fence and outbuildings, making them as colorful as a clothesline. At the base of his property, a giant and (of course) gaily painted carving of a Spirit Bear stands upright, one paw held high, as if beckoning passersby to come on in. At the bear’s feet a riot of bright yellow dandelions and tall green grass dances in the wind. It is the perfect showcase for this unusual work of art.

Upon closer inspection, I find there is a myriad of other items in the yard that sport Brian Scott’s trademark kaleidoscope of color—a trashcan, a birdhouse, a mailbox and many other everyday items have been graced by his brushes. Is there anything, I wonder, that Scott doesn’t consider a potential canvas?

I am invited to join him on the back deck for coffee and a chat. He has no sugar for the coffee so, instead, roots around in the fridge and offers me some Bailey’s. It’s mid-afternoon, so I take him up on his offer.

The writer/researcher in me wants to methodically ask him a series of “W5” questions. I want to hear his story—with a beginning, middle and end. The artist in him immediately starts talking about color, geometrics and the fluidity of nature.

I listen, and am intrigued. Brian Scott is, after all, one of British Columbia’s (and indeed all of Canada’s) most renowned artists. His expressionist original oil and acrylic paintings are prized on Vancouver Island and have sold across Canada and internationally, in the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, Holland, Norway, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.

In addition to his original paintings and papier mâché sculptures, Brian Scott’s work has been replicated in limited edition prints, books and greeting cards, even chocolate bar wrappers. (You can buy the chocolate bars at Hot Chocolates, on 5th Street.) Without a doubt, he is a success. But I still wanted to know—how did he make it happen?
“I was born in Winnipeg,” explains Scott. “But I never actually lived there! My father was in the Canadian Air Force, so we lived in various places in Canada and Europe throughout my youth. My mother just went home to her family in Winnipeg to have her babies.”

One of four children born to Ralph and Dorothy Scott, who now live in Courtenay, Brian and his siblings spent their formative years day-tripping through Europe with mom and dad. They visited art galleries, castles and cathedrals. This experience helped him develop what would become a life-long interest in architecture, history and art.
While Scott has fond memories about his years in Europe, being part of an “Air Force family” surrounded him, he says, in a world that was a sea of “olive drab.” Perhaps this is why his first memory of color goes back to when he was a toddler in his playpen. Scott can still vividly recall how the bright and flashy primary colors on this vinyl safety net mesmerized him.

In 1961, Ralph Scott was posted to CFB Comox and moved his family here. By now, Brian was in his early teens, and he fell in love with Vancouver Island. A couple of years later, his dad was re-assigned to North Bay, Ontario, so Brian attended and graduated from a high school there.

Scott says that even as a child he was seldom without a sketchbook and art was his favorite subject at school. One of his earliest inspirations was his art teacher at Rob Road Junior High—Leo Auterson. “There wasn’t a lot of art education in the school system back in those days, so I was really excited when Mr. Auterson introduced us to using color in our work,” recalls Scott.

Scott’s list of famous artists he most admires includes: Emily Carr, van Gogh, Oskar Kokoschka and Picasso. Picasso, he explains, was one of the first artists to take objects others might consider junk and turn them into masterpieces.
When he graduated from high school, Brian told his dad he wanted to be an artist. “Follow you dream,” urged his father, “but be sure to get a good education and a ‘career’ first.” So Scott decided he would become an art and history teacher.

The next step in Scott’s journey took him to the University of British Columbia, where he earned his Bachelor of Education. From there, he earned his Masters Degree in Art Education from Western Washington University and a Diploma of Fine Art with Honors from the Vancouver School of Fine Arts (now called the Emily Carr College of Art and Design). At UBC he was inspired by teacher and fellow artist, Gordon Smith.

Scott says it was an amazing feeling when he actually sold his first painting. Although he won’t tell me how much it sold for—“It’s funny in our culture how we always want to talk about price,” he says with just a hint of defiance.
Scott’s big break came in 1979, fresh out of art school, when he was commissioned to produce 53 oil paintings for Tungsten Mining Corporation, on location in the Northwest Territories. “I had just been offered a teaching job at North Island College and this commission enabled me to purchase my first home and studio in Cumberland, where I lived and painted for the next 20 years,” says Scott.