Biography of Louise SCOTT

BIOGRAPHY

 

Born in New York of Canadian parents, Louise Scott has been painting since she was 15 years old.  She started painting full time after the death of her father, living on a small legacy he left her.  She studied art at the Montreal Museum School of Fine Arts.  In 1958 she studied with Oskar Kokoschka in Austria at the Salzburg School of Art.

 

She herself taught for several years at Concordia University (at the time, Sir George William’s University).  She is the mother of three children and divides her time between Montreal and Nova Scotia.

 

She has exhibited in various international exhibitions, including:  the Washington International Art Fair, the New York International Art Fair and the Toronto International Art Fair.

 

SUBJECT-MATTER

 

Scott depicts individuals with a distinctive round face, a round nose, a small mouth and large somewhat globule eyes which fix the viewer with a compelling gaze.

 

These figures are often dressed in richly coloured outfits and placed in settings which are sumptuous and highly decorative.  She rarely gives titles to her works.

 

1974:         Nudes painted in oils.

1976:         Paintings, watercolours, drawings and silk screens.

1977:         Oils and pastels.

1979 - 83:  Drawings in dry pastel with backgrounds influenced by mediaeval tapestries and costumes.

                  Influenced as well by oriental culture.

                  Some paintings.

1984 - 86:  Graphite drawings.  Works on paper.

1987 - 93:  Primarily oils on canvas.  Dry pastels.

1995 -      :  Portraits.  Oils on canvas.  Small format.

 

TECHNIQUE/MEDIUM

 

Louise works primarily in dry pastel and oil.  She occasionally uses watercolour and graphite.  She has also produced some silk screens and etchings.

 

The pastels are usually vertical (1988) with flattened-out forms on different planes.  The figures detach themselves from the background seemingly to be projected literally into the foreground.  Scott’s work is  very colourful and decorative.  She explains:  “I love colour and light and I try to produce images that are pleasing.  There is no significance more profound than that”. (1977)

 

The background of the works in oil are not necessarily painted on the vertical. The tone and colour schemes in her oil paintings are even more vivid than in the pastels.