J.R. Scott studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus,Ohio.
He
then moved to The Netherlands where he spent an intense year under Dutch
instructors learning to work in different sculpting media at the Free Academy
of Art
in
The Hague.
The following year he relocated some miles away to Haarlem, another Dutch
city.
That summer he enrolled at Ateliers ‘63, an art school environment that
gave
each
student his own studio to work in, as well as instructional guidance on
a weekly
basis.
He spent the next two years working there with students and instructors
from
many
different countries.
In 1996 J.R. started carving in wood, a medium he had not used before.
He has
a
great interest in wildlife so it seemed quite natural to start with wild
fowl carving.
He
especially likes carving loons.
Early in 1997 he became fascinated with spear fishing decoys. He found
that
they
were not just carvings but had to be balanced and be able to swim under
water,
bringing
the traditional ice fishing decoys to a new level as an art form.
Carving decoys led directly to fish carving. J.R. offers an alternative
to taxidermy
by
using measurements and photographs so fisherman and outdoors men can have
trophies
of their fish encounters carved in wood.
J.R. has competed regionally and nationally, winning many awards.
In
April 1998 he received a "best in division" at the Ward World Carving
Championships
in Ocean City, Maryland, in July, a “best of show” at the
Northern
Nationals Carving Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota and in
September
won numerous first place awards at the Great Lakes World Championship
Fish
Decoy Competition in Livonia, Michigan.
In April 1999, J.R. won two “Best in Division” awards at the World Taxidermy
and Fish Carving Championships. In Spring field, Illinois. The Ward World
Carving Championships were held at the end of April in Ocean City, Maryland.
J.R. won a second "Best of Division" as well a first, second, third and
an honorable mention in several different categories of fish carving.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: