Life & Work with O’Neil Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to O’Neil Scott.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, I moved to the US when I was 5 years old. As a child, I saw my uncle, a practicing artist, constantly creating artwork. This is when I realized that I also loved art. I started drawing cartoons and comic book characters like Ninja Turtles and Marvel Superheroes, but quickly got intrigued by portraiture and realism.

When I was around 13 years old, I would fill sketchbooks with drawings of celebrities from different magazines that were lying around the house. Being an all-star high school athlete, I had the opportunity to select from several colleges to play division one football. After much thought and consideration, I chose Syracuse University because of its exceptional Visual Arts program.

Although I wasn’t sure what my artistic career would look like, I was excited to be a part of the college of VPA. Unfortunately, due to the intense football practice schedule, I was not able to attend the long studio art classes, which drove me to make the tough decision to change my major from Visual Arts to Information Systems and Technology. Even with the change in major I never stopped producing artwork and continued to paint and sketch daily.

After college, I fell into a career in IT but always felt like something was missing. I realized I needed to get back to my art to feel like myself again, so I decided to start building a body of work. After completing just a few oil paintings, and uploading them to my Instagram account, I was signed to Carolyn Kramer Gallery who discovered my paintings by scrolling on their news feed. With Carolyn Kramer Gallery, I was able to have two solo shows and participate in several group exhibitions which helped to propel my artistic career.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road! After a few years of building a collector base and having shown at Carolyn Kramer Gallery, the gallery had to close after the owner fell ill and was unable to sustain day-to-day operations. This left me without gallery representation or a consistent place to showcase my work.

Fortunately, I had already developed a solid foundation and over the next few years, I was able to show in a few group exhibitions. I also sold a lot of work directly to collectors through social media and was able to pick up new gallery representation, including an opportunity to show my work at Abend Gallery in Denver.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself an oil painter specializing in realism. Most of my work is oil on canvas or panel. The work seeks to shine a light on marginalized communities, giving them a voice when it is needed, and hopefully bringing a sense of enlightenment, growth, and beauty to the viewer. My painting technique is rooted in the style of the old masters with the contemporary subject matter.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Over the years, the art world consistently shifts between art styles and art movements. Modern art makes a way for contemporary realism, and before we know it, we are right back to modern art. One thing that has always been consistent is that good art appreciates over time. I feel the major change in the industry is currently NFTs. Digital art driven by cryptocurrency has taken hold of the art world and it looks like it will be here to stay.

Last year I partnered with The Compound and participated in a fully virtual show of only Digital Art NFTs and the works sold out. That is when I discovered the industry is moving towards going digital. With that being said, nothing is better than something handmade. I will never move away from oil painting. I think it will always have a place in the art world because each painting is unique, one of one, and delivers something special to its collector.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oneilscottstudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneilscott
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ONeilScottArt
• Other: https://www.artsy.net/artist/oneil-scott