The Last of the Shadow Series, “Play It Forward”
How It All Began…
In 2017, Scott had an idea to start a new genre that he would eventually call The Shadow Series.
“This series represents the imagination we all had as children. It symbolizes the dreams we had at a young age that we hoped would some day become true in adulthood,” said Scott.
The first of the series was called, “The Riding’s on the Wall” which Scott released in 2017 for Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It depicted a young boy riding his Schwinn bicycle alongside the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Four days after its release, the edition sold out!
Read the story of Riding’s here.
Scott’s love for the Shadow Series and the imagination it represents kept him going to release his second, “And So It Begins…” for 2018 Daytona Bike Week.
Full story here.
Shooting the Third in the Series…
In December 2017, Scott flew to Salt Lake City after the owner of SLC Harley-Davidson commissioned him to paint one with his grandchildren, Joey and Halle.
Scott set up a shoot outside the dealership with a rare Apple Crate Schwinn bicycle. The kids tried different poses with Scott leading them in front and behind the camera.
Once Scott felt confident in his photo research, he flew home to look through his collection of photos.
Choosing the Winning Photo
“There are a lot of variables when choosing the image I will paint. [The photo] has to jump out at me and capture my attention. It has to tell a story and bring forward emotion in the viewer,” said Scott.
Once the image was chosen by majority vote at Jacobs Gallery, Scott drew it out on a large canvas. From there, he started on the background and worked his way forward.
Scott’s Take on Faces
Once the background was complete, it was time to focus on the kids’ clothes – saving their faces for last.
As I sat with Scott, he reflected on the struggles he experienced while working on Halle and Joey.
“Rendering faces, especially in a commissioned painting, is the hardest task because it HAS to look like them! I taped blown-up photos of their faces directly on my canvas so I had the best research possible. I also involve everyone in the studio to give me their opinions while I work.”
Unveiling the Painting
Days before Scott was scheduled to unveil the original at the dealership, we had Jake drive to SLC where a Meet and Greet and Unveiling Party was being held.
A large crowd, including the models Halle and Joey, were there to watch Scott uncover this new masterpiece.
It seemed fitting to have the kids’ grandfather and owner of the original painting choose the title, “Play it Forward”.
Feast Your Eyes on “Play It Forward”
Click the Image for More Info
As I finished this blog, I texted my dad to ask him what he liked most about this painting – only problem was he was in Australia, so I had to wait for him to wake up…
His reply, “What I like most about it is the story that the image tells of two people that met early in life and have ridden life out together!”.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts on Scott’s last painting in The Shadow Series.
Thank you for reading,
Olivia