Artist Bio: Scot Saunders

I grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where my mom, a professional artist, has inspired and instructed me since childhood and continues to be my mentor to this day. My first experience with portraits was in a high school art class. We were asked to find a full page color picture of someone, cut it half, glue one half to a piece of white paper and sketch the remainder of the face. Once I completed my assignment I was amazed at the results and knew at once that I had found my calling as a portrait artist.

Capturing the True Self - I am fascinated with people, from the diversity of individual facial expressions to the power and grace of human form. As a portrait artist, a “likeness” is simply not enough for me. To copy a live image void of character, emotion and drama is a lost opportunity to capture the “true self.” In light of this I have an insatiable appetite for human emotion as expressed through our facial features. Every moment of every day, our faces constantly tell stories about the events of our lives, from the awe and wonder of a majestic sun rise to the pain and anguish we experience through personal tragedy. As a result, I tend to refrain from a more traditional pose in order to look beyond the immediate in order to capture the true, or hidden, self.

Mass and Form — Not only am I intrigued with the myriad of facial expressions and the discovery of the hidden self, I am equally fascinated with the power and grace of what I refer to as mass and form. By this I am referring to the build and design of both men and women. I have found that the vast majority of men are designed with harder lines and a chiseled cut irregardless of their physical condition. Through this observation I have come to define the male figure as “mass.” The female form, on the other hand, is typically defined by smoother lines and curves. Thus the elegance and grace of the female form I have termed as “form.” Like portraiture, I am discontent with interpreting a traditional seated pose. The human form is constantly in motion whether straining for the finish line or rested in distant thought. Throughout the day the human body is actively engaged in whatever task is set before it. Thus my work attempts to reflect its fluidity, balance, power and grace.