I love getting the out of the blue e-mails from Scotty Brown letting me know that she has just completed or will soon be completing a painting because it means that I will soon get to photograph it and admire it in person.  And even more enjoyably, I will soon be able to steal a few moments just talking about art with Scotty.  That is one of my favorite parts.  Art is such a subjective thing and when my attention is grabbed, my biggest curiosity is what kind of journey the Artist went through when he or she purposefully created a work of art. 

And greedily I can ask those questions…  “What inspired you?” “Is there a mystery or story behind this or that?” ”Is there a history to this painting?” “Is that what I think it is?”…  And then the story of the art unfolds and becomes more complete and the painstaking goal of the Artist’s perfection can become appreciated and the love, passion and pride behind each piece can be realized and included into the value of it. 

Yesterday I photographed a large 20″x30″ painting Scotty finished titled “Relic” that she has been working on for 2 years.  It is of the Duncannon Iron Works which was built in the early 1800 (and is no longer standing).  Ore was melted down into iron and the Iron Works was famous for making nails.  This would has been located along the river on the edge of Shermans Dale (if I remember our conversation correctly).

Scotty happen to see a very old picture of the building which was dark and brooding and managed to give it life and beauty.  If you’d like to see the final piece in person she should have it at the Perry County Farmers Market this weekend (at least until it gets picked up there).  If you are interested in obtaining a print for yourself that showcases such rich local history be sure to needle her to create some. 

And here are some of her other paintings I photographed in August which I never got a chance to post on the blog.  If you are familiar with Scotty Brown’s traditional works you will be surprised at her abstracts!  Below is “Jungle”, she remarked that she didn’t think she would get much interest in it, however it is one of Scotty’s favorites.  She had been working on it for 3 years before finally completing it.  An interesting piece of info. The painting when viewed in person has a textured surface and it is difficult to figure out what exactly it is.  Scotty revealed she went out and collected the fluff from milkweed pods and affixed them to the painting and then painted over them in black.  So this would not only be an abstract but definitely fall under mixed media of the unexpected sort.  I forgot to ask if she had sold this one yet, it may still be available for purchase…

And another Abstract from Scotty titled “Swirl”, this is one of my favorites.  I love the vibrant use and combination of color and contrast.  It is like a swirling burst of energy and as you look around you can find eyes hidden in the beautiful chaos.  Scotty is known to hide or suggest things in her paintings, especially animals.  This one took a year to complete.

And last but not least “Lone Bird” which is a dark wintery scene backlit by a greyish pink sky.  The delicate sillouettes of each spindly branch carefully placed to create a chilly, lonesome yet calm and peaceful scene.  And there are some animals hidden in this one.  Can you find the lone bird? 

Scotty often treats me to sneak peeks of what she is working on as well as completed pieces that she knows I will appreciate.  She is currently working on a Halloween painting which looks AMAZING, it has elements of abstractness with lots of energy and the colors are vibrant!  We are huge Halloween fans here.  I will definitely be buying a print of that one.

I can’t imagine working on something for 1-3 years and then having to let go of it.  Unlike a painting I can both sell and keep a photograph.  With a painting, the original if purchased or commissioned will go to someone else.  Scotty will however use the photographs taken to produced limited # print reproductions.  If you’d like to reserve to obtain a limited signed print please feel free to contact Scotty at mythoscloak@embarqmail.com or visit her at the Perry County Farmers Market  (located at 707 Newport Road in Duncannon) where you can often find her painting her latest works and you can get your own chance to indulge in conversation with the artist.

You can also view more of Scotty Brown’s artwork at her website at http://www.scottybrownsartwork.com/.

Duncannon Commercial Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

I moved to Central PA from Maryland in 2001 and one of the first artists from Central PA that I became familiar with by name and work was a local artist from Duncannon by the name of Scotty Brown.

I don’t know if it was Scotty’s distinct & familiar pen & ink drawings that depicted local scenery in great detail that I would come across (a few grace the walls of the local post office). Or the subtle surprise at finding out that Scotty was in fact a female artist, not male as the name would suggest. Whatever it was, her name stuck with me in my usually forgetful mind. And I have heard her name brought up numerous times and always with kind words by the lips of locals who seem to have pride in knowing they have such a talented and kind soul amidst them in this small and friendly town.

So when I checked my messages last week to hear that Scotty Brown wanted to have me photograph her latest painting I felt excited, honored & thrilled! It was exciting to finally meet Scotty and put a face to the name and she is just as wonderful and amazing in person as she is talented in her artwork.

Scotty started her career as a professional artist in 1975 and can remember back as young as 4 just drawing ALL THE TIME! She is a self taught artist and was born and raised in Duncannon. Although she is known much for her pen & ink drawings of local scenery, her acrylic, watercolor pencil and mixed media paintings are just amazing in detail and often travel into the realm of whimsical imagination. 

This is the painting that I photographed for Scotty Brown titled “Autumn’s Edge” and although this painting is already spoken for, like most of her other works can be purchased as a reproduction.  (The photograph could be blown up as wallpaper due to the size of the image I captured for her, she got a kick out of that, but wouldn’t that be cool!)

If you look closely you can find animals and bugs hiding in the scenery.  And yes the sky is pink!  I love how the composition is vertically oriented.  It is unexpected and adds a special feeling to the painting.

Copyright Scotty Brown

You can view more of Scotty’s work on her website at http://www.scottybrownsartwork.com.

You can also meet Scotty and browse and purchase her artwork at the Perry County Farmer’s Market where she has a space.  You can find her there on Fridays from 9-7 and Saturdays from 8-4 painting and mingling.

Scotty also teached art classes to children and adults.  For more information about her artwork, or classes you can contact her by e-mail at mythoscloak@embarqmail.com.  Or stop by to visit her at the Farmer’s Market.

Duncannon Commercial Photographer - Grace Lightner Photography