Scott A. Pauli
Monona, Wisconsin
Website
Art: www.scottapauli.com
Design: artandsons.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
Lots of daydreaming with a brush in my hand. Drawing/Painting/Sculpting puts me in places that I have been or want to be. By the great lakes, walking through the woods in the fall, exploring a frozen lake. I am drawing the feeling, a little texture from a rock I found or the horizon which I could stare at for hours.
I spend my day-to-day designing for others. It is a constant demand of conceptualizing, creating and delivering ideas. So, when I paint and draw I tend not to have a preconceived idea, more of a feeling of where I am going. It is very much a physical state of being as much as mental for me. It is where I am most relaxed. I am not worried or concerned with the end result, I am just thankful I have the time to myself to explore and create under no set parameters. That freedom of mind also gives me the energy I need when I go back to designing for others. I find great satisfaction in both sides of that creative coin, high demand on one side, total freedom on the other.
What inspires you?
Water, the Great Lakes, Lake Monona where I live. I am also very inspired by those around me who may have demanding day jobs, family life, etc. but still feel the need to make things, to take photos, restore a car or home, make music, grow a garden etc. I find great inspiration in the everyday person who still feels the need and acts on creating.
Maybe it’s obvious that nature is a big inspiration for me. If I was to put any outwardly facing purpose of my paintings it would be sharing an appreciation for nature. And if in some indirect way others feel that when viewing these pieces, and then build a little more appreciation of nature and in turn work to protect it, that would be very satisfying to me.
Can you speak about your process?
I always start with a blank page and just start painting/drawing a line, from there I see where things take me. Sometimes a texture or a curve will make me think of something I saw on the shore or under water, and I follow that. I mostly work with Sumi ink on drawing paper. It dries quickly and when combined with water can give great depth on paper. I am slowly introducing color when it feels right. When I create small animations, I try to record the music first, then just see how that feels. Lately I have also been exploring little wave sculptures in basswood. I tend to lean into processes that are not demanding of perfection, but are forgiving and allow you to keep working until it feels right.
How did you become interested in art?
My mom taught kindergarten, and she was always working up craft projects for kids, so we had a lot of access to art supplies. My dad is a painter, he would sit with us and let us use his old oil paints. It was always fun, never being told that we were doing something wrong but just the freedom to explore. I think that is why I paint and love abstract art, there is not a set way something should look, it’s more about feel. If I try really hard I can do realistic drawing/painting, but it is a stressful endeavor for me.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books or quotes?
I love David Lynch’s movies and especially his visual art. His book “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity” was very inspiring to me. I also love Thomas Cambell’s surf movies and his visual art as well.
Visual artists that inspire me are Helen Frankenthaler, Vija Celmins, Matsumi Kanemitsu, Norman Lewis, Richard Long to name a few.
I tend to listen to a lot of music when I am working. Currently I am listening to:
Petunia by Tonstartssbandht
Sons Of by Sam Prekop and John McEntire
Better Days by Mr. Chair
And always, Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Just keep making stuff. Even if it goes nowhere in your mind, it’s always leading you to another place. Take walks, go sit by the water or in teh woods and just be there for a little longer than you are comfortable, good things will come from that.
Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?
I have a story that I am realizing more and more shaped how I make art today. I was in preschool at a Catholic school in Peoria, IL. We were supposed to paint a picture. There were easels out and paints for us to use. The paint we were using was the powdered paint that the teacher would have to mix up. It has a very distinct musty smell. It smelled exactly like an old trunk that my dad had with all of his things from being in the Vietnam war. Old photos, his jacket, even some little pieces of shrapnel with Soviet writing on the side. That trunk and contents smelled exactly like the paint we were using. So in my head I wanted to make army green for my dad. Not a picture but just the color. I mixed and mixed on the paper until i got it. I was so happy. The nun was not. She scolded me for my big blob of green. But it meant something to me, so I was ok with that.
Breeze, 2022, Sumi ink, stop motion video, music - Scott A. Pauli
