Scott Gustafson created treasures for the child in each of us. His paintings,
as well as possessing a visual richness, are rich in imagination. "The
nice thing about what I do is that both children and adults can respond
to it. I want to make my characters' emotions clear to children, but
I also want to create something that they can come back to as adults
and share with their own children... something that might make them say,
'You know, I liked those pictures when I was a kid, but now I see even
more in them.'" - Scott Gustafson.
Among the first artistic inspirations for Scott Gustafson were the
cartoons of Walt Disney and the Warner Brothers. By the time he had finished
growing up in Marengo, Illinois, Gustafson was convinced that he wanted
to be an animator. He pursued animation throughout his years at the Chicago
Academy of Fine Arts and Columbia College, also in Illinois. Not until
he discovered the realities of the animation industry did he start to
consider fine art illustration as a career option. "The kinds of
opportunities in animation, in terms of subject matter and creative control,
weren't nearly as interesting or rewarding as those of illustration," he
says.
His classic, opulent approach to his work elicited immediate response,
and soon his art was appearing in major magazines. His work came to the
attention of book publishers, and he began to illustrate anew such classic
children's books as "The Night Before Christmas", "The
Nutcracker", and "Peter Pan". He also illustrated new
volumes like "Alphabet Soup" and "the Animal Orchestra".
As Gustafson's readership grew, so did interest in his work as a subject
for collector's plates. He has since done more than a dozen paintings,
based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes, for the Bradford Exchange. Today
Gustafson continues to explore the delights his paintings can bring to
young and old alike. He works and lives in Chicago with his wife and
son.
Print Shown: The Wizard of Oz |
