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Scott Plaster here with his 'Composition in Purple and Orange'

Scott Plaster grew up in Denton, North Carolina and was exposed to art at an early age. He still remembers how his father would draw Picaso-esque figures for him to paint with basic student tempura paints on manila drawing paper. When some kids were awaiting video games and toys from Santa Claus for Christmas, Plaster was eager to get paint, canvas, and pastels. Plaster was oil painting by the age of ten and found his inspiration in the works of Van Gogh, the French Impressionists, and other early modern artists. Through the teen years he immersed himself in art history and technique books of a broad variety and maintained these interests into his young adulthood, but he did not initially pursue a career in art.

Scott would describe his most recent works as whimsical. "I think that one reason for creating art is to get people to look at the world around them in a different way. I try to highlight my subjects in a way that makes them look "more than" their surroundings. I try to give the animals character, and people often comment that they can relate to the animals they see in my works." He finds that some of his paintings make people smile, which in today's world can be as rewarding as anything else in today's troubled times. "I respect and revere nature, and when I started painting animals, something allowed me to start relating to my subjects in a way I had not done before." The first animal painting Scott created was the "Cosmic Cow." He had "met" and photographed this actual cow a few years before on the Blue Ridge Parkway. "He was just right there beside the road with all the cars passing by, looking so out of place. I took his picture and knew that I would paint him one day."

When he began his teaching career, after being out of school for ten years, it was a major transition in his life. "That's when I began painting with a renewed interest, and also when I created the cow. I don't know exactly how I came up with the background for the cow, but I wanted to give the feel that he was "otherwordly" or out of place." Some people have called the background of the painting an "aura." Scott hung the painting in his classroom for over a year and it actually became their class mascot. "My students and I called it Rosco."

The other animals he has painted, he met in person as well. The "Neon Duck" is one of the few white ducks at Country Park near Scott's residence, and the sheep and monkey are animals from the Natural Science Center. "The pelican joined me on a fishing pier in Topsal Beach and "Miami Lewie" was a cat I met while walking the art deco district in South Beach on my honeymoon. I loved doing the very-deco fence in the background and I gave the foliage in the background a tropical look like the paintings of Henri Rousseau."

Oil is Plaster's medium of choice, although he also works in watercolor, though in a very different style. His method is fairly traditional, but all of his recent works have used water-soluble oils. "These paints dry much quicker and have allowed me to work on paintings more in stages. I used to do paintings alla prima, or all at once. My main stage of painting I still like to produce in a large all-day session, but I can work on the planning, underpainting, and details at different times."

Scott tries to work when inspiration strikes, but sometimes finds it difficult to make the time to allow that inspiration to come. "At least teaching gives me summers off, and I can find more time to work."

Like literature or music, art is something Scott can't live without. Being a full-time artist has been a life-long dream, but having a teaching career has allowed some freedom in his schedule to pursue a career in art in the meantime. "I've been painting for more than 25 years and I decided this summer to actively pursue getting my work shown and seen." After settling back into central NC, where he was originally from, Scott calls this area home and wants to be an active part of the arts community here.

"I've been getting my work and smaller reproductions of my work in galleries around the region, such as The Fat Cat, Ltd. in Oak Ridge, Just Be and the Tin Rooster in Greensboro, and the Circa Gallery in Asheboro. All of my works are also available online at FineArtAmerica, Redbubble, and DeviantART. I like the idea of selling reproductions because it's hard for the average person to afford original art. That is what the Cosmic Cow Society is all about; bringing art more into the community so that it can be enjoyed by the average person."

The Cosmic Cow Society began over a year ago when Sharon Mitchell hosted an art show at Kelly Mitchell's orthodontic office. Sharon suggested the formation of the group as a "society" that would invite members to share their work and bring guests to enjoy the community atmosphere. After a year of informal meetings, the group decided to move forward making the group more formal, crafting a formal mission statement and advertised the membership opportunity. The current membership consists of a diversity of media and styles which creates the chemistry and synergy that the founders were seeking. "I feel honored to have such a strong group of artists to work with in the group, and I can already tell that we will be able to achieve high goals."

One of the organization's goals, of course, is to promote the artists, and they feel they can find effective ways to do that as a GROUP, in a way that a gallery or physical cooperative does not. "We are a virtual group in some ways," says Plaster "but get together to do things at venues, such as our first art show and the series of Art Talks we have planned. Our group and its marketing as a group should help all of our members get more exposure for their individual art. Centered around a common goal, to bring art into the community in a different, more open way, I think we'll be able to change the way our community views art over time. We believe that art is not just for the elite, but for everyone."

PHOTO Below: Scott here with some of his
'more affordable' art products

"I think the "buy local" movement should not just apply to shoes and produce, but to art as well. We can find ways for the average person to appreciate and enjoy art. That's why I market my line of reproductions. Even a college student can afford an $8 print." Plaster hopes to position the Cosmic Cow Soceity as an organization that is one of the leaders in the community in the direction and influence of art. "We have no goals to become a larger "anyone can join" group, but want to keep a core group that will serve as the drivers of our mission."

PHOTO Above Right: Scott's menagerie includes (from top to bottom):
'Neon Duck', 'Psychic Monkey', 'Pelican Peeking', 'Cry Baby' and 'Shaggy Sheep'

"With all of this said, we chose the name because we don't want to take ourselves too seriously. We all like to have fun with our art, and want to keep the art at the center of our focus and something that people can share and enjoy."

The Cosmic Cow Society will open its first group show on Thursday December 4th with a reception 7-9pm at the Maya Gallery, 340 Tate Street in Greensboro. The exhibit will remain on display through January 4th.

Click Here for a map to Chelsee's

The works of Scott Plaster will be on exhibit through the month of December at Chelsee's Coffee Shop, 533 N. Trade Street in the downtown arts district of Winston-Salem with an opening reception taking place on Friday, December 5th from 7pm to 10pm in conjunction with the First Friday Gallery Hop.

You may contact Scott about his work at scott@cosmiccowsociety.com or visit his website at http://scottplaster.com.