In the Studio with… Concetta Scott
Found Objects
By Concetta Scott, Alexandria Branch
This painting, titled “Chairs, Etcetera…” (21.5×24 watercolor), is of a found subject. I was helping my son by following him in his ailing Volkswagen, “The Orange Beatle,” to a special repair shop. Nearby, there was an antique shop, with more stuff displayed outside the store than inside. The current owner, a well-dressed Southern gentleman, had recently inherited the shop from his aunt. After speaking with him, I wondered if he knew anything at all about running such a place.
While I waited for “The Beatle,” I studied the various items outdoors. They were just piled one on top of the other. I was thinking that all that stuff certainly had to be left out there day and night. There was an arrangement of chairs that might have been choreographed into position intentionally, but probably it was just to keep them and other items from spilling onto the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, at the VW shop, the auto-repair man made an adjustment to the car. It turns out he made just a small adjustment, requiring us to return two more times. I began to form a bond with the antique shop and all the outside stuff. I took some photos and made sketches and notes while waiting for the car. Finally, I realized that I would have to immortalize that antique shop on paper. It would mean individual sketches, color studies, and a big block of time.
In laying out the composition, I moved some items out and added some others. For example, the empty wardrobe needed something added to make it part of the whole composition. As usual, I began this watercolor with a sort of grisaille underpainting of Schmincke blue-violet and then proceeded with glazes of color for each item.
Red was showing up in different objects as a pattern in this wild collection of disparate items. I added a box with red ornaments on the right side and changed a truck from blue to red on the left side. I wanted the viewer to follow the red items in the painting.
The focal point of it all is a cluster of chairs. Fillers like the large milk can and the white jugs on the right form a circle enclosing the focal point, two blue chairs and one red chair. The center chair was originally brown. I painted the cutouts in red, yellow, and white, then decided to make the chair red to connect it with the other reds scattered throughout the picture.
I truly enjoyed painting this watercolor because I felt like I was moving pieces and directing an event on paper. “Chairs, Etcetera…” was accepted in four juried exhibitions and has received awards.
About the Artist
Concetta Scott has been a member of Alexandria Branch, Virginia, since 1980. She has served and worked with wonderful artists, writers, poets, and composers, all of whom enriched her life. She was chairperson of the 1984 Biennial in Washington, D.C., an event made successful by the branch members.