Meet Scott McKinley | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott McKinley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, how do you think about risk?
By nature humans are not static creatures. We relish novelty and the unexplored. We are evolved for discovery. So I believe that risk is a fundamental quality of life. Ideally we learn to embrace risk in order to expand our sense of life and to realize our fullest human potential. In my artwork I keep myself open to ways of working in order to discover form, to embody emotion and to affirm harmony. In practical terms that means I use disruptive work methods which allow my materials to reveal the deeper thematic content I seek, but which I would never have been able to discover had I not been purposefully disruptive.
Of course risk implies the possibility of failure and this possibility is the aspect so many struggle with. I see failure as an opportunity to learn.
I keep Samuel Beckett’s mantra in mind, ” Ever tried. Ever failed. No mater. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My paintings are not typical. Viewing them for the first time, people often express surprise at the odd shapes and at how far they project off of the wall. To make my shaped paintings I first build irregular circular structures which are from 6′ to 8″ in depth and up to 60″ in diameter. I stretch raw canvas over these and use acrylic paint to develop the color harmonies and surface qualities. I’m hoping to create paintings that are both colorful and contemplative. I think of these irregular mandala-like paintings as embodiments of the dynamic emotional and psychic unity we all seek. I’m hoping people will see these paintings as affirming a new kind of harmony.

I’ve been working exclusively as an independent artist full time for the past two years. I exhibit and sell my work online through my website and I am also actively exhibiting original work at art fairs. Original paintings, works on paper and commissioned paintings are available directly from my studio. Additionally, I am interested in gallery representation and collaborations with interior designers and architects. Previously I worked many years in Miami-Dade County’s magnet art programs as a teacher and curriculum leader. While teaching, I pursued a parallel career in fine art, working daily on my art and exhibiting regularly and selling work through art galleries in Florida. It’s a pleasure to be able to devote myself fully to my studio work and art business now.

I am excited to be working on this art business. It has been challenging at times, but also rewarding. Among other things, I’ve had to teach myself how to develop and apply business plans for both online and in-person art sales, how to set up a website to sell art and how to integrate email marketing with it. Developing a social media presence and active involvement with that is another area I’ve had to get into and teach myself about. For a business person these would be straightforward parts of the job. For me they represented a bit of a learning curve, which I’m still on. But, I’ve been persistent, worked regular hours in the studio and on the business tasks, and stayed alert to opportunities. So things are starting to happen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m pretty tied to my studio and the marketing work I have to do, so I’m not often out and about. When I can get out, I go to galleries in the different neighborhoods.
If I had a week to run around Miami-Dade county I’d spend a whole day in each one of these areas (there’s that much to see): Allapattah, Little River/Little Haiti, Design District, Wynwood, Little Havana, and Miami Beach. I’d also make a point of exploring the south end of the county. There is a lot going in the Bird Road warehouse art area and many independent art studios further South, all the way to Homestead.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thanks to my wife and family for their patient support.

Website: www.scottmckinleystudio.com

Instagram: scottmckinleystudio

Facebook: Scott McKinley Studio

Image Credits
All images by Scott McKinley.