Scott Tetlow
In 2002, his much-loved studio burnt to the ground and he lost everything. Unable to continue both practically and emotionally, Scott threw himself into teaching, believing that his art career was now just part of his past. In 2011, Scott moved his family to Verona and, ironically, moved into an apartment directly above an art shop. Feeling inspired to pick up his brushes once again, he began to draw the stunning architecture. With his passion rekindled, he returned to England and built a studio in his garden. He hasn’t stopped painting since.
Whilst living in Taiwan, I studied calligraphy and discovered that this beautiful form is valued as ‘high art’. The art of calligraphy is used to express the inner beauty of the soul and spirit. Chinese calligraphy focusses on two types of beauty: the obvious aesthetics and the hidden beauty: the soul and life of a figure. Often, Chinese painters will say they are “writing a painting” and this concept has influenced my work heavily over the years. I want my works to tell their own story, for the viewer to read their energy. I have to learn and understand the lines before I can make them work. It has taken years of practice, of feeling like I’m walking through a maze; making mistakes, going down the wrong road and learning whether to turn left or right. I’ve had to practice and practice to be able to create a piece in one go, it’s almost like doing it in one breath.