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Week of June 10
When artist Scott Plaster took his father on a surprise trip to the Pisgah Covered Bridge in Randolph County it was the first time his father Wayne had been. What Wayne did not know at the time was that Scott had visited there several months earlier, photographed the bridge, and then painted an original watercolor painting for him as a gift. On the day of this surprise trip, Scott unveiled the painting, which he had hidden in the trunk of his car. It was Father’s Day, and Scott had wanted to do something special for his father as a way to pay him back for years of support during his early growth as an artist.
This type of tribute is what the “From Father to Son” special art exhibit opening at the Circa Gallery in Asheboro is all about. The Circa Gallery is the premier gallery in the area, showcasing the best work from artists and craftsmen from around North Carolina. The show will kick off at the start of Father’s Day weekend during the third Friday celebration on June 17 at 5 pm, and will feature the diverse artistic creations of two father and son pairs, the Plasters, along with a second father and son pair. The exhibit will showcase works from these four gentlemen as a way to show the artistic lineage of their creative endeavors. Although their work is in different media, the ties and influences show some interesting connections in subject matter, style, and treatment.
Scott Plaster began creating art at a very early age, mostly due to this father’s influence. Plaster recounted, “My daddy would draw these Picassoesque basketball players with long flowing arms and I would paint them in with those paints from the little blue jugs. Instead of guns and video games, I would get art supplies for Christmas.” Those early paintings and drawings stayed with Scott through his moves throughout NC, then VA, then to Bristol, VA, where they ended up mistakenly in an estate sale. The story of how he got those “priceless” early works back was recently featured in a Fox 8 News Buckley Report (go to http://tinyurl.com/scottonfox8 to watch it online).
Scott graduated as valedictorian from the first graduating class of South Davidson in 1989, then graduated with a Master’s degree from ASU in Boone. After exploring two other careers (IBM and internet consultant), Scott now teaches reading at Lexington High School, where he says he has found his true calling. He began exhibiting and selling his work as an artist when he moved back to NC and began his teaching career. He now has his “whimsical” animals and other artwork in over a dozen galleries, shops, and boutiques across the state. He has sold his work in numerous group and solo shows, and markets a full line of cards, prints, and framed reproductions. His website at http://scottplaster.com even features online puzzles and free e-greeting cards. Scott’s “Blue Al” will be seen on display for the first time in this exhibit, along with some other works never shown before, including some earlier works Plaster painted before he began creating his whimsical artwork.
Scott’s father, Wayne Plaster, didn’t start work as a potter until he retired from teaching over 15 years ago. Wayne taught in the NC public school system for over 30 years, spending the majority up until his retirement at Denton and South Davidson High Schools. Many people in Denton remember him as their history teacher or their baseball or basketball coach. He now serves as a Denton Town Commissioner and still lives with his wife Sue in their home of over 40 years. Since he began working with pottery, Wayne has trained with some of the best potters in the entire Southeast at the Randolph and Montgomery community colleges, including Mike Ferree and even a special workshop with Phil Morgan. Wayne has sold literally hundreds of pieces at festivals and shows across Central NC. He has regular customers who visit his booth every time he exhibits at Apex, Asheboro, Denton and other shows. Wayne often double-dips his glazes, sprays or drips them on, and has even created some pieces with hard-to-create crystalline glazes.
Wayne is known for his unique creations, and it’s not uncommon to see other potters repeating his patterns once they see them. “It’s always funny to see the other potters walking up to my booth. They’ll pick up one of my pieces and look at it really closely. By the next year, there will be four other potters doing the same thing,” he explained. He creates vases and bowls, but his realistic-looking barrels, textured burlap bread bowls, elephant tea pots, oil lamps, and praying angels are what keep his customers coming back time and time again.
The artistic tradition in the Plaster family goes back more than two generations. On display at the Circa Gallery will also be some creations by Thomas Albert Plaster, the father of Wayne and the grandfather of Scott. These include hand-carved miniature chairs and a chain carved from a single piece of wood, with no breaks. The youngest Plaster actually learned the artistry of basket weaving from his now-deceased grandfather when he was a young boy. As a teenager, Scott made baskets for family members and even sold them at crafts stores around Boone, but since then has reserved his creative talents for painting. People probably wonder if Wayne and Scott will ever combine their creative efforts, but Scott said, “He leaves painting to me, and I leave the pottery to him because he’s the one who does it best. At some point, we may join up and I’ll paint some hand-crafted tiles or plates he creates. That really would be a great way to partner with our art!”
The other father and son pair in this special exhibit share an equal artistic connection. Father Perry Boswell is an art teacher in a public high school, but creates his unique “historical” collages for galleries and venues across the Triad. His 19-year-old son Brennen joins his father in the exhibit, adding his abstract themes he creates from acrylic and multimedia. Brennen says he feels proud to be joining his father in this special exhibit.
The father to son heritage that used to be so crucial in the “crafts” era is still alive and well in these fathers and sons. The original (not for sale) “Pisgah Covered Bridge” painting will be on display, with prints for sale. The drive is not that far away from Denton for this chance to see the first exhibit this father and son pair have ever had together. Wayne and Scott say they might be convinced to reminisce a little on old times after the show at a local Chinese restaurant to make your drive well worth the trip.
Don’t miss this special exhibit, “From Father to Son,” on Friday, June 17 from 5 to 8 pm at the Circa Gallery in Asheboro. The show is free and open to the public. Check Scott’s website at http://scottplaster.com for details and a link to the Facebook event.
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