At the Crossroads in Bristol: How Whimsical Artist Scott Plaster Got His Lost Work Back
This article appears in the May issue of the Asheboro Magazine:
"When I got that email, my heart sank! I couldn't believe it," said whimsical artist Scott Plaster about the recent recovery of his early, childhood work. Back in February, Plaster got an email from someone in Bristol where he used to live. Harry's email just said, " I volunteer at a thrift store in Bristol VA which has recently acquired several of your early works! Some of which are dated as far back as '85. They were out for sale at the store when we started going through them and examining them more closely. That's when we removed them from the sales floor and contacted you!" The worker had tracked down Plaster through the internet and his website (he is easy to "find"). Plaster is an artist well-known for his line of "whimsical animals" and exhibits and sells his work all over the state of North Carolina. His work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and even a feature segment on Fox 8 news. He's been painting for over 30 years, but has only marketed his work for the past few years. What "secrets" does his early work show about Plaster as an artist?
What makes this story so fascinating is the extent and breadth of this early artwork. Plaster had kept his sketches, drawings and paintings for literally years, from before the age ten on through his young adulthood. Plaster first started oil painting at the age of nine, and is largely self-taught. All kept neatly catalogued in a brown cardboard storage box measuring approximately four feet long by two feet wide, this early work followed Plaster wherever he went, like archeological treasures...
