Painter Scott White – from Newfoundland to Westport

Feb 25, 2015

Scott White, a transplanted painter and carpenter originally from Newfoundland and now residing with his family near Westport, said that if it were up to him, he'd be painting full time.

White, who is primarily a self-taught artist, has been painting for over 20 years. He said he fell in love with painting back in high school. A number of his canvases were on display at the Glendower hall near Godfrey on February 21 as part of the historical society’s open house there.

White's preferred medium is oil and his subject matter is diverse. He is particularly drawn to historical buildings and landscapes, both local and some in Newfoundland, as well as antique and vintage cars.

His works, especially his landscapes, seem to capture the drama of his eastern Canadian birth place. His Newfoundland landscape titled “Norris Point” is a particularly enticing canvas with deep and bright hues that make the expansive white house perched on the rocky shore seem to glow from within. White also paints local landscapes and he said he was fascinated and inspired by the buildings and geography at Bedford Mills, which is the subject of another painting where he captures the historic architectural charm of one older building located there.

Old vintage cars are often front and center in White’s canvases and in one painting he depicts a red 1934 Ford emergency vehicle. “I love painting older vintage cars since they have certain characteristics that you don't often get to see and I chose to paint them partly as a way to preserve their uniqueness.” White paints at his home and has set up a studio in his garage where he works in the warmer months. He moves the studio into his home in the winter time.

Asked if his carpentry in any way informs his art work, White said that while carpentry can sometimes be a creative outlet, especially when designing certain prescribed spaces, painting offers him a totally different kind of freedom. “When you are painting you don't have to follow any rules at all. The options are endless and the challenge is that you can turn a blank canvas into anything you like.” He said that he will often paint from photos especially when depicting an actual place but he also takes creative license to make his paintings more interesting and dramatic. As an example, in one landscape he added a snowy owl perched on a fence post, which he said was not actually there. In some cases he will first create a number of sketches and then paint from those.

White's work is currently hanging at the TAG Art Gallery in St. Catharines and his paintings can also be viewed at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn. He is planning to apply to a number of summer art shows this year including the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit. Anyone wishing to view Scott White's work can visit www.2-scott-white.artistwebsites.com or visit him on Facebook at ScottWhiteFineArt. Appointments can be made to visit his studio by emailing him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..