SCOTT KENNEDY
My purpose as a visual artist is all about the image. One that will emotionally move the viewer to a greater sense of peace and value in a world that seems to focus more and more on the encroaching darkness around us. Our perspective on the value of life certainly guides our own sense of value, meaning and hope. As one who takes the teachings of Jesus as truth, I endeavor to create the essence of these thoughts in all my work…
“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” -Philippians 4:8
It is my honor to be able to create works which aspire to do this. I also hope they can help to remove any shrouds of doubt regarding the magnificent and calculated design of all living things and their unspoiled environments. This includes humanity and our place in it all. No doubt life is hard and painful at times, yet I sincerely hope that these images will speak to you in a most encouraging, assuring and hopeful way…
-Scott Kennedy
WAPITI ARTS & STUDIO
Wapiti (wuh.pee.tee) Arts
Wapiti Arts …was created to promote, through art, the magnificent and enduring spirit of the Mountain West. The word “Wapiti” (wuh.pee.tee) is the Shoshone name for the American elk and was chosen because of the strength, beauty and history of this magnificent animal. The American West has unique culture, landscape and animals unlike anywhere else in the world. With the Wests rapid influx of people, our desire is to see a growing commitment to embrace the heritage of this precious land. A mindset dedicated to wildlife conservation, protecting wilderness, and celebrating the Rocky Mountain way of life.
The location for Wapiti Studio and residence was previously a part of the famous 3,000-acre working Sylvan Dale Ranch. Prior to that, the Ute Indians lived here, and their teepee rings can still be seen nearby. Scott and his wife purchased their property from the ranch in 2018 and built their home/studio which incorporated 200-year-old hewn logs as well as many primitive elements that they had collected over the years.
The photos below are taken from our home and studio…
Inspiration
“The wild and formidable beauty of the outdoors has always stirred my soul. To experience the immense expanses of western landscapes is awe-inspiring.
For instance, the high-altitude prairie, which backs up to the mountains, features huge sprawling basins that gently rise and fall in elevation. An array of grasses, with varying shades of green and yellow, sweep over its vastness. Often swathes of blue, white or yellow wildflowers intermingle the gentle slopes. Groups of pronghorn dot the landscape while red tailed hawks glide on the warming currents. Occasional coyotes and fox, searching for prey, can be seen on their meandering hunts.
As the day passes, mountain thunderstorms build to advance over the prairie which vie for dominance over the vast blue skies. These ensuing storms create endless transitions of tone and color through the changing shadow and light. Later, as the rains begin to fade and evening sunlight breaks, a double rainbow appears against the exiting storms.
Nearby, autumn snows now blanket the high granite peaks, while below, white columns of towering aspen support a canopy of shimmering gold. After the rains, the fresh aromas of the forest and its ground cover fill the air. It is there that the evenings calm is suddenly broken by the haunting bugle of an elk echoing down the canyon. Then, after a silent pause, comes the ethereal reply of another eagerly accepting the challenge. Every day, these pristine places, bring new stories with marvels and beauty much too numerous to take in…
For me, creation speaks a “divine” language. Far above any words that humanity could muster. It gives a constant flow of wisdom throughout each night and day. Listen to what the Old Testament scriptures say about it…
“Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” -Psalm 19:1
This divine “voice” pours out of all creation, an eternal echo from the moment it was brought into being. Nature is a most powerful and beautiful language that speaks of something exceedingly greater than itself.
Our ancestors understood this clearly. The ancient Hebrew word for “nature” (teva) means “the mark of an artist on its work”. In other words, “Nature” itself reveals the “nature” of the all powerful being that created it. As such, it is a way to gain the understanding that he does exist, who he is, and his deep desire to connect with us.
“For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made.” -Paul the Apostle
To see nature in its purest form, untouched or marred, brings a certain depth of understanding about the creator. For me, his creativity reveals a wild and honest freedom along with a heart that delights in beauty and order. It is through the purist and most perfect of love he wants to share both it and His power with us all. It is this very thought I am hoping, through art, to emphasize.”