Raised in Chicago, Scott Burdick studied at the American Academy of Art on scholarship when he was still in high school, and from that time has been committed to the importance of drawing. In the mid-1980s, he began painting informally with Richard Schmid at the Palette & Chisel Club, a mansion converted into studio space by Art Institute students. There he met his future wife, artist Susan Lyon.

Burdick briefly did illustration but was successful fairly early as a fine artist. Burdick has done contract work for Stephen Spielberg in Hollywood including an animated feature. He and Susan live and have studios near Winston, North Carolina.

Source: Plein Air Magazine, February 2005

Scott Burdick was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967 where his mother and father early on encouraged his interest in Art. "I spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child and remember my mother showing me how to transform simple shapes like circles, triangles, and squares into objects like planes, helicopters, and fish. It seemed such a magical thing and made spending so much time in casts and on crutches much more bearable."

In high school, Scott began taking life-drawing classes at the American Academy of Art under the legendary Bill Parks. "Though I'd always loved drawing, it was Mr. Parks who filled me with the enthusiasm and discipline necessary to improve my skills. His love of painting and creative expression infected us all." After finishing the Academy, Scott continued his study at the Palette and Chisel Art Club, where he met his wife, painter Susan Lyon. "It's a wonderful thing being able to paint together all the time and grow as artists together," Scott says.

His ideas for paintings come from everywhere. "What makes a subject attractive to me are the same things that attract us all. The beauty of a young girl, the character of a weathered face, the solitude of a farm at sunset, or even the story itself behind someone or something that makes it interesting." Scott believes it is the job of the artist to recognize this when it happens, analyze why, and use his technical skills to convey the feeling to someone else. He notes that some paintings are as simple as stopping at the sight of something interesting, while others may take more time to research than to actually paint.

Today, Scott and Susan live in a rural area of North Carolina. Surrounded by forests and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, their house is a perfect resting place after the many trips they take throughout the world in search of subject matter to paint.

Scott's Artist Statement:
"I see painting as both a way of exploring the world and then as the vehicle of sharing those discoveries with others. I travel to find subjects to paint as much as paint so I can travel and expand my horizons. Through this unique language, one can say things that are impossible with words."