How did you get started, Scott?
Born in London, Ontario, my metalsmithing ambitions began when I enrolled in the Bealart program in 1996. In that program I learned the fundamentals of composition and design and developed my interest in sculpture and metalsmithing.
In 1998, I was accepted at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. During my studies, I concentrated on and refined my design and metalsmithing skills. After my wife acquired her Master of Science degree in 2004, we moved back to Ontario and I decided to pursue my metalsmithing aspirations full time.
I am also a certified gemmologist. I studied at the Canadian Gemmological Association and graduated from their professional gemmology course in 2007 as a Fellow of the Canadian Gemmological Association(FCGmA).
I’m currently studying horology in my spare time(little though it may be) through the British Horological Institute as well as raising my son(8 months old) and trying to keep on top of my watch and jewellery business.
As to how I got started, it’s essentially all in that short bio. It’s been a slow build up to where I am now. I’ve basically been running my business part-time for many years, going to arts shows and selling my wares, using my profits to buy tools I’ve needed and to make new jewellery designs. The watches are something that I’ve been playing around with for a while and this past year I decided to start selling them.
How did you name your Company
It’s just my name. I kept trying to come up with something that sounded awesome, and everything was too cheesy or didn’t roll off the tongue nicely so I just gave up.
Who Inspires You
Whenever I participate in arts shows and I get to talking with all the fantastic Canadian artists out there. It really inspires me to hear where they’ve come from and what they’ve overcome to make the objects they love. I also get inspired by my family, by trying to be a good role model for my son (even though he’s only 8 months old).
Favourite Music
I like lots of different kinds of music and always seem to need music in the studio to keep me working. Mostly cheesy stuff like Heart, or great jazz like Diana Krall, but one of my new favorites is Serena Ryder. If I need something a little more rockish I’ll turn to the Zep or this fantastic Japanese punk band called Hi-Standard. I can’t really nail down my favourite, I like too many musicians and bands.
Favourite Food
Again, same as the music I couldn’t really say what is my favourite food, but I really like to smoke meats on the barbeque, smoked beer can chicken being one I make quite often. My wife also makes pizza from scratch for us every Sunday, and it’s pretty amazing. When I was in university in Nova Scotia I fell in love with something I’ve only seen there: donairs. Wish I could find a place here that makes them.
Why you love Canada.
Well, there are probably a million reasons why I love Canada. Here are a few: driving for 24 hours straight and not even crossing half the country, going to the cottage, health care, all the big weird stuff we build (the big nickel in Sudbury, the CN tower, etc…), the unique words (eavestrough, two-four, hoser, etc…), the way we all came together to celebrate winning gold medals in hockey(and lots of other sports) at the last winter olympics…well I could keep going on, but that’s enough, there are too many reasons to name.
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