Artist paints flour mill

Self-taught artist, Buz Schott, is this week's featured artist at Lone Tree Gallery on Esmeralda Avenue in Minden. Schott has completed a painting of the old Minden flour mill and has it in print just in time for the Minden Centennial Celebration this weekend.

Throughout his life Schott was drawn to painting, and was a natural at it, but he didn't become serious until he retired.

"I have always painted," Schott said. "It's just something I have always wanted to do."

Schott was born and raised in New York. Joining the Navy when he was 17, he made Orange County in Southern California his home when he completed his tour of duty in 1944. Surfing became a passion for him, but he needed a vocation so he took a job as a framing carpenter.

"I banged nails for a living for over 40 years," Schott said.

After retiring from carpentry, he and his wife, Heather, moved to Mammoth, where he dedicated his time to painting. His work as a carpenter all of his adult life provided him the knowledge to abstract the buildings he paints, using vivid colors, which are complementary despite a natural disability he has.

"Believe it or not, I'm color blind." he said.

His images make a statement of his life. In every image he creates he leaves information like numbers that have been important to him. Numbers reoccur on things like license plates on vehicles and phone numbers that appear on walls beside pay phones. Devoted collectors of Schott paintings have come to expect these little signatures that are hidden within the images.

In 2004, the Schotts moved to Carson Valley in search of a quieter lifestyle while still being able to maintain his active lifestyle of skiing and the many other outdoor activities he loves. His work is still featured at the Gallery Barjur as well as other Mammoth businesses.

"I just still wanted to be near the mountains," said Schott.

Some of his pieces appear to be darkly provocative while others are whimsical and brilliant in color and composition. Then he produces pieces like his newest, "The Mill," and his rendition of "The French" which are more straight-forward and exact to the image he is representing. Imitating some of the style of two of his favorite artists, Salvadore Dahli and Grant Wood, Dahli even appears in one of his paintings, while the stretched and distorted style of a Wood painting titled "Death on Ridge Road" appears in a painting Schott produced called "Cottontail Ranch."

For Lone Tree Gallery owner, Barry Jobe, having Schott paintings in his gallery is a step outside the box of traditional paintings and western art which have been the trademark of his gallery, and yet the Schott paintings add an eye-catching interest to the walls.

While enjoying all the centennial celebrations this Sunday at Minden Park and Esmeralda Avenue, stop at Lone Tree Gallery and see "The Mill" as well as all of the other fine work at the gallery. Schott has 41 of his images in print. Some are giclee while others are open-end editions. His art will continue to be featured at the gallery as an on-going display after this weekend as well.

Schott can be contacted at the gallery, 782-2522, or 782-8101.