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Renowned for his paintings inspired from children’s literature, Gustafson turns this time to a classic of adult fiction, Cervantes’ "Don Quixote." Scott has interpreted the famous "tilting at windmills" passage when Quixote declares to his servant Sancho that he will do battle with the many-armed giant. "Cervantes made Quixote a figure both ridiculous and admirable," Scott says, "and I’ve tried to capture both those qualities. The scrawny rooster on the lower right represents Quixote’s foolish, macho intention to impress the lady in his life. At the same time, I’ve set the scene at sunset, suggesting we’re seeing the last shining moments of chivalry." Is Quixote the only one who experiences flights of fancy? Look closely at one of the clouds in the distance and you just might see the outlines of a giant wielding a club.
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Storytelling through pictures has always held a certain fascination for Scott
Gustafson; be they the moving images in animated cartoons, or the epic
illustrations of N. C. Wyeth. Upon entering the Chicago Academy of Fine Art,
Scott was 99% sure that he wanted to become an animator, but it was that 1%
that ultimately drew him more and more into the world of stretched canvas and
oil paint. "As an animator, "Gustafson says, "your contribution to a given
film is, by necessity, limited to whatever character you've been assigned. But
as an illustrator, you're responsible for locations, sets, costumes, props,
lighting and character designs, not to mention the overall mood and emotion of
a given painting. It's about the best job there is."
Over the nearly twenty-five years that span his career, he has had the
opportunity to fulfill commissions for a number of varied clients and
publishers such as Celestial Seasonings, Playboy magazine, Saturday Evening
Post, The Bradford Exchange, DreamWorks and The Greenwich Workshop. His
illustrated books include The Night Before Christmas, Peter Pan, Nutcracker,
as well as two original titles, Animal Orchestra and Alphabet Soup. His newest
release, Classic Fairy Tales, was recently awarded a Chesley award for best
interior book illustrations from the Association of Science Fiction and
Fantasy Artists and is currently in its third printing.
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