
The Art of David Ryan Scott, Renaissance Man
On today’s show, Sourdough has a conversation with David Ryan Scott who is a true creative polymath and renaissance man. He has written books, poetry, music and is just a multitalented artist, always busy creating and producing. Recently he has been expanding his skills in woodwork and leather craft, making beautiful hand-made objects such as briefcases, wallets and knives. Like many other creatives, David has a ‘real job’ but lives out his love for art through the many projects he takes on part-time. Together with his dad, he started crafting from a young age, initially to save money, but later realized that certain items were just hard to come by, which was all the motivation he needed to continue making things himself. On the show today David lets us in on some of the details about his work, including the tools he uses, the joy of hand stitching and what this artistic pursuit has meant for him on a personal level. To learn more about his unique craftsmanship, join us for this episode of Not Real Art!
Hand stitching by David Ryan Scott
Handmade lamp by David Ryan Scott with all fitted joints. No screws or nails!
Handmade exotic wood boxes by David Ryan Scott
Handmade box by David Ryan Scott with all fitted joints. No screws or nails!
Hand tooled fitted joints by David Ryan Scott
Bushcraft knives by David Ryan Scott
Bushcraft knife by David Ryan Scott
Bushcraft knives by David Ryan Scott
The arrowheads David made from a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky
Arrowheads hand carved by David Ryan Scott
The kayak David built as a kid with Dad circa 1983
Key Points From This Episode:
• Using Instagram as a platform for documenting his artistic journey and showcasing his craft.
• Why David decided to get into leatherwork and how it all started with a bushcraft knife.
• David’s process when wanting to learn a new skill and the resources he employs.
• How he grew up with curiosity and craft as values that his father modeled and instilled.
• The joy of using hand tools, hand stitching and slowing down the making of each item.
• How to recognize the difference between a hand stitched and machine stitched product.
• More about the specific items he makes and why wallets are especially tricky.
• The challenge of working with leather and keeping it unscathed and clean throughout.
• Transitioning from intense concentration to a meditative state and losing track of time.
• Sourcing and selecting materials and experimenting with different exotic woods.
• How he incurred his first injury while cutting leather!
• Why he would be reluctant to make a business out of his craft.
• And much more!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
David Ryan Scott on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/davidrscott/
Jacklore — https://www.jacklore.com/
Hermés — https://www.hermes.com/us/en/
Filson — https://www.filson.com/
Ocooch Hardwood — http://ocoochhardwoods.com/
Wickett & Graig — http://wickett-craig.com/
Johnnie Walker Blue Label — https://www.johnniewalker.com/en/our-whisky/johnnie-walker-colours/blue-label/
Johnnie Walker Blue Arrowheads — https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgkJCNhf42/
Man One — http://www.manone.com/
Man One on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ManOneArt
Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/
Not Real Art Conference — https://www.notrealartconference.com/
Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartofficial/