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Scott Gentling
Scott Gregory Gentling (1942–2011) was an artist, author, and lecturer who lived and worked in Fort Worth, Texas. Along with his twin brother, Stuart Gentling, Scott became one of the most notable artists of Fort Worth. Gentling operated in a variety of styles, but was best known for his Audubon-style book that contained paintings and writings, Of Birds and Texas.

Early life
Scott was born just 15 minutes after his twin brother Stuart, on December 31, 1942 in Rochester, Minnesota to Allan and Barbara Gentling. The family moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1948, when Scott's father accepted a position as head anesthesiologist at Harris Methodist Hospital.

As a young teen Scott became fascinated by the work of John-James Audubon. In November of 1956, Scott and Stuart attempted to recreate from Audubon's Birds of America in watercolor. Several other copies and original works followed through 1957, cementing Scott's lifelong interest in Audubon inspired naturalism. Once able to drive, Scott and his brother Stuart took a road trip to retrace Audubon's steps from Texas, through Louisiana and Mississippi, and ending up in Henderson, Kentucky.

Education
At the age of 16 Gentling took his first art course under John Chumley at the Fort Worth Art Center.

In 1961 Scott enrolled in Tulane University where he started to become heavily invested in painting. Shortly after, he enrolled at Sophie Newcomb College to study art, though quickly became dissatisfied and left. In the Spring of 1962, Emily Guthrie Smith, a family friend and artist, took two of Scott's paintings to The Fort Worth Art Museum's annual juried competition, which was judged by Walter Stuempfig. Stuempfig, being impressed with Gentling's work, insisted the board of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he worked invite Gentling to attend. Scott accepted, and stayed at the academy until 1965, studying under Stuempfig, and watercolorist John McCoy. Scott was formally asked to leave the academy in December 1965, as he had not attended a class in a year. Upon leaving the academy he resumed living full time in Fort Worth.

Early career
Through the 1960s Gentling expanded his capabilities through his education and had some of the first major breakthroughs of his art career. In this time he explored mediums such as etching, watercolor, photorealism, and pencil drawing - while focusing on subjects such as history, nature, and portraiture. Scott's first exhibition, Watercolors of Wild Birds, takes place at the Lon Hellums Gallery in Fort Worth in April 1961. Although it wasn't until three years later in August 1964 that his first major exhibition would take place. Showing at the Fort Worth Art Center member's lounge, it featured twenty five paintings and eight etchings. At the time he was 21, and already deemed as "one of the area's most promising students". The art in the exhibit was listed for sale, and a notable purchase was made by Perry R. Bass of the painting Benbrook Barn.

In December of 1964, as his local acclaim grew, Gentling was able to get Thomas Hart Benton to sit for a portrait - one of the few Benton allowed of himself.

By 1965, Scott had branched out in style, and received acclaim once again for his work on the portraits of Eddie and Clemmie McGary, African-American sharecroppers. They became favorite subjects of Scott's and would be subjects in his work for the following two decades.

Valley House Gallery
In 1965 Scott joined the Valley House Gallery in Dallas, where he sold and displayed his works. His first display was under the show Contrasts: The Chosen Ones on November 11, 1965, where five of his works were shown. From March 17 to April 17, 1966 Scott had his first solo showing at the gallery where he displayed 35 works. He broke an attendance record at the time for his show, when more than 5,000 people showed in just a month to see it.

His works were again exhibited with Valley House as his art broker in:

Scott's fourth and final solo exhibition at the gallery was in September of 1976. He officially left the gallery shortly after.
 * Christmas Exhibition, December 12-24, 1966
 * Solo catalogue, April 7-31, 1968
 * A one night exhibit, March 30, 1971
 * Solo catalogue, April 5-13, 1972

Collaboration with Stuart
While Scott was able to find success with his own work, his popularity grew when collaborating with his twin brother, Stuart. In December of 1972 the Ralph Carr Fine Arts Leasing group organized the first of many of the brother's collaborative shows. The brothers continued their cooperation with large pencil drawings of birds, which are sold throughout the 1970s to support Mayfest in Fort Worth.

In 1974, three of Scott's prints are offered, along with three of Stuarts, for sale by Regency Art House by mail-order.

After officially leaving the Valley House Gallery in 1977, along with his brother Stuart, Mariana Thomas, and Dutch and Mary Phillips, Scott establishes The New Gallery. Capitalizing on the popularity of the brother's bird prints and drawings, two folio-size prints of Texas birds were issued to celebrate the gallery's opening, one of which was Scott's Kentucky Warblers. The brothers issued two new bird prints per year, which eventually built up to their best known work, Of Birds and Texas.

Of Birds and Texas
Of Birds and Texas is a folio-sized collection of drybrush watercolors and essays, with art and writing provided by the Gentling brothers, and an additional essay by John Graves - a long time friend of the brothers. The original work measured 22 x 28 inches, had 86 pages, and weighed 47 pounds.

While the idea had been around for some time, the brothers seriously began to work on the project in 1982. Initially they approached David Holman from Wind River Press about printing the folio project. Soon after they get John Graves on board. Finally, in October of 1983 Ralph Carr joined the project as the business manager. The folio is first presented to the public at Carr's Seventh Street gallery in June of 1984, with a price of $2,500 per copy, over 90 are sold during this preview.

By July 1985, the first color plate of the project is produced by David Holman, though the cost of the project were growing quite large. Scott originally estimated the cost to produce the folio at $350,000, though it ended up closer to $850,000 - forcing Scott's mother to mortgage her house to fund the project.

The original bird paintings of the book are acquired by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History for $300,000 in October 1985, and all 40 of the works were put on display.

In August of 1986, the folio fully debuts in an edition of 500 signed copies.

Later Career
After Birds, Gentling's interests shifted to wider projects.

In May 1991 his Mesoamerican inspired works appeared at Dutch Phillips' gallery in a show titled Views of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec inspired drawings would later receive attention from Kevin Costner, for his documentary 500 Nations.

In 1994 the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth acquired his portrait of Jane Goodall, which is now part of the museums permanent holdings.

In March of 1994 the same year the brother's were contacted to design the ceiling murals for the new performance hall in Fort Worth, Bass Hall. Although the project faced some issues along the way, the design art for the murals was displayed to the public from April to May of 1998 at the Kimbell Art Museum, before the opening of the hall itself.

With the completion of this project, the brothers were contracted to do several more murals. One was for the Houston Museum of Natural Science titled Sacred Square, involving Aztec imagery. Another was Parker Cabin, a mural for the city of Fort Worth detailing one of the oldest structures in the county.

In 2001 Scott was asked to paint the gubernatorial portrait of Texas governor George W. Bush.

Personal Life
Scott was an avid collector of rarities, among his favorites were 18th century gentleman's coats. He showed a great personal interest in Aztec and other Pre-Columbian cultures. He went so far as to have a scale reconstruction of Tenochtitlan in his living room.

Scott struggled with alcoholism much of his working career, from the early 1970s through 1986 when he quit. His sister cited this as to why the brother's inability to work with a major gallery to their issues with alcohol.

Notable Works

 * Of Birds and Texas, 1986
 * Jane Goodall Portrait, 1990
 * Bass Hall Ceiling Murals, 1997
 * George W. Bush Gubernatorial Portrait, 2001