When A Man Was Depressed, His Mom Sent Him Oil Paints. Three Years Later? Wow.

Three years ago Scott David Laufer was unemployed, miserable, and depressed. That’s when his mother sent him a set of oil paints. Laufer drew and loved art as a child, but never considered it seriously.

When he received the paints, Laufer dove headlong into it. He never received any formal training, but instead sought to learn from the old masters of the 16th century. He visited museums, bought books, and pushed himself to get better and better over the subsequent three years.

Laufer said he was able to get so good, so quickly by putting in the time. In fact Laufer said he probably put in more hours painting over the last three years, than most people would in six years. He might be onto something here, because these paintings are just amazing.

Here’s a short video interview with Laufer where he talks about his work and his influences.

After Art X Scott Laufer from Spencer Showalter on Vimeo.

(Via: Reddit)

I’m in awe of the dedication and skill that Laufer has put into his work to get to where he is today. You can see more of his work by visiting his website, and following him on Instagram and Twitter.