A young Banff artist uses her talents to support travel dreams

Scott McIntyre is an artist.

The 26-year-old has always enjoyed drawing, painting and making things for others. His latest passion is painting landscapes.

He finds a picture on his phone and recreates it on canvas.

“I just look at the picture, I draw it with a pencil,” he said. “Shape it before I paint it.”

Scott was born in Banff and lives with his mother Ann McIntyre. He always supports and encourages his talents.

“He has a lot of innate artistic talent. “He wasn't taught how to do any of these things, he started doing them right after he was given the material.”

McIntyre describes her son as mildly autistic and calls him “artistic.”

“It's almost like a balance, you know? Everyone has strengths and weaknesses,” he says. “He can and always will.”

MacIntyre paints cards for birthdays, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day, leaving the inside blank for people to personalize.

“She worries about people getting heartbroken and makes Valentine (cards) for at least 100 people every year,” McIntyre said. “Usually she takes Valentine's Day (cards) to schools and high schools, so everyone gets a Valentine's Day so no one gets heartbroken.”

Scott sells the cards and jewelry she makes at local craft sales in the Bow Valley.

The money he earns goes toward a number of things, including travel, swimming, and the Calgary Stampede, but number one on his list is going to his second Edmonton Oilers game because he's such a fan.

“He was supposed to get the Edmonton Oilers, and I was rooting for them to win,” he said. “(I like Connor) McDavid, (Stuart) Skinner — the goaltender — and (Leon) Draisaitl.”

McIntyre's newest venture is baking. He even made his mom an Oilers cake for her birthday.

“I just started finding the ingredients to make the fudge,” she said. “It has marshmallows, powdered sugar, water and vanilla.”

McIntyre says her son has also taken up running and he can sing.

It always motivates him to new activities.

“I think we should start doing more pitchers,” he said. “Because he's never tried that, so maybe that's our next step, and then expand his painting with different (techniques).”

Scott turns 27 on February 13, and his mother says his dream is to be famous one day.