D. Ross Scribe

The artist we are featuring this week is D. Ross Scribe. Donald Ross is also known as “scribe” currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. The murals by Scribe are recognizable by the animated characters and designs in Midtown Kansas City. Throughout different parts of the United States, Canada, including down into Mexico he has designed public murals including exhibits.

The style of R. Scribe incorporates a menagerie of animal characters developed of many years of his work, and representing a particular trait that he inserts into various scenarios. R. Scribe distributes personal iconography, biblical and fairytale references, animation, and metaphor in works intended as modern fables for public audiences. R. Scribe combines humor and puns in the conveyance of serious messages. In the past years, R. Scribe focused on creating a diverse art career. He is currently the Art Director of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City where he does everything from graphic designs and creating fun murals in the hospital.

Children’s Mercy Hospital may not be a place where to be as a child. While the hallways are often filled with crying kids, worried moms who hold their babies and toddlers extra tight and dads staring off into the distance. The creative walls provide relief and a distraction to the children and also to the parents. I have seen these murals at Children’s Mercy and they bring life into the hospital walls.

Apart from his gallery work, R. Scribe has also had a children’s book published called “There’s an Octopus Under my Bed”. This children’s book shows his style of artwork that he uses for his murals and other designs. One of Scribe’s focus in the past years had been on what is called the Urban Toys where he has had several figures released and sold out in 2009 based on his signature character “Rumpus” the rhino and “Sumego” an egotistical beaver.

His work may not be something that everyone prefers, but his artwork is unique and astonishing to see in Kansas City. His creations are ones you can’t miss, and you may want to do a double-take to understand what you were viewing. I am always astonished in how he can create unique characters and interesting backgrounds to design a marvelous final product.