Ted's Motorcycle World in Alton hosts world-renowned painter Scott Jacobs

Ted’s Motorcycle World in Alton was abuzz last Friday night and Saturday with art enthusiasts who came to meet world renowned photorealistic painter Scott Jacobs.

Photorealism is a genre of art in which the artist reproduces photographic images with such exacting detail that they appear nearly identical. Though Scott was born with his talent for drawing, it wasn’t until he was in middle school that he began to realize the extent of his gift.

“Back then we covered our school books with grocery store bag paper.” explained Jacobs, “I’d draw pictures on the paper book covers and before long all the kids wanted me to draw something on their book covers.”

No doubt his middle school classmates wish they’d stowed away the book covers with Scott’s art way back in the day; today an original Scott Jacobs can’t be touched for under $100,000 – with many valued much higher.

In the middle of Ted’s, surrounded by a sentry of easels, some holding his original works and others with "numbered" reproductions, sat Scott at a table chatting amiably with people who cued up to meet him. Some fans asked him to sign copies of his book The Art of Scott Jacobs – The Complete Works, while others requested he autograph reproductions of his art work available for purchase on canvas and on 2 dimensional tin signs.

Kyle Stewart, General Manager of Ted’s, said he was proud to bring talent like Scott Jacobs to his cycle shop. “I became determined to bring Scott to our store while at the annual Harley Davidson Meeting held last year in Nashville, Tenn.” It took six months of working with Scott’s manager Ron Copple to make the weekend appearances happen.

By the way, it was his friend and manager Copple who, in 1993 suggested that Jacobs paint Harley Davidson motorcycles, which quickly got his work noticed by Harley-Davidson’s Chairman of the Board, leading to Scott becoming the first officially licensed Harley-Davidson artist.

Jacobs seemed to genuinely enjoy himself as he talked with his fans and joked around with Kyle’s father and owner of Ted’s Bill (Wild Bill) Stewart.

For over 44 years Ted’s Motorcycle World has served the St. Louis Metro Area with products and services.

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