Scott grew up in Odessa, Texas, where his father was in the construction industry, a vocation followed by Scott. He became a painting and remodeling contractor when he was seventeen years old. His mother was an artist and his parents owned an art supply house. He moved to Lubbock in 1993 to study art at TTU, later living in Austin, Paris (Texas), and Fort Worth before returning to Lubbock where he worked for the National Ranching Heritage Center for 19 years.

Scott began painting in 1978 in watercolors. He moved to Austin in 1995 and switched to acrylic paints for the stronger colors. He also works in pencil and clay mediums.