COOL SCRATCHER; LOCAL ARTIST'S WORK ADORNS LOTTERY TICKET.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

When's the last time you were given carte blanche to scratch the artwork of a world-renowned artist, let alone one from Studio City?

Never?

Well, grab that penny because for the holiday season, lottery players can scrape and scratch away on the first California ticket ever to feature the design of a published artist.

The ticket was designed by Studio City resident Jane Wooster Scott, an American folk art painter. More than 4.8 million Holiday Greetings Scratchers, which sell at $3 apiece, feature her ``Christmas Traffic Jam'' painting.

Scott, who was not paid for her lottery design, said it took no convincing to do the work.

``I was all in favor of it because I think the lottery is a worthwhile cause - where the money goes (to education) - not to mention how much fun it must be to win,'' she said in a telephone interview Wednesday from her other residence, in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Holiday Scratcher, which debuted in late October, has become a hit with customers in recent weeks, according to local stores that sell them.

``They love the design,'' said Allen Youssef, manager of Ringside Liquors in Studio City. ``They use it as a Christmas card because it has a design like a Christmas card.''

In a touch of irony, the ticket's name, ``Christmas Traffic Jam,'' depicts a winter holiday scene from a turn-of-the-century American town, complete with horse-drawn carriages, Christmas trees and children playing in the snow.

It's unusual for state lotteries to use published artists in their lottery designs, but this season Scott's work has become the rage, according to the company that prints lottery tickets for states across the nation.

Rhode Island and Virginia also are using Scott's work for their holiday lottery tickets, said Carla Schaefer, director of new business development for BABN, an international security printer and marketer based in Paris.

``I can't remember a time when more lotteries have simultaneously used the same artist,'' said Schaefer, adding that the only other such artist whose work was used by state lotteries is American illustrator Norman Rockwell.

The creative and marketing teams at the Sacramento-based California Lottery came across Scott's work in a catalog and discovered that her work also had been used by the Idaho lottery last year.

``We're really happy with the way it turned out - It's a really beautiful ticket,'' said Cathy Doyle Johnston, spokeswoman for the California Lottery.

Scott, who owns an art publishing company in Northridge called Scott Arts Graphics, has exhibited her oil paintings and serigraphs in Japan, Africa and Europe.

Her buyers range from actors Paul Newman, Carol Burnett and Kirk Douglas to singer Kenny Rogers and producer Aaron Spelling, according to her publicist.

``Since I've lived most of life in California I thought the lotto ticket was appropriate,'' said Scott.

The holidays are the peak selling season for lottery tickets, so state lotteries look for ways to package their ticket in the most appealing way, said Schaefer. ``Our product is the ticket,'' she said. ``And (Scott's) work just lends itself to this. It emits the true holiday spirit and it looks more like a holiday greeting card than a lotto ticket.''

Because it's important for state lotteries to maintain a clean image, they are very selective in the artwork that is used in designs, said Schaefer.

``There's nobody that can say (Scott's artwork) is not the most wholesome piece of holiday spirit,'' said Schaefer. ``It appeals to all segments, all groups, all markets.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) The Holiday Scratcher, which debuted in late October, has become a hit with customers.

(2--Color) SCOTT

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News