 |
Wildhorse Gallery |
|
Artist ProfileBrett James Smith |
 Fight at the Falls Etchings |
|
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1958, Smith’s ability to capture today’s sporting experience while hinting at a bygone era makes him one of the top sporting artists. His early introduction to sporting art came from his father, a professional illustrator, who moonlighted as a fine artist and contributed paintings for covers of the early outdoor and western magazines. Hunting with his grandfather also gave Smith a love of the outdoors that would serve as an inspiration for his future works. Initially a fine art major in college, Smith realized that the contemporary art curriculum would not equip him with the background needed to pursue the area that interested him most-commercial illustration. He then enrolled in the Famous Artist School that stressed painting and drawing of the human figure and creating images that tell stories. Still unhappy with the direction of his college experience, Smith left school and began a career as a commercial illustrator. Since the majority of work in this field originated out of New York City, he acquired an artist representative and began working for a wide variety of corporate and editorial clients. After a few years, he decided to try his hand at "easel" painting for the fine art market. The people he had met hunting and fishing throughout the country soon became his subjects. Smith’s intimate knowledge of outdoor sports lends an authenticity to his works. He is one of the few artists who brings an ageless nostalgia to his subjects. By looking back to the early illustrators such as Howard Pyle and N. C. Wyeth for inspiration, Smith easily distances himself from his contemporaries. "What is important in these outdoor paintings is mood, a feeling of how things were and still can be. The idea is to convey the natural ruggedness of the sport without missing the subtle nuances that make the experience personal". Smith's preferred medium is transparent watercolor or oil paints. The subject usually dictates which medium he uses. Oils are reserved for large, complex scenes while watercolors are used when he wants to be more spontaneous. Smith recently ventured into three dimensional art after completing his first bronze, a sculpture of a fly fisherman. Brett Smith also employs the timeless art of etching to create the luster of a classic sporting scene. Although it is a painstaking process, it is the only medium that, when successfully executed, can produce such an antiquated appearance. With over 150 images to date, he knows enough to realize that you never "master" this process but only learn more with each experience. Smith's paintings hang in some of the most prestigious collections throughout the country. His work has been featured in several publications such as Gray's Sporting Journal, Ducks Unlimited magazine, Sporting Classics, Shooting Sportsman, and Double Gun Journal. He has contributed to several books; most recently a reprint of William Faulkner's classic "Big Woods." Smith has been recognized for his work with such organizations as GCCA, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, and many others. He divides his time with his wife Cindy and two children in Covington, Louisiana and Noxon, Montana. |
