Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Smith.
Lee, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I specialize in realistic figurative painting and illustration in a variety of media with an emphasis on ink, pastel, and oil paint. I studied art in North Carolina, Georgia, and California, and have a BFA in painting and a MFA in Sequential art. I have been influenced by a variety of artists from Leonardo DA Vinci, Michelangelo, Durer and Rubens, to Egon Schiele, Odd Nerdrum, Jeffrey Jones and Kent Williams. Art for me is what gives my life meaning and purpose, and a sense of connection to the world and people as well as the artists of the past that have inspired me. I have devoted my life to studying the human figure and honing my craft, with over 15 years of regular life drawing and painting. My goal is to express the beauty and wonder of the human figure and to use it to convey ideas and emotions I can’t put into words.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I spent most of my life up until college in relative isolation, in the middle of the woods in rural Virginia, and cripplingly shy. Art was my way of coping, of connecting and communicating with the world and other people. I think that artists throughout history have created art of the things they desired and loved, from the ancient Greeks to the impressionists, and today.
It’s true for me. By far the main thing I’ve drawn, painted and sculpted is the human figure, especially the female figure. I think that is one reason why the human figure has always been my favorite and primary subject. I draw and paint the things I desire and find beautiful and fascinating. There has also always been that aspect of creating something out of nothing, and creating a 3 dimensional image on a 2 dimensional surface, that attracted me.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Perseverance, dedication and practice are the most important qualities I believe to be a good artist. I think people put far too much emphasis on ‘talent’, a vague and misleading term that ignores the years of practice and study an artist must conduct in order to achieve a level of mastery. An artist should never stop learning and always continue getting better.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I currently have a couple dozen drawings and paintings hanging in a solo show at Comic Book Hideout in downtown Fullerton. I have done live drawing and painting for years in various venues including Disneyland and have shown work in many galleries and exhibitions in Orange County and L.A. such as Avantegarden gallery, the Magowski gallery, the La Habra Art Gallery and the Pancakes and Booze Art Show among others.
I have portrait paintings in private homes all over the country and in various countries throughout the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.leebordonsmith.daportfolio.com/
- Phone: 310383 1944
- Email: lee_smith7902@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leebordonsmith/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeBordonSmithArt/
- Other: http://leebordonsmith.tumblr.com/archive
Image Credit:
All images are by me and copyrighted Lee B. Smith
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