Art

From www.piercegalleries.com/artisits/

Geoffrey Smith uniquely handles dappled, sparkling light as it fuses in and out of nature. Explosions of color, coupled with balanced, well-designed compositions are intermingled with subtle abstract notes of pigment that help to make Smith's nature paintings seem sensuous, dynamic and visually appealing.

The artist is best known for his beach and harbor views painted in Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod and Pebble Beach and for his vigorous Saratoga (NY), Belmont (Long Island) and Churchill Downs (Kentucky) paddock and horseracing scenes and for golfing events painted in courses all over America.

Smith wanted to become a professional painter from the age of five. Growing up in Framingham, MA, he exhibited at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA at the age of 15 and became a member of Boston's Copley Society at the age of 19. Following his graduation from the University of New Hampshire (where he majored in Art and American Literature and was a track and football star), the artist taught painting for seven years and in 1973 won the Prix-de-Paris award in New York City.

As athletic as he is artistic, the artist combines sport with technical ability to produce outstanding sporting pictures, beach genres and marines. In his lively equestrian scenes a viewer can feel the drama, competitiveness, tension and excitement of arousing, gripping moments at the track. His canvases of derby races, paddock events and jumping competitions are alive with vibrating movement and when a people view his equestrian race scenes they can almost hear the sound of pounding hoofs and the horses' nostrils.

In 1986 and 1987 Smith was invited by the New York State Racing Association to exhibit equestrian paintings at the Saratoga Club Horse Show. For years he held "Derby Day" exhibits at the Paddock Restaurant (Hyannis, MA) and was invited to exhibit at the prestigious Kentucky Horse Museum Show. He’s also exhibited at the DeCordova Museum, Galerie Internationale, Danforth Museum, Munson Gallery, Cape Cod Museum of Fine Art, Doll & Richards, Copley Society and elsewhere.

The artist enjoys studying the actions of thoroughbred race horses and jumpers, figures along American beaches, sailing vessels at sea, Charles River racing regattas and golfers at Pebble Beach and other links. Preferring to paint atmosphere to detail, Smith's impressionistic brushwork is energetic and soft-edged. The artist focuses on the nuances in nature as opposed to the narrative and his goal is to capture in paint the essence of what is happening in front of him.

Geoffrey Smth's paintings are in many corporate collections including Raytheon, AT & T, ITT, IBM, the Pebble Beach Golf Club (CA), John Hancock Company (Boston) and in the notable private collections of Muhammed Ali, Mike Wallace, Art Buchwald, the Kennedy family, Martina Hingis and more.