EA Smith, Canadian Born and Cruising the BC Coast

Artist Statement

When I started painting again after what seemed like a lifetime in business I was very critical of myself. Yvonne Maximchuk, www.searosestudio.net really helped me by giving me very basic lessons. I started to succeed when I began painting small artcards. Baby steps and now I have graduated to larger paintings.

I love art and painting because it causes you to look at the world around you with different eyes. Skies are not blue anymore but a combination of blues, purples and yellows. A cloud is no longer just white. Now that I am doing Portraits I look at people quite differently too.

I think anyone can learn to paint and draw. It is like any other skill. It just takes time and practice.

I like to paint the things that I see around me and since we have spent some time with underwater cameras while cruising on our boat the creatures under the ocean have been a favorite subject for me to paint.

The Brian Simons workshop was really inspiring. A very important part of my journey.

Brian has the ability to teach simplicity. He has a very interesting and inspiring outlook on the source of art as being from within our souls. I think I am finally starting to understand why artists talk alot about the spiritual part of their lives. I am now inspired to look towards a higher power in my art. This may be the true source of success as an artist.

Tree of Life

Howard W. Smith, Aboriginal Artist.

Howard was born in Prince Rupert in 1942 and started drawing at a very early age. When he was six his family moved to Ocean Falls where he spent his youth.

His drawing and artistic ability was recognized in school and he was encouraged to study under Len Waylon, Cartoonist. At one point he did a cartoon series for the working man published in the Sinclair papers.

He continues to paint, working with traditional First Nations designs using non traditional methods, and continuing to paint the scenes of the Historical Working BC coast. His subjects are usually historically significant boats or lighthouses. He usually works in water colour and/or acrylic and sometimes incorporates Wood burning into yellow cedar in his work.

Artist Statement

I paint because I am compelled to paint. I always have been driven even when working in the logging camps I would rather sit in my room drawing the daily stuff around me than watch TV and interact with the guys. Usually I ended up selling artwork to the other loggers.

I have a painting in me that needs to get out so I study new methods and get new tools in my skill set so that the one painting will emerge. I dont know if it will but I keep hoping.

You can contact Howard by emailing: hws1942@gmail.com