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caricatures posing as some- thing weirdly mysterious and tantalising. Made from a variety of materials including Plasticine, balsa wood, cardboard, wire and even old curtain material, along with battery operated lighting rigs to act as lamp posts, and with candles and spot glows
in the background, Smith says he had completed a major construction job before even a layer of paint touched the canvas! Using oil paints which he describes as "a very evocative and sensual medium," Smith always relishes the smell and intensity of colour that oil allows. His technique is as unconventional as his art, and Smith started work on each painting
6 Dalisaurus Surrealius Resin Sculpture Edition of 150 Height 131/2" £295
by pushing the oils into the canvas with his fingers before moving on to smaller
brush sizes until the detail starts to appear. Staining effects were achieved using transparent glazes of colour while copious amounts of scrunched cling-film added an interesting texture. Sponges, rags and brushes were used to finesse areas while the crisp edges were given a thin layer of linseed oil, rubbed and then wiped off to help with the movement of the brush across the surface. “It's this process that has taken me so long to master and the thrill is turning a mass of colours and shapes into a picture locked in the imagination” says Smith – a feat which he has achieved on a grand scale in Bloodlines . Writing the storyline for the plots of each Bloodlines painting gave Smith almost as much pleasure as coming up with the names. “Now that was great fun!” From the purple and black sinister images of the avaricious The Rampant Jekylled
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Just some of the stages Smith goes through to create his masterpieces
7 Agatha’s Watson Wriggler Canvas edition of 150 Image 26" x 161/4" Framed £450
8 Mysterious Count
Carpathian Von Porl Canvas edition of 150
Image 26" x 161/4" Framed £450
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN 2013
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