Collection: Richard Smyth fine art & Boutique

RICHARD SMYTH.                 A BRIEF HISTORY In his own words

I like to do my paintings of automobiles close up and personal sitting in front of them and drawing from life.

I like to call it  " In the Metal!".

Being outside means seeing the interaction of light and shade on the subject.

Sometimes in the heat and sometimes in the cold

but it all adds up to a feeling of being there instead of copying from a photograph.

I say that with caution because the camera is an invaluable tool

for recording all those minute details of an automobile's body.

Ferraris have a natural attraction for me with their beautiful and sensual lines, obviously designed by people with a great passion for what they do!

I was born in England in 1940 while my father was away with the Royal Engineers in France. He was fortunate to escape back to England from Dunkirk with the miracle of the little ships.

Through my father, who was a brilliant civil engineer I learnt perspective drawing.

Sadly, he passed away at a young age and I was sent away to a strict boarding school.

To avoid the regimented existence, I used to "hide out" for many happy hours in the schools Art Studio.

I had a great teacher whose name of all things was Mr. Renoir!

I won many awards for my artwork on prize days!

On leaving school I served a five-year apprenticeship with the Metal Box Company.

MB had offices and studios all over the then British Empire employing many artists as package (food) designers.

A great benefit of my training is that they sent me to art school, the London College of Printing.

My classes for five years were titled Museum Drawing.

This was drawing on the spot everything from prehistoric skeletons to automobiles.

My teacher Leslie Richardson taught me about composition, montage work and pen and ink.

He once said to me" you are here to learn to draw, not paint pretty pictures."

It was a very small class and two of my class mates were Ralf Steadman and Gerald Scarfe both by the way brilliant Pen and Ink Artists who went on to world fame!

 In the early 60s America called as that's where the opportunities seem to lie. I had already studied all the great US magazine automotive artists.

The greatest of all was Art Fitzpatrick known for his amazing Pontiac illustrations!

I was lucky to land a job in Chicago at Anderson Kitzerow studios and later had my own business at first Airbush Arts Inc and then Advanced illustration and Design.

During this time, I studied with David Kimble the noted Cutaway automotive artist

I had the good fortune to go to a talk by Ken Dallison, another fabulous pen and ink artist who had a very great influence on my work.

 To get up to date, on retirement I visited the Kairmont Kollection  in Chicago. For the past three years I have been drawing cars there and last year they published a calendar with twelve of my works

The last three year I have designed and illustrated three posters for Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin plus many private commissions.

Samples of my work can be seen a. richardsmyth.net