Anthony Smith is a self-taught artist who has successfully established his gallery in Cornwall. Brought up on the Gower peninsula in South Wales he has a great love of the sea and this is reflected in his artwork. He takes his inspiration from the Cornish coastline and paints the essence of the scene rather than actual places. Anthony uses Oriental and Asian papers; working on them with artist’s q
uality water-soluble pastels and crayons, which he uses because of their strength of pigmentation, and also with acrylics. He uses the papers to produce texture in some of his work. His paintings on paper usually have a torn edge reflecting the natural world where there are no straight edges. They offer glimpses of the scene as might be observed on coastal walks. It was pointed out to Anthony that the paper can never be torn in exactly the same way neither can the exact same result be achieved because of the way the pigments work with the paper fibres. This is one type of painting that could not be exactly reproduced. Anthony's work takes the words original and unique to another level. Along with the moon and two figures, which are frequently represented in his work the torn edge has become a signature in its own right. Anthony wants his customers to have paintings that will stand the test of time and so he is constantly searching for high quality art materials. His work under glass is framed with conservation grade materials. The paints he uses have built in UV filters to resist fading. Anthony believes that this is a “Golden Age” for artists because of the quality and range of art materials available and also because the general public has been educated to appreciate the enhancement that artwork brings to their living space. Unusually Anthony is happy to share how he works. He is a natural teacher, making him a popular workshop facilitator. Due to being so busy he rarely does workshops these days, but is employed occasionally by Caran D’Ache the art materials manufacturer to demonstrate their products. At the gallery he is always ready to show visitors the materials and methods he uses. He loves to inspire people to become creative, just as he has been inspired by other artists.
