About the Artist

Studied Fine Art in Leeds (UK). Previously based in the UK, Venezuela and Japan, but currently live and work in Switzerland. Have had several solo exhibitions in Switzerland and in Japan. Also exhibited in numerous group shows at various galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.

I have to feel something about a subject to paint it, so my paintings are connected with personal experiences. It often takes time for ideas to percolate in my mind, then to revise & refine them into finished paintings. I am not consciously focused on technique, but I am fascinated & inspired by how artists I admire physically apply paint. How artists develop their own style of representation to represent their ideas is a bit mysterious. I am attracted to the concepts of 'connections & relationships', because they are a way we can understand the world. In both landscapes & portraiture, I have explored ideas such as doubt & certainty, light & dark, stillness & motion, simple & complex. Perhaps because I have lived in several countries, I have experienced how adapting to different cultural perspectives creates uncertainty, but it also leads to curiosity & stimulates creative thought.

If you have any questions please contact me at paulsmithpaintings@gmail.com.