In this update I’ll cover art ordering, recent exhibitions, sold works, ongoing learning (and new works in graphite), and a recommendation for students of the visual arts.

Order your Art Soon / Afterpay now up and running:

If you have an interest in receiving your art before December 25th, we are fast approaching the last days where you can expect to receive your art by that date.  I guarantee nothing - only encourage proactivity rather than anxious deliberation.  As a fun bonus - I have just added Afterpay as a payment option to my site - so you can now pay in four interest-free installments instead of all at once, up front.  Check out what is available here.

Recent Exhibitions:

I send my gratitude to the Mount Baker Community Club for allowing me to display and sell my art.  Thank you to all who showed up, including those of you who purchased paintings.

Thank you also to Gage Academy for displaying my work concurrently - and congratulations to you who bought my graphite drawing of the cranes outside my window.

Sold Works:

The following works have sold in the last two weeks:

Ongoing Professional Education:

Last week I attended mentor and artist Tony Ryder’s portrait drawing workshop in graphite, hosted by Gage Academy, a revitalizing experience (just being around Tony always is).  The class focused on long-format graphite work with a posed portrait model.  In addition to the posed sessions, I typically use the class demo time to sketch (while still listening to Tony, his words washing over me like calm waves on a fine-sand beach).  My first workshop with Tony was in 2002, when I was in high school.  Not only does Tony always have something to teach, he is an inspirational draughtsman, and at this point a trusted friend and mentor.  Also inspirational are the other students - seldom are they professional artists, just people who are on the same wavelength of curiosity that I am of using drawing as a means to explore their perceived world.  It was my pleasure to meet them and draw a few of them too.  Here I share the drawings from both the posed sessions, and the sketchbook in-betweens.

The Ryder Studio:

If you are interested in learning from Tony, he runs his own school along with his wife Celeste (also an outstanding artist and gifted teacher) in Santa Fe, NM.  More details can be found here.  In 2021 I spent six months in their atelier program learning to paint in oil.  Without this training I never would have seen the light I can see clearly now.  I owe all the color I’ve seen since to their program.

Happy Holidays,

David Orrin Smith