Brian Smyth facts for kids
Brian Smyth is a talented Irish painter, born in Cork in 1967. He creates "figurative art," which means his paintings often show people or objects in a realistic way. Brian studied art at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork. He focused on painting and earned a special degree in art and design in 1995. He also learned about printmaking, video, and photography.
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Early Art Shows
In 2000, Brian Smyth showed his art at the Lavit Gallery. He exhibited alongside two other artists, Tom Climent and Martin Finnin. A writer named Jo Allen said his paintings were "pleasing to the eye."
Another writer, Mark Ewart from The Irish Times, noticed that Brian's paintings used soft, muted colors. He described Brian's work as "nostalgic," meaning it made people think of the past. Mark Ewart also said that Brian's paintings of people were very "atmospheric," creating a special mood.
First Solo Exhibition
Brian Smyth had his very first solo art show in November 2001. It was at the Blue Leaf Gallery in Fairview. He showed about 25 oil paintings, many of them portraits.
For his paintings, Brian found inspiration in movie scenes, his girlfriend, and even famous portraits by old masters like Titian, Klimt, and Rembrandt. He focused on how light and shadows worked in his art. Brian wanted his style to feel "timeless," like it could fit into any era.
Choosing Other Artists
In 2008, Brian Smyth helped organize an art show at the Lavit Gallery called Brian Smyth Selects. He chose five other artists who, like him, painted in a realistic style. These artists were Patrick Cashin, Mary Clancy, Philip Lindey, Stephen Murphy, and Jennifer O’Connor.
Studying and Teaching in Florence
At the start of 2012, Brian Smyth moved to Florence, Italy. He went to study at the Angel Academy of Art. There, he worked with teachers like John Michael Angel and Jered Wosnicki.
Brian spent time drawing and painting directly from real-life models. This helped him make his art even more realistic. He also started painting "still life" pictures, which are paintings of objects like fruit or flowers. This allowed him to experiment more with colors.
Becoming an Instructor
Starting in 2013, Brian Smyth began helping other students at the Angel Academy. He taught them special drawing techniques.
By September 2014, Brian became a full instructor at the Angel Academy. He taught new students how to draw people from life.
Exhibitions Around the World
Brian Smyth's artwork has been shown in many places. In Ireland, you could see his paintings at the Lavit Gallery and Buckley Fine Art in Cork, and the Oisin Gallery in Dublin.
His art has also traveled to the UK, where it was shown at the Red Rag Gallery. Beyond that, his work has been exhibited in cities like New York and Chicago in the United States, and even in Switzerland.
