Barry Ross Smith

Oil Painting

8 Apr

Barry Ross Smith is an oil painter creating surreal imagery of islands dotted with colonial villas and oversized birds. His works obliquely draw concern for our environment and the after effects of colonialism upon our native species. They feature in public, private and corporate collections across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

New work usually begins with a few sessions in the studio surrounded by books, an iPad and a stick of charcoal, pencil or brush in hand. Often days go by sketching, researching concepts, procrastinating, daydreaming and drinking black coffee.

The ideas come from connecting different images from my lived experience, the stream of consciousness and recent musings - much as in a dream, these disparate ideas form a new concept

"Creating new ideas is intuitive, it means not knowing what you're looking for - but knowing when you see it"