THORNTOWN — An extraordinary evening of art and conversation with renowned Master Painter Jerry Smith is planned 5-8 p.m. April 3.
The Sugar Creek Art Center, 127 S. Pearl St., Thorntown, will host a solo exhibition of the Crawfordsville resident’s stunning watercolor paintings. The evening will include wine, music and refreshments.
The event will offer a unique opportunity to meet Smith, a distinguished Dolphin Fellow of the American Water Color Society, and holder of Master’s Status with the National Watercolor Society and the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society.
Throughout the evening, Smith will be available to discuss his artistic process and technique. As he aptly puts it, “Paint what’s in your heart. Trust your instincts. Paint boldly, like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t.”
Smith knew from a young age that art was important to him, but it wasn’t until later in his life that he was able to begin to explore painting in depth, first as a hobby, then as a full-time career. Learning by taking workshops and by studying on his own, Smith honed his skills in watercolor, oil and acrylic. He is the author of several books. One such book is, “How to Paint Expressive Landscapes in Acrylic,” published by International Artist, a retrospective of his work entitled “Common Ground,” and a book of plein air paintings entitled “Gems of Montgomery County.”
“I know the common advice is to concentrate on one medium if you expect to be successful, but I’ve never been able to do that,” Smith said. “I started with oils and quickly evolved to watercolor for convenience — I was painting on the kitchen table with two young kids running around — and production. I used watercolor almost exclusively for over 20 years, but I always missed the richness of oil paint and the ability to work with thick paint and move it around a canvas. I went back into oil painting about fifteen years ago with a rekindled interest in painting on-site.”
After receiving his degree in business, Smith decided to leave his business career behind and pursue his love of art. He has been painting full time since the mid 70’s. Smith maintains signature memberships in the American Watercolor Society, the American Society of Marine Artists, the American Impressionist Society, the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the International Society of Acrylic Painters, the Watercolor Society of Indiana, the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and the Whiskey Painters of America.
He also is a member of Indiana art associations including the Brown County Art Guild, Indiana Artists, Indiana Heritage Arts, Indiana Plein-Air Painters Association, and is a charter member and Cardinal Fellow of the Watercolor Society of Indiana. He is also a member of the Hoosier Salon and has been included in over 35 Hoosier Salon exhibitions since the mid-70s. He has also exhibited in the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, the Signature Artists Watermedia Exhibition, and the Oil Painters of America. He has been featured in the pages of International Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist, the American Society of Marine Artists Journal, and the Artist’s Magazine.
Smith lives in Crawfordsville with his wife, Cindy and maintains a restored, century old store-front building in downtown Crawfordsville as his studio and gallery. Green Street Gallery is at 119 S. Green St., Crawfordsville, and has hours by appointment.
Admission to this exclusive event is free.
