“My art reflects life as I see it: bright and promising.”
About Me
I am an abstract and pop artist focusing on the conflict of color and texture, finding resolution through perceived movement within the canvas.
“LA: A Pretty Picture In My Rearview Mirror” 2022. NFT available on Foundation
I’ve has pursued the resolution of dissonance throughout my varied career, which encompasses a number of different creative outlets. I create primarily within the digital art space, but my background includes fine art as well as graphic design, film, animation, and 1/1 NFTs.
I was born into an artistic family where my talent was fostered from a young age. But as a twenty-something, I soured on the starving artist path and set my sights on filmmaking and moved to Los Angeles. During my 14 years in Hollywood, I worked with every major studio and network, receiving numerous Broadcast Design Awards. I also created special on-air content for the 71st Annual Academy Awards.
After retiring from the entertainment business, I began rediscovering my love of fine art through the new medium of digital art. I now creates abstract art and pop art from my studio in Houston, Texas with my wife Sebrina Zerkus Smith, a writer and our pug, Lenny.
Tri-Color Valencia 2022. NFT available on TheArtling
About My Art
My art is intended to convey emotion and beauty, conflict and release. Not from familiar imagery, but from colors, shapes and textures themselves. While the canvas as a whole should convey a general sense of emotion, explaining what I intended should be irrelevant. We all have different worldviews and experiences, so the colors and textures will stir feelings in each viewer that is unique to them. Learning how others interpret what I create brings me great joy, and can ultimately inform my own understanding of my creations.
My art focuses heavily on conflict and resolution. This yin and yang is always evident in every component of the paintings, from colors to themes to textures to shapes.
I intend my paintings to be reminiscent of waves crashing on rocks. There is nothing as violent and chaotic as the crashing waves themselves, but the picture and sounds taken as a whole are calming. Within my canvasses, the movement, colors and shapes all work together to bring a pleasing emotion, even though the sharp shapes and spraying, chaotic colors still show the violence behind the peaceful scene.
My main influences are abstract expressionism, color field and pop art. They drive my love of bright, bold colors and emotional expression. Some critics deride these schools, suggesting they are devoid of feeling. But I find powerful emotion and authenticity in abstract and pop art, more than in any other school. Warhol’s obsession with American consumerism, rather than being shallow, is the reflection of the abundance of post-war America–a miracle to an immigrant boy from Poland.
About My Process
My process is somewhat unique. For each piece, I create 6-12 individual drawings, paintings, photos and gradients and layer them onto one high-resolution digital canvas. This creates a painting filled with conflict and competition. I then begin editing and filtering the various layers to find the harmony (or intentional contrast) in the composited painting.
Because of my background as an editor, my process in creating art feels like I edit my works more than paint them. The combining and editing is when I feel most alive creatively.
I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to express myself through art and that people have responded positively to what I create. Each day that I am able to pursue my passion brings renewed excitement for me.
