Geoffrey Smith
Geoffrey Smith is recognized for finely executed Nantucket and Cape Cod beaches, sculling views of Boston, and equestrian scenes painted at Saratoga, the Kentucky Derby’s Churchill Downs, Belmont (Long Island) and elsewhere. In sun-dappled environments his horses are animated with fast-moving action at racetracks, in polo games or in the paddock, and his beach figures seem animated in dappled light.
The artist uniquely handles sparkling light as it fuses in and out of nature. Explosions of color, coupled with balanced well-designed compositions intermingle with subtle abstract notes of pigment, helping to give the illusion of sensuous, dynamic and visually appealing natural scenes. Smith also is famous for harbor views painted in Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod and golfing events throughout America.
Smith wanted to become a professional painter when he was a boy. Growing up in Framingham, MA, he exhibited at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA at the age of 15 and became a member of Boston’s Copley Society at the age of 19. Following his graduation from the University of New Hampshire (where he majored in Art and American Literature and was a track and football star), the artist taught painting for seven years and in 1973 won the Prix-de-Paris award in New York City.
As athletic as he is artistic, the artist combines sports with technical ability to produce outstanding pictures. Drama, competitiveness, tension and excitement held within arousing, gripping moments at the track make his equestrian scenes stand out. Canvases of derby races, paddock events and jumping competitions are alive with vibrating movement and when people view Smith’s horseracing scenes they can almost hear the sound of pounding hoofs and the animals’ nostrils.
In 1986 and 1987, Smith was invited by the New York State Racing Association to exhibit equestrian paintings at the Saratoga Club House Show. For years he held “Derby Day” exhibits at the Paddock Restaurant (Hyannis, MA) and was invited to exhibit at the prestigious Kentucky Horse Museum Show and at the DeCordova Museum, Galerie Internationale, Danforth Museum, Munson Gallery, Cape Cod Museum of Fine Art, Doll & Richards, Copley Society and elsewhere.
In the 1990s, in conjunction with the Musuem of Fine Arts and the John Hancock Company in Boston, Smith was commissioned to paint a series of works, including the Boston Marathon, Tall Ships and Boston Symphony Orchestra with Serji Ozawa. The project lasted two years (1992-1994). In 1993, he was the cover artist for the Hyannis Yacht Club Figawi Regatta, and in 1994 his painting of Muhammad Ali was featured at Northeastern’s “Sports and Society” gala. In 1995, Bay Bank (sponsor of the Charles Regatta) commissioned Smith to paint the cover for the 31st Regatta. In 1999, he painted a series of U.S. Ryder Cup paintings for the Country Club in Newton, MA and 2001 his painting of the U.S. Golf Championship at Bethpage Black was chosen for the cover of the book Fine Art of America’s Fairways.
Geoffrey Smth’s paintings are in many corporate collections including Raytheon, AT & T, ITT, IBM, the Pebble Beach Golf Club (CA), John Hancock Company (Boston) and in the notable private collections of Muhammed Ali, Mike Wallace, Art Buchwald, the Kennedy family, Martina Hingis and many more.