Andre O. Smith has been drawing since he was 5 years old
You may know Andre O. Smith as a friendly face working at the Kilmarnock Wal-Mart, but his true love is creating art. Even as he returns carts to the store from the parking lot, he’s likely working on the next creation in his mind.
Smith is a contemporary and traditional artist known for creating vibrant digital art and selling prints at the Rappahannock Art League (RAL) Art Center and local farmers markets.
His works focusing on the local landscape and nature will be on display in RWC’s Gallery Hall starting Feb. 1 and will remain through the end of the month.
Smith grew up in Richmond County and started drawing when he was 5 years old. He used pencil, pen and ink – anything he could get his hands on.
“Throughout my life, I have always liked to draw whatever subject I saw that inspired me,” he said in an artist statement. “Currently, I am strongly influenced and inspired by the surroundings of rural Virginia. The nature that surrounds us, as well as the strong nautical influence, is the source of my creativity.”
About six years ago, Smith learned about digital art and started creating pencil sketches and scanning them into his computer.
“I was taking a class at the ITT Technical Institute to learn about graphic and digital art, and I befriended a teacher who introduced me to (what is now) Clip Studio Paint, a digital art app for drawing and painting.
Smith found companies that can print his open edition prints on canvas, glassware, and clothing that he began selling at the Irvington and Deltaville farmers markets.
Now 53 years old, Smith says one of the best decisions he ever made was to show his work at local farmers markets. The community has embraced his designs.
“When I’m creating art, I feel a sense of calm and peace,” he said. “I feel relaxed and focused at the same time. I’m in my element.”
Smith lives in Lancaster County with his wife and 12-year-old granddaughter. He says he only finds about 5-8 hours per week to focus on his art.
“I have a full-time job and other responsibilities. Life happens,” he said.
Visitors to the RWC exhibition will pick up on various themes in his work – nautical (lighthouses, beach scenes, light houses, a map of Chesapeake Bay); animals (eagles, lions, tigers, horses, cats and dogs); floral (sunflower, rose, lily); Americana (Statue of Liberty, eagle); and mystical (skulls, mermaids, headless horseman, Pegasus). His subjects look like photographs in a colorful and sometimes whimsical setting.
In addition to creating his own concepts, Smith also works by commission and can be contacted through his website: https://www.andreosmith.com/
Residents and community members are invited to view the exhibition 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily throughout February in Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury’s Gallery Hall.
