Self promotion has never been my priority. I've worked as an artisan for my financial means and much of my art has been made in relative obscurity. Friends and artist colleagues have encouraged me to share my work. To this end I participated in exhibitions and created a website for my work: marcossmyth.com. Recently, I upgraded my website and intend to add a "store" to sell some of my work online.
Most of my work is three dimensional. Although I draw and find it useful, sculpting is more satisfying to me. The sensual nature of sculpting is paramount for me as it has always been through my hands that I have understood things. Since childhood my tactile senses were very formative . I was fortunate that some understood this and shared their knowledge showing me how things were made and allowing me the freedom to explore. Tinkering with broken things and figuring out how to fix or repurpose them formed connections that still find their way into my artwork.
My formal education had its difficulties as I had some reading disabilities that were challenging. Becoming an artist was not encouraged and I ended up trying to be something I was not meant to be for many years. It was in college that I understood what my path should be. Still, after embracing an arts education, it took me a while to confirm that experience taught me the most. At this point I began pursuing apprenticeships to learn specific skills and worked with artists I admired. This gave me the confidence to develop my own creative expression.
It seems my idealism got in the way of learning how to work with galleries and make a living as an artist. Fortunately, I stumbled into work as a goldsmith and stone setter. Many of my skills were applicable to jewelry making which afforded me a living and freedom to pursue my artwork. Working as an artisan, with my hands, doing work that is demanding, always varied, and creative, has been enjoyable work, not drudgery. My true love is my artwork, though. It feeds my soul and is perhaps my religion.
For those who are interested in my artwork, look for the relationships between the elements in the form. The materials "communicate" with each other continuing lines, forming negative space and gestures that suggest a creature or motion. Let your imagination inform, and trust your intuition to suggest your own interpretation. What the viewer brings to the sculpture enhances the experience and makes it uniquely personal.