Welcome to the fascinating, magical and offbeat world of Derek Smith! His imagination is boundless, as is his talent in the acrylic paint spectrum, blending colors in dazzling splashes to create truly unique works.
“I enjoy taking anyone who experiences my art on a whimsical journey that stimulates their own imagination in ways they may never have known previously. With no formal training in art, I have no preset boundaries. My imagery may go in any and all directions depending on a whim or sliver of an idea that leads to something worthy of canvas.
His fondness of writing led Derek to pursue a major in journalism at Georgia Southern University, later working for daily newspapers in South Carolina and Georgia. His career also included media/public relations positions at Memorial Health University Medical System in Savannah, one of Georgia’s largest healthcare networks. He won journalism awards, wrote for several magazines and eventually set higher goals for himself. Derek relocated from Savannah GA to Williamsville, NY in 1999. The result of this hard work and persistence was eight published books, most on American Civil War topics, including two novels last published in 2015. Another nonfiction work, based on a Gettysburg topic, is currently in the final editing stages.
In fall of 2016, Derek’s talents flowed in a new direction as he began sketching abstracts and using colored pencils. Being a detail person in his writing projects was an easy transition to his drawing and painting. Today, he enjoys creating whimsical pieces for his viewers to enjoy. Feel free to comment!
