Christopher Smart Reef Painting Blog Get Firefox


Hello, my name is Christopher…
Here in Central Florida three things are a definite..

  • Hot Sun
  • Strong Hurricanes
  • Endless Creativity

I enjoy painting reef scenes and landscapes derived from Old Florida because I believe it can transport us back to a time
when Florida’s eco system was still very much alive and thriving.

Doing this helps me to connect to the flora and fauna, allowing me to understand the importance of its existence. With the opportunity to share my art I am able to convey these feelings to others. Raising awareness of this depleting ecosystem is my main goal. If I can show just a handful of people a beauty they have yet to see, perhaps those same people will appreciate the allure of Florida and join me in protecting her.

When selecting my subjects I think back to a memorable moment while diving, fishing or hiking through Central and South Florida. I know these moments are true when I can feel my heart drop to my stomach in astonishment of what I have found; whether it’s a breathtaking sunset, an exciting experience on the reef or the simple glory of a sudden view. With my work I am trying to create a deep feeling for the experienced environment. With that said, I take a little more time to enjoy the moment as it happens. I also take note of small details such as the ’supporting characters’ of the scene. In the end, I want the viewer to feel as if they have been immersed into the art.
When the viewer can feel the humidity pouring off the canvas and can feel the salt spray on their face, my job is done.

Feel free to check out some of my marine life photography that fuels my desire to create my vivid and inspirational works of art.

Check out some of my previous works or give me a buzz.

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One Response to “About the Artist”

  1. Jim Says:

    I am also color blind and an artist. I think that we color blind artists should form a group and share information on how we cope and create artwork.

    I have tried different techniques over the years and I think I might have a very good idea for us. Black and White paintings look great for the exception of color. Just a touch of color will turn a black and white painting into a masterpiece.

    We can try painting like the old masters used to. Limit our color palette to a few token colors for damage control and to better manage the color combinations. Concentrate on form and composition vs vivid color. This works beautifully! Many of the masterpieces of old are only a few colors. Rembrandt only used Yellow, Black , White and Red for his palette. Think limited palette!

    The old masters painted differently than we do today. They used to paint the entire scene in black and white called (grisalle). When the gray underpainting dried, they would glaze clear colors over the black and white underpainting. It would be like painting in watercolors over a black and white photograph. It worked so well that many of their works still remain unrivaled.

    One more thing about the black and white underpainting, it allows the artist to work out the values better. That is why the light is so incredible in the Old Master paintings. They concentrated on creating an almost theater lighting for their figures. Read up on Classical painting or Indirect painting.

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