Lemons

Oil on board
61cm x 51cm

Steven Phillip Smith was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1974 and has been a full-time artist since 1996, after studying Fine Art at Wigan & Leigh College and Middlesbrough University.

He divides his time between painting outdoors ‘en plein air’ and painting still life and figurative works in the studio. He works in oils from direct observation whenever possible and loves to capture everyday places and objects.

He has exhibited in several joint shows and solo exhibitions and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) and Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA).

He is a member of MAFA (Manchester Academy of Fine Arts) and was elected a member of the council in 2021.

‘Working in oils, from direct observation, I look to capture the everyday world around me.

When painting still life objects I look for items that trigger emotions or memories of certain times, places or even people I know. Some are objects I have collected throughout my life, and some are modern, everyday items that we currently take for granted but may one day look back on with nostalgia. These are often toys, food items and household brands we are all familiar with.

I begin by sketching and working on small, loose oil colour studies of individual items which I want to include in the larger paintings. I will then create a composition using these items to portray a scene or moment I want to capture. Sometimes I will build a set in the studio so that I can work on a painting for as long as necessary until it is completed.

The small studies usually take 1-2 days to paint. The larger Paintings can take several weeks or even months to complete.

I hope that my paintings may reveal to future generations a glimpse into the past, the everyday world as I see it today. I want people to be able to see the colours, textures and details of objects as clear and as fresh as I see them today, even once they no longer exist’.