Brett Smith is dedicated to capturing today's sporting experience with yesterday's sense of adventure. Born on March 19, 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Smith was introduced early in his life to the sporting world by his grandfather who exposed him to quail hunting in the Longleaf Pine country of East Texas. Pursuing his interest, he spent his time hunting ducks by sitting in cold wet marshes and swamps. This activity became his true passion and a great source of inspiration for his later works. His early introduction to art related to sporting themes came from his father, who worked professionally as an illustrator contributing paintings for covers of the early outdoor and western magazines, and moonlighted as a fine artist. Smith is now considered to be among the best in his field. He chooses familiar landscapes and acquaintances he has made over years of hunting and fishing across the country. Sportsmen nationwide collect his work because it is not only visually exciting but also authentic and highlights his intimate knowledge of his sporting experience. He is one of the few artists who brings an ageless nostalgia into his subjects. By looking back to the early illustrators such as Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth for inspiration, he manages to distance himself from his contemporaries. As he puts it, “What is important in these outdoor paintings is mood, a feeling of how things were and still can be. The idea is to convey the natural ruggedness of the sport without missing the subtle nuances that make the experience personal.” Smith’s preferred medium is transparent watercolor or oil paints. The subject usually dictates the medium used. He uses oils for large complex scenes. Watercolors are used when more spontaneous results are desired. Smith also employs the timeless art of etching to create the luster of an ageless sporting scene. Although it is a painstaking process, it can produce an antiquated appearance that cannot be duplicated in any other medium when successful. Smith’s paintings hang in some of the most prestigious collections throughout the country. His work has been featured in such publications as Gray’s Sporting Journal, Ducks Unlimited magazine, Sporting Classics, Shooting Sportsman, and Double Gun Journal. He has contributed to several books, most recently a reprint of William Faulkner’s classic Big Woods. Smith has been recognized for his work with such organizations as GCCA, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, and many others.