Lauded by critics and collectors alike, the art of Gary Ernest Smith resonates in the mind and memory of contemporary America. Over the past years the artist's one-man shows have attracted the attention of collectors from coast to coast. His three year exhibit, "Journey in Search of Lost Images'" hung in 22 museums and institutes across the United States. In an exhibit curated by the Brooklyn Museum of Art, his work toured the New Orleans Contemporary Art Center, San Jose Museum of Art, the Palm Springs Desert Museum and many more prestigious art institutions, Although he must strictly limit the number of commissions he accepts, his mural size paintings are highly prized by corporate collectors.

Gary Ernest Smith was born and raised in a relatively isolated farm community 25 miles northeast of Baker City, Oregon. His interests and intensity for painting began at an early age and progressed through college degrees, numerous commissions and awards to a full time pursuit of painting.

The commission work that dominated the early years eventually stifled his creativity. Dissatisfaction with this career direction forced him to reach inward and search beyond popular style and accepted artistic norms to a personal vision.

Following years of artistic training and experimentation, subject matter began to emerge based on the artist's background of a rural life-style that celebrates the values of hard work and self-reliance. These aspects of Smith's life came together and became the catalyst for his distinctive style. Living in the west, his work is primarily of that region, but it is not western in the traditional sense.

Although it defies precise classification, the artist considers his style "minimal" and seeks to express the essence and simplicity of each subject. Whatever the focus might be, his work expresses the artistic elements of bold form and color. These two components become the vehicle that melds the style and subject into a symbolic visual language, expanding the artistic appeal beyond the west to captivate the attention of a sophisticated urban audience.

Smith paints at his studio and home nestled in the mountains of the Bull River in Highland, Utah. Here he and his wife, Judy, a professional musician, live and work amidst fields, gardens and open spaces. They have four children.

  Eddy Zeno compiled the 2002 biography, "Curt Swan: A Life in Comics," about the artist who drew Superman longer than anyone.  For the past 15 years, he has contributed book chapters, introductions, and magazine articles about comics history to publications ranging from the 2006 book release, "The Krypton Companion," to 2007's "Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor," to magazines like Alter Ego, Back Issue, Comics Buyer's Guide, and Comic Book Marketplace.  Deviating far from the usual Superman-related subjects, Eddy's most recent article discussed the adventures of Reid Fleming: World's Toughest Milkman, an underground feature that began in the late 1970s and continues to this day.

Having learned to draw at an early age from looking at his comics (they weren’t called graphic novels back then, folks J), it’s not surprising that Trevor uses their imagery as subject matter for his more painterly expressions. He enjoys exploring the memories of his childhood and the iconic representation of the characters.

Trevor’s work has appeared in “The Margaret Mitchell Story,” an NBC television movie; on the set of “Radio T.B.S.” at Habersham Community Theatre in Clarkesville; and is on permanent display at Pittypat’s Porch restaurant in downtown Atlanta. His sci-fi and cartoon-based artwork has been sold at DragonCon, America’s largest popular arts convention.

Trevor’s art is currently on display in several venues around the Southeast (including the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Ga., Oglethorpe Power Corp. Tucker, Ga., and the Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum in Marietta, Ga.) as well as in private art collections around the country.

Frequently donating art to charitable fundraising events, Trevor’s work has helped raise funds for worthy organizations such as Earth Share of Georgia, Relay for Life, and the Atlanta Press Club, among others.

He is also the “official fine arts guy” on the Galaxy Man project at Galactic Quest Comics.

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 Photo and bio courtesy and © Trevor Hawkins