Matt Smith

by Sarah Judson February 20, 2012

We enjoyed a conversation recently with Matt Smith, PAPA Signature Member and one of the artists who will be demonstrating at the Plein Air Convention near Las Vegas in April. After growing up in Arizona, France and Switzerland, he graduated from Arizona State University with a BFA in painting. Having spent time studying the traditional styles of such landscapes masters as Maynard Dixon, William Herbert Dunton and Edgar Payne, he focuses primarily on the subtle and spectacular landscapes of the American West, from California to the Canadian Rockies.

His website offers three instructional DVDs, including the PBS show Painting the American Landscape. Here is an interview about the synergy between plein air and studio painting, posted on artist/author Mitchell Albala's blog. "My main focus when teaching any workshop is on the fundamentals. When I run into a problem while painting, I can usually trace it back to a lack of attention with one of the basics—drawing, values, design, and color—so it's only natural that I concentrate on this when teaching. I also emphasize the importance of working from life and developing a personal vision and technique."