“Land and Air is the title I have chosen for this collection of paintings from the past two years. The name refers to the places in the natural world and my many interactions with wildlife, in this case birds. In these moments, I found truth and beauty in this world, and the artwork is my reflection on these interactions between special places and fauna.

After retiring from the classroom two years ago and spending my career indoors, I felt a rejuvenated pull to the outdoors. Perhaps out of nostalgia or maybe for some needed reflection time - I made priority of long, daily walks outdoors. My extended walks allowed for a reconnection with the natural world and to rekindle a kinship I had not fully experienced since my childhood exploring the woods and waters of Central Georgia.

My muse for the paintings are moments in time captured from my numerous explorations of Jekyll Island and the surrounding marshes and tidal creeks. The bird renderings are a combination of fleeting moments of serendipity while others represent a series of repeated interactions with a diversity of birds ranging from migratory songbirds to year-round avian residents. My images represent my attempts to not just to record, but also to communicate those moments in time where the interaction of self and experience created an urge - if not an obligation as an artist, to share those moments through the visual language of art. Through this collection of paintings, I share these moments of zen with you. I hope you enjoy Land and Air.”

-Robert Smith