Biography

Biography:   

Artist’s Background  
 
Thomas Smith, Australian Army Veteran was born in 1946 to William (Bill) and Jean Smith at Saltwater, New South Wales, Australia and is a descendant of the Indigenous Tribe of that area, Biripi; His Mother, Jean (nee Bunyan) of French and Irish origin and Paternal Grandmother, Irene Smith (nee Dunn), of Irish Origin. He has a wonderful combination of a very rich culture. 
 
His mother Jean was an accomplished artist, teacher and brilliant fisherwoman. 
 
Although orphaned by the time he was just 7 years old Thomas Smith served for 5 years in the Australian Army (veteran) being promoted to Sergeant at the age of 21. He achieved a very successful corporate and business career and excelled in the academic world, lecturing at The School of Management, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW, Australia, in its Executive Management Program under the guidance of Emeritus Professor John Hunt, OBE. 
 
Thomas had always shown an extraordinary gift in drawing and painting and won his first art competition at just the age of 7 in a drawing competition in his home town of Taree, NSW hosted by the local radio station, 2RE. However, it was not until an accident in 2000 where he sustained a fractured neck that Thomas, as a catharsis to this painful crisis began taking his art more seriously. 
 
Since that time, Thomas has rapidly developed his very own style in contemporary Aboriginal Art/Dot Art, using Acrylic paints beautifully constructed in bright colours depicting his interpretation of the Australian outback landscape and his native area of Saltwater and in the Manning Valley. Influenced by his Chinese born wife Rita, Thomas also developed an amazing skill in producing his own style of beautifully coloured Chinese works. He stated that these works just seemed natural to him; again depicting his heritage links to that country, the flora and fauna, its’ people and its’ earth. 
 
He has also developed a deep passion for his Irish Heritage and his only landscape to date is one he drew several years ago which he calls “Irish Green”; beautifully and colourfully described in pencil on paper, such is his love of Art and his natural talent and diversification. Whilst there clearly is a passing down from his Indigenous Heritage, his 2 patient attention to detail was bestowed upon him by his late mother Jean, herself a wonderful sketcher and drawer. Thomas has drawn on this skill and his passionate Australian History knowledge to capture his interpretation of many Irish/Australian Historical events during Australia’s Colonialism. Hopefully his art will give the public generally and in particular Australia’s children, awareness and more meaningful understanding of Australia’s past and an enrichment of Thomas’s proud cultures. 
 
Thomas’ works also include selected limited print editions proudly hanging in private collections around the world and awareness of this artist’s amazing works is rising fast; having had his very successful first solo exhibition at the Manning Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) in Taree, NSW in 2006; and at a private showing in Shanghai, China earlier the same year.  
 

Thomas’ entire Aboriginal, Irish, Chinese, Australian and some selected other works include his written interpretation (story) and explanation of his Art; a historical fact sheet of his people’s culture through to Australia’s Colonial era and modern day times. 
 
Many of Thomas’ inspirations have come from his family’s history story telling, his own life experiences including, extensive visits through outback Australia and overseas; South East Asia and particularly mainland China and from the thousands of photographs he and his wife Rita have captured over the past decade. 
 
SOLO Exhibitions: 
 
Very successful first solo exhibition at the Manning Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) in Taree, NSW in 2006;  A private showing in Shanghai, China earlier the same year. 
 
Exhibited "Bush Tucker-Lilly Pilli" at Bush Berries Cafe Gallery, Redfern in Sydney, May 2008 and was publically voted the 'Best Exhibited Painting". 
 
Displayed selected works at Western Region, Sydney Uniting Church in 2008. 
 
Displayed selected works at Western International School, Shanghai 2009. 
Displayed selected works at the Shanghai Community International 3  School Hongqioa Campus, China. 

Enquiries for Commissioned work are most welcomed. 
 
We trust you enjoy this committed and truly passionate Indigenous Australian Artist’s profoundly coloured works of Art.
 
Thomas Smith©2000-2013                                                                                 
Saltwater Dreamtime