Life Behind the Art: Paul Smith

Once again, we are reminded by the God Almighty that everything that He has created fits perfectly in its place. We are called to believe in His divinity and we are called to serve a purpose in our life. As we go on with our daily routine, as we gather strength to overcome our recent failures and as we continue to entertain the spirit of doubt and discontent, I ask you to take a look at the images here, and most especially, I ask you to take a look at the great man and his life’s purpose behind his great art.

 Images are taken from http://www.paulsmithfoundation.org

More of his art at  Paul Smith Foundation

 This is his story taken from the Paul Smith Foundation

 
Paul was born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921. Although severe cerebral palsy kept him out of school, it didn’t prevent him from having a remarkable life. Never having a chance as a child to receive a formal education, Paul taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific chess player. With much humility and a charming, self-depreciating sense of humor, he became a man who excelled at making the lives of those around him much richer.

Paul spoke of his family and of his upbringing in very affectionate terms. He often recalled boating trips on the Delaware River and, later, to Bermuda. It’s no surprise that he made a couple dozen pictures of boats and ships.
As a young adult, Paul moved with his parents to Hollywood, Florida where he lived until they passed away.
His incredible visualization and calculation skills helped to make him a formidable chess player. Paul would stop doing just about anything else when he had a chance to play a game!

When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn’t press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys.

In other words, his pictures were based on these characters …

@     #     $     %     ^     &     *     (     )     _    

Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He often gave the originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he kept or received a copy for his own records. Be sure to visit the gallery at this site to see images of his pictures in detail. As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble pencil or charcoal drawings. In the sample collection of his work at this site are examples from a variety of stages in Paul’s development as an artist. It’s interesting to see how he gradually refined his use of perspective and coloring, and how his subject matter reflected the events and personalities of the times.

From 1967 until his death on June 25, 2007, Paul lived at Rose Haven Nursing Center in Roseburg, Oregon, USA.
He was, and is, an inspiration for all.

For more information about Paul, and additional samples of his work, please explore other parts of this site or read Chess and Art — Two Expressions of One Man’s Life, at Chessville.com.