A blur here, scribble there. Erase, erase, erase. Paint, paint. Draw, erase and sketch a little line for the final touch.
The James Kaneko Gallery at American River College–opened a reception on Feb. 25 to welcome the art of ARC art professor Craig N. Smith–which will continue until March 12.
“You can see the pencil marks (on the pieces). I can basically see him doing the work,” said business major Jamie Sinclair.
Smith’s work is best described as nature with strokes, scribbles, blurs and blobs, placed on oil canvas. When it comes to looking at his artwork, it looks as if he barely picks up his hand as he draws.
“There’s supposed to be some sort of unity. Everything is supposed to go together,” Smith said of his work.
A lot of gets wiped out, or erased during Smith’s creative process. Gray is visible in some parts, and color is more prominent in others. According to Smith, this characteristic is consistent even in areas where lines are drawn upon on another..
“(My) childhood,” Nand Mahasuwan, a psychology & acting major said while pointing at a painting called “Highway #1”. “That one reminded me of Dr. Seuss. I like the colors and everything. And a lot of these are very colorful.”
The painting and drawings seem have minds of their own, as they take different shapes when they are looked upon for a longer periods of time. Smith says he’s always going back to correct and erase parts of his work, which make them appear more unified.
Smith encourages people to always get a different perspective from different artists for inspiration. And it’s even better when the artist’s work is on campus, available to students for free.
“It makes me all happy and smiley, but at the same time sad because that’s not what the world actually looks like.” Mahasuwan said, “You go outside, the highway doesn’t look all that prettiness and it makes you want the world to look like Dr. Seuss or like Craig N. Smith’s work. It’s very calming.”
The art show goes on until Mar. 12; Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also make an appointment by calling 916-486-8399, in case you cannot go during the open hours.
