Randy Smith began painting as a child, growing up in New Jersey and inspired by his family of artists and fueled with reams of paper to draw and paint on. Now, he is a well-known plein air artist who can be spotted around Charlottesville, regularly painting the local scenery.
“I’m always on the sidewalk. I sit out in front of the Rotunda, I meet everyone, and people sign the back of my paintings,” Smith said. “I interact with a lot of people.”
Smith enjoys and welcomes his interactions with the other residents of Charlottesville, especially students. And just as much, he appreciates the gorgeous scenery that he has the opportunity to embrace and paint.
“The trees over Charlottesville are pretty… the trees on the Downtown Mall are stunning,” Smith says.
Smith’s love of painting as a child was further fueled by a trip at a young age to the Guggenheim Museum where he first saw Van Gogh’s original work on display, an artist who inspires his work today. His passion for art eventually led him to pursue and earn a degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque before he moved on to art-based ambitions in California, New York, and other spots before he eventually landed in Virginia in 1985.
Prior to his work in the heart of Charlottesville, Smith painted scenes from the center of the Brooklyn Bridge, painted around Wall Street and Central Park, and he had his first art show in Manhattan.
Now, Smith appreciates that he can paint anywhere but especially enjoys that he can paint all of the things that he loves, from batteaux and bridges to the university, local restaurants, and bands that he loves right in the heart of Virginia.
To purchase Randy Smith’s paintings you can find him at a Charlottesville farmers market or visit Consignment House Gallery on the Downtown Mall. Smith also currently paints regularly at Firefly in Charlottesville.
I’m always on the sidewalk. I sit out of the Rotunda, I meet everyone, and people sign the back of my paintings.