Edward Robert Smythe Art
Edward Robert Smythe was born in Ipswich, U.K., in 1810 to James Smyth and Sarah Harriet née Skitter. Edward attended the school of Robert Burcham Clamp and had a liking for a military career but his love of art took his fancy. Elected a member of the Ipswich Society of Professional and Amateur Artists in March of 1832 and attended his first meeting on November 18th, where he was probably working under Henry Davy and met many local artist members. In his younger days he had a studio in the Old Shire Hall, Ipswich, where he painted with such artists as Samuel Read, Walter Hagreen, Frederick Russel and Robert Burrows.
Around 1840, Smythe moved to Norwich to study the Norwich School of painting, where he became acquainted with Robert Ladbrooke’s son, Frederick, and is said to have worked with John Sell Cotman but returned to Ipswich some five years later, taking a house in Bramford Road. He married at Ipswich in 1848 — Ellen Bowman of Ipswich — and there, his first child, Edward Robert, was born the following year. In 1851, he lived in Elmswell, Suffolk with his 24-year-old wife, Ellen, and son but later that year moved to 3 Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, where he kept company with his friend Fred Ladbrooke. By 1861, still at Angel Hill, they had more children at Bury St Edmunds: Francis (Frank) Rowland 1852, Ellen Kate 1854 and Mary Emily 1856, their daughter Louisa Jane, died at Angel Hill, Bury St Edmund’s on April 7, 1861, aged three years and seven months. He exhibited at the Suffolk Fine Arts Association at the New Lecture Hall of the Mechanics' Institution, Ipswich, in August 1850, several oil paintings including "Chapel Viaduct, Colne Valley," "A Group of Animals," "A Sketch Ploughing," "Ponies and a Dog" and "A Landscape" and a watercolour "The Ruling Passion strong in Death" and was also a member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Art Club 1886–98. He also exhibited five works at the Royal Academy, including "View in the Colne Valley at Chappel, Essex" and exhibited five works at the British Institution, including "Pony and Boy" and "The Village Blacksmith."
In 1865, Edward was living at 98 Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds, and his wife died at 69 Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds in 1879, aged 52. By 1891, he had moved in with his married daughter Ellen Kate, who had married George Robert Chilvers, a tobacco manufacturer, at Burlington Lodge, 30 Burlington Road, Ipswich, where he died on 5 July 1899, aged 88, and was buried in Ipswich cemetery three days later. Five of his paintings were on show at the Centenary exhibition of the Ipswich Art Club in 1974 — a pastel, "Crossing the Stream" and oils "Beach Scene," "Knife Grinders" and "The Squires Son" and a drawing "Gipsies by the Wayside." Over the years, he has regained some of the prestige that he held during his lifetime, and his oil "Woolpit Horse Fair" fetched £39,650 at Bonhams London auction in 2011.
Mid-19th Century Victorian Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This painting is part of a series of whimsical foxes. For these pieces, Tara has a collection of small toy foxes that she sets up like a still life for reference. I needed a dark background to offset the desert sand and warm hues of the fox, so I added in a dark sky flecked with little stars, Tara explains of this painting. I think of foxes as mystical creatures, leading the viewer to an otherworldly destination.
About the Artist
Desert Night...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jeff Fleming describes his painting style as kinetic impressionism. In this piece, a beagle triumphantly retrieves a stick thrown into the ocean. Jeff started the piece with a pencil sketch on the canvas, then with gloved hands, he applied oil paint using his fingers. Details were later added using brushes. Once these layers of paint dried, he moved the piece to his studio floor. "At this point, I whisked paint in random but authoritative strokes - a speckling technique which replicates water splashing."
About the Artist
Artist Jeff Fleming uses fingerpainting to create exuberant portraits of dogs. Growing up in Southern California, Jeff was first introduced to fingerpainting in kindergarten. He painted through high school and college and won several art awards, including Best of Show in a city wide student competition. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, he went to work as an art director. For the next 40 years, he created print, radio and television ads for a number of top agencies. "After retiring in 2019, the clouds of stress and pressure cleared and allowed me to set my creative energy free," says Jeff. He began developing new techniques focused on the excitement and energy of painting. Today, he uses a variety of methods and tools, including fingerpainting wearing nitrile gloves, traditional paint brushes, bamboo shish kebab sticks, kite string, spraypaint and splattering. While working, Jeff always listens to music, including Broadway musicals, dance music and rhythmic Hawaiian tunes.
Words that describe this painting: beagle, dog, pet, impressionism, Iris Scott...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero displays a stunning koi pond in mesmerizing shades of deep blue and green. Part of his series of paintings exploring ponds, waterlilies, g...
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The area in northwestern New Jersey where the artist lives has a large deer population. This painting is a scene revealing a portion of the yard in the home o...
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A mesmerizing underwater scene comes to life where an enchanting mix of sea creatures, humans, and scuba bunnies coexist in perfect harmony. The submerged world...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Mallard ducks cast their reflections on the swiftly moving water, with a pair gracefully gliding near a third one perched on a log. Dynamic brushwork and palett...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"I'm always eager to find stories to tell," says artist Andres Lopez. One summer morning, Andres decides to visit a beautiful natural sanctuary in South Florida...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
An old-timey frog couple stands together, but they seem to be miles apart. The artwork delves into the profound exploration of human connections, revealing how ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A white horse halts, observing a black dress gently swaying in the breeze. Multiple layers of oil paint infuse the composition with a distinct character, allowi...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jeff Fleming captures a cat in its playful nature. Bathed in a soft morning light, this furry tabby frolics in a field of sweet peas, possibly chasing af...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
Early 20th Century American Impressionist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A slow-moving sea turtle swims with determination, balancing a cupcake on its head. It evokes feelings of solitude, peace, and joy. The artwork, painted over a ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Edward Robert Smythe Art
Oil
