Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/27047
Like Father, Like Son Sun Struck, Dan Smith A R T I S T S DA N A N D A DAM SMI T H First Light, Adam Smith BY SAVANNAH BARNES Daniel and Adam Smith are living remarkable lives. Both are exceptional wildlife artists, and since Adam’s child- hood they have shared a strong connection as father and son that only continues to strengthen through their painting. What is remarkable is the genuine friendship between the two and the unshakable—unquestionable—focus each pos- sesses about his work. This focus fuels a discipline that keeps each man at his easel seven days a week. It would be easy for there to be competition between father and son to see who produces the most work, sells the most, or gets in the best galleries. Yet when asked how they decide who will show where, both shrug. “It doesn’t really come up,” Dan says. Both are sought out by art collectors as well as gallery owners and invited to top shows. Granted, Dan’s work commands higher prices than Adam’s and is included at prestigious museums such as the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and www.distinctlymontana.com Western Art, but, as he says with a smile, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I can’t imagine being Adam’s age with the success he has already.” Dan’s journey into fine art began at age 25, when he realized it wouldn’t happen unless he made it happen. Despite his father’s practical advice to become a dentist because of Dan’s skill with his hands and sensitivity to fine details, Dan chose training in commercial art. His career as an illustrator was going well when he heard the call to- ward painting. His natural talent quickly merged with his discipline to paint in the evenings and his passion for the wild creatures of the world. Just a few years later, he began winning conservation stamp competitions run by the Fed- eral Duck Stamp program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1987, his portrayal of a snow goose was selected from a thousand entries as an official waterfowl stamp. The image sold millions of Duck Stamps and thousands of 29