Tony Smibert was born in Melbourne Australia, in 1949. He attended Melbourne Grammar School, the National Gallery Art School and Melbourne State College, then taught art in Victoria for ten years before moving to Tasmania in 1984 to paint full-time.  There he established a studio-gallery partnership with his wife, printmaker, Carmel Burns.

Smibert’s unusual approach to watercolour actually grew out of the study of Japanese martial art. From the study of Aikido he realised that the best way to learn a traditional art form is to apprentice yourself to the best teachers. In the case of watercolour, this meant the great masters and led to his focus on the 19th Century English school - particularly the water colours of JMW Turner (1775 - 1851).

An ongoing engagement with English watercolour and Japanese art has led to Smibert's current approach which brings together elements of East and West.

A full-time painter since 1984, Tony has held more that 40 solo exhibitions world-wide. He has attained a high level of recognition in Japan where he become one of few Western artists every invited to allow their work to be the inspiration for traditional, high fashion kimonos. Most recently Smibert has been exhibiting non-figurative works that reflect his interest in abstract expressionism, while continuing his studies of the Golden Age of English watercolour (1750 - 1850).  Now also painting very large acrylics onto canvas using an approach not unlike watercolour, Tony's current projects include commissions for major corporate collections as well as documentary production and a research and publishing project with Tate Gallery London, based on the life and work of JMW Turner.

Smibert still teaches - through seminars, lectures, workshops, print publications, research and broadcast media. 

Carmel and Tony have two children, Olivia and Grace. The Smibert Studio Gallery, is located just outside Deloraine in Northern Tasmania and welcomes visitors by appointment. Information about art exhibitions, art purchase, workshops, publications can be found on this website.