Art inspired by the Great Masters
Tony Smibert's interest in the Golden Age of Watercolour began when he was a student at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School and first encountered the watercolours of the British master, JMW Turner.
Watercolour became a passion and, five decades later, Smibert is not only a renowned painter in watercolour himself, but also a Visiting Artist Researcher at Tate Gallery in London, and internationally recognised for his knowledge of Turner’s methods.
Smibert's unique analysis of Turner's work from the practical angle of a working artist has led to a number of books including The Tate Watercolour Manual, published by Tate, as well as the recent Turner’s Apprentice: A Watercolour Masterclass, published by Thames & Hudson in January 2020.
Drawing inspiration from The Masters while bringing his own expression to watercolour and more recently, acrylic, has led to the signature style of his works - harmony of landscape informed by a lifetime study of a martial art based on harmony in movement – giving rise to not only works on paper but also much larger a paintings on canvas and board.
