We are thrilled for our friends at Wool and Silk Rugs (www.woolandsilkrugs.com) for winning Best Modern Design (in the Deluxe category) at the Carpet Design Awards 2012--with Ford's extraordinary art as their design interpretation.  This award-winning design is the first of 6 to eight that will comprise the exclusive Ford Smith Collection with Wool and Silk Rugs.  Ford's rug (click to view the winning design) was chosen from 211 entries from 26 countries and presented at the Domotex World Flooring Trade Show in Hannover, Germany. Domotex is the leading trade-show for carpet and flooring - it attracted 45,000 visitors from all over the world.  It's the "Oscars" of this industry, and Ford created the art for "Best Picture"!  This will be tremendous exposure for Ford on the global market and we look forward to introducing his paintings to new collectors around the world.  

Interested in acquiring one of these handmade wool and silk rugs for your home? These rugs will soon be available to you, through Ford Smith Fine Art!

Erbil Tezcan of Wool and Silk Rugs in Hannover, Germany winning Best Modern Design
(in the Deluxe category) at the Carpet Design Awards 2012 

 

Dear Art Patrons,

With 2011 coming to a close, now is a great time to wrap up the news for the year and let you in on some wonderful surprises we have in store for 2012.

But first, Ford and I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your continued loyalty, enthusiasm and patronage. Ford's collectors and fans are the primary source of motivation for each painting he conceives. While he interprets landscapes through his own extraordinary vision and talent--with nature being the genesis for his inspiration--it is the attentive viewer who gives an artist true validation and a sense of accomplishment. The ability to intrigue and mesmerize with a shared passion makes each day he paints a gratifying one; this stimulates his imagination and confidence beyond measure. Galvanized by this positive energy, Ford has new ideas that he will be debuting this year to further enthrall you.

Ford painting for the Small Wonders Show in November

This year has been rather wonderful for Ford Smith Fine Art. In addition to exciting and successful new exhibits/receptions that included "Precious Metals", "Oceans '11" and "Small Wonders" among others, more highlights included the debut of our gorgeous art glass featuring Ford's own "Autumn Jewels" with Peggy Karr Glass. We look forward to collaborating on our next glass creation at the beginning of the year. We will be producing a new Ford Smith painting on glass at least once a year, so adding to your glass collection will be like having your own art exhibit. We are currently trying to decide which painting to select for the next release, and let me tell you that it is not an easy decision to make!  

This year also marked the initial production of Ford's new coffee table book entitled, "Dare to Dream". After a production delay this summer (due to significant design changes), we will be making the book a top priority for 2012 with a new release window of late Spring. Once we delve back into it fully, we'll let you know the specific date and book tours to follow. As a result of the delay, we continue to add pages of new and worthy paintings that are brand new and arriving from Ford's easel. The editing of the book to determine which paintings make the final version is presenting it's own challenges, but we're very close to making those "in stone" determinations. Now if we could just ask Ford to stop painting for a couple of months so we could be absolutely certain...  

Recently, we hosted the much lauded "Small Wonders" show at the gallery and it was a smashing success. Ford created more than 30 small masterpieces from almost every series of paintings in his history. Additionally, he introduced brand new techniques developed during his convalescence from detached retina eye surgery over the summer, when all he was allowed to do was "play" in the studio and not use his eye with any strain or focus. The resulting exhibit of "Small Wonders" radiated a definitive freshness and vitality--you could almost feel the pent-up creative energy that he'd been storing. Half of the paintings sold that weekend, and others are still exhibited in the gallery and are available for acquisition until the end of January. Few artists have the unique ability to conceive their large scale work onto smaller canvases, but Ford's small paintings are extraordinarily powerful and captivating.

Our first gallery show in 2012 is simply entitled "Red", and it may very well be the Ford Smith Gallery's most thrilling exhibit ever; a fiery show of original paintings from Ford. Our patrons will experience the color red as they could never imagine. But Ford Smith can. He interprets his distinctive landscapes in passionate variations--red being the central theme. He takes his signature red on a stunning and creative journey as he applies the "Red" theme to the most notable series of his paintings. Guests at the opening reception are even asked to wear red and enjoy an entire event centered on the the celebration of the color. From red cocktails to hors d'oeuvres, the aura of February at the Ford Smith Gallery these romantic and exciting scarlet hues. See the "Events" section for details and RSVP information. 

Another surprise for 2012 is the gallery's collaboration with our friends at the Vinings Gallery for two special weeks. Aptly named, "Trading Places", that is essentially what we are doing for our respective gallery patrons. The Ford Smith Gallery will be transforming the Vinings Gallery into a Ford Smith venue so that their discerning clientele can experience his extraordinary landscapes, and conversely, the Vinings Gallery will metamorphose Roswell's Ford Smith Gallery with a fresh exhibit of art from their famed artists including Thomas Arvid, Henry Ascencio and Michael Flohrs. Each gallery will be hosting a fabulous reception with artists in attendance - Ford Smith in Vinings and Thomas Arvid in Roswell. This event idea was conceived by gallery owners Gary Handler and me (Cristi Smith), and was recently featured in Art World News magazine as a creative and innovative concept for new exposure and industry partnerships. We're very excited about it! See the events section for the reception and exhibit dates in March and April.

If you haven't noticed before, we're social! Please visit us on Facebook (Ford Smith Fine Art) and we now have a blog http://blog.fordsmithfineart.com/  Your viewings will expose you to the "newest" news about what Ford is working on in the studio, gallery events, inside information, gallery specials, general art musings from Ford and much, much more.

Ford and I wish our friends and patrons a happy and healthy 2012, and we look forward to sharing more fine art and inspiration. 

We sincerely appreciate you!

Cristi Smith
Owner/President 
Ford Smith Fine Art, LLC
770-552-5942
10 Elizabeth Way
Roswell, GA 30075
www.fordsmithfineart.com