Preston M Smith PMS
Preston M Smith PMS
Los Angeles, CA, United States
About Preston M Smith PMS
"I paint the light and dark that is within us all." - PMS Artist Preston M. Smith (PMS) found himself cross-eyed and with no depth perception as a child. This was the "lens" through which he developed his unique visual perspective of the world, which he now shares as a painter. Graduating from Gonzaga University with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art/Theater Arts, Preston then moved to Los Angeles where he has since worked for over a decade as a fine artist. Preston’s work can best be categorized as having a mixture of both abstract and figurative styles, many times within the same piece. His colors are bold and his figures tend to be moody, with eyes being a major focal point. Preston’s work has been showcased alongside David Lynch and at the Inaugural Purple Ball for President Obama’s Inauguration in 2009, where he was commissioned to paint 12 portraits of the President. His work was recently part of "Laluzapalooza" at the world famous La Luz De Jesus Gallery and he will be completing and auctioning off a live painting for a celebrity fundraiser for the Bring Hollywood Home Foundation later this month. His work is in private collections around the world as well in the homes of celebrities such as Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Josh Lucas, and so forth. "Through my artwork I am interested in exploring the existential experience of the human condition. I find myself constantly infatuated by “scenes”, almost “freeze-frames” of the human experience and I document, express and share deep emotions and observations that are meant to be cathartic to the viewer. I am not concerned with adhering to specific genres that exist in art; in fact I will sometimes mix many different techniques in the same painting. Rather, my work focuses on expressing feelings of love, longing, confusion, suffering, depression, wonder, nostalgia, empathy, happiness and so on. Though my work many times features strong elements of realism, these “scenes” come mainly from my imagination and therefore can be quite abstract. When I deal with the human figure in my work, I am concerned primarily with emotional content. Eyes are a focal point and I also deal with the appearance of human skin much as I would with fabric. This makes my work stand apart from many figurative paintings. My abstract work explodes from a place of pure emotion, expressed with beauty, vibrant color, and thick texture. I keep myself constantly inspired by surrounding myself with music, literature, movies, and by cultivating my own everyday experiences. I use all of these elements to completely access the present moment, where all true creativity flows from, and which allows ideas to adapt and evolve. This is what feeds my art and helps it to grow and change with every passing day and moment."
Education:
Bachelors Degree from Gonzaga University (1997 -2001): Fine Art and Theatre Arts.
Awarded Kreielsheimer Assistantship (2001): Assistant Teacher to Aritst and Professor Robert Gilmore. Focus on Numerous Painting and Drawing Classes.
Events:
Preston's work was featured in Offbeat Bride, for a PMS Artwork inspired wedding vow renewal photo shoot, June 2017 - http://offbeatbride.com/art-inspired-vow-renewal/
PMS was the subject of a Documentary short film "Negativity To Creativity" by Tony Lugo. July, 2017. - https://youtu.be/cPxGIaHVJdY
Preston was interviewed for Steve Molter's series "Five Questions", April 2017 - https://www.fivequestions.me/interviews/2017/5/16/five-questions-preston-smith
Preston's work was featured in the second issue of Art Muzeo Magazine in May, 2017. - http://www.artmuzeomagazine.com/issue2
In late 2016, Preston created and auctioned off a live painting with Olympic figure skater Gary Visconti for the Bring Hollywood Home Foundation to benefit creative jobs in California.
Preston M. Smith (PMS Artwork) has been commissioned to paint 12 paintings of President Barack Obama for the Inaugural Purple Ball in Washington D.C. (2009) and these paintings now are in the collections of Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Patricia Arquette, Amy Brenneman, Josh Lucas, Il Divo, and more. He has also shown his work alongside David Lynch at a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation where his live painting was auctioned and sold. Most recently Preston's work has been highlighted in Artist Portfolio Magazine for the issue and competition "NY vs. LA" where he was one of only 10 Los Angeles artists to be selected. Preston auctioned off two of his paintings at the Magic Castle for the Bring Hollywood Home Foundation and took part in a prominent group exhibition at the AD Gallery in Beverly, the bG Gallery at Bergamot Station, in "Laluzapalooza" at the world famous La Luz De Jesus Gallery and at haleARTS S P A C E in Santa Monica, California. He most recently finished up a series of PMS Mini Murals for the city of Palms, in West Los Angeles.
Exhibitions:
2017
"Vs." Gallery 825/LAAA, 825 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, LAAA curated.
"Out There" Gallery 825/LAAA, 825 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, Juried by William Escalera and Francisco George.
"$100 Art Sale" haleARTS, 2443 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405, Betsy Enzensberger curator.
"4 Artist Show" Beyond The Lines Gallery, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, Brittany Davis, director.
"Ocean Exhibit" Beyond The Lines Gallery, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, Brittany Davis, director.
2016
"Grand Opening" Beyond The Lines Gallery at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, Brittany Davis, director.
"Coaster Show 2016", La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Hollywood, CA. Matt Kennedy, director.
"Spectrum Gestalt 3", BG Gallery at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue | Space G8A map | Santa Monica, CA 90404, Airom Bleicher, Curator.
"Contemporary Art Show", Conception, LA Mother, Hollywood, CA. Conception events, organizer.
"Live Painting & Auction", Benefit Auction for the Bring Hollywood Home Foundation, Santa Monica, CA. Preston M. Smith (PMS), Gary Charles Visconti, and Jake Hernandez contributing artists. Sharon Jimenez, director.
"Laluzapalooza", La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Hollywood, CA. Matt Kennedy, director.
"$100 Art Sale", haleARTS S P A C E, Santa Monica, CA. Betsy Enzensberger, curator.
2015
"Spectrum Gestalt 2", BG Gallery at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue | Space G8A map | Santa Monica, CA 90404, Airom Bleicher, Curator.
"Group Exhibition", AD Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA. Amy Delaporte, owner and curator.
"An Evening of Magic, Mystery, & Intrigue", Benefit Auction for the Bring Hollywood Home Foundation, The Magic Castle, Hollywood, CA. Preston M. Smith and Gary Charles Visconti contributing artists. Sharon Jimenez, director.
"You Can Touch But You Can't Look", WIZNU Labs Gallery, Downtown Lost Angeles Arts District, CA. Katya Kan, curator.
"Beyond the Lines", Astroetic Studios, Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Brittany Davis, curator.
"Nu Art", WIZNU Labs Gallery, Downtown Lost Angeles Arts District, CA. Kendra Cryan, curator.
"Group Exhibition", Hud Gallery, Ventura, CA. Yessica Torres, curator.
"Group Show", Cause Gallery, Chinatown Art District, Los Angeles, CA Frank Y.Takaki, curator.
2014
"Group Show", 2nd St. Cigar Lounge & Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles, CA Kendra Cryan, Organizer.
2012/13
Celebrity Veteran's Day event, “Group Show/Fundraiser”, Camarillo CA Tracy Saunders, Organizer.
Group Show/Competition, “Trees”, Dysonna City Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Donna Dyson, Director.
Raw Artists, “Solstice”, Key Club, Hollywood, CA. Kaila Yu, Organizer.
L’art Pour L’art, “The Painted Dot”, Think Tank Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Baha Danesh, Organizer.
2011
The Hive Gallery, “Group Show”, Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Romina Gonzalez, Director.
SubSpace Art, “Ground Control”. Culver City, CA. Randi Kristopher Kreeft, Director.
2010
“Chocolate and Art” group show. Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Danilo Santos, Director.
2009
Barack Obama Inauguration, “Inaugural Purple Ball”, 12 original “Obama” paintings commissioned for and featured at event and distributed to varies celebrities such as Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Ashley Judd, Josh Lucas, Amy Brenneman, Il Divo, and more. January 20th, 2009 at the Fairmont Hotel, Washington D.C.. Foad Afshari and Asal Masomi, Organizers.
The Loft, “Pancakes and Booze” art show. Culver City, CA. Tom Kirlin, Director.
2008
The Key Club, “Fundraiser/Art Show” for the David Lynch Foundation. Hollywood, CA. David Lynch and Preston Smith donating artists. Joshua Reed and Erin Skipper organizers.
Colachi Arts, “Group Show” - Manitou Springs, CO. Tina Siegfried, Director.
Celestial Opera Company, “Solo Show”, for Giulio Cesare. Pasadena, CA. Michelle McWilliams, Curator
2007
Colachi Arts, “PMS Artwork” - Solo Show. Manitou Springs, CO. Tina Siegfried, Director.
Infusion Gallery, “Group Show” - Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Jill and Dover Abrams, Directors.