We were lucky to catch up with Harold D Smith Jr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Harold D, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

About 15 years ago, I had started on an Ed.D degree in Educational Technology. I took the first class and earned an A but it took a lot of time to complete all the reading, research, and writing. Plus, it was expensive. I was teaching computer science then but also making art and knew my passion was art, not computers. So, I made the decision to drop from the Ed.D program and invest the money and time in working on my art practice.
At the time, I was offering my work on Ebay and people were teling me that if I sold my work on Ebay I w0uld never be taken seriously as an artist. So, it was risky.
In the end, it worked out. I was able to develop my own style of painting and build an artistic practice.
Had I stayed with the Ed.D, I would have a degree that I wouldn’t even be using anymore. It would have given me a somewhat higher salary with the school district but my art would have suffered.
Now, I am retired from teaching and painting full time and so glad I took the risk.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I always liked to draw. As a kid, I drew my own comic books…mostly about ants. I also had one called “Fartman”…..it was way before Howard Stern did the Fartman skit on his show. This was in the 70’s. I studied computers in college because I had no idea that art could be a career path but kept on drawing and painting. In the late 1990’s, I began sharing my work and exhibiting at the public library and it went from there.
I am proud to have work in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the Nerman Museum of Art and many private collections across the world. I am proud to have received a Charlotte Street Visual Artist Award, a Pollock Krasner Award, a Studios Inc Residency, Art Omi Residency, MacDowell Residency.
I am most proud of being able to be a mentor to a former student and fellow artist, Anthony “Trey” Loomis and others. Trey was seriously burned as a child in a house fire which has left him with many impairments. Yet, he paints. I exhibit his work and support his art practice. I am also most proud of being able to mentor other artists in the community, especially self taught and artists with disabilities. I was a missionary from 1989-1993, so I guess its a part of who I am.

https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article259671310.html
https://kcstudio.org/the-art-of-courage/

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I hard to unlearn was to stop looking at what art is popular and seeing the achievements of others as goals for myself. I found that it would often influence my work. I learned early on that each artist has a different path and audience and success is not measured by sales or accolades.
It was bout 22 years ago and I just had to let go of what I thought artistic success was and be totally okay with having an audience of only myself for my work.
Along with that, I had to simply get rid of folks in my circle that were not supportive with comments like “Why don’t you paint this or why don’t you paint that?”. I just cut them all off and kept it moving. The smartest choice I made.
People are not looking for the next Picasso, Basquiat, or Frida Kahlo. People are looking for the first “you”. I had to learn that. I found that the art I am often afraid to make is what I should be making.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

My view on NFTs is like my view on music. I grew up with albums and groupings of songs that go together. I still got a turntable and listen to entire albums when I can.
There is nothing wrong with one-offs and singles and streaming music. Its just not my thing..
I feel the same way about NFTs.
Nothing wrong with them and I consider them art. Just not my kind of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.haroldsmithstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroldsmithart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaroldSmithArtist