Kovecses Designs Fine Woodworking at Smith Galleries

Smith Galleries is known for fine woodworking and the fine woodworking of Kovecses Designs fits perfectly in the gallery mix. Joe and Karen Kovecses create contemporary ikebana vessels as well as small boxes and bowls. All have a very modern oriental feel. Some of the woods that are used would be termed exotics with bubinga, wenge and zebra being the predominant choices. Curly maple is often used with the clean light wood contrasting beautifully with the darker exotics.

Show is a footed bowl using the woods zebra and winge.

Click here to see a slide show of some of the pieces in the gallery or here to see still pictures. Drop by Smith Galleries (located on beautiful Hilton Head Island, SC) between 10 & 6 Monday through Saturday. The gallery is located in the award winning Village at Wexford. 800.272.3870

Judith Neugebauer Jewelry Exhibition Opens at Smith Galleries

A special exhibition of jewelry by Judith Neugebauer opens at Smith Galleries. The exhibition will be on display in the gallery during May and June.

Judith writes..."A previous career in classical ballet and theater instilled within me a deep awareness and appreciation for movement, line and balance. These are the classical qualities I have always tried to incorporate into my jewelry designs...and in my life.

My work is individually fabricated using sterling silver with an overlay of 23K gold leaf. Many pieces also incorporate freshwater pearls and Australian boulder opals set in 22kt gold. Die-formed hollow elements create visual depth, yet the overall concern with lightness and movement remain central to my approach. A recent development has been the use of oxidized, sandblasted sterling silver with 23kt gold leaf to create an even more dramatic surface."

Drop by Smith Galleries to see the exhibition. Gallery hours are 10-6 Monday through Saturday. Or see the exhibition online

Barry Honowitz Watercolors at Smith Galleries

Smith Galleries is pleased to announce that it now features the largest selection of art by watercolor artist Barry Honowitz either in gallery or online. See a slide show here of pieces currently available.

Barry was a good neighbor of Smith Galleries for several years at The Village at Wexford before he closed his gallery in the spring of 2009.

In 1987 Barry Honowitz moved from Southern California to Hilton Head Island to further his love for watercolor painting. Barry’s work hangs in many corporate as well as private collections throughout the country. Barry is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His background in design and advertising can be seen in paintings and promotional lithographs. He has more than 35 nationally published watercolors with images ranging from waterfowl to Harbour Town lighthouse on Hilton Head.

Smith Galleries would be glad to help you with any of your needs pertaining to Barry's work. Email barry@smithgalleries.com

Gallery hours are 10-6 Monday through Saturday. 800.272.3870

Elizabeth Garvin Jewelry at Smith Galleries In November

Smith Galleries is featuring a special exhibition of jewelry by Elizabeth Garvin through the month of November.

Click here to see still pictures of the entire exhibition or here to see a slide show.

Elizabeth Garvin graduated with honors from New York University in 1986, earning a bachelor of Arts degree, with further studies at Parsons School of Design and Massachusetts College of Art. Jewelry by Elizabeth Garvin is exhibited internationally in many galleries and museum stores as well as home furnishing and design focus boutiques as an example of contemporary design in wearable art.

Her goal as a designer has been to create forms with classic elegance and enduring quality, while intergrating various techniques and at times parting with tradition as a part of her overall design concept. Each piece of jewelry is handmade in her New York studio from sterling silver. Applying various techniques of patterning and finishing, each piece is playfully graphic, yet sensibly made to be surprisingly affordable. Her approach to designing form, engineering movement and developing techniques often draws as much from architecture and industrial design as from the traditional craft of jewelry making. The result is an approach to design that is at once timely and timeless.

Gallery hours are 10-6 Monday through Saturday. Be sure to drop by the gallery or see the show online. 800.272.3870

Pietro Adomo Art is Featured at Smith Galleries.

Smith Galleries is featuring the art of Pietro Adamo as part of a special exhibition at the gallery. See slide show of entire exhibition.

Pictured is a original abstract acrylic painting on paper measuring 12" x 12".

To Pietro Adamo art is ultimately about expression. It is his way of liberating all his ideas and feelings. To realize this expression he has developed the careful and sophisticated language of his paintings.

"I am once again reminded of the delicate balance of all things great and small. Color and texture from nature and simple iconography from my ancestry combine to form the language of my art.
His work is also very much an execution of action."

He loves the charge of creating a piece, working the mediums into unique textures and compositions. Only when the statement is sustained can he step away and leave the painting.
Painting, he says, is very much about the process of discovering problems and then solving them.

Smith Galleries is open from 10-6 Monday through Saturday. Join our E-Club, you'll be glad you did! And be sure to ask about our new Rewards Program the next time you are in the gallery. 800.272.3870

Joan Z Horn Jewelry Exhibition at Smith Galleries

Smith Galleries announces a special exhibit on of jewelry by Joan Z Horn. Smith Galleries is recognized as the area's leading source for fine handcrafted jewelry by American studio artists.

Following are a few words written by Joan about her life and work."In my studio I fabricate each piece of jewelry. I create individual elements from Sterling Silver and 14Kt. Gold, using traditional and innovative hand tools. My bench contains tubing jigs that are like old friends. My metal starts out as flat sheet, round, square and flat wire, and tubing. I solder individual elements together using an acetylene/oxygen torch. I enhance pieces with freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones, making color combinations with Garnet, Blue Topaz, Citrine, Peridot, Iolite and Amethyst. My jewelry pieces are studies in line, color and movement.I love working in my studio, and my hands feel most at home when they have a pair of pliers in them. Tools that were never intended for jewelry lead me into whole new directions. I question my auto mechanic about devices he uses. When the plumber comes for household repairs I inspect his tubing cutters and torch tip. A tube wringer from a dental supply catalog inspires new lines of jewelry. I visualize everything in the world as if it were a piece of jewelry. Musical notes from the sheet music in choir become a brooch pattern. Gates in Barcelona become a pendant. Other loves include riding my bike, baking bread, choir and traveling.I was born and raised in New York. I graduated with a BFA in Metalsmithing from Tyler School of Art, Temple University.

See still pictures of the entire show or a slide show.The show runs through August. Smith Galleries is open from 10-6 Monday through Saturday.Join Smith Galleries E-Club, you'll be glad you did! And be sure to ask about the gallery's new Rewards Program the next time you are in the gallery. 800.272.3870

Kara Raymond Jewelry Featured at Smith Galleries.

Kara Raymond uses the unique patterned metal technique called "Mokume Gane" in her jewelry design. The technique was developed in Japan in the 17th century and it was originally developed to create decorative handles on samurai swords.

"Mokume Gane" is made by stacking 16-22 alternating layers of different metals, approximately two inched thick. The stack is clamped between steel plates and placed in a blacksmith's furnace. The careful control of the heat and pressure results in the metal layers fusing to each other.
The stack is hot forged down on an anvil. The unique patterns are developed by carving down through the layers. The sheet is then rolled down thinner to reveal the patterns. The carving and rolling is repeated many times to create the final patterns. The color hues in the metals are the result of varying the heat, oxidation, and patinas.

Drop by Smith Galleries to see Kara's jewelry or see a few pieces we have in the gallery here. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday.

Smith Galleries has a fabulous E-Club.