#artist-interview

You can see my art portfolio on www.elenabirkenwald.com. The more recent project of my hand-painted cases you can view in detail on www.birkenwald.art where you can buy the most fantastic art case for your smartphone.

 Nagat will be featured at the upcoming RAW Artists Toronto FUTURES showcase Jan 15th at the Mod Club (722 College St.).  To see the full line-up of artists and purchase a ticket to the showcase visit:  http://www.RAWartists.org/toronto/futures

1. Why do you sell you art online?  I have sold my art in gallery. I feel like many people miss out on art, because they never go to a gallery. Most people don't have the time and many are just intimidated by a gallery. Plus the cost in a gallery is to much, some of the reasons are to be expected. The overhead to maintain that storefront is very large. The gallery must sell our work in turn that drives the prices up. In the past that was really the only way you could buy fine art for your home or office. Today with the Internet not only does it make it convenient for you as a buyer but it drives the cost of the artwork down. Because, you're buying directly from the artist this cuts out the middleman and reduces the cost to display the artwork for you to make a choice to buy. You get the largest selection at the lowest price and you help the artist to sell their artwork.  2. So online is your preferred way to sale your art?  The future of art is going to be in the direction of online galleries. Many storefront galleries have already set up their own web presents. The reason for storefront galleries to go online is to reach a broader market, to offer the buyer the convenience of purchasing online and to reduce their overhead cost. If they are able to produce enough business online you will start to see storefront galleries closing. These galleries will probably begin to add more artist which is another good point for the buyer. But the one thing the business gallery cannot do for you the buyer is to remove the middleman. Why because they are the middleman and if they wish to be in the business of selling art they're always going to have to be the middleman. In turn the cost are always going to have to stay high because they need to make their profit. When you as a buyer by your artwork directly from the artist you're always going to get a lower price. It's the same scenario as when you go to the grocery store and buy your food.   3. Why is art so important?  It's kind of funny how people turn out. As a child I always loved art, the mother would find me standing looking at a piece of artwork. My mother was a nurse and we were invited over to the doctor's house for a Christmas party. The house was decorated in the holiday season and there were kids running all around. I was most fascinated with the beautiful artwork that adorn the walls of his home. I didn't understand at the time but as I got older I began to understand that rich people owned beautiful artwork. When as a young man I was not your typical meek and mild artist type. I played sports basketball and football and ran track. I joined the military and serve my country for over 20 years in combat situations. Yet, I always loved art, and I painted through those times as a teenager, young man, middle-age, and now retired.  4. Why should people own art?  Therefore, you're buying a name and a piece of art that may or may not be beautiful but is valuable. Today more than ever there are artists that are producing some of the most beautiful pieces of art and they are all original. You someday those pieces of art may be very valuable and maybe they won't be valuable. But in my mind the value is not always about the dollars but about your personal attachment to a piece of artwork. There was a picture that hung in my grandparents home for years. It was a beautiful oil painting it was not painted by a master and was not worth a lot of money. But when my grandparents passed away that piece of art work home and my mother and father's home. This piece of artwork had been viewed by me for over 50 years and its value well let's say it was priceless to me. Because I remember all the great times we had in both of those homes in the family get-togethers. Now that piece of artwork is in my home and I am sharing it with my children and grandchildren.  5. Do you have be rich to own fine art?  You don't have to be rich to own beautiful art and for that piece of artwork to be valuable to you and your family. Today more than ever you can purchase artwork online and it will become a family treasure. It may even become a very valuable piece of art, you never know who becomes extremely popular in the art world. Buy art because it's beautiful to you. Place that our work in your home and watch it grow with your family over time. You can buy my art at www.ljsmithfineart.com   6. Why do you make art work?  One facet of being an artist is to create beautiful artwork. The second facet is to have the ability to sell that artwork and to make a living from my art. The third facet is the ability to have my artwork in someone's home so they can enjoy it for years to come. I appreciate the opportunity to have my art displayed in your home and to have it become part of your home and part of your family's memories. You can buy my art at www.ljsmithfineart.com   7. Where should I display my art?  However, sometimes art has a mind of its own. What I mean by that is when you're looking at art and you choose a piece that is beautiful to you you bring the piece of work home and hang it in the location you purchased it for. However, look at it in that placement for several weeks. I suggest that you take it to a different room and place it there for a couple weeks. You may wish to do that in several different locations. This is an experiment to allow you time to look at the art and look at the room it's in and decide which location you like best. Because, you may find that this piece of artwork works better in a different location. Art has a funny way of adjusting to a room and giving the people that live in that home a different feel for that artwork. What I mean to say is that artwork changes by the room, the setting, the lighting and the angle. I have some customers that continually rotate their artwork around their home every three months.  8. Do most people understand your art?  Self-consciously you purchase a piece of artwork for the beauty. That beauty is reflected in any location however, sometimes it just reflected more intensely in some locations more than others. Why do you enjoy a flower arrangement or a piece of jewelry? The pure beauty of the piece is the short answer. Abstract art is like a piece of jewelry it glitters and shines with the proper lighting and in the proper location. You will see something different the more you own the piece of art as it changes with your mood.   9. Is all fine art the same?  Texture and Taste When buying an original artwork, it is important to consider the quality of the canvas and the taste that the composition will bring to your home. All of L. J. Smith’s original paintings and photographs come with kiln-dried stretcher bars and with creamy, museum quality cotton canvases.  When investing in artwork that you want to last through the generations, purchasing pieces that are sold using such quality materials is an important investment.  With excellent taste comes excellent quality of design.  10. Why is your fine art so much less in cost?  My art is all original paintings made by me. I sell my Giclee to reduce the cost. Through high production values, the art available to buy through the online gallery will provide a tasteful addition to your home. Each print carefully replicates the detailed brush strokes, ensuring that fine artwork is available to purchase at a fraction of the cost of original paintings.  With these affordable prices, L. J. Smith’s gallery helps fine art become a universal pleasure, bringing creative expression into any home. You can buy my art at www.ljsmithfineart.com  You don't have to be rich to own beautiful art.  11. WHAT IS ABSTRACT ART?  A further universal quality of abstract art is its ability to blend well with any interior. Abstract prints can provide a striking contrast to a pale wall or add fun and vibrancy to a bedroom, kitchen or living room. Wherever the final destination of the artwork, you can enjoy the playfulness, subtlety and eye-catching design that it will help to bring to that room.  There are also few better conversation pieces than the artwork that you display in your home, and abstract art is surely one of the most unique ways to express a part of your personality. One of the most inspiring things about abstract art is the ambiguity of the subject matter. While L. J. Smith provides intriguing titles for all of his art works, the subject that each picture contains remains widely open to interpretation. Here we consider two pictures from his gallery, exploring interpretations of potential subject matter. In ‘Blast’, one of the most striking characteristics of this piece is the contrast in color created through the central design. One could almost interpret the sweeping brush strokes as detailing the outline of an open jaw or perhaps an interstellar explosion.   12. Why do people see something different in abstract art?  If you want to buy original art work that can stir a range of responses and perhaps catch you off guard with new interpretations that you had never considered, then these fine abstract prints are a fantastic starting place. Taking a closer look at ‘Amble’, the subject matter presented could represent the idea of division, as presented by the use of two distinct color blocks which meet and blend in a central rift that travels across the canvas. The varied effects created by this print in different colors suggest a range of different subject matters for the same print.  In ‘Amble’ in ‘Orange’ we see autumnal hues creating a very seasonal subject matter, whereas in ‘Amble’ in ‘Aqua Blue’ we see a more complex hint of colors in the center and in the top left of the canvas, perhaps reminiscent of a watery coral reef.  13. Why should art buyers buy directly from the artist?  When you as a buyer by your artwork directly from the artist you're always going to get a lower price. It's the same scenario as when you go to the grocery store and buy your food. If you go to a roadside market the fruits and vegetables are always going to be fresher and cost you less. Same works with the artist they do not have to pay someone to market their artwork such as the gallery. You're always going to get the latest, greatest, freshest art directly from the artist. If you want to buy original art work that can stir a range of responses and perhaps catch you off guard with new interpretations that you had never considered, then these fine abstract prints are a fantastic starting place. If you are looking to buy a creative piece to brighten an office or workplace environment, why not draw on the bold colors of pieces such as ‘Blast’ or perhaps the more complex ‘Fire’?  14. Do you have a wide range of abstract art?  Browsing My gallery, I have over 650 pieces of abstract art to choose from. One is struck by the bold range of colors, the powerful brush strokes and the many levels of interpretation. But why does abstract art appeal to us so much in this way? Here we take a closer look at two of my pieces, ‘Impact’ and ‘Zest’, to consider how two distinct pieces both capture the essence of the ‘big’ and the ‘bold’. With these affordable prices, L. J. Smith’s gallery helps fine art become a universal pleasure, bringing creative expression into any home. You can buy my art at www.ljsmithfineart.com    15. How can I make my art display better?  Abstract art is like a piece of jewelry it glitters and shines with the proper lighting and in the proper location. You will see something different the more you own the piece of art as it changes with your mood. TURBULENT, The work of mild agitation with the flow of this work of art. Tempestuous is rising up and will cause a emotion within you. This will demand attention with all who gaze on it. You can be proud to display for all to see. Enjoy this modern abstract print.     16. Why is abstract so different?  Some people just over think the art. For instance look at a few pieces of my work. In ‘Accurate’ or in ‘Plunge’, another of L. J. Smith’s paintings for sale, we are struck less by the bold colors than by the effective use of layering and movement through the brush strokes. The eye is drawn to the dip of the strokes in the center of the canvas, skillfully offset by the white top-layer hanging mist-like over the valley of color Once again, abstract art captivates us through its playful experimentation with form. EXERTION, Abstract Art, There are complex colors and movement in this piece. This will demand attention with all who gaze on it. You can be proud to display for all to see. Enjoy this modern abstract print.  17. Do you have to spend alot of money to have art?  You don't have to be rich to own beautiful art and for that piece of artwork to be valuable to you and your family. Today more than ever you can purchase artwork online and it will become a family treasure. It may even become a very valuable piece of art, you never know who becomes extremely popular in the art world. Buy art because it's beautiful to you. Place that our work in your home and watch it grow with your family over time. Taking a closer look at ‘Intensity’, the subject matter presented could represent the idea of division, as presented by the use of two distinct color blocks which meet and blend in a central rift that travels across the canvas. The varied effects created by this print in different colors suggest a range of different subject matters for the same print.  18. Why do talk so much about cost of fine art?  Everyone is looking to save money, but that is not my main reason. I want people to have beauty in the home and office and price should not be the only deciding factor. Through high production values, the art available to buy through the online gallery will provide a tasteful addition to your home. Each print carefully replicates the detailed brush strokes, ensuring that fine artwork is available to purchase at a fraction of the cost of original paintings. Surreptitious, The work has a type of clandestine feel. Watch as this modern art work will have a hush-hush stealthy magic. It will catch your eye and the eye of many of the beholder. Share the beauty with all that gazes upon the hidden joy. This Top Secret movement in the color form will provide you with an amazing grace. With a brilliant ornamental pleasure everyone will notice every time they enter the room. With these affordable prices, L. J. Smith’s gallery helps fine art become a universal pleasure, bringing creative expression into any home. You can buy my art at www.ljsmithfineart.com  You don't have to be rich to own beautiful art.  19. Is color a main factor in your art?  I have produced over 600 different art prints, many of these are the same design in different colors. I do this because people have told me in the past they liked my design they just wish was a different color to match their room. Nothing is more personal to the individual than color From the tones in our hair to the hints in our irises, color defines who we are. This is something recognized by abstract artist L. J. Smith. In his abstract art, he creates his own carefully-rendered selection of colors to express a range of human emotions and experiences. From warm orange tones to vibrant greens and more subtle blues, his online original art gallery is home to a spectrum of colors all uniquely explored. All my prints are produced on 100% gallery quality acid-free cotton. To protect your investment I've coded the print with the UV protectant, this will assure the colors never fade.  20. Can you tell us how you got started painting fine art?  I want to share with you some personal details. I have been painting for over 40 years. But, I have not been painting continuously for 40 years. Why, because as most of you know life gets in the way. I had a family to raise and I also serve my country proudly for over 20 years in the US military. I first learned to paint from a local artist in my area. He was a retired gentleman that had painted continuously his whole life. By accident, I met this gentleman and we seem to hit it off. He invited me to his studio and I sat for weeks just watching this incredible artist produce some magnificent work. He was never world-famous, but in our community people bought his art. He allowed me to paint in his studio and use his supplies. But more importantly he was there to mentor me and allow me to develop my own art. I have been selling this art now worldwide for the past 11 years. It now allows me to follow my first passion of art work. 

Email- [email protected] for questions or commissions