Michael Smither: St Francis in Ecstasy
This second painting of Saint Francis by Michael Smither depicts the patron saint of ecology – Smither’s favorite saint – in a state of ecstasy in the presence of nature. Like many NZ artists, Michael is strongly influenced by the landscape.
Michael Smither: “I Would Have Been a Franciscan”
“If I hadn’t become a painter, I would have been a Franciscan,” is how Christian artist Michael Smither described himself in an interview with the New Zealand Women’s Weekly in 1969.
Michael Smither: “Art Gives You An Emotional Map”
“Art gives you an emotional map of your environment.” Michael Smither 4 Dec 1971. Michael Smither has long been one of my favorite New Zealand artists.