March 30th, 2025Artists of the Central Highlands

with Eve Lamb

Kevin Smith’s dynamic talent has made him no stranger to  winning art prizes, including an impressive collection of  the region’s most prestigious. This Little Hampton based  artist currently has a new exhibition of his work on show at Trentham’s Cosmopolitan Hotel.  

Eve: I hear you did nicely quite recently with a certain art prize?  

Kevin: Yes I won the landscape prize in the Daylesford  Rotary Art Show. It was a surprise on the night. It was a local  scene, the Trentham Falls. Petrus Spronk was the judge. I mean  it’s nice but I’m not in it for the prizes.  

Eve: You’ve been a practicing artist for quite a while now haven’t  you?  

Kevin: Sixty years. Since I was at art school. I was 16 and it  was called the National Gallery Art School at the time. It’s now  VCA at the back of the (National Gallery of Victoria) art gallery.  

Eve: But what drew you to art in the first place?  

Kevin: I was influenced by my older brother, anything he  was into, and he was into art. In my early teens I had a good art  teacher at college. The art students were seen as being ‘out there’.  I love the expressionists, especially the German expressionists.  

Eve: Now you’ve got this new show that’s just opened here at The  Cosmo in Trentham, how long will these works be exhibited here?  

Kevin: They’ll be on show here for a couple of months.  

Eve: There’s some fantastic large paintings here. How many  individual works are there in this exhibition?  

Kevin: Thirty-three, completed over the last year.  

Eve: What media do you prefer to use?  

Kevin: Usually oil but this lot is primarily acrylic.  

Eve: Can you tell me a bit more about this recent body of work?  

Kevin: There are some pure abstract, some expressionist  landscapes and townscapes. Some are just fun, like those Ned  Kelly ones. Young Ned Kelly was arrested near here, near Little  Hampton. There are also some social commentary pieces, a bit  political.  

Eve: Have you ever worked in any other areas besides art?  

Kevin: Yes. I’ve owned book stores and worked in the book  trade. My brother and I had a book store in Bourke Street, and  I also worked at the Adelaide Art Gallery. Ran their book store  for a few years. I did all the buying. I’ve also worked at Deans  Art Supplies and also as a stage hand working on sets including A  Country Practice. It was fun for a while.  

Eve: What do you enjoy most about the process of making art?  

Kevin: Just not knowing what you’re going to end up with. Playing with  colour and materials. I play music while I work, usually contemporary jazz.  

Eve: Do you have any significant events ahead that you are working towards?  

Kevin: I’m working on sculpture which will be going into the Trentham Art  Prize at Easter.  

Eve: What’s your subject?  Kevin: Dogs. My little foxy dog Bessie often gets worked into my work. I  don’t think she has for this (Cosmopolitan Hotel) one though. Poor bugger.