Mark Liam Smith

In Tulipmania, I re-examine 17th-century Flemish floral still life painting. I am drawn to this genre of painting for its inherent beauty and symbolism: flowers representing the life cycle, accoutrements pointing to scarcity, drama, the inevitability of death. For me, within each painting is contained a rich narrative that broaches questions from the mundane to the existential.

Though the themes are universal, the way I express them on the canvas is personal. I am colourblind, which means I have difficulty matching colours on the palette to their real-life referents. Early in my career, I attempted to paint my compositions using local colours. Over the years, however, I have come to view my colour blindness not as a deficiency, but rather as a difference. As a result, I use a hyperchromatic palette in lieu of a local one, creating bouquets and memento mori that, hopefully, build on the tradition of floral still life painting.

Memento Mori

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on canvas, 2023, 76 x 102 cm (30” x 40”)

Magpie and Diamond

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Tulipmania

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on canvas, 2021, 20" x 24" (SOLD)

Blue Lobster

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16” x 12” (SOLD)

Small Sunflower

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 10” x 8”

Five Peaches and an Ostrich Egg

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 22" x 30" (SOLD)

An Iris and an Apple

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12"

Beetle and Oyster

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2020, 14" x 11"

Pomegranate and Saffron

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12"

Scarab Beetle

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

The History of Drama

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

Turtle and Ladybug

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

One Green Tulip

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12"

Peace Rose

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 10" x 8"

Two Tulips (Red Shift)

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2020, 16” x 12” (SOLD)

Two Tulips (Blue Shift)

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12"

UK Bowl

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16"x 12" (SOLD)

Two Peaches

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12"

Homo Erectus, The First Painter

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2021, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

The Judgement of Van Huysum

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on paper, 2019, 17" x 14" (SOLD)

Abundance

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 40" x 30" (SOLD)

The Banquet

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on canvas, 2019, 40" x 60" (SOLD)

Bee and Tulip

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Bumblebee and Rose

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Bumblebees

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Grapes and Spider

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10” x 8” (SOLD)

Grapes and Tulip

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Grapes and Rose

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Lemon and Vase

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

Lemon and Grasshopper

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 16" x 12" (SOLD)

Small Vanitas

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

Snail and Tulips

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 10" x 8" (SOLD)

The Lobster

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 12" x 16" (SOLD)

Vanitas

Mark Liam Smith - Oil on panel, 2019, 16" x 12" (SOLD)