Tucker Smith

Tucker Smith lived on a farm outside his birthplace of St. Paul, Minnesota, until his family moved to Pinedale, Wyoming, when he was 12. He began drawing as a child and minored in art when he attended the University of Wyoming. At the time he did not see art as a realistic career choice and graduated with a bachelor of science in math in 1963. He worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst for the state until 1971, when he realized that his passion was art and decided to pursue painting full time. Smith is known for his wildlife paintings but also produces landscapes. He often combs the backcountry near his home in western Wyoming looking for new subjects, believing it is important to depict animals in their natural habitat. Smith’s work places a strong emphasis on the quality of light and he carefully depicts subtle differences caused by the seasons and time of day.