“Though many of my paintings may appear abstract, I do not consider myself an abstract painter as many, if not all, my paintings are rooted in the human figure. Primarily I just try to organize space in an interesting way with the hope that in the end can get some decent and meaningful pictures.”

Fred Smilde’s background is in classical music. He has a Masters in piano performance from Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. He has recorded a CD, taught numerous classes in Music Theory and given many concerts. While in the Doctoral program at Peabody Conservatory, he decided it was in his best interest to leave. In October of 2008 after roughly ten years of creative inactivity, he began to paint. In the process, he has found the challenges and problems one faces in the two mediums (music and painting) are very similar though the technical means are different. One is faced with the utilization of space (time) to make a comprehensible whole. Structure in time becomes structure in space.



