Ken Smith Art

Ken Smith (ie: me) is an illustrator, painter, graphic designer and college professor, among other things.

And this website is a compilation of my artistic and illustrative pursuits.

I have been a professor of Graphic Design at Radford University since 2008, and I am an avid history buff, designer, illustrator, reenactor, living historian, and a proud native of the great state of Tennessee.

Formerly I was Design Director/Vice President at Whittle Communications, where I designed and developed magazines, books, posters and various other media properties. I was co-founder and Creative Director of Media South, a design and marketing firm specializing in editorial media and corporate branding.

I am a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and the Coast Guard Art Program (where, I am proud to say, I have been awarded the prestigious George Grey Award of Artistic Excellence on four separate occasions). My paintings are featured at both the East Tennessee Historical Society and the McClung Museum in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area museum in Vonore, Tennessee. I hold a BFA (painting) from the University of Tennessee, an MA (illustration) from Syracuse University and an MFA (illustration) from the University of Hartford. 

All that being said, the work you will find on this website spans the years from 2002 to the present, and it represents both commissioned and non-commissioned art. Most of the World War 2 artwork was originally done in conjunction with the board game, Advanced Squad Leader, of which I am an avid, but sporadic, participant. The Redcoat in Tennessee collection was created as commemorative art to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the rise and fall of Fort Loudoun in East Tennessee (during the French and Indian War). The originals of the Redcoat in Tennessee collection are on permanent loan to the Fort Loudoun State Historic Area (where they can be seen most any time). The Victorian Actresses were created as a thesis exhibition at the University of Hartford in 2007 (and are patiently waiting for me to add more to their cadre). The Civil War painting, At First Light, was created for the McClung Museum in Knoxville as an interpretive exhibit for a historical archaeology site at the University of Tennessee. Amongst the other work you’ll find portraits and illustrations of modern and historical military personnel, as well as the beginnings of a landscape collection.

Most of the artwork is available for purchase as limited edition collectors’ prints, and many of the original oil paintings are available for purchase as well. I invite you to follow me on Facebook, and to subscribe to my blog, where I’ll posting some of the back stories about the creation of these paintings. Hope you enjoy it! And thanks for looking.

Ken Smith