The US Open at Pinehurst #2

          Good Morning. In this post you will find pictured above a cell phone quality photo of the paiting as it looks now. Down below is the earlier version, which just didn't quite excite me enough to call it finished. I decided to get a little more sand scrub in view in the foreground, along with two or three other minor tweeks. Can you see them? I hope you enjoy my painting.

           US Opens always draw excitement for me, but this one is different. The news that Pinehurst #2 was going to be restored by Coore and Crenshwaw was such a great surprise a few years back. The Pinehurst brain trust has made a monumental decision and they will not regret this. The course looks like a throw back, has torn edged bunkers, sandy waste areas abound, burnt out turf at the margins and unclean lines. It pulls people 180 degrees from the "green and manicured" that has plagued much of US Golf and #2 for the last few decades.
   
           It has been a pleasure to know Bill Coore personally for the last 7 or 8 years. He is my idol and owns an original painting of mine. His legend was planted at Sand Hills in 1993 for most of us and each course he and Ben Crenshaw took on after that has come on scene looking as if it had existed for a century or more. I had the pleasure of meeting Ben at the Streamsong grand opening and we met while standing in front of two of my original paintings. I surely couldn't have wished for a better scenario. A month or so later Ben had written me a letter endorsing my work. Here is my most recent oil painting of the restoration of the ninth at Pinehurst #2. It is 24x36 and looking for a good home. It is only the 3rd painting I have done not as a commissioned painting in the last 2-3 years. The new look excited me to another level and I knew I wanted to see if I could creates something worthy.

           "For several years I have admired your work and considered you to be among the elite golf course artists in the world. Having seen several of your most recent paintings, I could make the argument that you are the best in the profession. Your technique and style bring to canvas the life, vibrancy and realism of the landscapes you paint. I also appreciate that your work presents golf hole from the golfer's perspective. The holes you paint are actually recognizable to a golfer fortunate enough to have played them! I was very please to see Ron Whitten's recent article on you in GOLF WORLD and am happy to see your talent being recognized by the golfing community." -Bill Coore 

           "We are great admirers of your work. Your paintings are beautiful and I must say that they appeal to Bill and me from that aspect that there is a good deal of impressionism painted so admirably by you." -Ben Crenshaw 

 Enjoy the US Open.

Additional Recently Painted Oils

Additional Recent Oils

Collection of Recent Oil Paintings

Just returned from the Club Managers Association Golf Show in Orlando where I shared a booth with photographer Larry Lambrecht and Book Specialist Larry Hasak. It occurred to me that I was overdue in posting a collection of Recent Paintings Not yet on Website Gallery Page. Hope you enjoy them.

A New Work - The Ninth at Pinehurst No.2

I thought you would like to see my latest painting of the ninth at Pinehurst No. 2. I am excited for the two U.S. Opens at the classic course in June and hope to make it there. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have done a remarkable job in recreating the golf course and taking is back more to the look original envisioned by Donald Ross. Here's my take on the short par 3 ninth.

PS - It's for sale and if you are interested please email me on jcfsmith@aol.com

Waverley Country Club

This will always be a special place in my heart. It was the sight of my first real job, and job in golf. I caddied at Waverley CC for a couple of years and worked in the bag room. It was during this period that the 93' Junior Amateur was held and Tiger Woods defended for the second year in a row and won a Record three USGA Junior Amateur titles. I was among the small crowd that final round and watched as Ryan Armour birdied 15 to go 2 up with three holes remaining. Well, they halved 16 and then Tiger did the unthinkable and made birdie from very difficult sand shot up and downs on the closing 2 par 5's in order to force a play off. He won on the with a par on the first playoff hole, hole 1. This oil painting is the view across the river I would see every time I was dropped off at work. The course has always shined, but never as bright as it has after Gil Hanse and his crew made some modifications just over a year ago. The current course looks like it has been there forever in all the right ways and blends very well with the history and pedigree of the Club. I was happy to be asked by the GM to create an oil painting of a place that meant a lot to me personally. Best, Josh Smith

Home of Golf

In the last year, I took a couple months off from commission work to create a couple of paintings that I was really interested in seeing. One of which is a place I have yet to visit... St. Andrews... but I drew all the passion I have for the place and tried to put it into this original oil painting and create a timeless piece. Interestingly I sold both of my "break from commission" paintings fairly rapidly.

This has to be a subject that I will paint again, I just love the whole idea of it. PERIOD. Best, Josh Smith