Jerry Smietanka says his love of the outdoors, and particularly rivers and oceans, began during his childhood, playing on the banks of the Wisla River in Warsaw, Poland. Even as a young boy, he was drawn to the tranquility and beauty of nature – a fascination that would later shape his journey as an artist.
While in high school, Smietanka painted using watercolors, but with little access to painting supplies, he says he didn’t have much opportunity to develop those artistic interests.
Smietanka graduated from college with a degree in economics and soon discovered new talents as a silversmith and jeweler. However, he says that there was a shortage of “everything,” so he left his then-communist homeland just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall and moved to New York to seek a better life.
Once there, he continued his craft as a jeweler, including working with the prestigious Tiffany lines, which demanded precision and creativity.
It wasn’t until a sailing trip around South Florida – his first real vacation – that his passion for painting was reignited. Attracted by Florida’s warmer climate, as well as its wildlife, beaches and waterways, he decided to leave New York.
“I got hooked on the tropics,” Smietanka recalls, adding that he was inspired by Florida’s abundant natural wonders and the reflections of light on the water.
Smietanka first moved to Fort Lauderdale where, under the mentorship of the late artist Carolyn Moline and through active participation in the Gold Coast Watercolor Society, he honed his craft.
Although he continued with his jewelry making – something he still teaches in Vero Beach – Smietanka began to also spend more time on his painting, taking photographs while kayaking to use as a reference when he returned to his studio.
Looking back, Smietanka believes that studying the works of the great masters and visiting famed museums such as the Louvre, contributed to his development. He also doesn’t discount the value of discussions with his peers.
Over time, his artistic career was steered in a new direction, away from watercolors and to the more forgiving medium of oils. He notes that whereas watercolors tend to fade, oils have a long history as a popular and durable medium.
“To paint a good watercolor, you have to have it in your head before you touch the paper,” Smietanka explains.
“It’s an unforgiving medium. When you make a mistake, you have to start from scratch. You can’t cover up watercolor. With oils, you can redo your work; whatever is not working.”
Additionally, Smietanka says, the vivid colors and qualities of oil paints are perfect for capturing the brilliance of the tropics.
“Everyone uses different mediums and paints different subjects,” says Smietanka. “You have to paint what you feel and how your heart is.”
Smietanka enjoys painting with the Treasure Coast Plein Air group, although he admits that as he’s very picky, he is usually the last person to pick just the right spot to paint from.
“I like to paint outside. The changing light outside is a motivation to work faster to capture the moment or atmosphere.”
He shares that he employs the artistic freedom of not always painting exactly what he sees, preferring instead to omit, move, add or even exaggerate elements in his works.
While he does some figurative work, Smietanka says he prefers painting waterscapes.
“The proximity of the water is a very important ingredient. Or maybe it’s because I was born on a riverbank,” he reflects.
Smietanka is also fascinated by clouds, noting that you have to be quick to capture their fleeting beauty.
“Painting clouds in Florida motivates me to speed up my process because I want to catch it before it’s gone.”
Like snapshots in time, Smietanka says he also likes to capture landscapes on canvas that can be looked at 20 years from now to see how they have changed.
Recalling an old building on Old Dixie Highway with a rusty roof, he says, “Despite the hurricanes, termites and carpenter ants, it’s still there.”
Smietanka says his approach is to not sketch his subjects first, preferring instead to directly put paint on canvas to better “capture the atmosphere or the moment more accurately.”
Today, as a member of the Vero Beach Art Club and the Treasure Coast Plein Air group, Smietanka continues to paint scenes that capture Florida’s ever-changing landscapes. His works not only reflect his deep connection to nature but also serve as a vibrant chronicle of the world as he sees it.
Smietanka’s work has been exhibited in various South Florida galleries and shows, and locally through Isola Arts and the Vero Beach Art Club. He says that one of his greatest honors was when a Mexican news media featured his watercolor, “Notre Dame de Paris,” alongside artworks by Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh and other famed artists in its coverage of the fire that destroyed the iconic cathedral.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
