Thoughtful reflections on nature.
The Open Forge is the studio of Christopher Owen Smith, exploring the natural world through drawing, painting, and print.
Featured Originals
Charcoal drawing of the native botanical workhorse, Echinacea purpurea. This study explores the stillness of a midsummer stand of coneflowers with soft charcoal passages and expressive mark-making. Part of The Hive collection.
Original charcoal drawing
270 gsm (100 lb) acid-free paper
11 × 14 inches
Signed on the front
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
A larger-than-life honey bee navigates its way between flowers in a spontaneous, minimalist field of expressive floral structure that creates a sense of air and atmosphere—a bold snapshot that celebrates the strength and beauty of our beloved honey bees. Drawn in charcoal and graphite, the marks create a sense of movement while inviting close inspection of form, texture, and light.
300 lb natural white hot press cotton rag paper with deckle edges
20.5 × 26 inches
Original, signed on the front
Part of The Hive collection
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
Reach out via the Contact page with any questions you may have about this piece, drawing commissions or wildlife murals.
Often overshadowed by the bright yellow breeding plumage of the male, the female American Goldfinch has a quieter elegance. This original graphite and charcoal drawing celebrates the subtle beauty of one of North America's most familiar backyard songbirds, resting on fresh vine growth. Part of The Aviary collection.
Original graphite and charcoal drawing
270 gsm (100 lb) acid-free paper
8 × 10 inches
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
Reach out via the Contact page with any questions you may have about original work, drawing commissions or wildlife murals.
PRESS | ‘Artist To Watch’ · MarthaStewart.com
“I am completely obsessed with bumblebees, so of course I fell instantly in love with Christopher Owen Smith’s nature-inspired charcoal drawings. Smith’s use of charcoal is what is truly unique about his work - it gives his drawings a somewhat smudged, almost messy quality that perfectly captures the fuzzy texture of bees’ bodies and simultaneously works to blur their outlines, freezing their swift movements in time. Somehow, Smith captures exactly what I love about bees in his naturalistic but still playful prints; they are chaotic but beautiful, agile, and lively.”
Giclée prints
Balanced atop a large coneflower, a bumblebee harvests from the florets, juxtaposed against the late day shadows. The bold composition combines contrast and soft atmospheric tonal strokes to celebrate the relationship of pollinators in the summer landscape.
Museum-quality giclée print, created in studio
300 gsm, 100% cotton, acid-free paper
8.5 × 11 inches
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
Sunlight filters across the garden as honey bees flit between blooming purple coneflowers in search of their treasure. Soft charcoal dry-washes and expressive line work create an impression of summer heat, movement, and the quiet rhythm of the pollinator habitat.
Museum-quality giclée print, created in studio
300 gsm, 100% cotton, acid-free paper
8.5 × 11 inches
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, this robin lives in a world of earthy corals, grassy greens, and warm yellows. Layers of spontaneous gouache, graphite, and charcoal leave much of the paper untouched, allowing simplicity and imperfection to become part of the composition.
Museum-quality giclée print, created in studio
300 gsm, 100% cotton, acid-free paper
8.5 × 11 inches
Free shipping within the contiguous United States
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