ABOUT NOEL SMITH 

​

Noel Smith is a South African photographer and artist living in Durban. His work being inspired by the wildlife he has encountered throughout his life and focusing mainly on elephants, big cats and birds of prey. He specialises in oils on canvas but since a surfing accident in 2016, the likes of which left him an incomplete quadraplegic, Noel has begun to work in pastels in a style not as strong in photorealism but yet more artistic, or maybe not. A leopard cannot change its spots. He is a self taught artist and attributes his abilities to being a God given talent.

​

Much of his passion for wildlife can be contributed to his earlier years spent reading Serengeti Shall Not Die and growing up with an acclaimed wildlife photographer father, who also ran a bird rehabilitation centre from home. Early trips to Hwange National Park and Zimbabwe reinforced in him his love of wildlife, nature and conservation and soon he was teaching himself to paint, at first birds in guache before progressing to acrylics and later to oils.

​

To this day, Noel continues to find great inspiration in the outdoors and has spent many years traveling throughout Africa taking photos. Along the way, he has witnessed first hand the mass destruction of habitat and wildlife at the hands of mankind and this has only strengthened his desire to help through conservation. He sees his art as a way to spread this awareness and in doing so help bring about change and has made it a priority to support conservation projects such as the Wildlands Conservation Trust, WESSA and the David Shepherd Wildlife Fund.

​

Following his accident in 2016, Noel was faced with the fear of never being able to paint again. Overtime, however, with the help of extensive rehabilitation and the use of a hand splint and learning to draw left handed he finds himself once more able to continue his life long passion.