"Far And Away" - Ken Griffey Jr. Lithograph By Daniel M. Smith From Sierra Sun Editions - Individually Hand Signed By Ken Griffey Jr.

Edition Size: 450 Signed & Numbered

Artist ReflectionsToday, more and more young athletes are entering the professional ranks and that in itself is a tremendous accomplishment. The pressure imposed on athletes in their late teens has left many casualties. The impressive aspect of Ken Griffey, Jr.'s first four years in the majors is his consistency - a quality synonymous with maturity. He is among baseball's elite and only time will tell how great he will be.

Something About Artist:When we speak of a painting, rarely does "photographic-realism" fit as accurately as it does when describing the artwork of Daniel M. Smith. Smith's watercolor renderings are so realistic that it is not uncommon for the viewer to mistake them for photographs. "At first glance it may appear that I possess no distinguishable style, but it is that apparent absence of technique that gives my paintings their photo-real qualities." Smith's powerful ability to create, with watercolors, a painting so flawless in detail and dimension that it will, over and over again, be perceived as a photograph is his thumb print in the art world today. "If I took interest in art as a child, it only got serious as it related to football."

To Dan then, and now, art is a means to express his love for the game. It is clear, however, one would not exist without the other. During sixteen seasons on the gridiron, two of which were played as offensive tackle for the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, his dedication did not once vacillate. His first formal art training came in his senior year of college. It was then that he realized he could convey, through the vehicle of art, the same intense love for sports on the field -- to paper. After hours of critical planning, the watercolor paper is penciled in. Next, Smith precisely applies paint, 500-1000 layers, to create the vibrant color and three dimensional form of his paintings. However, watercolors are an unforgiving medium and the smallest error will result in days of painstaking work being lost. In each painting, Smith performs against the odds by finessing his watercolor paints into the tight boundaries of muscle-tensed bodies, intense facial expressions and dramatic split-second action. We cannot separate the artist from the sports enthusiast. But we, as spectators and collectors of Dan's artwork, can celebrate that he is passionate in expressing his love of sports. It is this single attribute which emphasizes his remarkable talent.

Daniel M. Smith graduated from U.O.P. with a major in Religious Studies and obtained a Masters in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He resides in Florida with his wife Kimberley Anne and three children: Danielle - 13, Micah - 12 and Benjamin - 11. Dan's artwork is owned by many of the athletes portrayed in his paintings. Dan's only non-sports painting, Desert Storm, earned special praise from President and Mrs. Bush and wall-space in the most prominent home in America of the White House.