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Scrimages, rooted in two stories
The life and artistry of David, and the desire to honor his legacy by carrying his work forward for others to experience
about the artist
The motivation for David W. Smith to launch his career stemmed from his experiences with sailing in his home waters of Rhode Island. His work was also inspired by the rich maritime and whaling history of nearby New Bedford and Nantucket. Though scrimshaw was often regarded as a traditional craft, Smith elevated the medium into a fine art form. His pieces were rendered with remarkable realism, often appearing three-dimensional. His refined etching style and restrained monochrome palette created soft, yet expressive images that reflected his deep respect for the ivory. His subjects were not simply etched onto the surface, but seemed to emerge as part of the material itself. Working with legally sourced ancient fossil ivories of mammoth, mastodon, and walrus, Smith practiced a meticulous stippling technique to achieve fully shaded, highly detailed compositions. His approach was considered distinctly unique within the field of scrimshaw, setting his work apart from others with its depth and technical precision. David frequently drew from photographs and extensive research of wildlife and nautical scenes to ensure historical and visual accuracy. Due to the extraordinary time and care required to complete each piece, his work remained limited in availability and his creations are regarded as valuable and lasting collectibles.
"My work is more narrative in approach. It tells a story."
— David W. Smith
The Scrimages™ Story
For as long as she can remember, Heather (Smith) Zoller would pop her head into her father’s home office to find him hunched over his small work desk, with magnifying glasses perched on his head, black ink staining his thick fingers and classic rock blaring from the speakers. While his scrimshaw subjects were ever-changing, the process was always the same — stipple, fill, wipe, repeat. What began as tiny pin pricks on ivory would slowly transform into shadows of light and dark, creating contour, and eventually, a masterpiece. As a child, a parent’s exceptional talent can be easily overlooked; publications and awards were commonplace in the Smith household. As an adult, Heather recognizes how truly special her father’s gift was — beautiful images etched into one-of-a-kind pieces, each with a history all its own. Now, in his absence, Heather has created Scrimages in an effort to continue sharing her father’s artwork with the world. David's love for the ocean and animals lives on through his daughter too; Heather resides in the seaside town of
Bristol, Rhode Island with her husband and their two cats.
