Original painting ‘Pentimento’ by local artists Gary Ray Smith and Chloe Woods

Part of Garys much loved Claude Decrepney series!

Dimensions (including frame) - 49 x 37.2cm

Gary Ray Smith was born in Essex, where he studied Fashion and Textiles in Southend-on-Sea before earning a Degree in Painting from Chelsea College of Art. He relocated to Cornwall in 2002.

 Much of Gary's work addresses themes of grief and loss, yet his creations, whether painted or knitted, are typically positive, joyous, and celebratory. Angels frequently appear in his work, symbolizing either the process of coping with loss or the creation of a fantastical world for his angelic grandson, Florian. His current portfolio is a diverse blend of painting, knitted textiles, children's book illustration, hand-painted signs, and illustrations for businesses and products. Gary finds that these various projects inspire one another, and his background as a graphic designer influences his paintings, incorporating elements of hand lettering, typography, fairground, and tattoo art. He also has a deep appreciation for "kidlit" art and pop art.

 Chloe Woods studied at Bournville College of Art and has a degree from Nottingham Trent University. After a career in Interior Architecture she reignited her love for painting on her relocation to Cornwall in 2015. Since then she has been working as an Interior Designer, Gallerist and Painter. Chloe became a full time artist in 2025

When Gary Ray Smith moved into a neighbouring studio at Krowji, it didn’t take long for him and Chloe Woods to realise they shared a similar sense of humour, taste in music, and love of storytelling. A chat about AI and Gary’s “scale of handsomeness” experiments for his Claude paintings sparked an idea — Chloe offered to see what Claude might look like as a real person. The following week she brought in the image that became October Wood, which Gary started painting straight away and sold to a collector in the US before it was even finished. Since then, the pair have been creating together, blending Chloe’s layered backgrounds and technical precision with Gary’s bold brushwork and wit. Their shared enthusiasm and laughter continue to shape Claude’s evolving world.

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