Dick Smyly was born in 1972 and educated at Ludgrove and Eton. A passionate drawer and painter from an early age, he took advantage of his new freedom from academic studies to go and study in Florence the methods of the Old Masters. Upon returning, he set about painting portraits and to date has completed over 250 commissions in Britain and across Europe.

Inspired by some of the houses he visited while painting their occupants, he started painting houses in 2005 as well and has completed around 50 commissions of these to date.

On top of this Dick loves to explore a wide variety of subject matter - these have included a sell out exhibition of wildlife paintings at Will's Art Warehouse in 2001, numerous still lifes and recently he has completed a large painting of a family and their art collection comprising 30 Old Masters and 15 sculptures in the style of the 17th century Dutch Gallery paintings.

He lives with his wife and two children in the Scottish Borders.

He has painted or has paintings in the collections of:

HRH The Prince of Wales
HRH Prince William of Wales
HRH King Juan Carlos of Spain
The Late HRH King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
HRH Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud
HH Prince Karl Friedrich von Hohenzollern
HSH Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
Wafic Said
The Right Hon. Brian Mulroney
The late Sir David Frost
Hugh Laurie
Downing College, Cambridge
Peter Hambro
Marchese Ludovico Antinori
The Marquis of Huntly
The Marquis of Douro
Inveraray Castle
The late Dr Tony Ryan
Chateau Leoville Barton
The Intelligence Corps, HQ Chicksands
The Royal Air Force Club
Lesley Garrett
The Marquis of Lothian
Hagley Hall
Holkham Hall
Sir Win Bischoff
Sir David Tang
Michel de Carvalho
Taki Theodoracopulos
Dame Vivien Duffield