The Illustrated Poetry of Crazy Bear

His name is Michael Ray Smith.

He was born in Sacramento, CA.

He is Comanche and Irish.

He was a Marine.

He is a Sundancer.

That doesn't say much about who he is, where he's been, or what he's doing. Or does it?

He has walked many paths in his life and done many things in many places with many different people. He's seen things no man should have to see, and he's seen things anyone would be blessed to see.

His artwork portrays some of these experiences; through his paintings and writing, he attempts to share some of the sights and feelings that have crossed his path these many years. Some of his work depicts the stark realities of his youth and the process of growth he underwent as he moved through the darkness. Some of it represents his sense of humor and the joy he has always felt when interacting with nature spirits. Other parts of his work show the curiosity that's always causing him to look outside himself, beyond his borders. He paints things that make him laugh or make him cry--or both--at once.

His paintings range from symbolic spiritual work to fantasy to shocking reality. Much of his work is very esoteric. Spirit moves him to tell stories with his paintings. His work has had a tremendous impact on those who have walked in that story. Most people see his painting, The Sniper (a painting of an NVA sniper in a bamboo stand, pointing an AK47 straight at the viewer), and say, "Huh?" because they fail to comprehend what it means--they don't feel it. If they watch a 'Nam vet, from the 101st Airborne, view the painting, they'll see some of what they missed by seeing his reaction to it.

His poetry and prose cover a similar range of subjects and elicit like responses. Often, he prefers to present a poem along with a painting on the same topic; he finds it helps tell the story better.

He is a painter, a writer, a sculptor, and a teacher. He is a storyteller, with a paintbrush.