Artist. Collector. Nature Lover. Recovering Finance Executive. Professional Destroyer of Vintage Baseball Cards.

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Aloha! I'm Ryan Smith, a self-taught mosaic artist living on Maui, Hawaii, where I spend an unreasonable amount of time cutting up tiny pieces of paper and gluing them back together.

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My love affair with sports cards began when I was eight years old, and I haven't stopped collecting since. I'm especially fascinated by baseball history and its colorful characters. My all-time favorite player is Rube Waddell, a Hall of Fame pitcher whose off-field antics were often more entertaining than his performances on the mound. Seriously, look him up.

Before becoming an artist, I spent years as a corporate finance executive. Then, at 38, I traded spreadsheets for scissors. Some call it a midlife crisis. I call it an upgrade.

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Today, I create intricate portraits using thousands of hand-cut pieces of vintage baseball cards, historical newspapers, and magazines. Babe Ruth from 1930s Yankees scrapbooks, Abraham Lincoln from Civil War newspapers, and Marilyn Monroe from vintage pinups. Researching Marilyn was particularly challenging, but someone had to do it.

Along the way, I've been fortunate to have my work featured by ESPN, CNN, FOX, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. One of my proudest moments was creating a commissioned portrait of Keith Hernandez for his number retirement ceremony at Citi Field.

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When I'm not creating art or hunting for vintage baseball cards, you'll find me hiking Maui's rainforests, snorkeling in the Pacific, exploring nature, or cheering on my beloved Colorado Buffaloes. Go Buffs! Being a CU football fan has taught me patience, resilience, and the occasional need for therapy.

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What I love most about my artwork is watching people discover the history hidden within each portrait. From a distance, it's a familiar face. Up close, it's thousands of tiny stories waiting to be discovered.

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Thanks for visiting! And if you happen to have a shoebox full of vintage baseball cards, please don't leave it unattended.

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