If it is anything to do with art - you name it, Chiwun Carlos Smith does it.

For the budding young artist runs a shop selling photography and tourist gifts called Island Gift Market in St. George's at the same time as a graphic design company, Blotgraphix, which operates in both Bermuda and Toronto, Canada.

In fact, there are not many mediums Mr. Smith does not work in. He's doing everything from photography to brand identity and even web design.

He first became interested in art at a young age when he discovered a natural talent for it.

"I have always had a natural talent for it," he said.

"Since I could pick up a pencil, all I wanted to do was just draw.

"My first love was actually architecture and then I got into the graphic design side of it."

Mr. Smith started out by doing T-shirt designs promoting tennis events in his first year at college before moving on to making prints for tourists and then setting up his own small business store in St. George's in 2002 and Blotgraphix the following year.

"I do everything from business cards to stationary items and with that I formed Blotgraphix, and the idea was a one-stop shop for everyone's needs," he said.

"You can get all of your things done in one hit, including flash media applications for your website.

"At the moment, I am really busy with my photography and have done a lot of shots in St. George's, largely based on the architecture here."

Among some of the items stocked in his shop are shirts, mousepads, postcards and other souvenirs focusing on scenes of Island life and architecture and are snapped up by tourist ships, hotels and gift stores, while he is also keen to provide job opportunities and resources to up-and-coming Bermudian graphic designers on the design side of the business.

"Things have gone really well since we started and actually I have got another full-time employee and contract worker that work with us," he said.

"I have been doing a lot of websites for the local community and also for people in places like Toronto, the USA and London.

"Just the other day we got contacted by someone working for CitiBank and we did a flash application for them, so that was really exciting, and we also did the Dreamgirls Bermuda website.

"I like doing anything to do with art really, and I find it applies to both the local and international markets, including designing things like book covers for people in the USA."

Mr. Smith, 26, went to school at Saltus Grammar before graduating with a Bachelor of Design degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in June 2006 and then winning an Applied Art scholarship to study for a Master of Fine Arts and Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, which he will be attending in January 2008 and hopes to complete in four year's time.

Despite having done a majority of his studies overseas, Bermuda is where Mr. Smith's heart really lies and he enjoys designing local products, while volunteering his artistic skills to a range of charitable and non-profit organisations, such as the Wheelchair Tennis Association, Child's Wish, Eagle's Eye International and AIDS Durham, for the design of websites, logos and promotional goods.

He is also a keen tennis player and part-time mentor to youngsters at the Manders Island Tennis Academy, as well as being a member of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, the Professional Tennis Registry (International), Grotto Bay Tennis League, Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club and the Bermuda Society of Arts, in addition to playing basketball and going sailing.

Mr Smith plans to expand his business empire in the future, both locally and internationally, and it seems like the sky is the limit for one so young to have achieved success doing what he loves best - namely art.

He said: "I¹m grateful to the Bermuda community for the support I've received. I¹ve had some wonderful mentors here.

"I¹m particularly thankful to Butterfield Bank and the government of Bermuda who awarded me scholarships which have enabled me to attend university in San Francisco where I will be taught by world class designers and have experience to bring back to Bermuda in the future."

To find out more about Blotgraphix contact 737 2568, e-mail ask[AT]blotgraphix.com or visit the website at www.blotgraphix.com