When it comes to creativity in the Smith household it is a case of ?like father like sons?. Edwin M. E. Smith is an artist who works in acrylics on masonite; eldest son Stefan is into photography; and his younger brother, Micrae, makes paper and works with dried plant life.

While each enjoys working separately, sometimes the trio pool their talents ? both as ?models? and exhibitors ? which is how their third group show, ?An Exhibition of Recent Work?, has come about.

Opening this evening in the Edinburgh Gallery of the Bermuda Society of Arts, the mixed media event will feature photography, illustrations and hand-made paper.

?It is not just an exhibition of art but also a continuing ?father and sons? collaboration,? Mr. Smith senior assures. ?We have enjoyed creating the work, and will again enjoy showing it.?

Mr. Smith, who is a senior lecturer in art and design at the Bermuda College, also notes that, while it is the family?s third joint exhibition, it is the first which is not ?themed? ? hence its title.

He will be showing 12 pieces ? nine photo illustrations, of which three include his sons, and three acrylic paintings. Inspiration for three compositions, ?Cardplayers?, ?Paperboats? and ?Three Musicians? were borrowed from Paul C?zanne and Romare Bearden; Jacob Lawrence; and Pablo Picasso, respectively.

In addition, in and around his Warwick neighbourhood, Mr. Smith has always been on the look-out for something distinctive to capture in his paintings, and this time he found certain ?icons? in various yards which caught his eye, resulting in his ?Khyber Heights? series.

?They are all icons from the area,? he says. ?It could have been something from somebody?s back yard. Every yard is different, but what makes it different?

?There is some orientation ? I have used them as representations of the family who lives there, something that represents individuality in the neighbourhood.?

In fact, one of the series can be found in the current Biennial at the Bermuda National Gallery.

Graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1993, Mr. Smith is a former senior designer with Island Press.

Stefan Smith, currently a 19-year-old sophomore at Andrews University in Michigan where he is studying mathematics and biology, has been a keen amateur photographer from boyhood.

In the context of this exhibition, his lens has found rusty motor bike parts a particular fascination, which he has portrayed as abstracts.

Seventeen year-old Micrae Smith has always enjoyed making his own paper ? a laborious process for which hot sunshine is a superior agent to an oven for the drying process.

?It is a long process,? he admits. ?I have to make a lot of paper in order to select which pieces I am going to use. When I use sunshine I get better results.?

Occasionally, Micrae taps the wisdom and experience of his father, but largely the work is all his own.

That he is on the right track is perhaps best confirmed by the fact that his paper artwork has twice won awards in Masterworks? ?Art in the Park? festivals.

?An Exhibition of Recent Work? continues through September 20. For further information see the Bermuda Calendar.