Indelible Fine Art • Brighton

GARY RAY SMITH

Painter, designer, and the creator of Claude Decrepney — a handsome sailor-muse who’s become the heartbeat of Gary’s cult-followed paintings. The work sits somewhere between seaside nostalgia, cheeky British humour, and genuine emotional honesty.

Indelible Fine Art offers a curated selection of Gary Ray Smith originals and limited editions, with guidance on condition, framing, provenance and worldwide shipping.

Painting • Prints Claude Decrepney Oi Oi Sailor
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Gary Ray Smith in studio painting Claude Decrepney
Painter • Designer • Claude
Artist background

Biography & Background

Gary studied Fashion & Textiles in Southend and Painting at Chelsea College of Art. After 35 years in industry, he became a full-time artist/designer in 2024. He’s widely known for hand-knitted designs — and has built a huge cult following for paintings centred on his sailor alter-ego and muse, Claude Decrepney.

The paintings feel like postcards from a parallel Britain: tender, funny, and quietly obsessive — Claude as icon, confidant, pin-up and story device all at once.

At a glance
Known for
Claude Decrepney • Oi Oi Sailor
Background
Fashion/Textiles • Painting
Collecting
Originals • Limited editions
Key work

Oi Oi Sailor & Claude Decrepney

Oi Oi Sailor began as a playful drawing and evolved into one of Gary’s most recognisable series — a world built around seaside culture, desire, humour, and longing. Claude is the recurring figure: sometimes defiant, sometimes vulnerable, always magnetic.

Claude Decrepney Seaside nostalgia Cheeky humour Tender portraiture Cult following

Want the right piece for your wall? Tell us your size/budget and we’ll curate the strongest options.

Gary Ray Smith fine art print featuring Claude Decrepney
Claude
Highlights

Why Collect Gary Ray Smith

  • Instantly recognisable character-led work (Claude) — iconic without trying too hard.
  • A rare mix of humour + sincerity: cheeky, but never empty.
  • Looks incredible in vintage frames — the “found object” feel suits the world-building.

Collectors often start with a print, then graduate to an original once Claude has emotionally moved in.

Statement Narrative Collectable
Press

Features & Stories

Artist bio
Sailors Jail — “The Artist” (Gary Ray Smith)
Sailors Jail Gallery

The core bio: study background, industry years, and Claude Decrepney as muse.

Indelible
Oi Oi Sailor — Indelible Fine Art
Indelible Fine Art

Series overview and exhibition context for Gary’s most recognisable body of work.

Interview
Potter & Beans — “Who is the mysterious sailor boy?”
Featured artist blog

A readable deep-dive into Claude’s origin story and why he keeps reappearing.

At Indelible

Gary Ray Smith at Indelible Fine Art

Indelible Fine Art represents and exhibits Gary Ray Smith in Brighton — with a focus on the Oi Oi Sailor universe, original paintings, and editions. We can advise on the right piece for your space, condition reporting, framing, and worldwide shipping.

For works not listed online, request a private availability list.

Gary Ray Smith artwork at Indelible Fine Art (placeholder image)
Brighton • Indelible
Shop

Gary Ray Smith Works for Sale

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View all Gary Ray Smith works Request condition report

Want a shortlist by budget / wall size? Enquire and we’ll curate options.

Collecting

Request availability & catalogues

For availability, pricing, edition details and worldwide shipping options, contact Indelible Fine Art.

Indelible Fine Art — 9–10 Jew Street, Brighton • @indeliblefineart

A typewritten page with a paragraph about childhood memories and the author's father's advice about art.
Close-up of a typewritten text reading 'by Kitty Smith'.
Black and white portrait of a person with short curly hair, wearing a striped shirt, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression.
A painting of two women walking through water with a hill and castle in the background, surrounded by white flowers in the foreground.
Typed text reading 'Gary Ray Smith – The Artist'
A man with curly hair and glasses holding a young child in his arms outdoors among green plants and flowers.
A woman on scaffolding outside a building is putting up papers or signs in a display case. Several people are walking on the sidewalk in the background.
Drawing of a baby in a walker with a vacuum cleaner attached, labeled "CLEAN".
A painted portrait of a woman with blue eyes, red lips, short light-colored hair covered with a white headscarf, and a red neckerchief. The background is plain and muted.
Page of typed text recalling memories about old vinyl records, moving to Cornwall in 2003, and artwork at Chelsea School of Art in the 1980s. Describes a shop called Claude Decrepney, a mascot called Roger, and a person's early work mixing self-portraits, landscapes, and knitted blankets.
A man with a beard holding a baby with blond hair and blue eyes, sitting on a dark brown couch.
A painted portrait of a young boy with brown hair, big eyes, and wearing a light-colored shirt.
A woman with dark hair wearing a black turtleneck and blue jeans holding a baby dressed in white, with the baby wearing a black hat with white polka dots, in an indoor setting.
Typed text about personal growth, family, and pursuing art, mentioning a son, knitting, YouTube, and being an artist.
A hand-drawn sketch of two young children with angel wings, standing with crossed arms, wearing only underwear.
A man smiling while carrying a young child on his shoulders outdoors on a cloudy day.
A young boy with blond hair smiling while holding a colorful, woven textile or blanket outdoors in front of greenery.
A watercolor illustration of a woman with long hair wearing a striped shirt and jeans, pushing a stroller with a small child. The text at the bottom reads 'Long Hair Don't Care' and there is handwritten text on the right side.
Typed excerpt about someone named Claude Decrepy, discussing his growth from a model to a person with a following, inspired by his grandfather, and his evolution into an artist.
A woman with dark brown hair and red lipstick and a man with short dark hair and a beard smiling, close together in a photo.
Painting of a man with blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a mustache, wearing a beige captain's hat with a black brim, against a dark green background. He is dressed in a red shirt with yellow and orange floral patterns. He has various tattoos on both arms, including a sun with a face, a skull, and a mermaid with curly hair. A black cat is in the background near his left shoulder.
A black and white photo of two adults and two children outdoors, with a building and trees in the background.
A pencil sketch of a large bear's face with a small child with wings standing on its nose
A portrait of a young girl with light skin, blue eyes, short dark hair with bangs, wearing a tiger-striped shirt, and a small tiger cub with blue eyes sitting on her shoulder against a teal background.
A typed excerpt of an inspiring speech about a man's passion for work and art, referencing a solo show opening on June 27 by Gary Ray Smith, and mentioning children watching him work.
A painting of a fierce lion with green eyes, sharp teeth, and a flowing yellow mane. A small winged fairy or angel figure is located above the lion with wings spread. A pink ribbon winds around the lion with the words 'We Move As One' written on it.
Four photo booth pictures of a man and woman, two with the man on the left and woman on the right, and two with the man and woman switched positions, all showing different facial expressions against a white background.
A hand-drawn sketch of a woman with medium-length hair and a child kneeling on one knee, holding her hand. To the right, there is handwritten text that reads: 'I wish I could remember you proposing to me. I wish that I had made the moment more memorable.'
Four young women at a party making funny faces, with two sticking out their tongues and two with their eyes closed, in front of a light-colored wall with a wooden door.
A white bear with a winged human figure riding on its back, holding a branch. A pink ribbon with the phrase 'One day soon we'll be together' floats above them. The background is dark blue with yellow dots.
A painting of a person dressed as a sailor, wearing a white sailor hat and a striped shirt, with a red neckerchief, light skin, blue eyes, and lipstick. The background is light gray, and there are some drawings and text at the bottom, including a skull and crossbones and an anchor with the words "Sailing" and "Nautical".
Black and white photo of a man with glasses and a young girl sitting outdoors among large plants. The man is lying back with a big smile, and the girl is smiling while sitting on his lap, with a paper hat on her head.
A collection of pencil sketches including two realistic cats with wings-like fur, two human faces showing expressive emotions, a skull outline, and a letter "I".
A portrait of a woman with blue eyes and mustache, wearing a turban, against a pink background. The woman’s upper body and arms are decorated with black line drawings of flowers, insects, and a landscape scene within a vase.
A painting depicting a woman flying over a blue sea at night with a moon in the sky, and a dark hill with a structure on top in the background.
Watercolor painting of a gray tabby cat sitting on a box with the words 'You Know I Love You' written on it.