Brian Neil Smay was born 1954 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and since 1964 was raised and now lives in and around Atlanta, Georgia.  He has nurtured a lifelong passion for creativity which includes drawing, painting and furniture design/build. This artistic drive emerged early, with some of his earliest artworks dating back to the age of 13. In the early 1970s, he attended the Atlanta College of Art on scholarship, further developing his artistic foundation. Study of printmaking, photography and painting focused his appreciation for composition and color theory. In 1975, he married his wife, Debbie, a partnership that has remained strong and enduring ever since. With marriage came the responsibility of building a stable career, which began in the field of sign painting. His work ranged from traditional signage to large-scale exterior wall graphics.

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As technology evolved, he adapted with it—founding a graphic design company that eventually grew into a full-service sign business. Creative Impressions became a successful sign company producing large sign projects from Texas to St. Louis and beyond. One of Smay's commercial career highlights included contributing free standing monumental signage and painted graphics during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sponsors to the Olympic experience like Coke Cola and Nike were among the multiple contracts they worked for. Even while building his business, he remained connected to his fine art roots. Beginning in the late 1980s, he exhibited and sold paintings through local galleries and shows. However, as his company expanded, his focus shifted fully toward the business, placing his personal art on hold.

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After decades of success, he sold Creative Impressions in 2010., and returned to his original passion—creating art. Today, he continues to refine his skills and expand his body of work, bringing decades of experience, discipline, and creative vision to each new piece.