Brighton Demerest-Smith is a contemporary artist whose work bridges the timeless traditions of painting with modern explorations of light and abstraction. His painting, "Out of Darkness" (2025), draws inspiration from Caravaggio’s "The Calling of St. Matthew", depicting the moment when Christ’s light calls us into transformation. This painting emerged from Brighton’s study of digitally blurred images, symbolizing the spiritual movement within our daily lives.

Rooted in over two decades of art education, Brighton’s journey began at the Orange County School of the Arts and continued at Pepperdine University and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he earned his MFA. His work is informed by the history of religious art, American abstraction, and the natural world, creating a harmony between realism and spirituality.

Brighton believes painting is an act of Creation Theology, reflecting humanity’s God-given ability to transform earth's materials into beauty. Through "Out of Darkness", he invites viewers to contemplate the quiet yet profound light of Christ that illuminates and transforms.