During his long and prolific career Michael Smither has found continuing inspiration in his immediate environment. This has resulted in a large body of work that is synonymous with the New Zealand landscape and culture. Smither works in a variety of media – notably oils, acrylics, and screenprint – and on a variety of subjects.

In more recent years Smither has focused on the interrelationships between art and music. As a composer and pianist, Smither has developed a unique understanding of the correlation between the world of colour and the world of sound. This led to the development of his own visual harmonic chart, which formed the basis of a series of abstract paintings and sculpture.