ABOUT THE ART

Landscapes in oils are the artist’s major body of work.   The artist has been developing her eye and hand, craft and skill for several decades. 
Digital fine art is the artist’s latest endeavor and involves reiterations of mixed media collage and digital photography.  Each piece is printed on archival photo paper with archival inks, signed and numbered.  The next "reiteration" will be to make it move.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Currently Ms. Smits is adjunct faculty at Manchester Community College in Manchester, CT teaching computer graphics. She is a freelance graphic designer and offers art classes and private instruction for children and adults.

Her new digital art has been accepted into the New Britain Museum of American Art Annual Juried Members Show and the Fabir Birren National Color Award Show. Both the new digital art and her oil paintings can be seen at City Wide Open Studios in New Haven, CT in October of each year.  Her oil paintings have won awards and been accepted into 6 national exhibitions, four of which were in New York. “Sunderland Thunderhead” won three awards in regional shows and was sold at a benefit auction for MS. “Setting Sun” was accepted into the American Artists Professional League 73rd Grand National Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue in NYC. She was one of a handful of Connecticut artists whose landscapes of Connecticut were chosen for an exhibit in Senator Lieberman's Washington, DC office.

Ms. Smits holds a B.S. and an M.A. and has certificates in Digital Art and Women's Leadership. She received 4 years of fine art training from James Stegall, who was trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art alongside Jamie Wyeth and Peter Rockwell, and is listed in Who's Who of American Art. The artist herself has been listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, and Who's Who in the World, various editions for the past 10 years, for her contributions to communities with volunteer work and her ongoing accomplishments.

Artist's Statement

I believe art is both a spiritual and practical part of our being. For me, paintings are spiritual both in the creation of them and in the enjoyment of them. The aethetics give me peace and impart serenity. I'm inspired by the play of light on a butterfly wing or reflections in glass. It's the sweep of a branch in the breeze, the arc of an opening petal and the light hitting curves and angles. Practically, art is everywhere, as we live in a media-saturated world. My digital art uses those media tools to play with light, shape, and form to create something completely unique. Shape and form, light and shadow. My camera, my eyes, my imagination, my canvas and my computer - the elements of my creativity.