Carrie Smith - The Visionary!
God bless the woman that has her own... and a creative outlet for outward expression. Carrie V. Smith is armed with paint and a brush and isn't afraid to use them. As a visual artist, she paints larger than life portraits, also referred to as monumental statement pieces. Based out of St. Petersburg, FL, she doesn't shy away from being bold - in her work or zeal for life. Nolababes, take note. Check out the interview below and read how Carrie lives life on her own terms.
How/when did you get into painting?
"Ever since I was a kid I have been in love with color! I used a lot of colored pencils at first and then I found painting. Art classes in school allowed me to develop my painting skills early on. I have been painting ever since then!"
Tell us a little about your art.
"My focus for the last few years has been painting faces. These oil portraits are typically larger than life and scale in at 4ft x 5ft. My latest body of work that I’ve created is portraits of artists that I admire. Salvador Dali, Kehinde Wiley and Yayoi Kusama are in this collection. All of these artists are rendered on a green and teal background, and for this particular collection I chose to paint only bits and pieces of their faces. So the underpainting of the teal/green shows through beneath the skin tones."
Where do you find inspiration?
"I find inspiration everywhere I look and I love finding color inspiration in nature."
Who are your biggest influences?
"Jenny Morgan, Kehinde Willy, Frank Oriti, Jenny Saville, Yayoi Kusama, Salvador Dali and Gerhard Richter."
How did it feel to realize your work was being noticed throughout social media?
"It’s definitely rewarding. Artists put so much time and effort into their practice. So to be able to create something and have the world see it and react to it in a positive way is encouraging and rewarding at the same time."
How do you feel your paintings help with your overall inner peace?
"I find painting to be incredibly relaxing and therapeutic which helps balance my inner peace. I know when I don’t paint for a few days, I get anxious. So once I’m back into the studio and start painting again, I feel at ease."
How do you remain original throughout your work?
"I focus on my voice and my story that I want to tell through my work, and I find a way to create work that’s never been created before."
What’s your favorite piece thus far?
"I really love the painting I’ve been making of Kehinde Wiley. I’ve looked up to Wiley for years now. I studied his work when I was in college and I was drawn to how large he painted his portraits. I definitely believe his work influenced my work early on and still to this day."
Where do you see yourself/your art within the next 5 years?
"I see myself making even bigger portraits that are loosely rendered!"
What words would you like to leave for creators who are trying to find their way through art?
"Stay true to yourself and make art that makes YOU happy!"
As if you weren't already sold on how much of an inspiration she is, I'm sure her work will seal the deal! What's completely facscinting about Carrie is her ability to convey such detailed paintings just from singlehandedly being presented with a photo. Take a look below!
If you guys ever need a painting done of your parents, a family portrait or simply would just love great piece of art to admire, Carrie does take commissions and orders can be placed by contacting her via email: carrievirginiasmith@gmail.com
You can also purchase items from her website
It was great to interview such a talented person, Carrie you are truly an inspiration to all creators. Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you!
Xoxo,
The Nola Team