Jean Smith

About the Artist

Jean Smith is a Washington, DC area native who became an artist after retiring from the Federal Government in 2013.  She spent many of her working years as an analyst with a keen appreciation of details.  This skill has crossed over to her artwork—a demonstration of her determination and passion for her new subjects.  Her medium of choice is oil. She revels in painting commonplace items positioned or found with strong light sources providing deep shadows and a radiance that make her subjects anything but mundane.  Jean has honed her skills through art classes and workshops at Montgomery College, The Yellow Barn, and The Compass Atelier. She is a graduate of The Compass Atelier’s 3-year Master Artist Program. Her work has appeared in numerous group shows includingKensington "Paint the Town" Exhibitions, 23rd Annual Yellow Barn Juried Members Show, and Friendship Heights Juried Show where she was awarded Honorable Mention for the piece “Reflections.” Her most recent solo show at New Masters Art Gallery was featured in the Washington Post’s Going Out Guide.

Artist's Statement

Jean Smith is an artist who finds beauty and intrigue in the common object. In her work, ordinary items are elevated from their simple everyday uses to a place of elegance and mystery. With her baroque approach, beautifully illuminated subjects are coaxed out of the shadows to gain ethereal form. There is a timelessness to her carefully considered compositions, with their intricate details, soft forms, and understated colors.