Featured Artist Sheila Smith

Artist Sheila Smith transforms digital scenes of New York City into painterly, dreamlike images. View more of her portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

As a child I sat at my mother’s kitchen table and sketched cartoons that I copied from the Sunday newspaper—Smitty, Dick Tracy, Blondie, etc.

 

 

I loved drawing.

 

 

As a teenager, I sketched items on I found on the kitchen table, such as a teacup or a sugar bowl.

 

 

My best friend’s brother who was six years older than me, was an artist. I was intrigued with his drawings.

 

 

I studied painting with him and saw the beauty of creating images using oil paint. As I matured, I had to earn money to sustain myself. I did not come from a wealthy family.

 

 

I was hired as a secretary for the creative director at Columbia Records. During that time, I took classes at night at The School of Visual arts where I studied Graphic Design. I was determined to become an art director.

 

 

I was hired as an art buyer at Mccann-Erickson Advertising. After that, I went on to become an art director for several agencies while simultaneously continuing to paint and draw at home.

 

 

I became obsessed with photography. When computers appeared, I saw the possibilities of transforming my photos to look like paintings, which I find to be the ultimate creative experience. The images in this group are a result of that process.

 

 

My portfolio includes portraits of people and flowers, dancers, still lifes of fruits and vegetables, and New York street scenes, which are presented here.

 

 

I am now a full-time freelance photographic digital artist. I exhibit in shows in New York City a few times a year.

 

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