Words from the artist

HAnnah M. Smith

"I attend Longwood University as a full-time student in pursuit of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Education K-12. I plan to become an art teacher and later seek my MFA to become an art professor or art therapist."

experience

"I've created murals, ceramics, drawings, paintings, mixed medias, developed design ideas, and much more during my artistic journey. Many have entrusted me in resolving their concepts using various mediums."

vision

"My work reflects passion, dedication, and authenticity. I put my all into what I create, and each piece brings me further into my artistic growth."

Artist BIo

Hannah M. Smith is a 21-year old mixed media artist based in Farmville,, Virginia. They are completing their Bachelor of Art degree at Longwood University with a focus on Painting and Drawing. She has had exhibits at local businesses and at the Bedford Gallery. Smith focuses on form, color, and movement in their work and explores subconscious thought and mark-making processes. She focuses on mixed media work with materials like oil and watercolor paint, colored pencil, and pen and ink on traditional surfaces like canvas or paper. Her current work aims to communicate emotion through color and form using hair as a symbol of change and growth.

Artist Statement

Story

I make mixed media works using materials like watercolor, colored pencils, acrylic and oil paints,

pen and ink. I like to focus on self portraits, natural scenes, and incorporating surrealistic elements into realistic concepts. I use past experiences as inspiration and have interest in using symbols to

communicate ideas. I work for my own fulfillment, but hope that others can feel inspired and connected to the work. Surrealists and Expressionists have influenced my color usage and ideals when it comes to form and mark-making. I choose themes that remind me of my past, or a familiar feeling or idea that may be quite philosophical. It represents the attempt in processing thoughts and ideas that I feel are better

described visually.

Process

My artistic process begins with a wave of urgency. I begin exploring a concept, dismantling the subliminal purpose behind it. Abstract forms and surrealism take life in my work, as well as contrast and depth. I have no concrete style of art, but enjoy expressing my own personal message that coincides with renounced historical techniques in efforts to better depict unexplored perspectives. The overall theme of my work is based on personal emotion, moods, and mindsets. Not only do you view the work, but you feel it. Each layer adds to the impact of the piece as a whole. I explore texture, layering, lifting and laying materials inadvertently, and creating substantial value to leave a mark of thought; what would be a journal entry to a writer. As I progress through my art, I’m finding new and interesting ways to express my intricate thoughts into one collective unit.