Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Smith.
Hi Sydney, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been drawn to art and creating for as long as I can remember. I was fortunately surrounded by family members and teachers who nurtured my many interests and created environments where they, specifically my interest in art, could grow. After taking any and every art class that I could get my hands on in public school, I went on to study Fine Arts and received a BFA from Clemson University.
While I was able to gain experience in nearly every medium and improve my technical ability as an artist, I left college feeling unsure that art was something that could practically sustain me. My often practical and risk-averse proclivity made it really difficult to feel as though pursuing art full-time could be a real next step for me. After five years of working in other fields and questioning if I would ever be able to pursue art more fully, I decided to take the plunge and dive into art-making wholeheartedly.
While I still experience doubt and question how to navigate this journey, I am also grateful to know that I will be able to say I have not only given it a chance, but that I have worked hard amidst the risk that is often found in the unknown. As it relates to my art-making, my style blends realism and experimental color choices that elevate and heighten the subject matter.
Often inspired by personal experience (usually captured from my film photography), nostalgia, and the importance of seemingly ordinary yet beautiful moments shared in community, my work serves as a practice for reflection as well as an invitation for viewers to delight in a composition, color, story, or scene.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If a smooth road means one without challenge, then I would not consider my art journey, and probably any worthwhile journey, a smooth one. That said, one of the biggest obstacles for myself personally would be the cultivation of mental grit that is needed to continue to show up for something that you’re not promised will work out.
I’ve really had to reframe my idea of success and failure, which is not something I could have anticipated apart from experiencing it. My past jobs have included direction, supervision, and team collaboration, so moving into a field heavily dependent on yourself, your vision, and your discipline is certainly a challenging transition.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a painter primarily whose work ultimately captures and preserves personal experiences, glimpses of nostalgia, and the seemingly mundane yet profound scenes of ordinary life.
As someone who also uses film photography to preserve and capture the things that inspire me, I often use my film photos as inspiration for my work. Rather than having one particular subject matter that I paint, I tend to be a bit all over the place, as the range of what inspires me is rather wide. In a world that is obsessed with doing things in the fastest way possible, I love the irony of experiencing a fleeting moment, capturing it on film, enduring the patience needed to shoot and develop the film, and then spending weeks working on a painting inspired by it.
I feel as though it really dignifies the seemingly ordinary fleeting experiences of life and, as a result, allows me to really appreciate the beauty in all things. Outside of my personal work, I do commissions and paint live wedding ceremonies and receptions!
Any big plans?
I look forward to discovering what a full-time art journey for me holds! I don’t know that I have any big changes that I am anticipating, but I for sure have goals in mind.
A few goals include breaking into the art gallery scene, continuing to make my work accessible in print form, and seek out collaborative ways for my work to be featured in new ways and spaces.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sydneysmithart.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneysmithart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneymsmithart/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/sydneysmithart
