Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
Edgar Degas
My Passion
Art is truly my passion. I feel that you have to work at what you are most passionate about in life, yet, helping others along the way. I will continue to nurture my creativity in order to bring the best quality work to you. My wish is to extend this gift that God has bestowed upon me and touch someone with my art so that they may enjoy what I have been so blessed to see.
Vonda Smith
HOMETOWN: New Orleans, Louisiana. Lived in California, Louisiana, & Georgia
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Fine Arts,(minor Education), Xavier University of Louisiana.
ORGANIZATION: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
PAST EXPERIENCE: Art Historian - 18th & 19th Century Painting Collection Historic French Quarter. - Administrative Assistant- Financial Firm, Online Gallery Owner Est. 2004. Parent Liaison- New Orleans Public School System, Contract Art Teacher- Zachary, LA, Gallery Director-Atlanta, GA
WEAKNESS:Chocolate, Handbags & SHOES, SHOES...Did I Mention SHOES?
CLIENTELE:Los Angeles-CA, Baton Rouge-LA, Washington-DC, Slidell-LA, Lafayette-LA, Baton Rouge-LA, New Orleans-LA and other cities around the country. I have completed numerous commissioned pieces for charitable foundations.Such works have been obtained by the French-American Chamber of New Orleans, former New Orleans Saints player, Aaron Brooks Foundation as well as a number of local school charitable auctions.
FAMILY: One Husband 18 years+, TWO KIDS: Julien - age 15 (who is an aspiring singer) and Jhenna, who wants to become a chef-a-narian( a Vet who also cooks gourmet dog food) age 10, going on 35, PETS: One adorable Pekingese, named Chloe.
Q & A: Top 5 questions that I am frequently asked.
Q. Did you leave New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina? A. Not directly....but my spouse had many employees who in turn lost everything. It was very difficult to watch others suffer because they were like family. We were relocated nearly 2 years later, but I did loose many of my art clients and had to begin anew in Atlanta. Q. Any regrets about leaving your hometown? A. Hey they say never regret, but I do miss my friends, family and the seafood. Home is where you make it. In NOLA I was a small fish in a small pond. ATL is an ocean of sorts. Q. What's your favorite thing to paint? A. I love to paint flowers up close. Many people don't look at them in that light so I love to magnify them. Q. Do you have a specific style of painitng? A. I paint what I am interested in at the time; world events, social & political beliefs and different genres. I may do a series of 5-10 paintings or I may paint only one. Someone once told me to just keep painting the same old thing. I find that a bit prosaic in nature. My wheels are constantly spinning and I don't want to short change my work. Q. How do you see yourself in 5 - 10 years? A. That is a tough one. The "recession" has knocked the art market into a black hole like every other. I hope to be even more relevant to the art world. I plan to keep on painting because it is necessary for my psyche and it's what I love to do.
My Style: Painting
Medium: Acrylic, Watercolor & Mixed Media (anything that isn't tied down
I love to paint bright, bold, colors and using different forms of textures and genres about everyday experiences.
I tend to focus on larger pieces so that every detail may be explored. Now, nearly everywhere that I look there is a canvas.
My favorite painters are Georgia O'Keefe, Jackson Pollack, Henri Matisse, Romare Bearden. Judge for yourself but my style encompasses a bit of each of these masters.
If by chance you don't see what you're looking for in my gallery, perhaps a commissioned piece will do. I'll create maquette images (See Examples 1, 2, 3)based around your ideas. Then, you select the final image and the painting is re-created to fit the scale of your space.
