Shift
Smith’s compositions centre on female swimmers, rendered with careful precision yet intentionally open-ended, allowing viewers to project their own memories and experiences into the scene. Known for her ability to capture the complexity of water, Smith works in many under-layers of paint to achieve effects of depth and movement. She expertly captures the shifting surface of water, its reflections, distortions, and depth, creating a sense of movement that feels both fluid and suspended in time. Swimmers seem to be suspended in layered fields of water and light, navigating the in-between with a sense of calm intensity.
Smith studied fine art at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), graduating with honours in 1981, with additional studies in Florence, Italy. Her early work focused on the female figure in states of suspension and imbalance, exploring the effects and limitations of gravity, an investigation that continues to inform her evolving practice.
Today, water serves as both subject and metaphor in Smith’s practice. Her paintings explore states of weightlessness, transformation, and quiet introspection. Figures drift, submerge, and re-emerge, often positioned between surface and depth, suggesting moments of transition where identity and perception remain in flux.
Smith has exhibited extensively across Canada, with a long-standing relationship with Bau-Xi Gallery. Her work is held in numerous private and public collections across North America and Europe.
Paintings are presented in frames chosen by the artist.
