About
My Art
A majority of my artwork is nature themed. I attribute this to my childhood spent living in the Appalachian foothills of Northwest Georgia as well as coastal Florida. Nearly everyday of my early life involved water activities with weekly ocean adventures. Growing up on thirty acres of land in rural Georgia was a paradise for the wild child spirit of little Courtney. I had the forest, iron oxide infused soil, a clear night sky, and an overactive imagination for endless entertainment. After moving to the city, I began to crave the fresh air and quietude of mountain trails. I feel reconnected with my earthy roots by creating images of scenic landscapes and stoic creatures. Focusing on delicate details helps me silence the mental chatter of life and relax in a quiet corner of my mind. My art is intended to share a sense of peace and calm with viewers through simple color palettes and repetitive textures.
The Artist
Hello, I’m Courtney Smith, the mastermind behind Smish Studio! I love creating. My other hobbies are rock climbing, yoga, plants, teaching my cat to sit, and napping with my dog. My love for the outdoors influences not only the subject matter of my art, but also the materials and processes I use. I strive to create eco-friendly art without harmful chemicals or wasteful materials. I try to follow zero waste studio practices like avoiding single use plastics, using toxin-free inks, and saving scrap paper for smaller prints. I only use compostable materials like paper, wood, and linoleum to create my prints. Being environmentally conscious has spread through many areas of my life, and it is the reason I chose to focus mainly on relief printmaking techniques.
What is Printmaking? How do I make this stuff?
Printmaking is the art of creating multiples. These are different from digital reproductions of artworks because they are each hand-pulled originals, not copies, but their very own pieces of art. This art form includes relief, intaglio, serigraph, and lithography. I have used all of these processes over the years, but I currently create art using relief printmaking processes. Relief prints are made by carving a block of wood or linoleum with relief carving tools. Then the block is rolled with ink, aligned on paper, and run through a press to transfer the image from the block to the paper.