Kate Smith

Some are born knowing who they are, and others where they are going. Others spend their entire lives trying to find out. Some never do. ‘Kate Smith has always known’ .

Kate was born in Manchester England 1947 and educated in England, Cambridge, New Zealand and Durban, South Africa. She has resided within Australia since 1979. 

Kate Smith found herself drawn to imagery at an early age in fact her first day in the schoolroom. Her early background when leaving school was in fashion. Art came along in 1973 at the age of 27.  Although not formally trained Kate has made a full time living from her art for 36 years. Exhibiting in Australia and internationality, she participates in many group and one-man shows. Kate Smith is recognised as a most accomplished artist holding several one man shows a year.

What is remarkable is this self-taught artist, never uses live models. The images “Create Themselves”, coming from the artist’s own conscious and from somewhere deep with her spirit, expressing her understanding of life’s magnificence and sometimes indifference in an attempt to convey that message through her artwork.

Admirers of her work marvel at the glorious colours she obtains from the use of pastel and mixed medium techniques. Blessed with a fertile imagination, feminine bodies are soaked in the deepest eroticism yet remain pure. Radiant silhouette of enchanted magical beauty, a realm of the artists deepest fantasies portrayed in each painting. In the midst of all the sweet shades of light that embrace her women there is a calmness and serenity in her latest works. Seemingly realistic, but full of magical beauty. Mysterious, not verbose in their plot – colouristic and tasteful – they do not have high journalistic ambitions, the work simply makes us happy and joyful.

When asked about the origins of her works, she answers, "My works are a bridge between my dreams and the present. Each piece has an attitude, a subject who does not know she is being watched."  Kate does not use live models. "A model," says Kate, "Would catch my spirit by her presence and would compel me not to lose a single detail. Then my art would become merely a copy and so particularised. Therefore, I seek to make visible, in my paintings, not the person as she is, but what her feelings convey to me – graceful feminine figures, surrounded by mystery and intrigue and magical beauty".

Winner of many art awards. Her works can be viewed in several State Regional Galleries, Government Collections State Libraries collections and many important Corporate Collections throughout Australia. She has been featured in Magazines such as Readers Digest, Queensland Homes, Victorian Homes, Belle, Art and Australia, Art Collector, Antique and Art, Noosa Style to name but a few.

As well as her figurative works, Kate has also done a body of landscape work and in 1989 Boolarong publications of Queensland produced a book featuring a works from this period although now out of print, the book titled ‘Alice and Beyond ‘can be view in all State library collections.

Now in her 62nd year, she is comfortable with her style of art ‘and it shows’.
Her popularity is stronger than ever. Kate has had many sell out exhibitions throughout her career and is undoubtedly one of the best Pastel Artist in Australia.