Jahe Smith

     It isn’t always easy to explain the inspiration behind my abstract pieces, as they often are an interpretation of an emotion or response that I had to a particular setting or view.  But I feel that my inspiration isn’t particularly important, as art should be a personal experience, shaped by the viewer’s memories and feelings.  I am driven by a need to harness color, textures, shapes, lines, and forms to translate the beauty of our natural environment in a way that evokes an emotional response.

      As a lifelong international traveler, I try to express my love of landscapes through art.  I trained with German and Taiwanese artists while living abroad, and studied fine arts at University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and San Angelo State, Texas, where I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts.  I’ve explored printmaking, sculpture, and sketching, but keep returning to my first love, painting.  Over the years, my interests have evolved from impressionist landscapes to an abstract expression of natural beauty, primarily in acrylics and oil.

     Over the last few years, I’ve become an active member of the Art Students League of Denver, Plein Air Artists of Colorado, and the Park Hill Art Club.  I’ve had the privilege to study under renowned abstract artists Dale Cheeseman , Homare Ikeda, Carlene  Frances and many other local artists.