Susan Knight Smith
fine art landscapes, portraits, still life
Susan Knight Smith works primarily in pastel, a medium that allows her to combine her love of expressive drawing with vibrant color. In addition to landscapes, she paints portraits, figure studies, still life, intimate garden scenes, and particularly enjoys plein air painting, or painting out of doors. Susan’s paintings reflect her love of nature, her fascination with the juxtaposition of colors and the play of light, and an enchantment with particular or unique people, places, or things. Of her work, she simply says, "I paint what delights me." She finds much to delight her in the metro Atlanta area where she lives, or near the E. Tennessee home where she grew up. She has also found inspiration for many of her paintings on trips to France, Italy, Mexico, the Arizona desert, and the coast of Maine.
Her work is in over one hundred fifty collections in the United States and has appeared in publications including the cover of ArtCalendar magazine. Exhibiting in over 50 juried regional, national, and international exhibits, Smith has won numerous awards.
Susan has been a working artist for over 25 years, was a teacher before she entered the field of art, and is happy to now be combining these two loves.
Susan paints from her home studio in Powder Springs, GA.
She lives with her husband Roy. They have four children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild!
Upcoming:
“We are Family” Exhibit at the DeFoor Center, October 30, 2014- Jan.3, 2015
Selected Exhibitions, Events, and Awards
2014
- Merit Award, Southeastern Pastel Society 16th International Juried Exhibition, Oglethorpe University
- First Place Award, South Cobb Arts Alliance Members Show, Mableton Art Center, Mableton, GA
2013
- Exceptional Merit Award, Southeastern Pastel Society Juried Members Exhibit
- First Place Award, SCAA Members Show, Mableton Art Center
- Art Mob Studio Tour Participating Artist
2012
-Art and Design Showhouse, presented by Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA
2011
-Southeastern Pastel Society juried Member’s Exhibition, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville, GA
-South Cobb Arts Alliance 24th National Juried Art Exhibition, Mable House Art Gallery, Mableton, GA
- Art Plein Air Exhibition, Harris Art Center, Calhoun, GA
- Guest “Celebrity,” Cobb Symphony Orchestra Celebrity Luncheon, Marietta Country Club, Marietta, GA
- Exhibiting Artist, “Fresh… the Art of Watercolor,” Frameworks Gallery, Marietta, GA
2010
- Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta Bastille Day Celebration, invitational artist
- Southern Appalachian Artist Guild, Juried Exhibition, Mable House Art Center, Mableton, GA
2009
- Nominee for Outstanding Visual Artist by Cobb Arts Board, Ovation Awards, Strand Theatre, Marietta, GA
- “Painting Inside and Out,” exhibition of works by Plein Air Painters of Georgia, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville, GA
- Honorable Mention Award, Southern Appalachian Artist Guild National Juried Show, Blue Ridge, GA
- First Place Award, “Flavors of Fall,” Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Kennesaw, GA
- Art of the Golden Generation, Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art
- Southeastern Pastel Society, Juried Members Exhibit
- Fourth place award, "Everyday" juried exhibition, juried by Anne Huff of Huff-Harrington Gallery, Johnson Ferry Bapist Church, Marietta, GA
- South Cobb Arts Alliance Member's Show, Mableton, GA, Juror's Choice Award.
- Great Chattahoochee River Paint-Out, Roswell, GA, Honorable Mention Award.
- Metro Montage IX juried exhibition, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA
- Solo Show, “Nature and Nurture,” Carrollton Cultural Arts Center, 251 Alabama Street, Carrollton, GA
- First Annual “Trees in Art” National Juried exhibition, Trees Atlanta Headquarters, 225 Chester Ave., Atlanta, GA
– First Friday Art Walk, Marietta, GA
- City Gallery at Chastain Art Center, Plein Air Painters of Georgia, Atlanta
2008
-December - Plein Air Painters of Georgia, Quinlan Art Center, Gainesville, GA
- Appalachian Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Hendersonville, NC
- “Pastels Plus” – 3 artist show, Cultural Arts Center, Douglasville, GA
- Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center Fine Art Show, invited artist
- Georgia Historic Homes and Gardens Pilgrimage, Carrollton, GA
- Passport to Art – 5 artist invitational, Binder’s Buckhead, Atlanta
- Color Perspectives: Susan Knight Smith, Art Space International, Atlanta, GA
2006, 2007, 2008
- Artful Garden Tour, to benefit the High Museum, Atlanta
2007
- Solo Exhibition – Toulouse Restaurant, Downstairs Gallery, Atlanta
- Portrait Society of Atlanta, finalist, Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art
- World of Art Juried Exhibition, Mable House Arts Center, Mableton, GA
- Footloose, Two Painters and a Woodworker, Goodyear Cottage Jekyll Island, GA
- Plein Air Painters of the Atlanta Area, Ada Williams Library, Atlanta
- Avondale in Bloom - Avondale, GA
- Plein Air Painters of Georgia, Quinlan Arts Center, Gainesville, GA and Cultural Arts Council, Douglasville, GA
2006
- Plein Air Painters of Georgia, Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art
2005-2006 - Metro Montage , Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art
2004
- Cultural Arts Council 18th National Juried Exhibition
-
Southeastern Pastel Society International Exhibition
2003 - 15th National Juried Fine Arts Show Douglas Co.
2002 - The Portrait Society of Atlanta Exhibition Finalist
2001 - Award, Kennesaw State University CAREing Center
2000 - Award of Distinction (Best of Show), KSU CAREing Center
1999 - Solo Exhibition: Susan Knight Smith: Recent Works, Vermilion Gallery,
Atlanta, GA
1999 - Award, 12th National Juried South Cobb Arts Alliance Exhibition
1999 - Best in Show, SCAA Members Exhibit
1998 – Solo Exhibition, Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, Marietta, GA
1998 - Work Selected for National Slide Presentation
1997 - First place award, "The Red Show," National Internet Exhibit
1997 - Award, 10th National Juried Exhibition, SCAA
1996 - 3 Awards, Fine Arts Society of Kennesaw
1994 - First place Award, 7th National Juried Exhibition, SCAA
1994 - Best in Show, Atlanta Artists Center Travel Show
1993 - Award, Southeastern Pastel Society International Exhibition
1993 - Award, 6th National Juried Art Exhibition, SCAA
1991 -
Solo Exhibtion: Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1991 - Pastel Society of America Scholarship Award
1991 - Best in Show, SCAA Member's Show
1990 - Award of Distinction, Cobb Arts Council
1989 - Best in Show, Douglas Days, CAC Annual Juried Exhibition
Associations
Plein Air Painters of Georgia
Pastel Society of America, Signature Member
Atlanta Artists Center, Member of Excellence
Southeastern Pastel Society, Member of Excellence
Portrait Society of Atlanta, Juried Member
South Cobb Arts Alliance, former Board Member
Education
BA, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
M.Ed. University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Atlanta College of Art, continuing education
Kennesaw State University School of Art
University of Tennessee, College of Art, Knoxville, TN
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, College of Art, Chattanooga, TN
Also studied with:
Ouida Canaday, Kate Fetterolf, Ben Shute, Marc Chatov,
Ben Smith, Alex Powers, Albert Handell, Alice Williams, Timothy Clark, Joyce Nagel and Ann Templeton
Gallery Representations
The Red Cockerill Gallery in the Powder Springs Florist, 4440 Marietta Street, Powder Springs, GA 30127, 770-943-2372
SE Feinman, Ltd., New York
Frameworks Gallery, Marietta
Former Gallery Representations
Lagerquist Gallery, Atlanta
Vermilion Gallery, Atlanta