ANNETTE SMITH BRINGS HER LOOSE,
IMPRESSIONISTIC STYLE TO LIVE STUDIO
SESSIONS, PAINTING VIBRANT PORTRAITS
THAT CAPTURE A MOMENT IN TIME.
By Amy Leibrock
Once or twice a week, you can fi nd Annette Smith at an open live-studio session at Scottsdale Artists’ School, in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she’s one of the few watercolorists painting a model over the course of a few hours. “I’m pretty much addicted to painting from life,” she says. “It’s an escape, almost like going on an artistic vacation. I’m in the moment.”Smith’s loose, impressionistic portraits and figures definitely feel “of the moment.” They’re skillfully rendered so just enough of the subject emerges from a background of pale washes. Drips
and spatters are evidence of the flurry of action it takes to get everything down before the live session ends, and the final outcome captures a moment that feels eternally lively and organic.
Knowing when to stop can be a challenge for Smith, so having a timed studio deadline helps her maintain her focus and complete a painting in one session.
