Dazzling watercolour scenes is the trademark of talented painter Kendra Smith, but more recently she has been dabbling with a different pot of paint.

Smith started out in 1999 using watercolours to create delicate yet vibrant images, depicting trees laden with snow and lakes reflecting the sun.

After taking a workshop in the technique of painting with acrylics in 2001, Smith returned swiftly back to the familiarity of watercolours, finding it difficult to manipulate the dense, complex, opaque medium of acrylic.

“At first I found the acrylic paints so frustrating,” Smith said. “My trees looked thick, muddy and blackish I put my paints down and pouted.”

Encouraged to persevere with acrylics again last summer, she took the brush to canvas, swapped the subject matter from trees to flowers and changed her palette of hues. “I sketched some black-eyed-Susan’s and went to it,” admitted Smith. “I used bright, bold colours and stayed away from browns and greens. What fun! The painting came along beautifully and I was really beginning to enjoy the process. I ordered a bunch of canvasses and filled them up within the next few weeks.” Smith continued to wallow in acrylics creating a series of fresh, vivid, lively images. Using deep oranges, soft blues and fiery reds to portray flowers within a balanced and yet almost abstract composition.

This is a new direction for the artist, whose previous pieces were predominantly snow filled, gentle watercolour paintings. Smith explained delving into the characteristics of acrylic paint has been an experience which has helped to improve her skills in both techniques. “Everyone is always asking me to paint larger paintings but with watercolours I love to paint small,” she said. “I thought that acrylics would give me an opportunity to branch out and try something new. Creativity can be stifled if you are not willing to break out of the ordinary and I was ready to step out of my comfort zone.”

After experimenting with the properties of this pigment all summer, Smith has already sold six acrylic paintings. She still believes she has a long way to go in both mediums, but even so, she displays a truly unique blossoming style.

“I still have so much to explore with watercolour and I’m just scratching the surface with acrylics,” Smith said. “My skills have really developed in the last couple of months, but I’m still learning the properties of the paint and discovering my style.”

Kendra Smith will be exhibiting at Sun Peaks Resort Jan. 24. For more information visit www.kendraart.com

suzanne@sunpeaksnews.com

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