Today we’d like to introduce you to Libby Smith.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I am a visually impaired artist specializing in portraiture and figures. I call myself the (non)visual artist. I love most mediums and love to play with them all; but due to the recent vision loss, my time painting realistically has pretty much ended. I am in the process of setting up a sculpture/pottery studio so I can continue creating even after all vision is gone.
At the age of 10, I was diagnosed with a rare eye disease called pars planitis that has just recently been discovered to be an autoimmune disease. At the time, we were told there were only seven diagnosed cases, so I became a case study at Shands Hospital going to the doctors on a weekly to monthly basis. The exams were extremely painful, but the treatments including shots behind the eye while awake was utterly unbearable for a small preteen. I was given a handful of 16 steroid pills to take daily. If you have ever taken steroids, you know how 1-3 dissolves instantly and can be very difficult to swallow because of the horrible taste. It also made me grow a hump on my back and made me very mean within a year, and it took another full year to get me off them.
Due to the extensive steroid doses, in my early 20’s I developed cataracts. We tried to save my eyesight enough to drive, so I underwent cataract surgery in my best eye. It failed, and I lost all sight in that eye. It was at that time they discovered the macular degeneration. I gave up on going to doctors due to the painful exams, and I felt it just wasn’t worth it.
I went about every 2-3 years after that for glasses. They didn’t help enough to drive, but it was enough to work with my horses and continue creating art. Then sunlight became more and more of a problem. Now any light brighter than an incandescent light is very painful. I have been locked within the walls of my home for 20 years now except for when I have assistance, which is rare.
In May 2018, I woke up to blackness. No vision. I expected it to pass within 30 seconds to five minutes; but 16 hours later, it finally started coming back but not all the way. I lost a considerable amount of vision in that episode. After fearing for 16 hours that I would never paint again and filled with regrets for not painting what I love (people) as my last paintings, I decided not to waste a single moment of my short time left of my sight. I decided to do a solo show about the beauty of every single person on earth. With assistance, I rented space in a gallery for a one-month show; but I was given 4-1/2 months to paint it. I painted 20 paintings at once in oils moving from one to another keeping all canvases in some stage of drying, so I didn’t waste a single moment. I knew my time was short.
The Magical Beings Art Exhibition was truly that. I fulfilled my greatest dream and created an exhibit in which I was truly proud. The show was filled with fairies and mermaids, each with their own story. It was important to me to show the diversity of people, all strong, vulnerable, magical, and utterly beautiful. Some of my models were based on friends, people I have met, as well as eyes, lips, hair, or poses from many reference photos. Some of them were completely out of my imagination with zero references. It was very well received, and I now have no regrets.
I was told a few months ago that I now also have Fuch’s Corneal Dystrophy, and start preparing. The nerves, back of the eye, middle of the eye, and now front of the eye are now all damaged severely, and there isn’t much vision left. To date, I haven’t painted in 6 weeks, and that is unheard of for me.
I spent the last six weeks mourning the loss of sight and my dark future ahead. I have had a few dear friends send me messages of encouragement this last week, and I have finally pulled myself back together. I have started purchasing equipment for my pottery/sculpture studio and planning new artwork incorporating 3D texture so I can continue painting. I have the most amazing memories now, and I’ll be working my butt off to continue creating until my last breath…at least that is the plan.
Please tell us about your art.
My love is oil paintings of people including portraits and figurative. It is very impressionistic to me because I paint about 1″ from my canvas and every stroke seems huge, but I am told I paint very realistically. I can no longer see to paint this way, so my plan is to step back and finally show everyone the world through my eyes. I simply can’t give up painting totally yet. I have so much to say about how we treat each other, how magical we all are, and how we need to respect the fragile world around us. I have such a small voice now, but I plan to use it as loudly as I can to show the world the beauty around them, so maybe It may help make a small change for the better.
I don’t know if I will be able to carry this passion over to sculpture, but I plan to give it my very best shot. No wasted time. Always working to show you my vision of the world and of people.
What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
The arts have become about speed and sales for so many, and the artisans that hone their skills daily with an unquenchable passion are being dismissed and told to “just slap on some paint and get it over with.” (a direct quote recently). My name will be on that piece. I want it to stand for quality, excellence, and the struggle for every piece to push a new boundary and learn something new so I keep improving every day. That is hard since I will be learning an entirely new medium, but it is all I am. I won’t cheat you out of my very best. One piece can take months or even years to create.
I would encourage people to understand how much of our lives and souls are dedicated to these pieces, and if you can’t afford the original, please follow, LIKE, and leave comments on social media if you appreciate their art. Please buy prints, support on Patreon even if it’s a dollar a month, and commission may be a smaller piece or less expensive time-consuming piece that will mean so much to you, and so we can possibly buy more art supplies to keep creating, instead of having to choose between food or art supplies, because art supplies always wins. Appreciation can be such a small gesture but can be a huge difference to someone working for pennies an hour sometimes.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can find me on Facebook at LSmithStudio and on Instagram at @LSmithStudio.
If you want to support my struggle to continue creating without vision, you can find me on Patreon at LibbySmithStudio, and my art can be purchased at www.LibbySmithStudio.com.
I plan to be doing a lot of tutorials and streams soon on my YouTube channel, Libby Smith Art, as well as on ArtFarm.tv (LibbySmithStudio). On ArtFarm.tv, you will be able to commission me to paint/sculpt something, and after we agree on a concept, price, and a time schedule, you can sit and watch your piece being created live on this streaming site. They will also be selling some of my prints and previously streamed creations on that site as well.
I am starting my first sculpture and pottery classes this week, which I’m very excited about. I also just completed 15 paintings for a show called 15 Squared in a couple weeks. My style has less precision now, but I rely more on imagination now than ever. My inner vision grows as my sight diminishes, and it’s a very scary and exciting path to be walking on right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LibbySmithStudio.com
- Email: libby@libbysmithstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LSmithStudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LSmithStudio
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/libbysmithart
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7LpI7VAEkTMkm4miqT-8w
Image Credit:
Libby Smith
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
