"The Best of... Doretta Smith"
June 7 - July 29, 2009

"October in Northern Italy" watercolor 24x30

Doretta hand picked over thirty paintings that will be on display show-casing watercolors and oils. This will be the first time that some of these paintings will have been viewed by the public.

Doretta Smith was born and raised in Italy where she began painting at an early age and attended several business, art and design schools. After marriage, she immigrated to the United States where she devoted her energies to raising their eight children. She resumed her studies and painting in 1971 and has become nationally recognized for her unique style described as “impressionistic realism.”

She will paint in nearly any medium, but always with a limited palette. Doretta maintains that knowledge of the power, chemistry and quality of the pigment is more important than quantity: “More choices don’t necessarily make better paintings.”Doretta is a fixture in our area. Her award-winning paintings are familiar to those of us who practice and love art. Nearly every local painter working today has traveled to her studio/gallery in Jacksonville to study with her.

This show is a retrospective of the eclectic art of a beloved teacher and artist

The reception, held Sunday, June 7, was attended by more people than we have hosted for quite a while. Doretta Smith and family enjoyed seeing old friends and talking with everyone. A special thank you goes to Dorothy Hughes for providing the entertainment. Several paintings were sold at the reception.

Last up-dated: June 29, 2009