Featured Artist of the Month
                                                        
                                                                        March 2007

Linda Stiles Smith

Telephone: 937-433-6249
Email: lindalesmt@att.net 
www.naturescapestudio.com 

Biography:
My formal art training is what I credit for the strides I have made in my work. I received a BFA in painting from Wright State University. During this time I was also awarded a fellowship to the Yale Summer School of Art. This schooling process heightened my sense of design and purpose for both my art and my life. When I discovered silver clay in 2001, I was poised to absorb a medium and a process that is not driven by academia but is rather a creative outlet for the artist within. The challenge lies in the flexibility of the medium and the unlimited potential for exploration. I began working with metal clay with the express purpose of creating jewelry to sell. I borrowed from my painting background to incorporate nature themes into pendants, earrings, rings, bracelets and broaches which I have been selling at art shows and on my website. Certified as a Senior Instructor in Art Clay in 2005 has led me down a parallel path. The joy I receive while introducing metal clay to students is immeasurable and hard to describe. In ten years I have meandered back to a path I began when returning to college, teaching. Actually I find it is more a sharing of knowledge and enthusiasm. Although running a business as an artist and teacher is often demanding and exhausting, I can’t imagine doing anything different!