Maxine Smith

Why do I paint???...because ...I need to....because it gives me great pleasure....because..it takes me to a place that belongs to me and only me...because...I love color...because ..I love the texture of paint...because...I have been fascinated forever with the human face.

I paint stylized portraits as I am not interested in creating a photo image. I work mostly in oil and on occasion acrylic. My subjects most often tend to be women. For me, my most successful paintings are those that are the most stylized. The classic beauty has never really been my subject of choice as I tend to look fort something else, a quality that is indefinable...that's what I'm drawn to. For me, Imperfection is Perfection.

1970 & 1985 Art Students League

2004 Painting en Plein Air, Lucca, Italy

2001-2011 Brentwood Art Center, California

2004 Special Art Gallery, Bev. Hills Ca.

2006 James Gray Gallery, Santa Monica Ca.

2008 N.Y. Art Expo, NYC

2009 Roberge Gallery, Palm Desert, Ca.

2010 Craven Gallery, Martha's Vinyard Mass.

2011 Julis Dean Gallery, Hollywood Ca.