Caryn Smith’s abstract process is intuitive, building up layers spontaneously dissolving and scraping back revealing parts of previous layers or using high gloss pouring mediums in layers. She uses many tools besides a brush...squeegies, rollers, adds texture with palette knives and loves experimenting with new mediums with emphasis on color and creating a mood. She draws her inspiration from nature from the Lowcountry and beyond siphoning imagery from memory creating a contemporary landscape. Her impressionistic landscapes and architecture are colorful and painterly and are painted from photos or plein air.
She studied interior design at Ole Miss and Ray College of Design in Chicago and worked as a residential interior designer in Chicago and Charleston for 15 years before transitioning to painting full time having painted since college. She studied painting with many notable artists such as John Doyle, Rhett Thurman, Camille Przwodik, Rick Nelson, Emmy Bronson, Laurie Meyer, and Billy O'Donnell and Scottsdale Artist School. She works with the film industry providing artwork for shows and movies filmed in Charleston including Outer Banks, Righteous Gemstones, Halloween, Southern Charm, Army Wives, Identity, and South of Hell, Inspectors and commercials like Google and Keurig. Her work was mentioned by New York Times best seller Dorothy Benton Frank in novel "Return to Sullivans Island". She exhibited at Piccolo Spoleto Juried Outdoor Art Exhibition for 10 years, displayed at galleries such as Southeastern Galleries and Eye Level Art and The Artist Guild Gallery. She currently works with designers and directly with collectors on commissions. She helps many causes like The American Heart Association, The Cancer Assn, The Alzheimer's Assn, Lowcountry Marine Mammal Assn. by donating art work for fundraisers. Her work is in private collections throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.
She studied interior design at Ole Miss and Ray College of Design in Chicago and worked as a residential interior designer in Chicago and Charleston for 15 years before transitioning to painting full time having painted since college. She studied painting with many notable artists such as John Doyle, Rhett Thurman, Camille Przwodik, Rick Nelson, Emmy Bronson, Laurie Meyer, and Billy O'Donnell and Scottsdale Artist School. She works with the film industry providing artwork for shows and movies filmed in Charleston including Outer Banks, Righteous Gemstones, Halloween, Southern Charm, Army Wives, Identity, and South of Hell, Inspectors and commercials like Google and Keurig. Her work was mentioned by New York Times best seller Dorothy Benton Frank in novel "Return to Sullivans Island". She exhibited at Piccolo Spoleto Juried Outdoor Art Exhibition for 10 years, displayed at galleries such as Southeastern Galleries and Eye Level Art and The Artist Guild Gallery. She currently works with designers and directly with collectors on commissions. She helps many causes like The American Heart Association, The Cancer Assn, The Alzheimer's Assn, Lowcountry Marine Mammal Assn. by donating art work for fundraisers. Her work is in private collections throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.