Massachusetts artist Jeanne Rosier Smith grew up painting and discovered pastels twenty-five years ago. In 2005, she left her career as university literature professor in order to pursue professional art full time. Growing up swimming and vacationing along the East Coast in Maryland and North Carolina, she now spends her time making waves in her New England studio. She is best known for her dynamic, realistic seascapes. Jeanne has served as education consultant to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for their landmark 19th Century French Pastels exhibit, and her work is currently touring with the 18th National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists, showing in six museums through February of 2022. Rosier Smith is a Master Artist with the Copley Society, a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the American Society of Marine Artists, a Salmagundi Club of New York member, and a Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Her work has garnered numerous top awards and appeared in many magazines, and she is a regular contributor to the Pastel Journal and The Artist’s Magazine. She is represented by nine US galleries, and her paintings are in collections on six continents.
About
Years of body surfing gave me an intimate view of the waves. Painting the intimate ocean, in all its power, light, and spray is another kind of body surfing with its own sense of flow and joy. I love pastel because the rich, pure pigments allow vibrations of color and visual mixing impossible to capture in any other medium. Pastel is a vibrant and flexible medium, allowing both a simple, direct approach and the buildup of complex, rich layers and textures. While I appreciate a good plan, I love that with pastel there’s always room for a change in direction.
I start with tiny thumbnail sketches on toned paper, and each painting germinates not just from an image but from an idea and a feeling that I want to convey. I usually jot down a word or two next to the sketch to ground and direct my thoughts during the painting process. This keeps me from getting distracted by little details. The aim is always a simple and powerful statement.