Sigrid R-P Smith is a watercolor artist from North Haven, CT.  She grew up in rural southern Maryland, the daughter of a Norwegian naturalist and a historian.  The family traveled around the country on camping car trips.  Observation of nature has been key to developing her creativity and has lead to her avocations of painting, photography, and knitting.  Her travels have continued with her scientist husband and family, taking them to Antarctica, Patagonia, Greenland, and Europe, especially to her beloved Norway, as well as camping throughout the United States.  She always comes back to Maine every September to paint with her colleagues and revive her creative juices.

               She has recently begun painting in a large format, always in transparent watercolor.  Establishing a good library of reference photos is an important part of her artistic process since she is primarily a studio painter.  The time spent in Maine is key to bringing focus to her natural freely painted images.  While the subject is important, color and pattern and light are dominant.  She enjoys painting the details of nature as well as a broader view.  In a small way, this is her way to show respect for this planet which is ours to protect and preserve.

Upcoming show in Rockland Maine at the Island Institute's Archipelago Gallery: