Valerie Y. Smith

Artist Statmement

   I drew my first horse at the age of 5 and haven’t stopped drawing since. After receiving my BFA from UCLA, I taught middle school for 3 years and then became employed with the State of California for 24 years. I still drew horses when no one was looking!

   After retirement, I returned to my passion: drawing and painting horses. The beauty, power, and personality of the horse has never ceased to excite me. My lifetime dream has always been to divide my time between creating art and riding,

Until recently, most of my work has been in graphite and colored pencil, but now includes more diverse media. My objective has always been to bring beauty to the world whether or not the viewer is a horse lover.

   Since moving to Oregon, my dreams have come true! I have won several awards at the Deschutes County Fair and have exhibited at various venues.  I was honored to have one of my images chosen for the 2020 Sisters Rodeo. I will continue to strive for recognition as an Oregon Equine Artist.