Inspired by her travels abroad, Roberta Jean Smith creates vibrant and painterly interpretations of nature’s visual wonders. She often revisits the same subjects, continuously exploring them in search of their true character and striving to merge shape and color in fresh, new ways. Over the years, she has focused on capturing two remarkable experiences in her paintings: the ethereal glow of the Aurora Borealis, which she had the opportunity to witness, and the spellbinding Namib Desert Fairy Circles, vast, mysterious grassy formations scattered across ancient sands.

Working with acrylics and ink on canvas, Smith distills the essence of these encounters through visual cues such as luminosity, contrasting and complementary colors, and the commingling of overlapping shapes. Her work seeks to evoke the raw beauty and elegance of the natural world, hoping to capture the awe and reverence it inspires.

Roberta Jean Smith, born in Cleveland, Ohio, and currently based in Santa Monica, California, is an interdisciplinary artist working in painting, photography, and printmaking. She studied under the esteemed Op artist Edwin Mieczkowski at the Cleveland Institute of Art before leaving Ohio to earn both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the USC Marshall School of Business. Since 2007, Smith has shifted her focus back to her art practice, furthering her education through courses at UCLA and specialized workshops in intaglio printmaking at Crown Point Press. Additionally, she has studied photography with renowned photographers such as Peter Turnley, John Paul Caponigro, and Elizabeth Opalenik. Smith has exhibited her work in three presentations at The Other Art Fair.