Artist Jim Smith

                        ABOUT

Finding himself unemployed and bored in 1968, James F.Smith began teaching himself to paint from how-to books. He has since studied with Jim Westall, E. John Robinson, Harold Walkup, Katherine Friday and Florence Thurman. He began showing and demonstrating his work at the Washington County Fair in 1968.

Jim is currently teaching at Cornell Estates and Avamere in Hillsboro, Oregon. He has exhibited his works in several International shows including the Cider Painters of America and the Seaside Gallery in North Carolina. He has won a number of awards from the Cider Painters in past years including 2013. His work is in the Snow Goose Gallery in Pennsylvania. Also was in the Miniature Art Society of Florida. He has also exhibited at numerous galleries on the Oregon Coast and in the Portland, Oregon areas.

The owner of the Yahoo Forum, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miniat, ureart, Jim chose to adopt the AMA statements as the standard definition of miniature in the group. At this time the forum has 280 members around the world. Jim started the North West Artist Support Group in 1998.The group grew to 36 members in the Hillsboro OR area. 

The NWASG continued for twelve years. Jim retied 2008. He just started a new group called the Miniature Art Support Group. Meeting starts April 15 at the Calvary Lutheran at 937 Jackson School Rd. 6:30 to 8:30. Call Jim 503-638-0942. Jim was the judge in the 19th International Miniature Show in the Parkland Gallery in Kirkland, WA in May 2011.

A second generation artist, Smith owned and operated the Paint 'n Place in Hillsboro, Oregon with his mother, the late Stella Dralle. Disabled twice by brain surgeries in 1976 and again in 1992, Smith firmly believes success in art is a matter of tenacity rather than purely talent. He has taught art classes locally and at the coast for 46 years.