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Artist recycles everyday objects, creates colorful collages |
| By
Vicki L. Kroll |
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Apr 14, 2006 |
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Nathine Smith can see artistic possibilities in just about anything, even dryer lint.
That’s right, lint.
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| Summertime by Nathine Smith |
“I deal mainly with mixed media and abstract art,” Smith said. “I incorporate household materials into my art.”
That includes toothpicks, dryer lint and strips of shiny wrapping paper, which are featured in “Primary Colors.”
“I’m a saver. I grew up in the Depression, and I was taught you save things,” Smith said. “When I was in Diana Attie’s class — I think it was foreordained because these [saved] materials were wonderful to work with. I had a ball.”
Attie, UT professor of art, encouraged Smith to see common objects in a creative way.
And she has. The artist used pastels to add color to torn dryer sheets to construct a roof in one of her pieces, “Shingles.”
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| "Emergence" by Nathine Smith |
Twenty-four of Smith’s works can be seen in “Exploring Texture” at the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women through May 12. The free, public exhibit is on display Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Smith’s art career began when her youngest son left for music school. She took a drawing class at UT in 1977 and met Attie.
“Art just became part of my life at that time,” recalled Smith, who is married to Willard Smith, retired UT vice president for business affairs, who worked 30 years at the University.
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| Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day by Nathine Smith |
In 1983, she received a bachelor of arts degree in art and studied with Attie for three more years. Smith developed her own style of using mixed media — paints, pastels, color pencils, crayons, inks and glue with different kinds of papers, cloth and found materials.
Smith’s 3-D collages abound with eye-catching color.
“Mainly I work with my hands. I like the feel of the textural surface, the piecing together — almost quilt-like — of paper creations,” she said. “I like the feel of a pencil in my hand. I like to work with texture and Prismacolor pencils.”
She spends a great deal of time on her artwork.
“I work with layers and layers of art tissues, stacks of them, and I have to sort through those and cut and tear to size,” Smith said. “It could take three weeks or sometimes a couple months if it doesn’t flow easily.
“I couldn’t possibly duplicate a piece — the colors are always different.”
The striking shades beckon to viewers.
“I would like people to enjoy the experience of looking at my art and to somehow feel a specific attraction or pull to a certain piece,” Smith said. “Some may not understand art, but you don’t have to understand it. Just let the art appeal to you color-wise, texture-wise.”
The work also calls to the artist.
“When I approach my work, it’s always exciting. I do things in a nontraditional way — that’s the fun of it,” Smith said. “I’ve been known to dry my pieces in the oven to finish them.”
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