Today we’d like to introduce you to Bre Smith.
Hi Bre, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
An American, Native Angeleno, five generations! In first grade, my mom enrolled me in a performing arts school, so I woke up everyday at 6am to take a bus from the Valley to downtown Los Angeles. It was such an exciting time to be a kid – art, music, language, dance classes. I was in my element. We eventually moved and I went to a public school closer to home. I never took art classes but always came alive when there was an opportunity to create something. For college, I selected what I was told the “safe & smart” major and studied business at Loyola Marymount University while working full-time at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey to cover my tuition. During my senior year, at age 21, I suffered a mild heart attack and had to rest, which goes completely against my nature. To fill my free time, I converted my garage into an art studio and began painting. It felt so good to be creative again. Graduation came and I was off to open a hotel in Maui, HI. Maui is a magical place that forces you to slow down and enjoy where you are.
Of course, being in the hospitality industry and opening a new hotel, we were very busy; yet, I still found time to paint. I got to paint outside a gallery on Front Street and when I fondly look back on those pieces I created full of color and light, I feel a sense of pride. Ironically, the biggest piece I have ever painted (60×60) hangs in my mother’s home. She refuses to let me sell it – she told me she could feel my happiness coming out of that piece and it reminded her of my Nona (her mother). Like most Angelenos, I couldn’t stay away forever. I returned to LA in 2010 (after the Lakers won the 2009 championship, I had to get home!) and worked downtown. Eager to show my art, I had a dear friend organize my first art show at a restaurant where the owner let me hang my art all around the dining room and we filled it up! I had 28 pieces and 26 of them sold that evening. I donated $200 from every piece to Tia’s Hope, a local non-profit. My second show was at a gallery in Laguna Beach and when one of my paintings sold on opening night, I was over the moon.
My first gallery show and I sold a piece! Then, I was off to Chicago for another hotel project – what a city; full of art, music and excitement (it was spring, lucky me just missed winter). I was welcomed to this city with open arms and through networking, I was asked to be a part of show for a 90th birthday. The theme was called “Hey Stranger,” Sam (the birthday gent) wanted to share stories about his vigorous life. He wanted to introduce everyone to several artists and authors. I had no art supplies with me and nowhere to paint, but I had made a friend, @see.play.make.give Brian Russo. He invited me to his studio, took me to the art stores and offered me a space to create. I had produced five pieces for this show, all of which I painted in Chicago and still to this day are some of my favorites. Naturally, being someone who loves to take care of others, I prepared a cake for Sam, I will admit, I was a little nervous & anxious to present this at the show however, he told everyone, “It’s not everyday you get a cake from a California beaut!” I wish I could share the video of Sam describing my artwork to a room full of people – what a rush to hear a perfect stranger talk about my work and dissect who I was as an artist, what he felt when he looked at my work; it was truly something special.
I couldn’t have picked a more fulfilling way to be welcomed to the art community and the city of Chicago. I would return to LA only to be asked to head to NY – New York, city of EVERYTHING – I was on the first flight out. I loved being in NY, I loved learning about the city and visiting the museums. I learned a lot about vibrancy and passion. I painted a few pieces while I was there and before I knew it, I was heading back West. A friend reached out and asked if she could introduce me to her friend who was an artist – next thing I knew, I was in a show in Culver City. Opening night, February 2020, ultimately became the last time that I got to see my family and friends’ sans fear or masks. It was a night full of laughter, fun, champagne, and art. It’s hard to think that since 2004, I’ve worked in the hospitality industry and everywhere I traveled, I’d find a way to paint, connect with the community, and find ways to engage with local artists. After seventeen years of my life in hospitality, the pandemic hit, and I was furloughed and eventually let go.
Again, I found myself uncomfortable with free-time and led a non-profit Frontline Foods to keep the doors of local restaurants open and our frontline heroes fed. Volunteering 80+ hours a week made me feel alive because the community was in such dire need. Meanwhile, there were no jobs in the only industry I’d ever worked; so I decided to stay focused on creating and my amazing network shared my work far and wide and constantly encouraged me to KEEP PAINTING. I learned about Chateau Orquevux (https://www.chateauorquevaux.com/) an artist residency in France that I applied for and was accepted – to represent America. And here we are – I depart for France in September 2021 to make art. (pending all is safe to travel)
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
What’s a smooth road? Honestly, if it wasn’t bumpy, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now. I will tell you that people don’t realize that making art is expensive – paint brushes, paint, mediums, canvases and then there is shipping not to mention the time you put in. Considering all of this, I’ve always had trouble pricing my work, balancing the desire for it to touch people and find a new home with my confidence to find my worth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I started painting my senior year of college, I had three elements that I always incorporated in my pieces – one for each of the women most dear to me. The first was a heart, for my mother, because she loves hearts, so much so that she decorated my room in pink wallpaper… At the time, I wanted something yellow, but now hearts always remind me of Mom. The next was the word “love” for my one and only sister because she loves with everything she has and spreads love wherever she goes. She was my first best friend and taught me so much about love. The final piece was a word or quote for my Nona because she defined me in so many ways. The symbols and forms may vary, but Nona is always there. When you look at my art, these elements might not always be visible to the naked eye, but they are there under the surface and essential parts to each piece.
Building layers of color with drippy paint and sometimes x’s or tally marks, it is my goal to have your eye wonder. In 2020, I started writing the term “and the girl was happy” as a signature on my pieces. This is my adaption of the line “and the boy was happy” from Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” because when I am painting, I am truly happy. I also love Silverstein’s work and have managed to collect almost all of them from used bookstores. The search for “ connecting to all ages” continues! In general, I paint my feelings – I turn on Sam Cooke or Otis Redding and just dance while painting. I love getting lost in the rhythm of the music and showcasing my feelings of having nothing to do but create. I’m still learning a lot about paints, mixing and different mediums, which is what makes it fun – because art doesn’t have rules – just maybe suggestions.
When I am in my element it’s just me, my paintbrush, paints (and sometimes champagne – there’s something incredibly special about painting and drinking champagne!). I love painting with bright colors – it reminds me of sunny California days plus my Native American roots, particularly with the culturally vivid use of colors. Art is a way for me to express something that I don’t know how to say in other ways – and that freedom to create is wonderful. Like painting, the hospitality industry is a way for me to create and share myself with others – from welcoming guests into a space that feels safe and full of warmth to helping with a recommendation, and everything else that goes into creating a journey that evokes an emotion. Those who have worked with me, been a guest of mine, or just witnessed me work from afar have said that there’s rarely a moment where I am not dancing, laughing, or just trying to put a smile on people’s faces. And I agree – I just love creating moments of joy for others. My work in both hospitality and art comes to life in my paintings.
Once my initial feelings are on the canvas, I think about how a piece will make someone feel, what the layers may evoke, how words or lines take the eye on a journey where the viewer is wondering what the artist was thinking but yet, still feels like something tangible – much like how a guest might journey through a dinner experience and what they feel along the way. I think more now than ever, we all want to feel something. Lastly, what I will say, is that being an artist can be lonely; it can be hard to push forward as we are our biggest critics. We seek validation and sometimes get in our heads. It is friendships that push us forward. It is a stranger who found you on social media and sent a message sharing how your work moved them or intrigued them. It’s your parents attending your first art show and seeing their daughter’s name on a wall and thinking, “That’s my kid”! I don’t know how to explain that feeling but I can share that it’s what pushes me to continue to create – to keep my Nona’s creative DNA alive for my mother.
People come to LA for a multitude of reasons, they have a perception of what people from LA are like. I will tell you, we are supporters, we are fighters, we are determined to make it, we get cold when it drops below 60, we bleed purple, gold and blue – we celebrate our city of lights, yet no matter what, we know, “that friends don’t let friends dream alone!” Donald George. So we show up, we support, we fly across the country to attend art shows no matter where they may be, we drive on the 405 (granted it’s the 405). So thank you for being my people, and thank you for allowing me to do what I love. Thank you for letting me represent LA – a proud Native Angelo. The support, assistance, advice and friendships are really how I got through 2020. It truly takes a village to create this masterpiece I call a work in progress, Bre Smith. It is my intention to continue to create, give back and take time to manifest how I can truly continue to be that girl, the happy one.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
When looking for a mentor, make sure you clearly understand your goals and timeline first. Then look for a mentor to help you meet those goals. Some mentors can come and go for certain projects where others may stay longer. One of my biggest lessons was always, “Closed mouths don’t get fed” – if you don’t go out there and ask for assistance, seek guidance, or simply do the work, then don’t expect things to arrive on a silver platter. Your relationship with your mentor should be a mutual learning by and with intention. One of my mentors from 2015-2018 would always say, “Bre, you are lightning in a bottle,” I did not understand what that meant – I also did not know how or why so I asked. Understanding the “why” is something I will always teach others. He explained that when I did things, it always came with anticipation, what is Bre going to do next? How will she present this? How will she answer the question – the truth is I was just being me. That sticks with me to this day, when I think I want to change or be someone that I think others want me to be – I stop and think, will I still be lightning in a bottle? I have thrived/survived while being 100% personable.
Procrastination is an alien concept in my modus operandi. I’m a maniacal networker. I do not let a contact fall to the wayside. Maintaining relationships is key while also such a great feeling. When it comes to networking, follow up! Send a handwritten card. Take the time to make it personal. Everyone can send a DM, email or text but not everyone takes the time to send something that is unexpected. You must build the relationship. Don’t think people will just flock to you. If you want the relationship, do the work. Remember key dates, names, celebrations – observe and write things down. Show appreciation. Questions to ask yourself when wanting to build relationships: what do I bring to the table? What will I be remembered for? Do I add value?
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://bresmithart.com/
- Instagram: @bresmithart
- Gofundme: gf.me/u/zfs6hp
Image Credits
Anna Zajac @annasajacstuido
