Kay Smith is marking her half-century as an artist this year, with special give-aways to celebrate the occasion.
Now working out of her studio in Breakers, Kay began her long career in the UK, where she lived before falling in love with Grand Cayman.
She and husband Carl first visited in 2003, then four years later they bought a rickety house that had been damaged in Hurricane Ivan, completely renovating it to be their new home. She opened her art studio at the property in 2017.
“Looking back over a lifetime in art is such a blessing,” says Kay, who works in acrylic and mixed media.
STARTING OUT
Having left school at the age of 15 with minimal qualifications, she was only just able to get into art school.
But after a year, her parents could no longer afford to support Kay in her studies, so she had to leave and find paid work.
“I found a job as a junior in an art studio in a printer’s (business), and that small beginning, learning new skills, would be the start of a long career in graphic design,” she says.
Eventually, she would design for major brands such as Levi jeans, Wrangler, Disney, and Marks & Spencer. And although she started her own design business, she realised that painting was her passion, going on to have two solo art exhibitions.
Now, she is a full-time artist in Cayman, welcoming guests into her studio as she paints.
“I never thought that at the age of 15, one day my work would be hanging in homes all over the world,” she says. “I am looking forward to continuing to paint on this wonderful island we call home.”
GIVE-AWAYS
For the 50th anniversary, Kay is having an online prize draw. To enter, entrants must visit the studio (no purchase necessary), follow her on Instagram at kaysmithart, or make a purchase from her website kaysmithart.com. The competition will be drawn in December, with the winner receiving a commissioned piece of worth $1,000. Two runners-up will receive smaller prints of existing artwork of their choice.
Cayman Art Week
Kay will be taking part in Cayman Art Week, with her studio – a quarter mile past the Lighthouse restaurant at Breakers – open daily, 10am-5pm from 22 to 26 May. Regular opening times are 12.30pm-4:30pm, Monday to Saturday, for the rest of the year.
This article originally appears in the Spring 2024 issue of What’s Hot.
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