Andrea Smith Bio

For Andrea Smith, world peace artist, art is meant to challenge the mind, to summon new insights and to pose new ideas. Not surprisingly, her work is hung in some of the most influential collections in the world: The University of Peace, Costa Rica; President & Mrs. Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia; and Mrs. Anwar Sadat, Cairo, Egypt.

Smith's work is the expression of her conviction and is dedicated to the celebration of life and the establishment of peace. She was honored to be one of the first American artists invited to the Soviet Union in 1987, when she accompanied a group of high school students on a three-week tour of Russia. During the cultural exchange, organized by the Youth Ambassadors of America, Smith helped create a mural which was exhibited in the Russian Children's Library in Moscow, along with her individual canvases and watercolors, all of which were retained for their permanent collection. Since then, the Soviets have made reciprocal visits to Smith's home state of Hawaii.

From her outdoor studio, Smith paints spontaneously, incorporating Hawaii's native figures, foliage and design. "My paintings are observable meditations," she says. "They work on subtle, inner levels of our minds. They are psychic blueprints, inner maps of consciousness for inner love and joy. The images from my mind transfer to my hand and flow onto the paper or canvas. That is why my work is filled with human images, nature, ancient symbols and totems."

Smith has been painting for more than 30 years, and she continues to produce vibrant colors and beautiful journeys that express her passion for peace- peace within and its result, peace on the planet. "It's about knowing our connection to all creation," she says, "appreciating that love is born of compassion and forgiveness, and understanding that in order to receive love, we need to give it." Indeed, her paintings are visual meditations of this statement, spoken in a universal language, conveying a universal message for humanity.

Smith's work can be found in prominent art collections around the globe, including: Russian Children's Bibliotech Library, Moscow, Russia; Pereslavl Museum, Pereslavl, Russia; Rodrigo Carazo, former President, Costa Rica; the Center for Attitudinal Healing, San Francisco; Japan Travel Bureau, Tokyo; and the Pearson Art Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa. Her paintings have appeared in one-woman shows in dozens of prestigious exhibitions, including: Forbes Gallery, Oyster Bay, New York; World Vision, Los Angeles; ArtExpo, New York and Los Angeles; Ron Segal Gallery, Seattle, Washington; "Art of Emotional Healing," Cairo, Egypt; and Images International, Bethesda, Maryland.