Lee Smith

Neighborhood Tough, Original Painting

2023

Artist Comments
Artist Lee Smith creates a playful portrait of a dog who happens to be the neighborhood tough guy. "No one knows where he lives, and all the ladies secretly love him," shares Lee. "It is easy to tell that he is savvy, cool, and knows how to handle himself in tight situations." Lee's primitive style presents a gritty yet lovable view of a canine surrounded by the accouterments of colorful and hard city life—graffiti and detritus. Lee invites the viewer to look even closer as a few lines of Shakespeare await to be found.

About the Artist
Artist Lee Smith combines abstract, primitive, expressionist, and gritty contemporary art in her work. “My style is greatly influenced by years spent in CGI production and an unapologetic love for the daily comics,” says Lee. As a keen observer, she finds her inspiration in the social aspects of life. Her work represents human emotions and portrays these emotions by illustrating the animal world, often using those popular companions—cats and dogs. In her long professional career, Lee has worked as a newspaper layout artist, a visual merchandising specialist, a freelance graphic artist, a technical illustrator, and an art director. Lee retired from the corporate world ten years ago to concentrate on her art career. “Although I studied art in college, I prefer to describe myself as 'self-taught.' Years of irreplaceable hands-on experience have provided an extensive and invaluable continuing education in the arts,” says Lee. When building her current home in Oregon, she added a small studio that she keeps organized and clutter-free. She wears her trusty paint-covered denim overall when working, and typically listens to audiobooks or podcasts. “I have dozens of paintbrushes in cans all over the studio, but I have only about 10 favorites that I always use.”

Words that describe this painting: dog, teeth, city, eyes, colorful, canine, animal, graffiti, Shakespeare, mixed media, primitive, primitivism, portrait, text, animals, primitive, mixed media artwork, green

Neighborhood Tough
Lee Smith
Acrylic paint, markers, and collage on stretched canvas
Finished black edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front and back
2023
20 in. h x 16 in. w x 1.5 in. d
2 lbs. 0 oz.