Maya Malioutina

Freedom Series: I, Original Painting

2022

Artist Comments
Artist Libby Ramage presents a modern expressionist piece collaged from abandoned students' works. She comes up with a composition clamoring in joy. Cartoonis...

Artist Comments
Artist Lee Smith presents a mischievous-looking rabbit in the act of running away. She leaves out the pursuer from the composition, allowing the viewer to create their own narrative. Bold black linework with strategically placed teal accents outlines the patterned golden hues of the charming hare. The gray background allows the subject to take center stage, enhanced with a complex system of white tick marks, which add interest and help create the feeling of action and motion.

About the Artist
Artist Lee Smith combines abstract, 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: rabbit, bunny, grin, teeth, eyes, pattern, running, run, leap, leaping, animal, ears, feet, legs, jack rabbit, mixed media, playful, animals, mixed media artwork, grey

The Getaway...