I am a multi-disciplinary artist who lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana. I am creatively inspired by culture, people, philosophy, poetry and the work of other artists, primarily the Surrealist painters and poets, the Abstract Expressionists, Fauvists, and some of the late 19th century Impressionists. I work in many mediums, including acrylic, oil, mixed media, and collage. I am a painter, photographer, photo-journalist, jewelry designer and published author of poetry and short fiction. My work ranges from a playful and whimsical style to sophisticated large abstracts. I neither limit myself nor my styles. I live and breath the creative life. My childhood was spent growing-up in a beautiful, rural, area of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I spent many hours playing in my grandmother's nineteenth century home, dressing up in her high heels, hats and jewelry. We had tea parties on the front porch that lasted for hours. Our imaginations were inspired by our family and nature. I collected rocks out of the streams, climbed trees, went on picnics in the woods with my cats and dogs. It was a wonderful and magical place to be a child. The freedom was amazing. My artwork is influenced by everything that I connect with, such as, cracks in the New Orleans sidewalks, crackled paint on the old buildings in the French Quarter, the evening skies over Bayou St. John, the mysticism of religion, poetry, the varied sounds of the city, my dreams. All of these things are the ingredients in my creative gumbo, simmering in my mind, bubbling with ideas. Working with my hands and my mind is an act of spiritual fulfillment to me. I am blessed to be able to do so I attended the University of West Florida where I studied theatre and creative writing. I am a published poet as well as a visual artist and author of short fiction. The language is another way I express my feelings and emotions about life. I have been writing since I was in my early twenties. I wrote plays as a child and performed them in my grade school classes. My themes in writing have always been inspired by ecology, the rights of women in our society, my own personal introspection and blended with a touch of magic. I am an advocate and supporter of The Humane Society. I love animals because they are people too. I have created a body of whimsical, playful art with animal themes. I also do pet portraits for private clientele. I hope you have enjoyed learning about me and why and how I create art. If you have any questions, please use my contact page and I will respond as soon as possible Thank you Linda Morgan Smith Raya Fine Art Gallery