Hi!, Thanks for wanting to learn a little more about the girl behind Ink and Paint Studio.
My name is J. Leigh Smith, but you can call me Leigh. I’m a mostly self taught artist who has been painting since I was a child. Painting has always been a huge passion of mine. Growing up I never knew any artists or really thought of it as a "job" though so I chose another fun and artistic career and became a makeup artist instead.
I studied with celebrity makeup artists, attended numerous conventions and learned more than anyone needs to know about color wheels, skin tones, contouring, etc. It was a lot of fun, but one day I woke up and realized the main reason I loved makeup artistry was because of the creative/artistic aspect of it. So, I decided to follow my childhood dream of being an artist instead and the rest as they say is history.
I paint in acrylics and mostly abstract though I do love to play with all mediums and in all styles. As for photography that’s another passion that has been with me since childhood. Whether it’s my fancy Canon digital camera, my iPhone or my trusty old Polaroid it’s rare for you to see me without a camera in hand. I’ve apprenticed celebrity wedding photographer, Robert Evans, worked as a photographer for the newspaper Florida Today and taken numerous photography classes and courses in my life. When it comes to my photography style I love photos with a vintage and whimsical feel to them.
I currently live in Central Florida with my husband, two dogs and a cat. I can usually be found with either a paint brush or camera in hand.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
