Letting the Paper Speak: The Art of Katie Smith
By Amy Nichols
Step into a world of quiet strength and vivid imagination as the Plateau Creative Arts Center presents the pastel works of Katie Smith during Gallery Opening Night, Friday, October 3, from 5–7 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet Katie, mingle with local artists, and enjoy light refreshments—including wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
Also on display this month, the main gallery exhibit will showcase the October Members Art Challenge: 4×4 Mosaics. Back by popular demand! Artwork is created on 4”x4” pieces in any medium. These 4×4-inch pieces will be displayed together to create a mosaic artwork.
Finding Grace in Pastels
In a sunlit studio nestled among the trees of Fairfield Glade, artist Katie Smith creates pastel works that speak with quiet strength and vivid imagination. Her upcoming exhibition invites viewers to experience not only the beauty of her art, but the extraordinary journey behind it.
At age 15, Katie’s life took an unexpected turn when she suffered a brain stem stroke that left her unable to walk or swallow. A subsequent laryngectomy removed her ability to speak. Years of intensive physical therapy followed, during which Katie gradually regained control of her left arm and hand. It was through this process that she was introduced to pastels—first as a therapeutic tool, and eventually as a creative calling.
Katie’s artwork is not copied from life. Each piece emerges from her imagination, shaped by intuition and a quiet dialogue between artist and paper. She lets the paper guide her, responding with color, form, and feeling. The result is a body of work that is deeply personal, emotionally resonant, and entirely original.
Her compositions often reflect nature’s serenity, rendered in soft textures and flowing lines. Her studio is a sanctuary where creativity flourishes. Living with her parents in a cozy, independent space within their home, Katie paints in a way that defies conventional boundaries. Her art is unfiltered, unreplicated, and full of quiet power.
Katie holds a degree in art from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Her influences include Georgia O’Keeffe, whose adventurous interpretation of nature and flowing lines inspire Katie’s own style, and Mark Rothko, whose bold use of color invites viewers to not only see the art, but to become part of it.
This exhibition is more than a display—it’s an invitation to witness imagination unbound by physical limitations. Katie Smith’s journey is not defined by limitations, but by transformation—of challenge into beauty, silence into expression, and stillness into strength. Her pastel compositions speak in whispers. Her art lingers. And behind every stroke is a quiet conviction, echoed in the words she signs beneath each email: “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
Q&A with Katie Smith
Where do you find inspiration for your work? Simple answer, nature. In nature there are no rights or wrongs, it is perfect in its imperfection. Honestly though inspiration can be found anywhere you just have to open your eyes wide enough to see it.
Can you share a memorable moment or achievement in your career? There have been a few and I thank God for that! I suppose the one that springs directly to mind is being part of Georgia Artists with Disabilities. It was a huge organization in Atlanta Georgia that didn’t focus on the disability of artists but celebrated the abilities. They had a huge show every fall that never failed to both inspire and humble me. Artist’s that drew with their feet, mouths and combinations of both…how can you see that determination to share the beauty within them and not be inspired.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists about finding their unique style? You are only bound by the depth of your own imagination. Learn from the past but create your own future. Don’t be boxed in by tradition, color outside the lines and see where it takes you. Never be afraid what lies inside you, illustrate from your heart and it can never be wrong.
Gallery Opening Night
Join us Friday, October 3, for the Gallery Opening Night reception featuring Katie Smith’s pastel inspirations. This exhibit will run through November 6.
More Than Art—It’s Community
The Plateau Creative Arts Center located at 451 Lakeview Drive is a place where art lives and artists grow. Come be part of it: enjoy the exhibit, take a class, or join the Art Guild to support local artists and programs.
For more information on the Plateau Creative Arts Center, visit or call 931-707-7249.
