Natalie Smith

Visual Art – Indianapolis

Favored Hands As a child, my dreams would overflow in my mind and spill out onto the cold concrete that outlined the unforgiving streets of Chicago’s south side. Just me, a brown girl in the ghetto armed with a rainbow-colored box of chalk, I used the never-ending sidewalks as a canvas on which to craft images from my fruitful imagination. Those images were stepped on by passersby and eventually washed away by rain. However, the passion for everything creative that I had then burns even greater within me today. In 2001, during my freshman year at Robert Morris University, I discovered that I possessed the ability to paint well. My mother was impressed and deeply moved by a portrait I painted of her. She quickly became my number one fan and supporter. She purchased art supplies for me and encouraged me to pursue my newfound talent. I fell in love with painting, and used my dreams, innermost thoughts, life experiences and hardships as inspiration when I brought my canvasses to life. My paintings became a part of me and I felt blessed to be able to inspire other people with my gift.