Check out Jodie Smith’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodie Smith.

Jodie, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Born and raised in Southern Oregon (yes, there is more to the state besides Portland), I have always had an inclination towards art and music. My mother was a major influence in getting me interested in film and orchestra, as she would take me to see various local plays and musicals. Since she was in the Navy for most of my childhood, she pushed me to go above and beyond herself, and encouraged me to also work hard for the future I want. Growing up, hand-drawn animation had always piqued my interest, and watching the creative strides pushed within the film and video game industries had definitely resonated a desire within me. Despite having this desire, my initial career choice was pushing me towards Criminal Justice. As I pursued college, I was beginning to sway between Criminal Studies and Animation, and ultimately stuck with Associate of Arts, as a testing ground. During my time, I had taken some science and criminal courses within the art studies and came to the full realization that I was much happier and satisfied with my work staying in the Arts above Criminal Justice. By the end of my 2-year study, pursuing my education beyond Oregon seemed what I felt to be the best decision at that point. Moving from a small town to Phoenix was definitely an eye opener and an experience of what the rest of the world has to offer. Since then, I have also become engaged in other communities, such as costume making and Dungeons and Dragons, which have both influenced my creativity and career desires.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Every time I design, I think of the story I want to tell. Just as how soundtracks tell an audio story, they inspire me to create a visual story. I have always had a greater inclination towards working with my hands, so I find greater solace with painting, sculpting, and sketching. Despite this, I am still a novice with digital works, but I have been pushing myself to learn and test the specific area. I have an affinity for designing characters and environments and developing fantasy and sci-fi themes and elements into illustrations and other pieces, sometimes listening to specific soundtracks to drive my creative directions.

Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
Many things have improved for artists over the years, including established Unions, better working conditions, and livable wages. Despite the improvements, there still seems to be an underlining belief that artists don’t need to be paid, and instead, some employers offer the magical term “exposure” for their services. Regardless, internships and entry-level positions can offer young and freshly-graduated artists chances to gain newer levels of experience within the industry, as well as proving their skills and applying what they have learned (even which artistic boundaries could be pushed) to the works. Phoenix has offered art-centric events and conventions, which allows artists to be able to design and sell works based on their own image. Continuing to allow the creative and stylistic differences to shine brings value and individuality within the community. And with that, art movements are shifting and changing with future generations, so being open to these changes encourages young artists to branch out.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have been building my social media presence on Instagram under @jorbie_art, and Behance as Jodie Smith. If people want to support my work, give me a follow and keep an eye out for commission openings.

Contact Info:

• Email: jodie.smith.0402@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jorbie_art/
• Other: https://www.behance.net/jsmith0402

Image Credit:
Jodie Smith
Sarah Vosburgh – personal photo

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