Science informed pastels at Redlands gallery

Artist Kayla Smith works full time as a campaign coordinator but gets up at 5:30 a.m. each day to paint, focusing primarily on nature, urban landscapes and portraits. Her original artwork is on display at the Redlands gallery for her featured art show from July 11 to Aug. 7.

“I always loved drawing,” Smith said. She bonded with her art teacher Mrs. Light at Arrowhead Christian Academy in high school. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Redlands. It wasn't until a marine internship in Palau, east of the Philippines, during her senior year that Smith picked up a paintbrush again. The interns had to make a project about their appreciation for the trip. “So I painted little scenes of Palau and I was so rusty,” she said. That rustiness has since dissolved into skilled art. 

At her first job out of college, she worked as an environmental consultant at the same company where Natalie Richards works. Richards is also an artist and art teacher at the Redlands Art Association. A seminar she taught on the history of pastels inspired Smith to begin taking pastel classes.

“Now I commit a lot more time to [my art],” she said. “Natalie is such a great mentor, she critiques and I value her feedback.” Richards is someone who has made her a stronger artist all around. 

“I like having my background in science and then leading it towards my art,” she said.

Last year, her artwork was accepted into the Pastel Society of the West Coast’s 99 Voices in Pastel exhibition at the Brea Gallery where she received the Submit Award. Her artwork has been accepted into an exhibition hosted by the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), as well as at the San Bernardino National Orange Show where she got an honorable mention and 3rd place. “Getting into IAPS was a big deal,” she said. 

Since November, she’s added the skills needed to create layered images on ceramics. “I was exposed to Delftware which is this pretty blue ceramics [in the Netherlands],” she said, mentioning a trip she took with her family. 

She collaborates with the Redlands Pottery Project, which provides ceramic pieces for her to paint. One of the large vases she painted was raffled off at the Art in Clay Festival in May. “It’s been fun to kind of learn both worlds, [it’s] a little different,” she said, “It kind of reminds me of watercolors.”

Smith paints for 1.5 hours each morning before heading to work, she paints on the weekends and takes weekly classes. ”You can’t get to where you need to be if you don’t put the work in,” she said. “Kind of like athletics.”

Besides Natalie Richards, Smith looks up to her peers like Rachel Smith. She is inspired by Newport Beach pastel artist Lisa Skelly, with whom she studied.

Smith was born in San Bernardino and moved to Redlands when she was 7 years old. “My great grandmother Joyce always loved bringing me out into nature and doing creative things,” she said. They would go to the Batiquitos Lagoon and nature reserves. One time, “They were releasing baby hummingbirds and I got to hold one and release it with her,” she said. 

Her first portrait was of her grandmother for the memorial service. “I was proud of it,” she said.

Last year, she went to the Plein Air Festival at Big Bear in October where she won first place award. She will be back for the Night Sky Festival in August. 

Plein air makes Smith feel like going hiking in nature. “It slows you down to really capture the details,” she said. She likes a quote she heard from a fellow artist; “Once you paint a place, you really feel like you’ll remember it.” She added, “And being in nature in that way, it makes sense to feel more connected to it.”

Smith feels a sense of accomplishment when her artwork makes people happy. Mostly she enjoys the feeling of understanding the painting process or the motif through a scientific approach. “That every process and thought that goes into that painting has a reason,” she said. “In a way, [it’s] understanding why the world works. In my science background it makes it easier to approach painting landscapes.”

She describes her pastel artwork as impressionistic realism, while painted ceramic is more traditional realism. Her ceramic pieces will be showcased at the open house event, while all of her original pastels artwork will be available for purchase. 

You can meet artist Kayla Smith at the art reception on July 11 from 1 to 5 p.m. where she will bring additional exhibit pieces for that day only. 

About the Redlands Art Association
Address: 215 E State St, Redlands CA 92373.
RAA website: redlands-art.org
RAA social media:  facebook.com/RedlandsArtAssociation and @redlandsartassociation on Instagram.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sundays.