Women can be so glamorous, so dramatic, poetic and exotic - they are so unbelievably lovely. I paint ladies in relaxed settings, quietly enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of wine and being charming. I try to create a mood on the canvas - a softness, flirtatiousness and delight. The cast of an eye or expression on a face communicates an attitude, a moment in time. I always like to spend time with my portrait subjects - sketching them, visiting them, getting to know them - so that I can capture them in poses that convey a sense of their presence. I am grateful for every talented person who has ever painted and those who are painting now. We all keep adding to the mix, and we all draw inspiration from each other."

Linda Kyser Smith has studied with many of the artists she most admires - among them four presidential portraitists and Milt Kobayashi who taught her many of the color and composition techniques so evident in her style today. Linda's constant experimentation and exploration of various printing and painting mediums has added depth to her personality, energy, compassion and sense of fun. Linda has worked and studied her craft on Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Indonesia and the American Southwest, which she now calls home.

Linda Kyser Smith is currently exhibited in distinguished galleries and private collections around the world and is included in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Her awards include the Gold Medal for Oil Painting in the Knickerbocker Artists 45th Grand International Classic, the prestigious West Coast Award from the American Pastel Society, and most recently a Special Recognition Award from the American Pastel Society of America in the 2002 International Portrait Competition.