BIOGRAPHY
Erin Smith is a contemporary painter based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, whose large-scale floral paintings explore self-perception, resilience, ambiguity, and the freedom of taking up space. Drawing on backgrounds in both photography and nursing, Smith is interested in the ways people experience emotion, memory, grief, beauty, and transformation. Her early work behind the camera shaped an enduring sensitivity to composition, light, and the ability of an image to communicate without words, while her clinical work deepened her understanding of human complexity and resilience. Through expressive brushwork, layered color, and monumental scale, she creates paintings that invite reflection and personal interpretation.
CV
Education: MSN, Old Dominion University (2022); BSN, Northern Illinois University (2014). Self-taught artist. Former professional photographer (Erin Leppo Photography, 2008-2016). Exhibitions: Gallery by the Lake, Lake Charles, Louisiana (2024-2025). Collections: Private collections in Louisiana, Virginia, and Maryland.
STATEMENT
Through large-scale floral paintings, I explore self-perception, ambiguity, and the freedom of taking up space. Drawing from my experiences in photography and nursing, I use flowers as a visual language for memory, grief, beauty, resilience, and transformation. I create works that remain open to interpretation, inviting viewers to find their own meanings within the image.