Copper plate Etching & Printmaking Fine Artist Chelsea Smith was born in Casselberry Florida in 1992 and grew up living between Casselberry Florida staying summers in Nottingham England and Derry Northern Ireland to visit family. She graduated the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors of Fine Arts. She leverages renaissance era techniques and materials within neoclassical art, which is quite rebellious in this age of contemporary pop art.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper first featured Chelsea as a 12-year-old artistic protégé and followed up a decade later in 2016 with a special fine art feature covering the life, development, and coming of age of a truly gifted Central Florida fine art talent.

There is also a growing list of celebrity patrons that have obtained Chelsea’s fine art pieces. President Obama, Artist Peter Max, Actors: John Cusack, Billie Piper, and Dichen Lachman. Musicians: Boy George, Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, John Rzeznik and Robby Takac of The Goo Goo Dolls, Johnny Marr guitarist of The Smiths and CY Curnin of the Fixx.

In her own words:

“My first year within the national art festival circuit revealed to me that many folks are unfamiliar with the etching and printmaking process. My idea was to attempt to incorporate the entire etching process from original sketches, to etched copper plates, and then the final hand pulled original print within a single piece of art. This was become a turning point for me artistically and has provided a means of professional differentiation among my printmaking peers as well as a way to educate and visually display my process as well as the final finished art piece.

My latest body of work consists of two separate series; “The Sacred Feminine” and “Celtic Mythology".

My “Sacred Feminine” Series, takes the renaissance idea of “Vanitas” and takes a modern spin on science, life, death, beauty and vanity through the female figure from the lens of a female artist. This series also explores female icons and symbolism through ancient human history and mythology such as in my piece "Mother Earth" and "The Third Eye".

My Celtic Mythology series explores the stories of the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge and also Scottish, Welsh & Nordic animal symbolism of ancient civilizations and folklores.

Both series share a common approach of purposeful abstraction. Creating isolated images abstracted from any landscape or background reinforces a profound symbolic intent that something else is also being stated…”