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portrait | by Peggy Stortz onto the Canvas There are portrait painters, l a n d s c a p e painters, still-life painters, a n i m a l life painters, a n d t h e n there's Elizabeth Smily, w h o excels in all of these disciplines a n d more. Her portraits have g a i n e d her international respect in t h e art w o r l d . W e l l - k n o w n subjects include M a r l e n e Dietrich, Elizabeth, t h e Q u e e n Mother, a n d Dr. James B. Rhoads, retired archivist of t h e U n i t e d States. The portrait of t h e latter hangs in t h e N a t i o n a l Archives in W a s h i n g t o n D C . Smily w o r k has also been exhibited in t h e Royal A c a d e m y , t h e Royal Portrait Society, a n d the W h i t e c h a p e l Gallery. A resident of W e s t V a n c o u v e r since 1 9 7 0 , Smily w a s born Elizabeth W o l f in Yorkshire, E n g l a n d . A s a child she disliked s c h o o l , possibly because of eye problems, w h i c h w e r e n o t detected until she w a s eight years o l d . But as t h e u n f o l d i n g of her life revealed, Smily w a s m o r e o f a n artist t h a n a n a c a d e m i c . A self-portrait at t h e a g e of t e n indicates a n a s t o n i s h i n g natural ability, even at that y o u n g age. Smily b e g a n her f o r m a l training at Heatherley's A r t School in L o n d o n . From there, she w a s accepted at t h e Royal A c a d e m y School, but her studies w e r e interrupted by WWII. During t h e war, Smily w o r k e d o n farms, d r o v e a m b u l a n c e s , a n d , eventually, spent four years in t h e army. A f t e r w a r d , she returned to the Royal A c a d e m y , g r a d u a t i n g in 1 9 4 9 as t h e best student o f the year. For this h o n o u r she received the Lord Leverhulme A w a r d , w h i c h f i n a n c e d t h e o p e n i n g of her o w n studio in C h e l s e a . Life c h a n g e d for Smily w h e n she married C a n a d i a n journalist P o w e l l Smily a n d e m i g r a t e d to C a n a d a in 1 9 5 2 . For a short w h i l e she w o r k e d w i t h A r t h u r Lismer, o n e of t h e G r o u p of Seven. But, because of her husband's w o r k , she m o v e d a r o u n d a lot, living in Quebec a n d various cities in Ontario before m o v i n g t o BC. D u r i n g this time, she raised three daughters a n d , t h o u g h it w a s often very c h a l l e n g i n g , she c o n t i n u e d t o paint. Smily is still a n active painter. In 1 9 9 6 , she b e c a m e t h e s e c o n d recipient of the North Shore Arts C o m m i s s i o n ' s FANS A w a r d . M o s t of the work in her recent e x h i b i t i o n at t h e Silk Purse, a n exhibit w h i c h Smily's excellent website (www.elizabethsmily.com), designed like an art gallery, is well worth visiting. From it visitors gets a sense of the sheer volume of work Smily has produced, her technical skill, and her ability to paint life onto the canvas. c o i n c i d e d w i t h BC Heritage W e e k , w a s created during t h e past year (Ed. note: this s h o w runs until t h e e n d of M a r c h ) . A l w a y s striving for improvement, Smily notes that " g o o d draftsm a n s h i p a n d a mastery of technique are essential t o success in the art field. W i t h this b a c k g r o u n d , a student is e q u i p p e d t o enter a n y area of the visual arts field, w h e t h e r it be c o m m e r c i a l or fine, abstract or repr e s e n t a t i o n a l . " She encourages students of art t o take plenty of lifed r a w i n g classes a n d t o study a n a t o m y so as t o understand the bones a n d t h e muscles beneath t h e s k i n . Horses are o n e of Smily's favourite subjects t o paint. Through years of riding, w o r k i n g w i t h horses, a n d study of a n i m a l anatomy, she has d e v e l o p e d a n uncanny talent for d e p i c t i n g the true likeness of each horse. For her portraits, Smily prefers to w o r k from life rather than from photographs. A l t h o u g h this technique m a y be m o r e stressful, it is, in Smily's m i n d , t h e only w a y t o achieve first-rate results. She chats with her m o d e l s t o keep t h e m l o o k i n g alive. " S o m e people just die the minute they sit f o r y o u , " Smily says. "In recent years, Smily has been t u r n i n g her hand t o w r i t i n g as w e l l . Presently she is w o r k i n g o n her autobiography, as w e l l as o n a story for children, w h i c h contains a strong message for a n i m a l rights. Elizabeth Smily's artistic journey hasn't been a n easy one. The duties of a g o o d w i f e a n d mother often m a d e it c h a l l e n g i n g for her to paint, a n d now, as she is getting o n in years, there are physical limitations t o c o n t e n d w i t h . But there's n o w a y she c a n stop p a i n t i n g . It is part of her very b e i n g . Painting Life Elizabeth Smily: March | April