Kay Smith

Kay Smith is an amateur painter and creator from Wales who found a new way to express herself after a life-changing accident nearly five years ago. Living with a brain injury, fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, hypermobility, lupus, and other challenges, she’s had to adapt and find new ways to create and connect. Once a teacher for 26 years, a professional actress, singer, and youth theatre director, her life shifted dramatically when she fell. Now, as she navigates her new normal, she’s discovered painting as a joyful outlet. Though she is not technically trained and was even asked to leave her A-level art class for not being “good enough,” she enjoys using bold, vibrant colours to craft different worlds and feelings.

Her work is a reflection of resilience and hope, inspired by her love for nature, fantasy, and the bright moments that lift her spirits. “I paint in short bursts, often wearing orange lens glasses to help focus hence the vivid colours. I have to wear noise reduction headphones in public places and have had to accept using mobility aids and asking for help” Every piece she creates tells a story and it is more about painting an atmosphere or a feeling rather than copying things exactly. Kay can’t copy from images as she can’t flick her eyes back and forth without feeling ill. “I used to sing so much, and my world was full of noise and bright lights but now it’s calmer and more mellow. That is not a bad thing - it’s just different”.

This year Kay’s husband Antony built her a log cabin in the garden for her very own art studio. It’s called “Kay’s Cwtch” (Cwtch is the Welsh word for hug). She spends a lot of time in there with her rescue dogs Paris and Coco and Kay hopes her paintings bring a splash of colour and happiness to your day!