‘A dreamer and a doer’
Artist features many different mediums at her Port Clyde, N.S., studio
Editor’s Note
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During the pandemic, Kim Smerek started looking for property. She wanted to find a place where she could grow medicinal herbs but also have a beautiful teaching garden along with an art studio. She found this all in Port Clyde, N.S. Over the past three years, Smerek has been building her property. Today, she operates Studio 181, an art studio and medicinal herb farm and sanctuary, on the property. The name Studio 181 comes from the creative nature of her business and the number of her house.
“I do sort of love that the eight is like an up-ended infinity symbol, like anything is possible, and 181 reduced numerologically is 1, which is the number of creation and the birth of all things, symbolizing the divine origin of the universe,” she said. “It is the root of opportunity in our lives.”
Smerek’s love for creativity began at an early age when her grandmother taught her to sew when she was eight. Since then, she has made clothes and other things. Today as an artist, Smerek is very familiar with many different mediums, which she features in her studio.
WORKED WITH DISNEY
But her resume of artistic works goes back much further. As an illustrator,
Smerek creates commissioned illustrations and paintings. She has worked as a sign painter for the Town of Jerome, Ariz., and as a scenic artist where clients included Holt Renfrew, the Calgary Zoo, Broadway shows such as Wicked and the Lion King as well as creating Disney parade props.
Smerek shares the story of how her contract with Disney came about.
A few years ago, when she was working as a scenic artist in Calgary for a theatre fabrication company, they had a contract with Disney, who at the time was building Disney Shanghai in China. Her first job with this company, when asked if she could sew, was to construct six black, stretchy nylon covers for big plastic balls that were to be used as pretend cannonballs in the Disney parade in China.
After constructing the fabric covers, Smerek painted the insignias of the two warring groups of pirates, who would be launching the cannonballs at each
Flip The Bird is a book of funny birds. The reader can change the head, body and legs by flipping the page parts that correspond.
other during the parade.
“I’ve seen pictures of them in action, but I wish I could have seen the show.”
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Smerek’s creativity doesn’t stop there. She has also written and illustrated two children’s books.
“I have always been a creative person - a dreamer and a doer. I started drawing seriously when I was nine and ended up in a career as an artist.”
Since moving to Nova Scotia, Smerek has continued with her creative work. At her property in Port Clyde, she first opened her home as a traditional bed and breakfast. After the first summer, tourist traffic fell drastically and by October it was non-existent, so she found herself scrambling for an income.
That’s when she decided to expand her studio. To go along with the children’s toys and books she was already creating, she also added puppets and started attending Christmas markets.
“My products sold quite well and I’ve since added a few other products.”
Today, she said the most popular item she makes would have to be the puppets. Her lobster puppets have been well received in the area.
When it comes to deciding what to create next, Smerek said sometimes the market dictates that. She listens to her customers and when she hears the same suggestion a few times, she knows it is something to try.
“Sometimes inspiration comes from a memory, like those of my daughter and I making toys and games when she was a child and we had no TV or money to buy things,” said Smerek. “That sure inspires you to get creative.”
COMMISSIONED WORK
On the illustration side of things, she mainly does commissioned work. She loves the challenge of creating the perfect visual representation from her collaboration with her customers’ thoughts and ideas.
In the future, Smerek would like to build an herb farm. She has a vision of a tea room and wellness garden with an herbal practice, apothecary and conducting plant talks. And, of course, she said she will never stop making things and creating art. Additionally, she would like to paint a mural in Yarmouth this year, or series of them, and is currently working on some drawings. As she says, she does many things full time. When she is not drawing, painting or sewing, she is in the garden, weeding, planting, mulching, harvesting, which is like a creative and spiritual practice. She always has something on the go whether it is working on creative projects or commissioned illustrations or children’s products.
Anyone wishing to view or purchase pieces from Smerek’s Studio 181 can do so on Facebook or Instagram under KimSmerek or KimSmerekIllustrations.