Hilma Smith-Barnes

Hilma Smith-Barnes is a figurative artist. Smith-Barnes was born in Jamaica in 1945, and she started drawing the figure at age three. Her dream was always to become an artist, and art was her focus throughout her school life.

After graduating from St. Andrew’s High School for Girls, Smith-Barnes pursued a four-year Diploma Course at the Jamaica School of Art, which later became the Edna Manley School for the Visual Arts. The tutors were well known artists who were committed to shaping the gifts of a new generation of artists. After completing the first two years where the students were exposed to different aspects of the visual arts, she specialized in painting in her latter two years.

She was fortunate to study in her last two years under the late Barrington Watson, Jamaica’s foremost figurative artist, who was the head of the art school, and whose work inspired her. He has had the strongest influence on her work.

Smith-Barnes graduated in July 1967, and in December of 1967, she married her Trinidadian fiancé Ian Barnes, and made Trinidad and Tobago her home in January 1968.

When she came to Trinidad, it was her intention to be a full time artist, but at that time, original art was not as appealing to the public as it now is, so she was encouraged to join the teaching service. as there were not many qualified art teachers in secondary schools at that time.

Smith- Barnes taught art in Trinidad for 33 years, and is grateful for the opportunity to help to develop the talents of a younger generation of gifted students, several of whom have pursued different aspects of art as a career.

While it was not always easy to balance being a wife, mother, teacher and artist all at the same time, she was able to exhibit in mixed and group shows over the years, and has held a couple of solo shows.

Smith-Barnes works in pencil, charcoal, pastels and acrylics. She works from live models, and also from imagination. All of her work is based on the figure.

Hilma Smith-Barnes is also inspired by the rich culture of Trinidad and Tobago, and is particularly interested in painting bele dancers, tassa drummers and steelband players.