Kitty Amanda Smothers has enjoyed a varied career at Troy University. From a student to joining the staff in the Records Office, becoming an adjunct instructor and landing in the Information Technology department five years ago, she now adds another title to her resume: showcased artist. 

Smothers began working at the University 24 years ago while earning her bachelor’s degree in studio art. She went on to earn her master’s degree in counseling and psychology from TROY and has taught psychology classes for the last seven years in an adjunct role.

But for her entire life, she’s been an artist.

“All I’ve really wanted was to be an artist,” Smothers said. “My dad and brother are artists, so that’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do. TROY gave me the opportunity to do what I love, and then also have a career where I could grow and meet so many wonderful people.”

For the last 26 years, she painted portrait commissions after work and on the weekend. While she loves portrait painting, Smothers said it started to feel like another job and expressed a desire to do something more creative.

“After I’d get home from work, I would get on my floor or at my easel and I would work on commission portraits. I’d been doing that for so long, just really focusing on realism,” she said. “Deep down, I really wanted to do something more expressionistic, more of an impressionist approach, so I started painting things for myself.

“People would sometimes ask if I had any artwork for sale, but everything that I created was a portrait that was promised to somebody. I had nothing of my own, so I had to start making that a priority for myself.”

Earlier this year, Smothers had artwork for sale in a local boutique, Halo Boutique & Gifts, where it was purchased by Mrs. Janice Hawkins, First Lady of Troy University and a known supporter of the arts. She remained unaware of who purchased one of her paintings until she received an email from Mrs. Hawkins one afternoon.

“At first I wasn’t sure it was legitimate,” Smothers laughed. “But it was her, and she had done some research to find out more about me as an artist and was told that I worked for the University. She asked about getting some additional artwork for a project that she was working on.”

The project was finding artwork to adorn the walls of the new Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences. Throughout the building, specifically the main floor, Smothers’ paintings of nature and landscapes can be viewed as you walk the halls between labs.

“I love sunflowers, landscapes and nature. I was raised on the Pike and Bullock county line out in the middle of nowhere when I was a kid, and there were times in my life that were a real struggle,” she said. “Living out in the middle of nowhere, I wandered a lot in the countryside alone and spent a lot of time in the field with my dog just kind of processing things that were happening. I decided one day that I wanted to paint some of those scenes that gave me so much peace when I was a kid.

“This is a huge dream come true for me, to have my artwork displayed in my alma mater alongside so many coworkers and people that I’ve grown to really know and respect.”

Smothers said when it is her time to retire from TROY, she plans to pursue art as a full-time career, returning to portraits but also continuing a newfound passion in live wedding painting.

“It is so cool to be a part of a couple’s wedding day, to be able to show up and paint from a blank canvas and leave them with a painting at the end of the night,” she said. “It’s hard to explain the joy that gives me. I’ve got so much excitement about more landscapes, still life, figurative paintings. I’ve got more ideas than time.”

To students considering pursuing a degree or a career in art—or even just picking up the brush—Smothers said to “go all in.”

“I had a very influential high school art teacher, and she told me to major in something that I have passion about,” she said. “If you have a passion for something, I believe it’s put there for a reason, that you have a way of connecting with people in a very special way. Don’t be afraid, go all the way in and explore different ways of using your artwork—you’ll find your audience if you keep doing what you love.”

Smothers co-founded the Pike County Art Guild in 2021 as a way for local artists to support and learn from each other. She currently serves as president. The Guild meets monthly, and all artists in the Pike County area are encouraged to join. 

The Johnson Center for the Arts has an exhibit featuring Guild members on display through Jan. 9.  

To view more of Smothers’ artwork, visit her website at www.kittysmothers.com.