WALLACE, N.C. — Hope G. Smith generally lets her paintings do the talking for her as she spreads her message of hope, perseverance and positivity, but the pandemic brought out a new side in her and her art.

What You Need To Know

  • Art of Hope Galleries are located in Clinton and Wallace but send art all over the world

  • Hope Smith has created over 1,000 pieces of art in 17 years

  • Each piece has an uplifting message related to the picture it represents

Like most businesses, her gallery was forced to close for a period of time during the middle of the pandemic, but she took advantage of it, and began pouring herself into her art. She saw it as the opportunity to be a ray of light in a very dark time for the world.

“The outside world tries to make things negative constantly,” Smith said. “There have been times where I've been down or sad or can't get out of a rut, but when I sit down and paint, it really does become a release for me.”

Hope G. Smith works on her latest creation

Incorporating encouraging messages into her art is nothing new for her – hope is her trademark after all – but she said people are seeking it out more now than ever. 

“People deal with so much stuff,” Smith said. “I've talked to a lot of people that could do things but just don't because they feel down on themselves. And they've probably been in situations they just can't get out of it. But if you can give them a little bit of hope, it just brings so much joy.”

Her goal is to encourage anyone that looks at her paintings to let the little things take care of themselves and contradict the negativity of the world with deliberate positive thoughts. She said step one is knowing that you are capable of doing what sets your heart on fire. 

“Your mind is like the rudder of your ship; it will go in the direction of what you're thinking,” Smith said. “If you don't know the positive, how can you redirect it?”

She said she's been both blessed and lucky in her life, but she credits her success to seeking out her dream and believing it was possible. 

“It makes me sad to see people who aren't in love with what they do because it means you're probably not doing what you were wired to do, and we were made to do what we are wired to do,” Smith said. “I want them to know that there's more out there than just a mundane life. That they had something put inside of them that they are gifted with.”