Jean Ranney Smith was born in Chicago and was raised by artist parents. Marriage brought her to Virginia where her scenes of the Washington area quickly came to be popular amongst the diplomatic corp who wanted to have rembrances of their stay in Washington, D.C. Painting in watercolor and oil along with some monoprints and etchings, Jean established a widespread reputation as area interior designers also used her paintings to develop corporate and residential art collections.
Jean and her husband, both sailing and racing enthusiasts, spent many hours on the Chesapeake Bay enjoying this sport. When her husband retired, they moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where Jean continues to paint, her subjects now including many scenes of the Bay, St. Michaels and Annapolis.
Jean’s watercolors, her primary medium, are created with loose fluid strokes as she creates a harmony of color and light. She is a representational painter, but keeps a soft edge as she translates the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay area into a lasting keepsake. Having painted for 40 years, Jean Ranney Smith’s paintings are in numerous corporate and private collections in this area and abroad.