May Bradford was among Effie Anderson Smith's earliest mentors in the West, beginning in 1908. They seem to have been of similar outlook. Effie and May were strongly passionate about the arts, and both also had a deep understanding and connection to geology and mining - Effie, through her husband the mining engineer - and May, through her own work in that industry. They each lived for extended periods in remote mining camps, and consequently both women appear to have been quite handy with a gun.
A founder of the Laguna Beach Arts Association, Hills is also known to have painted in Arizona. Whether Effie Anderson Smith knew Hills in Arizona has not yet been confirmed. It is known that Effie and her husband made frequent trips to Southern California and that Effie studied with Hills in Laguna Beach starting around 1914, returning there several times throughout the 1920's. The influence of Hills on Effie's evolution as a painter of landscapes is clear.
Effie credits Jean Mannheim as being the greatest influence and source of encouragement in her art. She began studies under him in 1915 with special emphasis on landscapes. Mannheim later told her to take all she had learned and to artistically 'work out her own problems' in Arizona. Effie seems to have been especially energized by Mannheim and others in Pasadena. Her enhanced technique and confidence increased the trajectory of her output steadily, and by the mid-1920's she was scheduling many solo shows and exhibits. The resulting 'plein air' landscapes depicting the raw natural beauty of Arizona's deserts and mountains dominated her works, reaching a zenith in her Grand Canyon paintings, which became E.A. Smith's highest achievement.
Miller taught the 'life class' at the Stickney School, and E. A. Smith studied with him beginning in 1916. While landscapes dominate Effie's output, a few paintings depicting structures (homes, buildings) were created as commissions, but no portraits or still life paintings by Effie are known. She would certainly have tried her hand at these in classes with Miller (and Jean Mannheim). Regardless, Effie mentions Richard E. Miller as a key influence during this important phase of her development as an artist.
E. A. Smith appears to have studied with Jane McDuffie at the Stickney School sometime around 1917 or after. Details regarding the influence she had on Effie's work are still being researched and assessed.
