Yancey  Smith is a native of Caswell County, North Carolina and grew up in Milton, NC.  A mother of two, she presently lives with her husband on the family farm in the Hyco Lake community.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Averett College and attended graduate school at UNC-G.  She has studied under Robert Marsh, artist and Professor of Art, Averett University, Nancy Richardson Taylor, artist and former Professor of Art at Averett, Peter Agostini of New York, New York, and Kate Yarbrough, artist and graphic designer for the University of California, Santa Barbara.