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A key figure in the Montreal art scene, Jori Smith developed an aesthetic centered on lyrical expressionism. Her style is characterized by a fluid brushstroke, spontaneous gestures, and a palette of rich, often emotional colors. She particularly excelled in portraiture, capturing not just the features of her subjects — often children and residents of Charlevoix — but their inner vitality and vulnerability.

Her artistic philosophy rejected rigid academicism in favor of instinct and sensitivity. Closely aligned with the School of Paris, she believed art should reflect lived experience and authentic human connection. For Smith, painting was a quest for emotional honesty where form remained at the service of psychological truth, establishing her as a pioneer of humanistic modernity in Canada.