David Smith’s father wasn’t a harsh critic. But as a good, pragmatic Midwestern man, he reasoned that a drawing should actually look like whatever was drawn. Whenever David’s latest piece contained something askew, his father’s keen eye for detail homed right in on it.
That is the kind of parenting which drives a boy to photorealism: a good style for a young artist to embrace early on, as it fortifies their powers of representation. But in an all too common turn of fate, David was influenced by something he saw on television.
“One day I watched a show on PBS about a traditional Chinese brush painter,” reminisced David. “The way he used so few and such short strokes to breathe so much life into his painting … it was beautiful, like dancing. And he just so happened to offer everything you need to try your own Chinese brush painting at home, so I ordered his rice paper and water-based ink. Lo and behold, it turned out the master brush painter had made brush painting look much easier than it actually is.”
This rude awakening did not deter David one bit. He fell in love with a medium that is just as honest as it is unforgiving: where a single errant bristle ruins everything. He sweated blood studying the ancient art form, and even traveled to China to learn from the very same master who first inspired him.
David would not go to art school, however. His parents had heard of starving artists before, and weren’t eager to have one in the family. Thus David studied phys ed. He taught at public schools for 25 years, with a focus on children with disabilities.
Art degrees don’t turn people into artists, of course. An artist is anyone who has to create art, which is why David never stopped painting.
“Chinese brush painting introduced me to water-based media,” said David, “but I didn’t start focusing on watercolor until I attended a workshop by Gordon MacKenzie. He’s a Canadian watercolorist, whose paintings of the North Shore and Boundary Waters are internationally renowned. He introduced me to a medium that is much more versatile and a little bit more forgiving. Of course, with watercolor, you’re never fully in control. You’re just looking for opportunities.”
David eventually began entering his work in exhibitions. The American Watercolor Society responded in kind by awarding him Signature Membership, and ultimately their High Winds Medal. The Transparent Watercolor Society of America also bestowed David with their Skyledge Award.
“Once I had those accolades, I gained the confidence I needed to pursue watercolor as a full-time career,” said David. “In addition to selling paintings and giclée prints, I began teaching watercolor workshops at my former home studio in Eden Prairie, as well as across the United States, Canada and Europe.”
David’s new career had flourished for one year by the arrival of 2020 and all its accompanying nastiness. Though the world robbed him of control, he still sought opportunity.
“Fortunately, I discovered Zoom early on,” said David. “Instead of 20 to 30 students at a time, I was teaching upward of over 100. I made more money in four days than I had during an entire year as a schoolteacher. Not bad for a ‘starving artist.’
“I still enjoy teaching online, and I’m glad to have resumed in-person workshops as well. So long as I can share my passion for watercolor with others – showing them how to work in harmony with a force of nature that can never fully be tamed, even when it’s only a droplet on the tip of a brush – I’ll be happy.”
Visit dsmithfineart.com to see David’s paintings and prints for sale, sign up for his upcoming workshops, and watch his instructional videos.
