Local Artist Doug Smith Sketches A Beautiful, ‘Still Life’

By Jessica Ferguson
Asst. Editor, The Times of SWLA




Lake Charles artist Doug Smith is the advertising director for Home Furniture at their main office in Lafayette. Smith started with Home Furniture in 1982 right out of high school as a summer job. “It’s been quite a summer,” he teased. He began in the warehouse because his girlfriend’s aunt had heard about an opening. His girlfriend, Ronica, is now his wife.

Smith more or less grew up at Home Furniture, working on and off through college while he got a degree in marketing with a minor in architecture. When he left the company to spend three years working for PPG, he still drew and designed headlines for Home Furniture. Smith learned what it was like at the other end of the spectrum. He also learned that Home Furniture and art was in his blood. He returned to the store and settled into a career—not a job.

Today, Smith can stand in his office in Lafayette and see that he has the best of both worlds. He can look at one desk and see the basic administrative paraphernalia that keeps him in the business world. He can look at his drafting table and see his creative side, that side of him that he thoroughly enjoys and nurtures.

Smith discovered his talent early in life. He well remembers at age seven wanting to draw. His older sister, Dee Dee, could draw as well. She had drawn a colonial type ship for a class project and her work was his inspiration. It wasn’t long before young Doug had started a side business: he would draw Batman and Robin and charge his friends for his sketches.

Doug Smith has come a long way from those Batman and Robin sketches. He has been commissioned to create life-size drawings of St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima for his new church at St. Martin de Porres. He’s looking forward to the challenge.

When talking to Smith, one might come to the conclusion that he’s had it pretty easy, that career and talent—life in general—has fallen into place for him; that he’s some sort of golden boy who wields his stick of charcoal and wonderful pictures occur. But Smith works hard and methodically, honoring God with the talent he’s been given. “My talent is a gift,” Smith said. “I hope I never take it for granted because it can be easily taken away.”

According to Smith, the best thing that has come from his drawings so far has been the drawings of Jesus. “The originals have all been given as gifts,” he says. “The prints are donated to churches as well as given away to anyone who wants them.” Smith says his greatest joy has been to use his God-given talent to be able to give back in a way that he knows he can. It was through an inquiry about the Jesus picture that led to being commissioned to create the life-size drawings.

“Caren Dore tracked me down out of the blue wanting a Jesus print,” said Smith. “We got to know each other and she showed Father Keith my drawings. He wanted to commission me to do the life-size drawings for the church.” According to Smith, Dore has become a dear friend and he’s very excited about the challenge of creating the life size drawings.

When asked his most challenging subject to draw, Smith says that it’s people. “I always said I’d never draw people or their pets.” Oddly, that is what he’s ended up doing the most—drawing people and a few pets.

“I always wanted to be an impressionist painter.” He says he was inspired by the Impressionists. Characteristics of Impressionist paintings include visible brush strokes, open composition, and ordinary subject matter, and one can see traces of influence in Smith’s drawings. Smith is quick to say he admires and is inspired by local artists Elton Louviere and Kevin Leveque, and aspires to be as good in his craft as they are in theirs. Modest, humble, Smith credits friends and teachers for helping him along the way. “If it weren’t for the encouragement and guidance from teachers such a Barbara ‘Babs’ Donnelly, James Hooper, and Tim Winterbottom, I wouldn’t be where I am today with my art,” Smith said.

He also admits that doodling has been very big part of his days. “I tend to remain more concentrated when I can doodle. It keeps my mind active and open of which creativity can develop.” Smith says he still faces the challenge of the blank sheet of paper at work, to come up with the design and style of their next sales promotions, but he loves each challenge and the creativity.

Driving to and from Lafayette five days a week might be challenge enough for any artist who would rather be sitting at his work table sketching. Not so for Smith. He uses the commute time to think and ponder new projects, mentally correct a problem he’s facing. He plans, sketches and draws in his mind. According to Smith, he doesn’t work after hours during the week. That’s his family time. “I like to make myself hungry during the week,” he says. “I want to want it. If I do it every night when I get in from work then it becomes work.”

Smith has two sons who are artistic in their own right. Eighteen year old Ryan just graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School and Cameron, age 14, graduated eighth grade from St. Margaret Catholic School. According to Smith, both boys posses much more talent and creativity than he did at the same age. “Anytime I’m working on a drawing, I make sure to get their approval and suggestions first before signing off on it,” he says. “I admire the work and dedication that they put forth in their own art.”

Smith encourages anyone who has an interest in art to keep on going. “Practice,” he says. “If you love it, don’t give it up, keep on going.”

The Smiths say they’ve met and made some wonderful friends through Doug’s art. “The best part of being an artist is the satisfaction of doing something that will make people happy,” Smith said. “The worst part of being an artist—talking price.”

While he does charge for his work, it remains a hobby. According to Smith, it takes anywhere from eight to ten hours to do one subject. He always works with photographs. The basic price for a picture with one subject is $200.00. If another person is added, the price depends on the amount of detail involved. Smith says he prefers to work with sizes 11x14 and 11x17.

There have been times, Smith had a waiting list and felt the pressure. He prefers not to work fast. He’s a detail person and takes his time. “When it becomes work,” he says, “I won’t do it anymore.”

Driving back and forth to Lafayette, Doug Smith has a lot of time to plan, sketch and draw in his mind. Next project: who knows…perhaps churches in this area? Obviously, his art hasn’t become work yet.