Getting Away From (most of) It All

Getting Away From (most of) It All -- collage by douglas brent smith.

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With Every Available Device

With Every Available Device -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, December 1976. This is another of the series of acrylic paintings that I did in Oak Lawn, IL, living with Mom and Jack for a brief few months. My favorite art movement is surrealism, and this one clearly emulates the work of the surrealists, in particular Yves Tanguy . When I moved from Colorado to Newtown in 2016 I threw away a number of my paintings, many from this period of time. I did not like them enough to keep them, I guess although I feel some regret at heaving them, one can't save everything and I live in an apartment that's about 600 square feet. No real storage room. This one survived the cut.

The Towers of Vettunder

The Towers of Vettunder - painting by Douglas Brent Smith, acrylic. This one feels like another cover to a science fiction novel. In the 70's I might have tried to write that book. Maybe it's not too late.

Jump Close

This could be a first draft. It's a doodle becoming something. We might need to stare at it for awhile to determine what it wants to become. It could be done. It could be changing. I scanned this present state since once it is changed (if it is changed) the original will stop existing. "Do you like it?" "I think so. Enough not to destroy it." "Fair enough." Jump Close - sketch by douglas brent smith, March, 2026 Not done yet... I played with this a bit more. Let's call this one "Jump Closer" (3 April 2026) and watch it change. When I was a child I remember a feature in the Sunday newspaper funnies -- it was either in the Philadelphia Bulletin or the Philadelphia Inquirer. If it was in the Bulletin, I read the whole paper at home because we subscribed. If it was in the Inquirer, I read it at Grandmom and Grandpop Smith's house. We went there every Sunday, without fail, after church and after our early dinner. I treasured those Sund...

87th Place Oak Lawn, Ilinois

87th Place Oak Lawn, Ilinois -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, 1977. I lived with my mother for a brief time in 1977. My girlfriend at the time, Annie, wanted to escape herself to Florida (haven't seen her since) and so she plotted with my mom for me to move to Oak Lawn. The first gift my mom gave me there was a blue T-shirt that said "Wellinthehellis Oak Lawn, IL?". Jack, Mom's husband, was mostly on the road working but when he was home he'd often give mom a hard time so she wanted me there to calm things down. Jack and I got along great but he was an alcoholic and would hit mom -- but not when I was there, which was why I was there. After I returned to New Jersey Mom would eventually have Jack arrested and Jack straightened up. He stopped drinking. He became safe and loving. They had some happy years together. This painting is a self-portrait. I was blessed with lots of time so I painted. Gosh, how I loved painting. I used acrylics because they dried fast....

One More Cosmic Landscape

One More Cosmic Landscape -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, acrylic, 12 x 16, December 1973. Here are two previous views of the same painting, photos that are at an angle. Discards, sure, but also interesting: One More Cosmic Landscape -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, acrylic, 12 x 16, December 1973. Here's a cropped photo of the same painting. I couldn't figure out how to rotate it but I like seeing it at this angle.

Cavalier Club at Large

Cavalier Club at Large -- collage by douglas brent smith, 1995 From Journal #30, Operation Fresh Start, 1995. NOTES: I've owned (or co-owned) four Chevy Cavaliers and loved every single one. I've loved them so much that I even contemplated forming a Cavalier Club -- or maybe finding one that already existed. Such charming little cars. Basic, the last one I owned had wind-up windows. Fun to drive, a bit sporty without being too fast (can a car be too fast?). My favorite was a blue 1987 station wagon version of a Cavalier. It had an old, permanent smell that was not at all unpleasant. I loved that car and commuting to work in Trevose in that car and it was named Bluebird. Sometimes I would sit in Bluebird and eat my lunch in the parking lot of UFLIC on Street Road. I was recently in that parking lot again for a gig with CareerTrack and another for the college but I barely recognized the building or the lot because they had changed so much. Still, the vibes were good. I ...

The Insecure Plumber

The Insecure Plumber -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, acrylic, 16 x 20, December 1976. As I photo these paintings the change in the light delights me. So much depends on how you look at things, how long you look at things, in what light, in what mood...it brings art even more alive. I didn't say it was good art, just delightful art. Only you can decide if it's good (to you). I have not painted like this in years. Perhaps someday I will again.

Study for Painting

Study for painting -- drawing by douglas brent smith Notes: I did actually paint this study, although it has been lost to the ages somehow, maybe in the fire in Louisville, maybe in one of my many moves. Too bad, it came out much better than this sketch. The window scene was different, featuring a VW beetle. The floor was black and yellow. It's an acquired taste but I really liked it. It was fairly large compared to my usual works, too -- probably 36 x 48 inches.

Still Going Up?

Still Going Up? -- mixed media, collage by douglas brent smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress. NOTES: Usually, I crop the spiral binding out of the picture. This time I decided to leave it in and show the whole page. It provides some idea of what each of the journals from this period are like. Big pages and many of them. The clip art that makes guest appearances is primitive, sure, but maybe a little charming, too?

Drive Dougie Drive

Drive Dougie Drive - mixed media, collage by douglas brent smith, 1998

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