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 Sundays and still do.

Evolving this picture is a throwback to one specific memory from the funny pages -- a cartoon with two panels. The object was to spot all the differences in the two panels, which at first seemed remarkably similar, maybe even identical, but there were subtle differences. It was great fun. Have fun with this series of altered sketches.

Same sketch with some color and additional shapes added. It's growing on me. Dots are a theme that have been popping up for years in my drawings -- and without being the first to do this it's still there. Dot dot dot. Different color dots. What will this drawing do next? Balance or motion, balance or motion? How many dimensions can you see?

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New Ocean

New Ocean -- sketch by Douglas Brent Smith, 1999, from Journal #33, Life In Progress.

The Mysteries of Love

The Mysteries of Love -- painting by Douglas Brent Smith, acrylic, 14 x 18, painted at 2065 Pennington Road, Ewing Township, NJ, not dated.

Why Gamble?

The less we make our world look like a casino the better off we'll be. -- doug smith

Do The Math

Do The Math -- pencil sketch by Douglas Brent Smith, 20 October, 1999. Is it odd that I don't usually draw in pencil? There is so much more opportunity to make changes in pencil, both additions and subtractions. Somehow, though, ink has usually been my choice. I think it might have something to do with contrast. For this rendering I increased the contrast in the file and saturation to bring the drawing out more. I also did what I could to minimize the notebook lines, even covering over the holes and cropping beyond the wire binding. I'm not sure what my head was thinking at the time -- we were shopping for a car to replace the Chevy Cavalier that "drowned" in a storm.

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.

Getting Away From It All

The picture was easier than the trip. No shoes, no shirt, no service, and no oxygen. But was the trip worth taking? Could they truly get away from it all? Of course. Here they are. Where are you? Getting Away From It All - collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1997

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.

Both Faces

Both Faces - Sketch by douglas brent smith

Machine Work

Machine Work - collage by douglas brent smith, 1980-81 Note: As a part-time security guard, I sometimes would read books to pass the time. One night my job required me to guard and observe a location from my car -- a black 1966 Volkswagen beetle. It was night, so I brought a kerosene lantern to read by. It was almost like camping out, as long as I kept watch on the construction site and reported anything out of the unusual. Nothing was out of the unusual. That has nothing to do with this collage, except for the one line on John Updike. Run, Rabbit, Run.

slips, trips, and falls

Globes, at one time, were everywhere. Then, they kept changing. Especially in Africa but also everywhere. Names, boundaries, the "natural order" of the planet kept changing as we kept spinning. It's easy to believe that things are stable, durable, resilient. Instead, motion is the natural order. But, you knew that, didn't you? When was the last time that you saw a globe? slips, trips, and falls - collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1996

douglas brent smith

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