Driven by the passion for art

IN a small studio at the back of his Empangeni home, Donovan Smith quietly works away at his easel, often until the early hours of the morning.

‘There’s nothing like the smell of linseed oil at 2am in the morning,’ he said as we sat on the floor of his work space, completed paintings and sketches and works in progress littered around us.

Smith, 41 and married with two small boys, becomes animated when talking about his work.

With a glint in his eye, he takes you through the process he uses to create his images.

‘First, there is the abstract, your rough sketch. Then the extract, the more refined drawing. Then the exact, that’s when you complete your painting.’

Smith started painting more than 20 years ago, and still has some of his original works that show a stark contrast to how his technique has improved.

Self-taught, he laughs at the many mistakes he has made and learned from.

‘If you are patient and you listen, the painting will eventually talk to you, demanding a little shadow here and an extra bit of colour over there. This is the energy from your original sketch translating itself into visual form.’

Smith paints fantasy scenes – myths and legends.

‘Many artists portray the human condition in their work. It’s not necessarily a message I wish to convey. I am living in that same condition; if anything, I want to escape it.

‘I would love to paint more classical figures, but the images always present themselves in their own unique way and end up in a fantasy realm. I end up walking this long journey with the figures I paint, often talking to them as I work.’

Smith welcomes students to come to his studio for weekly lessons on oil painting and sketching techniques. He can be contacted on 079 4715099.