MARY BALDASANO / Special to the PVT Doris Smith instructs Gloria Huff on painting clouds. Advertisement

Doris Smith and her paintings are as unique as snowflakes in a winter storm. A certified art instructor from the Alexander Art Institute, Smith teaches all ages the fine points of painting. On Sept. 22, Smith displayed her works and taught at the Pahrump Valley Museum.

Student Gloria Huff, grant writer and member of the museum board of directors, was there to learn color blending from Smith. "She is a wonderful teacher," Huff said. "I wouldn't have made it this far without her."

Smith is well traveled. She lived in the Southeast, then moved with her husband to Alaska.

"My husband had heart disease so we went south. My father bought land for me in Pahrump, so after a short time in Las Vegas, I moved here. I've lived here for seven years."

Smith plans to return to Alaska soon and become a snowbird.

"We touch people's creative souls by the beauty of art as well as sharing our ability by teaching others," Smith said.

Smith's art reflects a variety of acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastels and pen. She uses the canvas to provide texture and depth, yet her fine detail and color blending are exceptional.

Her portrait of a peasant girl is amazingly lifelike and makes you feel you could reach out and shake her hand. Another painting, "Tulips," is so good it makes you believe you're surrounded by the fragrance of the flower; walking through a garden and feeling the softness of the petals.

Her subject matter and colors are highly varied from landscapes to animals and flowers. In one painting she uses deep greens and black to create a deep forest environment, yet adds a touch of sun with a pale light. It's like taking a trek in the woods in the early morning.

On this particular day, creating clouds in the sky was the focus. Using a cloth to brush the white color onto the canvas, she blends the blues and whites in such a way as to give the effect of billowing cumulus clouds. Her technique makes the process seem so simple that an observer would think anyone can do it at anytime.

For young blossoming artists or older beginning artists, Smith said, "Do art because you want to. You do it regardless of what anyone says; do it anyway. Art is like a diary. When you write a diary you are creating an art; when you paint, you do art. Age doesn't matter, keep doing it."

She added, "Nothing happens overnight. Like riding a bicycle, you buy the bike and go. Art is just like that -- get a canvas and paint. Art is telling a story."