Every Spring many Broad Ripple yards are rewarded with sweet fragrance and color when peonies and lilacs bloom. These flowers carry poignant memories of Grandma's garden and lush bouquets of pinks, reds and violets.

Unfortunately, the season is too fleeting. To recapture Spring any time of year, savor the floral paintings of Hoosier talent Douglas David. "I spend a lot of time and effort on peony - our state flower and one I could paint every spring for the rest of my life and never tire of it - and lilac paintings." David prefers to paint in oils because of their effects and the blending that can be achieved. As a result, his loosely painted florals splash and tumble over the canvas. In addition to peonies and lilacs, his other subjects are based on simple classical beauty. Summer favorites include sunflowers, fruits, farmer's markets and watermelons. When the coolness of Autumn arrives, he focuses on hydrangeas.

Similar to the artists of long ago, David creates multiple paintings of the same subject. He explained, "I usually paint still life and floral subjects in "series", using the same water pitcher and cloths and flowers for a season. They are all one of a kind and each one original, but the "series" allows me to work on variations of light and shadow and different arrangements." His studio shelves are lined with pitchers he collects and uses in his work.

During the spring and summer, he is outdoors creating landscapes and seascapes in a soft, cool palette. To capture the essence of a landscape where the light is constantly changing, the plein air painter needs to work quickly. In a short time David must capture the mood and feeling of light, and this Hoosier succeeds. If you picture that instant when you reach a crest during a hike and are awed by the view of verdant rolling hills or the romance of the ocean at sunset, you can feel the emotion of a David canvas. And every time you pull behind a car with an Indiana plate, you are looking at a Douglas David landscape. His 2003 entry was the winner by popular vote.

Sometimes Indianapolis areas are subjects. In 2004 he painted a series on the Red Key Tavern. Customers slump over their drinks, and the neon sign glows on a murky night in David's depictions of the famous watering hole.

Perhaps these statements hold a key to why his work speaks to others. "I strive to keep my work fresh and far from overworked. I like painting a traditional subject which focuses on beauty and highlights the romance of nature. I enjoy creating and selling work that makes people feel good. Many of my patrons state that they just love living with my work as it makes them feel calm and at peace."

Strongly influenced by his parents' involvement in the arts (his mother was involved in the painting of the governor's residence state china service), David always wanted to be an artist. Educated at Herron, he spent 20 years in graphic design and advertising. After several years with Melvin Simon, he opened his own firm, Douglas David Design, in 1988. That same year, he started painting again by taking a refresher class at the Indianapolis Art Center. He remembers starting at the Broad Ripple Art Fair in 1994 or 1995, and says the fair just gets better every year. Since that time he has continued painting while accumulating numerous awards. Fine art kept beckoning, and in 1998 Douglas David Fine Art was born, and the Hoosier talent transitioned from graphic design to fine art.

David shows at numerous art fairs in the Midwest. Experience his peonies at the Broad Ripple Art Fair. He also hosts an annual holiday studio show in early December. You can also visit his studio by appointment. Studies start at $65. Multiples are $50 each. His stretched canvas works vary from $195 to $4750.

You would think David would rest on his laurels, but this painter has a hunger for learning and growth. He has studied the old Hoosier group painters and is seriously studying the palette of Frank Vincent DuMond, who was instructor to Indiana's famed painters Marie Goth and V.J. Cariani. In the winter he participates in the Indianapolis Art Center's open studio figure class. The open studio classes are set up as it was a century ago: no instructor, just a model and a class monitor.

David gives to the community as well. He supports the IAC as much as he can because "This is the type of facility you'd find in a much larger city." He was also mentioned by others interviewed for this series for his mentoring of other artists and support of art events around the city. He worries that the cuts in arts education will deny a child finding his talent, and he has no problem with voicing his concerns to the State House.

Douglas David, an artist in the classic tradition is one class act. He is well on his way to becoming a Hoosier tradition that future generations will emulate.