New watercolors by Washington artist Mike Smith will be on display at the Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery from Sept. 8 to Oct. 10. A exhibit preview will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 8.

Smith was born in 1942 in Portland, Ore., and spent his childhood growing up in Vancouver, Wash., and the Puget Sound area.

He has tried to abandon any “school” of painting and uses an autobiographical approach. His subjects are mostly found in his backyard or around the neighborhood in which he lives. His dogs, the cat, his rowboat, and ducks in his pond, are all included in the bright watercolors of his paintings. He also sculpts in bronze, paints in oils and does silk screen prints.

“People always want to know the meaning of my work and where I get my ideas from,” Smith said. “My work is simply about the people and places and animals I love. Images, unlike the written word, do not dictate to you. After 25 years of painting almost every day, it has become my world.”

Over the years, Smith has had more than 50 one-man shows. The media he uses includes watercolor, pastel, bronze (cast and fabricated), oil, ceramic, wood, and several printmaking techniques.

The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is located at 800 Bellevue Way Northeast #111, 425-827-2822.