Johnnie L. Smith creates scenes of life in the delta, both from the past and present. From landscapes, historical buildings, and portraits of famous figures from the Mississippi delta, he creates these works in the medium that seems best for each piece. Acrylic, oil pastel, and soft pastel bring to life each scene, sharing his love creating art and his surroundings. Growing up in Cleveland, Mississippi, Johnnie L. Smith became interested in drawing from early childhood. His mom bought him a drawing set with pastels, drawing pencils, and acrylic paints. He would draw and paint from comic books, Superman and Batman came to life and he received attention from the kids in the neighborhood. "The kids loved drawing and my work, which was a big deal to me. It pushed me to keep on.”, states the artist. When Johnnie was 17 or 18 years old he moved to Chicago. He took a job at the post office, and while his colleagues urged him to attend art school, he decided not to enroll. “I took my artwork to some schools in downtown Chicago, and the schools were interested in my work. But I was too young and nervous. I just didn't have the motivation for art school during that time,” explained Smith. “When you are young, you just don’t think about the future. I had other things on my mind.” He returned to Mississippi in his late 20's, continuing to create oil paintings primarily. At age 27, he started a demanding job and gave up oil painting and went to chalk pastels. "You can slide a pastel box out and get to work, where oil painting takes a little more time to get going." Johnnie is interested in the history and culture of the Delta and focused his paintings on themes of blues, jazz, and delta life. Sharing moments of local history, including the histories of iconic community buildings and the natural world can be seen in his work. He considers his work as a way of preserving the heritage of the Mississippi Delta. He also takes moments from his own past, from picking and chopping cotton to highlighting favorite musicians he listened to while growing up. As his style developed, Johnnie began to sell work at festivals, group and solo shows, with work being carried by Pacesetter Gallery in 2025. At 73, he shows no signs of stopping and still paints as much as he can. "It’s something I just love to do; if I’m not making art, I feel like I’m not living." Now that Smith is retired, he paints in spurts of creativity, and when he is most motivated to work. He welcomes periods of rest and relaxation to foster the joy he gets from painting and to avoid burnout. He accepts occasional commissions and has painted pieces for local organizations like the Bolivar County Literacy Council. Each year, he makes an effort to present his work at the Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival in Cleveland, and in 2022, Smith won the “Best in Show” trophy at the festival.“I have dedicated my life to the appreciation of art,” said Smith. “I consider my work as a way of preserving the heritage of the Mississippi Delta by creating art that captures local life, history, character, and texture of the Delta.” After more than 50 years of painting, Johnnie is as passionate as ever, and takes every opportunity to hone his craft while documenting the history of his life and region through his art.