23 Oct 2009, Posted by christie in Misc Bytes,featured, 22 Comments

Dr. Don Stewart and DS Art – MiscBytes Niche of the Month!

What if you’d already not only finished college, but had graduated from medical school and even completed an internship at the Mayo Clinic, then finally admitted to yourself that your passion was not the medicine and surgery you’d spent all that time and effort and money training for, but art instead? I think many of us would think we had no choice but to stick with our original path, even though it might not the best path for us after all. Turns out there’s one guy who had the courage to not only admit to himself that he had found his true niche in life, but to totally leave medicine to pursue being a full-time artist. That guy is Donald B. Stewart, M.D., and his studio, DS Art, is MiscBytes niche of the month!

It wasn’t that Dr. Stewart hadn’t really wanted to be a doctor. He had wanted to be a physician since he was 5 years old, and he never stopped loving science and making people happy, but by the time he completed his internship he had already seen that he met very few surgeons who were having any fun. He saw how the excellent doctors he trained with had already had the fun and spontaneity beaten out of them by the time they finished their residencies, and he soon realized that life was not for him!

Here are a few samples of those drawings from the online gallery. Grab a magnifying glass if you have one, because every time you look at these, you’ll see still more cool things. The drawings are full of intelligent humor, including lots of visual puns. Each intricately drawn picture is actually a composite of smaller, related, complex drawings, all created with a ballpoint pen! There are drawings that include medical terminology, as well as pieces devoted to various sports, food and wine, and other topics. If you’re looking for a great gift that your friend or coworker has never seen before, one of these drawings might be what you need!

French Horn | French Bread, French Toast, French Vanilla, French Perfume, French Wine, French Phone, French Cheese, French Chop, French Kiss, French Heel, French Door, French Dressing, French Pastry, French Mustard, French Maid, French Poodle, French Quarter, French Fries, Tour de France, Franks

Brain (Left) | N. Gin. Earring – with Calculators, Calipers, Protractor, Micrometer, Mortar, Pestle, Pocket Protector, T-Square, Triangle, Design Specs, Taped Specs, Slide Rule, Sweep Second Hand, Mother “Bored”, and a Mental Block.

Golf Bag | King of Clubs. Driver, Iron, Shootin’ Iron (for long shots), Wood (duck), Chipping, Pitching, Pin High, Highball, Handicap, Hook, Slice, Cup, Cart, Cap, Trap, Trophy, Dog Leg, Birdie, Bogey, Eagle, Double Eagle, Captain’s Choice, Round Robin, Visor, Wedge, Water Hazard, Glove, Green, Links, Match, Marker, Marshall, Shotgun Start, Shag Balls, Shoe, Shades, Score Card, Spike Wrench, Club Sandwich, Divot Lifter, Commemorative Stamps, Umbrella, Towel, Address (D. Ball), Wedding Ring (from Golf Widow), 18 Tees, i On The Ball, and a Whole Set of Clubs, - all carried by the Caddie.

One last thing – in case you’re not sure which drawing you like best, Dr. Stewart now has a hard back coffee table book available, containing 56 of his best and funniest drawings from his first 20 years in the studio. The drawings have the component lists as well as humorous commentary, so you can enjoy a nice variety of things that are fun for your brain, or like I said, order in time for a holiday gift!

Top photo: Saxophone | Musical Scales – Harmony in the Key of Sea.
The original drawing is now displayed in the Dan C. Holliman Biological Specimen Room at Birmingham-Southern College.