When Doris and Lewis Davis’ oldest daughter died in a car accident in 1977, they felt an unfathomable darkness that only those who have lost a child can understand.
Doris Davis shows her artwork at the Fifty Plus Club Meeting, a senior fellowship group from Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Easley, where she and her husband Lewis attend.To cope with the loneliness and despair, Doris turned to a passion she had shown a talent for earlier in life but had not fully developed: art. (When she was young, she entered a contest that garnered her an offer for a scholarship to study art in Atlanta, but her father was unwilling for his “little girl” to go off to the big city.)
Doris is quick to testify that God saved her from an emotional breakdown by showing her that an outlet existed in art for her sadness and pain. Her daughter Lynn had shown a creative flair by writing poetry. Inspired, Doris began taking art classes one at a time, further developing her God-given talent.
She learned to work in many different media, from porcelain to watercolors to carvings. One of her duck carvings has won her both national and world-class accolades. In 1990, the Carolina Georgia Blood Center chose her artwork for display. People often told the exhibitor that they loved Doris’ work because it made them feel happy.
The Davis home is beautifully decorated with much of her art. Doris credits God with saving her from depression and self-imposed isolation by giving her the strength to invest herself in the talent with which he had so richly blessed her.
Doris’ granddaughter Josie also seems to have her grandmother’s penchant for art. Doris praises God that he gave both her and Josie the talent and ability to create treasures that bring so much joy and beauty to the lives of others.