David Smith was born in Dunbartonshire in 1957. He was educated at various colleges in Glasgow including Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow Print Studio.

David is constantly inspired by the Scottish coastal scenes and the fishing villages of the East Coast of Scotland. Other subjects which regularly feature in his art works are the Scottish islands and mountains. The palette and inspiration of the work are taken from the Scottish Western seaboard and the landscapes of Scotland. Also, the artist's love of climbing and hill-walking is reflected in his paintings; his distinctive work generates a feeling of a particular time and place and the associated atmosphere at the time

David Smith has been the recipient of a number of art awards including the prestigious David Cargill prize at the 2001 RGI art exhibition. He is a member and current President of the Glasgow Group of Artists, and in November 2011 was accepted into the RSW. His contemporary paintings are now in many private art collections, including the collections of the Glasgow Caledonian University and House of Lords, London.