With a touch of whimsy and blasts of bright colors, Natchez native William Smith has created memorable art for the 2004 Great Mississippi River Balloon Race T-shirts and posters.

&uot;When we saw William’s design, we knew that’s what we wanted,&uot; said Mimi Miller, chairman of the event and preservation director of the Historic Natchez Foundation.

&uot;It’s a different design from the years past in that it’s vertical, for one thing,&uot; Miller said. &uot;And we’re glad for the opportunity to plug Rosalie.&uot;

The grounds of historic Rosalie on the Natchez bluffs long have been the site of the balloon race festival. The 2004 festival is Oct. 15-17. Smith’s design features a balloon in the foreground along with a front view of the mansion, owned and operated by the Mississippi Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Smith said he wanted to capture the essence of the balloon race. &uot;Rosalie and the Mississippi River, that’s the balloon race right there. And I placed the balloon sort of interacting with Rosalie and the old town,&uot; he said from his studio in New Orleans, where he lives and practices his art and design.

The whimsical rendition of the house, with its sides slightly bulging, and the river, with currents swirling in imaginative courses about the house, is a style Smith enjoys pursuing. He has employed the style for architectural landmarks in New Orleans to rave reviews.

&uot;I have found this style more interesting,&uot; Smith said. &uot;It challenges the traditional form and replaces it with something a little more exciting.&uot;

Besides the humor people see in the paintings, &uot;there is a little more energy and personality. It’s punchy, kind of a good-natured look at architecture.&uot;

Other examples of the style are on his Web site, wmsjr.com. That collection of paintings soon will be seen on T-shirts, coffee mugs, tiles and other objects.

Smith works closely with architects, interior designers and restoration professionals. With degrees in art, design and art therapy, he continues to study, with one of his goals to become a member of the American Society of Interior Design.

Art has been central to his life for as long as he can remember, Smith said. And Natchez, with its architecture and style, played an influential role.

He left Natchez to attend high school at McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., where his art centered on architecture and theater set design. &uot;I was lucky. I was at a good school and working with teachers who gave me the opportunities I needed,&uot; Smith said.

Those opportunities continued as he went on to Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Ala., where he received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, including painting and sculpture.

&uot;This was a great fine arts program at a small school, where my professors where my friends,&uot; Smith said.

His interest in theater set design continued. He pursued it after college, studying at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst theater school, where he loved the work but knew it would not be his life’s work.

Seeking a better understanding between art and the person viewing it, he began to take psychology courses to prepare for work at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, Calif., where he received a master’s degree in art therapy. His thesis was devoted to environmental psychology.

&uot;I wanted to understand the connection between art and people. What do people see when they look at a piece of art,&uot; he said. &uot;I found I was more interested in analyzing the art than the people.&uot;

That interest &045; and the educational experience he has had &045; puts him in an excellent position to help clients, Smith said.

&uot;What I love to do is help the architect and other designers and home owners flesh out their ideas by providing visuals,&uot; he said.

The son of Marion and Carolyn Smith of Natchez, he looks several generations into his family history to find his own genesis as an artist, including Natchez sculptor Robert Rawes, whose works in marble are among the most admired at the Natchez City Cemetery.

Recently, the young artist learned from his grandmother of another ancestor, whose work in New Orleans includes the artwork on the ceiling of St. Louis Cathedral.

&uot;That’s special,&uot; Smith said.