Meet Travis Dougherty of Travis Dougherty Illustrations in Cypress

Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Dougherty.

Travis, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m an architect by day and a doodler by night. I spent most of my childhood years growing up in Lubbock, Texas. My mother was a very gifted artist and schoolteacher and my father worked for Texas Instruments. Throughout my early childhood, they encouraged me in my art and design work. By the age of 13, I already knew I wanted to be an architect. As Texas Tech is located in my hometown of Lubbock it was also a great place to get my architectural degrees. After graduation in 1990, I began working for HarryGendelArchitects which is located in Houston’s Historic Sixth Ward close to downtown. I’ve loved working in a small firm and having the challenges and design responsibility that makes being an architect rewarding. It’s quite a thrill to see your designs come to life.

In 2010, my artistic hobbies were transformed and expanded tremendously from one phone call from my sister Laurie. She asked me to illustrate a children’s book she was writing and really did not give me a choice in the matter. Soon after she self-published that book entitled “Founders Fables” we started working on a second children’s book about Sam Houston’s life. This subject matter was close to our hearts since we knew we descended from Sam Houston’s great aunt. That book took me over two years to illustrate but it was worth it. We love Sam and love to share his inspiring stories of how he bounced back from all of his life’s challenges.
Soon after that, I wanted to keep moving forward in my illustrations and I committed myself to drawing pictures from the only historical and inspiring story that I love more than Sam’s, The Bible. One night at a meeting of various artists at church, we were challenged by our worship leader to practice daily with the gifts and talents that we have been blessed with by God. After the meeting that night, I decided to sit in the sanctuary and I drew a picture representing the image that came into my head as I took in Psalm 137.

After that evening I decided that this was my next artistic journey. My next undertaking would be to draw pictures of each of the 1,189 chapters of The Bible. This has been a large part of my faith journey since 2014 seeking to complete this graphic journal process which to date has taken me from Genesis all the way up to The Gospel of John with only 171 Chapters of the Bible left to draw.

Since 2015, I’ve also co-led a small group of students at our church in Bible study. Our students love to journal with words and drawings alongside my sketches each week as we see new things within scripture when we explore it and talk about it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I believe a shaping force behind me working on such passionate goals in my spare time followed an obstacle that came into my life 15 years ago when I was 39. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. That experience really made me realize what things are most important. It brought to life that I should focus on the things I can control and not the many things that I can’t control.

Going through the process of dealing with cancer can’t help but change a person and in my case, it became a blessing. I don’t know that I would have been bold enough to try any of the things I’ve mentioned without going through that hurdle in my life. I felt God with me all along the way and his love by the people he put around me from my family, friends, and church family.

Travis Dougherty Illustrations – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’ve made a website and ETSY shop for my art which contains items including my self-published “Sketching The Bible: the Old Testament” and “Sketching The Bible: The Gospels”. These are formatted as journals so that people reading the Bible could write in words or draw in picture form their inspirations. Having built now such a large library of my personal art from scriptures, I’ve enjoyed taking those images into other media as well such as decorative tiles, placemats, puzzles, cups, pillows, and prints.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As Viktor E. Frankl wrote “success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensure”. I hope that can truly be said about our work for “Magnificent Sam: The Amazing Adventures of Sam Houston” when it won The Will Roger’s 2014 Gold Medallion award. “Sketching the Bible: The Old Testament” won The Gold Medal from 2018 Illumination Book Awards (Shining a Light on Exemplary Christian Books).

And back to my day job, it was a treat to be involved designing an industrial building for Jim Crane’s companies on the Hardy Toll Road which won the ENR 2014 Best Industrial/Manufacturing project in Texas and Louisiana in 2012. And, if you’ve ever driven I-45 to Houston from the North, then you might have noticed the End Hunger building, which I designed in 2006 near North Main and I-45.

Shoutouts are too many to list but as a start: my artistic grandfather who encouraged my mom in art in the same way she encouraged me, my father, my sister Laurie, Sharie, Bailey & Ryder, Luke Brawner, Harry Gendel, Jonathan and Cathie Barnett, my Lakewood UMC family and my other close friends that encourage me to keep on with my artistic explorations of the Bible. I know without that encouragement and God’s nudges I would never have been brave enough to explore all that things that have provided me such enjoyment to my life and faith.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sketchingthebible.com
• Email: travis@sketchingthebible.com
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SketchingTheBible

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.