Why Nourish Your Soul?

As I have been weak and in pain from the Shingles I thought I would share a few thoughts as to the mission I have to Nourish Your Soul Through a Symphony of Light and Colour!

I love how glass and painting can transform a space or at the least subtly tie into it so that it feels pleasing, stirring, touches the soul, nourishes you.  Watching someone's reaction after I have installed my artwork into their home and hear them say how it touches them, moves them,  is very rewarding!  I heard from a client I had from 19 yrs prior who told me they still love to just sit and look at the artwork I had created for their home.  
What I create, either in glass or painting, is not about me, it is not about who I am or what I am feeling, or any of the typical stuff that is in artist statements.  It is so much more than that.  

Over the years people have asked what is my art about, what is my style, what do I paint? I had a difficult time answering because I intuitively felt what it was all about but could not really describe it.  I would see the responses from clients after installation and looking back I can say that they were having responses from their soul, from some spiritual connection.  I was unable to really put it all together in my head.  

Before I could understand fully my mission I had to understand what my purpose is.  In order to do that I had to do some reflecting on 3 emotionally painful moments in my life and 3 emotionally joyful moments in my life.  I ended up doing this through a course taught by Ann Rea.  In doing this process I found a huge thread throughout my life that was connected from childhood.  I found that the painful moments in my life were about not being accepted for who I am, rejected at times, told I was wrong in what I thought or believed (I grew up religious and at times what I thought/believed conflicted with what was taught and if I vocalized it I was condemned or told I was wrong).  The joyful moments were times when I was doing something that fed or nourished my soul such as painting, bicycle ride, having sex, staring at a stained glass window, sitting by the ocean, listening to symphonic music (Beethoven specifically for me).  These are more examples than what I did in the month long reflection but they came to mind later.  

In tying the painful and joyful moments together briefly I saw that I am to accept who I am and nourish or feed my soul.  If I did not then I would continually be in pain, feel rejected, feel empty.  I am not the only one, many people need to nourish their soul, do things that make them whole.  So, what can I offer through my art?  I offer to Nourish Your Soul Through a Symphony of Light and Colour!

Why the word "symphony"?  A couple of reasons.  A symphony unifies many different instruments that have different parts to play.  There is depth, movement, dynamism. I do the same with both glass and painting.  I combine different types of glass, color, texture, beveling technique, elements of the client's home/office to create depth, movement, dynamism that ultimately provides the client nourishment for who they are, what they enjoy, for their soul.
Secondly, the Viola has a sound that reaches into and moves throughout my spirit.  I played the Viola in middle school through a couple of years in college and was mediocre at best.  I am ok with that, painting and creating in glass are more of what I am drawn to. Give me record or CD with a Viola sonata to listen to and I am in heaven!
Lastly, I enjoy being with others in a symphony listening.  Many are there for the same reasons, I believe that it is ultimately to feed and nourish their soul. 

So, basically, this is what my art is about.  There are other details that I could go into but not at this time.  If you want to know more feel free to ask.  
I look forward to having the opportunity to Nourish Your Soul Through a Symphony of Light and Colour! 

Layed Up With Shingles

The last week or so I have been layed up with shingles.  I contemplated sharing this but this is my blog and this is what is happening currently.  
Shingles turns out to be more dangerous than I thought.  I had started out feeling sharp pain in the back left of my head and it spread along side to the forehead.  Left side was tender.  I tried knocking out the constant pain, which fluctuated from a dull roar to very sharp stabbing around the head and left eye, with acetaminophen and ibuprofen which did nothing (I found out later that this is nerve pain which is not affected by those meds).

The pain started increasing around the left eye and noticed redness in the eye. 
The pain increased and rashes started appearing around the upper portion of eye lid and eyebrow.  When they spread to the forehead I figured it was shingles and went to doctor who confirmed.  I was sent to the ophthalmologist who thankfully indicated that the interior of the eyes were clear and nerves untouched.  Exterior was a different story, lots of pain and throbbing.  
I found out that shingles can cause blindness and as I heard stories from other people there are a whole host of damage that can be done. 
The rashes spread to my nose and up the scalp to the back of my head.  My eye swelled up and could not open it for 2 days with secretion that dried between eyelids.  
I have had a whole range of pain from constant bearable pain even after meds to feeling like sharp electrons spinning around my brain with severe pain that would last about an hour.
  
The crazy thing is, I was going to get vaccinated for this in April!  

I am feeling much better today, actually able to focus on something. Swelling is still there around inner eye and nose, rashes are beginning to heal.  Still having pain but not as severe.

Timeline from the first pain in head is now 9 days.  

Here are a couple of pics of the progression: The first shows the very beginning of the eye swelling and closing, it got worse over the next couple of days.

 I share this because for those who are over 50 and had chicken pox and have not had vaccine for shingles please go get vaccinated.  It is not worth the pain and potential permanent damage.  

Complexities of the Heart

A couple of weeks ago I completed a painting I had been working on and thought it was interesting timing with Valentines Day coming up.  I had not planned this to be for Valentines Day.  
Since I have been dealing with a lot of emotional issues I had been drawing some designs pertaining to the heart and the complexities dealing with emotions, life issues, relationships, etc.  

I then started drawing the design on canvas and began painting. I enjoy the flow and movement.

For me this represents how emotions are not straight forward and different desires,feelings, beliefs are all twisted together and sometimes what one believes may not be correct or they affect how one interacts with people.  I hurt my wife emotionally early in our marriage and am just now able to look back and see how I did not realize what was really happening internally for me and how my beliefs affected all that.  

Personal Growth

I have been going through a period of introspection and growth.  I keep going through a cycle that has been harmful to my marriage and other relationships and came across a book titled "No More Mister Nice Guy".  Basically it looks at the characteristics of nice guys and how the patterns are hurtful to himself as well as relationships around him.  I have been amazed at how this fits me and have been working on a few things that have been helping heal my relationship with my wife as well as heal myself.  
I will be showing some artwork in process but I have been needing to take a break and work on healing.  
Thank you for following me and I will be posting artwork again soon.

Isaac D Smith