Story of My Artwork

 I have been in the process of having the story of my artwork be edited by myself and another person over the last couple of years.  Whenever an artist applies to juried shows, applying for art shows, etc. one has to submit Artist Bio, Artist Statement or other information pertaining to her process and other information.  I have always had a difficult time with these until recognizing that synesthesia is the underlying source of the visual imagery I put on canvas and glass.

Here is the current version of a short bio that has been revised over several years. Bio is written in 3rd person and usually has info such as education, awards, art influence and process, etc.  I tend to stay away from indicating these things and try to produce a story pertaining to the artwork that will connect with the viewer:

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1970, Isaac D. Smith is a visual artist now based in Washington State, where he has lived since 2004.  His creative vision is shaped by a rare sensory phenomenon: the ability to see colors and images while listening to music.  Only recently realizing the uniqueness of this experience, Smith has embraced it fully in his artistic practice.

Working in both oil painting and glass, Smith translates sound into visual form, producing compositions that combine luminous transparency with bold opacity.  His works explore movement, rhythm, and the emotional resonance of music, often described as "nourishing the soul through a symphony of light and color."  Each piece serves as a bridge between auditory and visual experience, allowing viewers to enter a world where music and imagery converge.  Smith's art invites reflection, contemplation and joy.  His canvases and glasswork evoke harmony and vibrancy, encouraging audiences to consider the profound connections between sound, emotion and vision.

Story Behind Spiritual Tuning

I've been looking at Spiritual Tuning quite often since completing the varnishing and am now at a point where I can verbalize different aspects of this painting, what was going on while painting it and where the imagery originated from.

This was created over a two year period from 2021-2023 as indicated from earlier posts.  The pose of the figure really captivated me- don't think I understood why fully at the time, definitely the overall shape and form of the pose as well as the light/dark aspects of it.  After reflection I feel the pose has an introspective quality which I was going through at the time- healing from the past from religion, relationships, hurts, etc.  Throughout the 2 year period I listened to a lot of music which allowed me to see so many colors, shapes, movement which all came out in this figure.  The background has a yin yang feel which came from a lot of reading, learning and understanding dynamics of relationships/marriage and my own marriage.  Learning about the dynamics of security and sexuality in a a marriage/relationship and how they are opposites.  Once I really understood what was happening internally such as emotional healing, learning, introspection, changing- along with the musical aspects creating the color, movement, etc, the title Spiritual Tuning was quite vivid in my mind- an adjustment to become more of who I am.