Curatorial Review

 Art Curator Despina Tunberg had gone through all of my artwork and wrote a curatorial review.

I am very pleased and excited about what she wrote! She was able to verbally say in a short time what I have been feeling and going through, striving to express over many years.

Enjoy reading! 

Best Art Awards 2025

 I had forgotten that I had submitted artwork to a huge international competition with multiple categories.  I received an email today stating that I am a winner, Honorable Mention,  in the Open Theme Category !

Considering there is a ton of entries for this competition globally, I am very grateful to have my painting "Spiritual Tuning" in this list of winners.

The link to the site is:  http://www.bestartawards.com/  

The first page is the Open Theme Category and I am in the Honorable Mention section.

There is no financial award for this or many other awards I have been receiving, just the acknowledgment of placing in these international juried competitions and that my artwork is competitive among so many amazing artists.

Juried Glass Exhibition Acceptance!

 My glass piece "Searching" has been accepted in a national juried glass art exhibit titled "Glass Immersed" at d'Art Center in Norfolk, VA.  

This is the piece that has been accepted:

I had submitted this along with a couple of smaller pieces hoping the smaller would be accepted as they are easy to pack and ship.  I have had to decline, sadly, as this panel and stand are quite large, would have to crate it and the shipping costs are just too much for me at this time.  If I was able to ship it and it did not sell at the show then I would have to pay shipping costs to return it.  Oh, well.  Nice to have been accepted into a juried show with national submissions.  

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.

Stained Glass Views

 I was soaking in our tub the other day and to my right and left are glasswork that I had installed, one last year and a couple approx 11 yrs ago.

This last one is the reflection in the water which is a nice, calming affect
Very relaxing and enjoyable viewing these while relaxing in tub.

Nuditas 2025, Juried Show

My painting titled Anxiety has been accepted into an international juried show titled Nuditas 2025!  The online show will be held Oct 11 - Dec 11.  I am grateful that this painting is part of the show.

Day 4 Bonding Glass

 Got a couple of the triangle shapes bonded on yesterday.

The first image shows the UV adhesive that gets squeezed out and has to be cut and cleaned off.  

The next image is a closeup of the bevel.

Couple different angle shots.  Don't get the full affect until the panel gets installed the the light coming through the glass.

Day 3 Bonding Glass

I did get to squeeze in a little time today and got another glass piece bonded.  

 

Day 2 Bonding Glass

 Yesterday was Day 2 in bonding the color glass pieces on top of the clear bevels.  I was able to work an hour and completed 2 of the green ones.

 

I am hoping to get 1 piece bonded today.  

Busier Summer Than Expected!

 Hello to All! I figure I better check in!

This summer has been much busier than expected with getting one son ready for college, work schedule, projects around the house, emergency projects, etc.  

In regards to the large interior door I have not been able to proceed with bonding the beveled color pieces on top of the clear bevels.  Starting mid September I should be back on schedule with older son away at college and younger starting school.  I will start posting images once I am further along with the bonding.  After that will be installing the panel into the door.

Thank you for your patience!

Isaac

Sunlit Glass!

This morning when the sun was rising, the glass in the kitchen lit up and the image appeared on the window shade.  I love the effect of this!  I noticed this on a window in a different house we had many years ago and I make sure I have this same type of shade that I purchased in Japan to get this type of effect.

 Fun how the textures appear on the shade!

Current Masters 7 Book

The online version of the book Current Masters 7 is now available!  Following is the link:

 https://wwab.us/cm-7/

The printed books come out in a couple of months.

Polishing Bevels

 Begun the process of polishing this current set of bevels:

Once these are all completed I will go back to piecing together the panel in certain sections until I get to a point where I will need to bevel more shapes.  

Today's Inspiration!

I found these leaves and they have captivated me, the movement, shape, color!

They have reminded me of my mission, Nourish Your Soul Through a Symphony of Light and Colour!

Much needed today

Client Testimonial- Hummingbird Window

I received an email from Susan, the client who commissioned me to make her a Hummingbird stained glass  for her transom window.  
Here is what she had to say about the process:

Dear Isaac,

I want to thank you for designing and creating our beautiful hummingbird stained

glass window!  It is so beautiful and light! Your design and choice of colors are

awesome.  This is a lifetime treasure.

Having it over our entryway we see it multiple times a day.  The colors change

depending on the time of day and the beveling of the bird's feathers reflect light

and create movement. They are exquisite!  It was a pleasure working with you! I really appreciated you keeping me in the loop with the progress along the journey. I would highly recommend your creative work to anyone.

Thank you for the joy you have brought to our home.

Sincerely,

Susan


This was a fun project and a pleasure working with her on this. Thank you Susan for the opportunity.

Isaac

Getting Good at Cutting Glass

Cutting glass freehand takes quite a bit of practice, especially the inside curves as in the one pictured.  Sometimes the glass breaks where you do not want it to.

Large Residential Stained Glass Project

I have been working on a large project for 3 large windows in a living room area of a home in Portland, OR.
Designs for the large window in the center of these 3 windows is broken down into 3 sections and all 5 stained glass panels will be put into metal frames before being installed into the living room windows.
The first image shows the metal frames on the floor of my garage, the second is of me drawing out the designs, and the following ones are of the progression of a panel.
The longest panel is 86 inches tall by 24 inches wide.

Bevels for a Front Door Repair

I had received a call from someone who has a beveled cluster design in a front door and a couple of the bevels have cracks in them. The type of glass that was used for these bevels is 1/4 inch thick glue chip glass.  These bevel clusters are not made anymore so I had to order this type of glass and create the bevels.  I also had to modify one of the shapes by splitting it into 2 shapes so I could create the inside curve.  

Here area a few pictures showing the cracks and some of the bevel process.

Trip to Japan!

Last month my family and I traveled to Japan to visit my wife's family and did a lot of sightseeing and eating.  I always enjoy visiting where my wife grew up and experiencing the culture.  I love the way the old architecture really fits in with the surroundings and the colors and textures they use in their buildings and other things such as clothing.  Their attention to detail is exquisite. 
One of many things that I enjoy taking pictures of is the sewer hole covers.  They are very ornate and can be colorful depending on the area. Here are a few examples.

"Flowing Blue" Completed

Previous post I showed images of colored pieces being beveled.  One of them was for this small panel I was working on.  Beveling the edges of the color really adds dimension and changes the look, as well as changing the way the light flows through.