Irene Rose.
Seen through the eyes of a seven-color palette.

Alizarin crimson and
ultramarine blue compete for starring roles
while bristle brushes encounter the terrain of a prepared canvas.

Piercing blue eyes of subject and artist
mother and son
struggle to make peace with 96 years
while filberts #4 and #6 solicit to capture a wordless truth.

Each application of paint renders layers of
Guilt. Innocence.
Disappointment. Hope.
Expectation. Acceptance.

Until the last piece of paint pronounces
Forgiveness
and
Irene Rose.

Seen.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Oil on canvas
Image Size: 16 x 12
Prose: Bernadette Smith
This piece is not for sale but there are many others in this gallery that are.

Ray is available for commission in greater Atlanta and surrounding areas.

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“My preference, in doing portraits, is about the relationship I develop with the subject I paint. When I ask myself the RIGHT questions, they give me the answer. Uncovering that abstract story … emotion … beauty … THAT is the joy of creativity.” – Ray

If you would like to see more of this portrait “in process” click on this link to Musings from the Messy Room: Seen through the eyes of a seven-color palette.

The simplicity of this old storefront was the first thing that struck me as I wandered down this street in Charleston, SC after hours. But the aged and worn doorway became my real inspiration for this painting. How many hands have turned this door knob? How many shoulders have brushed against these doors?

As an artist, shapes created by light and color always draw me into a scene. Texture and history also play an important part in my relationship with a subject matter. All of these elements reveal a story, a collective presence, and a state of being that I work to capture when I’m painting.

There is a moment and a feeling unique to each subject. Working at my easel, my dialog with these elements guides me – and my excitement grows when I begin to “see” what that feeling, that moment looks like translated onto paper. Charleston After Hours evokes for me the timelessness felt on an empty street suspended between closed and open, past and present.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 14 1/2 x 10 1/2
Limited Edition of 210
$95.00

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ORDER & PRODUCT INFORMATION

• FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING in the contiguous United States. For International Shipping, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada please contact Enlightened Ink for rates. Prints are carefully packaged and insured.
• PAYMENT METHODS: All credit cards through PayPal.com. Checks, money orders, cashiers checks must clear before any piece is shipped. (Georgia residents add 7% sales tax.)
• RETURNS MUST BE AUTHORIZED: Returns accepted within 10 days of receipt, must be returned in original condition with Certificate of Authenticity, packaged, and shipped in the same manner as received. Funds minus shipping/handling/insurance fees will be refunded upon return.
• GALLERY/DEALER INQUIRIES are welcome.
• AUTHENTICITY: Each Limited Edition Giclee print is signed, numbered, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
• COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Art is copyrighted by Ray Smith and may not be reproduced in any form, including downloading and printing images off the internet. Artist holds all rights of reproduction.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 18 x 6 3/8
Limited Edition of 210
$85.00

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

ORDER & PRODUCT INFORMATION

• FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING in the contiguous United States. For International Shipping, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada please contact Enlightened Ink for rates. Prints are carefully packaged and insured.
• PAYMENT METHODS: All credit cards through PayPal.com. Checks, money orders, cashiers checks must clear before any piece is shipped. (Georgia residents add 7% sales tax.)
• RETURNS MUST BE AUTHORIZED: Returns accepted within 10 days of receipt, must be returned in original condition with Certificate of Authenticity, packaged, and shipped in the same manner as received. Funds minus shipping/handling/insurance fees will be refunded upon return.
• GALLERY/DEALER INQUIRIES are welcome.
• AUTHENTICITY: Each Limited Edition Giclee print is signed, numbered, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
• COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Art is copyrighted by Ray Smith and may not be reproduced in any form, including downloading and printing images off the internet. Artist holds all rights of reproduction.

Architecture that reveals a history, that tells a story through distinctive texture and character inspires me. I found inspiration for this painting in Savannah, GA, a city rich with these qualities and in my memories of Savannah as the place my wife and I chose for our first artist escape after the experience described in her book.

This young character “journeyed” from a previous pastel I had done for my wife. The human form always introduces a distinct energy to any painting. The raincoat and red umbrella are rich in spiritual metaphors. I love the anonymous innocence and questions this character brings to this piece.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 20 x 14
Limited Edition of 450
$175.00

Cover art for Bernadette’s Pages remained a mystery until the book was almost complete. The image came to her as a flash one day while writing in her journal. My challenge as an artist was to visually interpret and recapture the ambiance and peace that the vision left with her. A subtle beam of light – inspiration – reveals itself to the inviting softness of the pages and dances across the pen as angel wings appear within the shadows. This speaks to the creative power of writing.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 10 x 7 5/8
Limited Edition of 950
$45.00

Light illuminates the moment and when we can see beyond “what is” to envision “what if” it casts a new light on the All.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 16 x 12
Limited Edition of 125
$145.00

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

ORDER & PRODUCT INFORMATION

• FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING in the contiguous United States. For International Shipping, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada please contact Enlightened Ink for rates. Prints are carefully packaged and insured.
• PAYMENT METHODS: All credit cards through PayPal.com. Checks, money orders, cashiers checks must clear before any piece is shipped. (Georgia residents add 7% sales tax.)
• RETURNS MUST BE AUTHORIZED: Returns accepted within 10 days of receipt, must be returned in original condition with Certificate of Authenticity, packaged, and shipped in the same manner as received. Funds minus shipping/handling/insurance fees will be refunded upon return.
• GALLERY/DEALER INQUIRIES are welcome.
• AUTHENTICITY: Each Limited Edition Giclee print is signed, numbered, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
• COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Art is copyrighted by Ray Smith and may not be reproduced in any form, including downloading and printing images off the internet. Artist holds all rights of reproduction.

With all comings and goings there are points of transition. They are markers that, when observed, give us an image of our path in life. Our individual journey. The Passage is a symbol of change. A way in, a way out, a way through, a possibility, a challenge, and certainly an opportunity to make a choice. When looked upon honestly, it will always lead to the truth.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 14 x 18
Limited Edition of 125
$150.00

My inspiration for a painting typically comes from an object or structure that begs to reveal its history or story through texture and color. But I was struck by the immediacy of color and light while passing this garden, early one morning, as a yard sale sign directed me up this mountain slope.

Outside of my comfort zone, this painting challenged my technique and familiar palette. A choice I would not have made had I not followed my muse. A yard sale treasure of an unexpected kind.

Artist: Ray Smith
Medium: Pastel

Giclee on paper
Image Size: 12 x 18
Limited Edition of 210
$125.00