Several everyday household occurrences can cause the painting to be destroyed during the initial designing phases .
“ Also , I need a place where there is no dust , very clean because any dust that comes on the painting will destroy the work ,” she said . “ And there is no cooking there , no bad smells . Because even the smells can affect on the painting .”
During the designing phase , the weather also can affect the painting . The temperature has to be specific , but weather patterns won ’ t affect it after it ’ s finished . When she ’ s finished , she said the paint is like part of the glass .
“ The painting company guarantees the painting will last years . You don ’ t need to redraw them or do anything ,” she said . “ You just need to clean it like any glass . It will be part of the glass , and that ’ s because it ’ s real expensive .”
Painted glass artist , Zahraa Azee , poses in the colored light of her work at Stillwater Al Saddiq Mosque .
“ How I put those colors together … there is no anomaly toward them . I put those colors gradually . There is a type of harmony .”
Azee said perfecting the color selection is difficult and is something she learned through experience , and it should always be comfortable to someone ’ s eyes .
“ This is the point , the painting should make your eyes comfortable . You should enjoy it ,” she said . “ It should not harm your eyes if it was very bright colors . It ’ s all about the color selection .”
CHALLENGES CREATING THIS ART FORM
Azee faces several challenges outside of designing the piece and finding time to work on each piece . “ I need to make sure the surface is very even because if the surface is slanted , the colors will accumulate in one area ,” she said . “ It ’ s like water , it ’ s very liquid . Those paintings , I use very specific paintings that I bring from Europe .”
LETTING THE LIGHT SHINE
Each time someone looks at a piece of her work , the customer will see it in a different light . Azee said each time someone walks into the mosque , her art will appear different .
“ That is the beauty of the glass paintings . During the day , it will be very beautiful from inside the house , but at the night , you don ’ t want to see it from the inside you want to see it from outside , it will look like something shining from outside ,” she said .
Azee said glass painting is different than regular paintings . She said all art forms are beautiful , but it ’ s normal to grow accustomed to some paintings . With glass painting , it holds on to the beauty through the light .
Azee said she is thankful for the support in Stillwater for her art . Her goal is to open up a business and make glass painting well-known throughout the United States .
“ I want to make it well known here in the United States ,” she said . “ As for myself as an artist , I want to show people I developed that work from a hobby that I used to do from when I was a teenager to professional work ,” she said .
STORY & PHOTOS BY Ashlynd Huffman ashlynd @ stwnewspress . com
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STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE