Stillwater Oklahoma Debut Issue 2022 | Page 34

Walking through the doors of the Islamic Society of Stillwater on a sunny day , red and blue rays of light can be seen dancing across the floor tiles of the mosque . • Stillwater glass painter and artist Zahraa Azee spent many months perfecting one large and two smaller pieces of art for the mosque .

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Azee grew up in Iraq , where she learned different art forms . When she was a teenager , she fell in love with glass painting .

“ When I was little , I was very interested in glass painting . I would copy all the designs on the vase , on the plates ,” she said . “ I also copied on the paper , and I was brought the glasses — very small pieces — and do painting on it .”
Azee started dabbling in glass painting in middle school . At first , it was a hobby , but now she spends months perfecting pieces for people in Stillwater .
Supplies are more readily available in Iraq where there are more artists who work in glass , according to Azee .
“ I contact with the artists from my country — they are very professional — to learn how to do glass painting ,” she said .
Her most recent pieces took approximately six months to complete .
They were completed in stages , and each step can take two or more months depending on what the customers want . She will spend a substantial amount of time to “ understand ” what the customer wants .
“ Islamic art ( is ) very hard and complicated ,” she said .
Glass painting can sometimes get confused with stained glass , which Azee said are two different art forms . Stained glass is putting pieces together like a puzzle . Azee actually draws on the glass . She said many factors go into creating it , and she has to take precautions while working .
FINDING TIME TO DESIGN

Azee is a wife and a mother of three boys , so finding time to work on her art can be challenging .

“ Sometimes she works overnight once the kids are asleep . She works overnight to make sure there would be no one to interrupt her or disturb her ,” her husband Ali Al Janabi said .
She has an area in her garage where she paints . The room is set at a specific temperature and has specific rules .
Azee said creating this type of art is intricate and time-consuming yet showcases how beautiful the world is when done correctly .
Azee made her designs match the theme already at the mosque to make sure everything has harmony .
“ I see everything here … you need to focus with everything ,” she said . “ With the design , with the colors .”
The most significant piece she created , she described as a milestone in her career between size and design .
“ I think the painting here in the Mosque is different . Especially the big one , it was very hard to do ,” she said . “ I couldn ’ t draw in the middle . It was very hard . I worked like a bridge so I could lay down .”

“ I like the pure colors … I don ’ t like to mix the colors together . The glass will show the colors in a pure way .”

— ZAHRAA AZEE
Each color in the glass paintings was chosen for a specific reason by Azee . Color selection is essential to creating something beautiful , she said .
“ I like the colors , it ’ s bright and very pure ,” she said . “ I like the pure colors … I don ’ t like to mix the colors together . The glass will show the colors in a pure way .”
Azee said not mixing the colors showcases the beauty of the bright colors .
“ The most difficult things I need to be gifted with , I need to spend time to make sure I ’ m doing it in a perfect way is the color selection ,” she said .
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE