Bio

Welcome to my website.

Art making has always been important to me from a young age.

I grew up in Brighton an inspirational seaside town (now a city), with a multi layered social strata.
Busy summers and windswept winters, I would love to walk by the sea and take in the intoxicating atmosphere of the varying seasons.
After Art College in the early 70's I travelled for a while experiencing different cultures, and soaking in the influences.
Creativity lay dormant for a while until I started to work with adults with learning disabilities, setting up and developing creative workshops. When I moved on from that work I set up an independent stained glass studio for several years. I worked on commissions, opened a gallery made lamps, mirrors and a range of Celtic Knots that I sold to various shops and galleries.
After a while I missed working with people, so I started to run community art projects in different settings, including mental health projects, hospices, adults with learning disabilities, neuro diverse people, and children and young people.
This eventually led to me training as a psychotherapist, which is what I still do, but creativity and art making remains hugely important to me and a way of making space to rejuvenate.
Time in the studio is what I call my dreaming space, a place to play and experiment with art materials and see what emerges. I have multiple projects on the go at once, and recently started to look back at work I did over 50 years ago.
I now live in South Queensferry outside Edinburgh, and enjoy inspiring walks along the shore of the River Forth. 
Recent themes have emerged as mixed media work exploring connections between ancient symbols, standing stones and a mystical strand that I have started to call Modern Mythical. 

I hope you enjoy looking at my art journey.

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Artist CV
Gary Smith

Art College 1971 – 1975
1978 Ran creative worshops at Garvald Centre for adults with learning disabilities.
Set up Stained Glass Studio 1987
Ran an Art and Design Craft Studio/Gallery from 1990 for several years.
Undertook many commissions of windows, door panels, lamps, mirrors, terrariums etc. and supplied shops and galleries with a range of stained glass Celtic knots. Attended craft shows and trade shows.
Ran weekend stained glass courses in my studio in South Queensferry.
Set up Common Ground Arts, a Charity to access funding for Community Art Projects and exhibitions.
Several Projects in Mental Health projects, Hospices, Milestone House AIDS charity projects. School stained glass projects East Lothian and Dalmeny.
Established South Queensferry Arts Festival that I ran for several years.
Many Community Art Projects around Edinburgh, teaching skills and creating community stained glass windows.
Origins Multi-media Project in collaboration with Stepping Stones Mental Health project and Telford College
South Queensferry Community Mosaic Mural sited in Hawthorn Bank Community Garden.
Participated in several group exhibitions.
1990 Visual Arts Scotland Borders show.
WASPS Studios exhibition 2000
South Queensferry Arts Festival Exhibition 2003, 2004 and 2005
6 Stained Glass Japanese style Floor lamps sent to Italy for Interior Design Showroom.
St Margarets House exhibitions 2010 and 2011.
Forth Bridges Creative Trail South Queensferry 2025 and 2026, showing stained glass panels, mixed media works plus Art cards and prints.
Porty Art Walk 2025, exhibiting stained glass panels and mixed media collage works, plus Art cards and prints.

Currently working on mixed media projects in my Edinburgh Studio.