Colby Smith Door Knockers

Colby Smith door knockers are an elegant addition to your home's entry. They are all hand cast in solid brass by Colby himself here in the United States. What began at an evening high school foundry course in 1976 has evolved into a studio craft that makes these original door knockers a functional art form. This craftsmanship is distinguished by: multiple metal casting methods, alloys, finishes and patinas, mechanical and welded assembly and hand-tooled texture and detail. Production is limited to the finishing done by Colby and his wife, Jane. Each piece is signed. They will last for generations and each comes with all necessary hardware. See them on our website here or view them as a slideshow here.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Noah's Ark

This blog entry is a bit different from my (Wally) norm, but it seems appropriate as we look forward to the new year. My Sunday School class is currently studying Genesis where the story of Noah is found in chapters 6 through 9. Following are a few things that can be learned from the story.
1. Don’t miss the boat.
2. Don’t forget that we’re all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
4. Stay fit. When you’re six hundred years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.
5. Don’t listen to critics; just get on with what has to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
8. Two heads are better than one.
9. Speed isn’t always an advantage; the snails were on board with the cheetahs.
10. When you’re stressed, float awhile.
11. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.
12. Remember that woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than the storm outside.
13. No matter the storm, when God is with you, there’s a rainbow waiting.
Happy New Year!

Joan Z. Horn Jewelry

Joan Z. Horn is our favorite jeweler! We have featured Joan's work for somewhere around twenty years now and her designs have been consistently popular with our customers. That is one reason she is our "favorite", but to be our "favorite" is much more than a dollars and cents thing. We admire her work from an artistic standpoint and we admire her as a person. She is a very good business woman and she is very devoted to her family. Check out her work by clicking here.

Mike Smith Watercolors

About once a year, a box shows up at Smith Galleries containing new paintings by Mike Smith. Mike is our most popular artist and it is always exciting to open the box to see his latest creations. This group contains six new originals...five watercolors and one oil. "Bills Plane" (10"x 10")shown at left is in our opinion one of the best pieces of Mike's we have seen. "Fjord" is equally good and is also 10" x 10".
You may see the all six new pieces by clicking here and be sure to see other pieces of Mike's on our site.

Gifts For Her

We are busy preparing a mailing to all our E-Club members titled "Gifts for Her". If you are not a member of our E-Club, you can join here. Join today so you won't miss out on the neat things we do at Smith Galleries for E-Club members.

You can see all the pictures we have taken for the "Gifts for Her" presentation on our Flickr account. Take a look and tell us your favorite.

Pictured at left is a beautiful handblown glass perfume bottle by Roger Gandleman which has been a favorite of many ladies. Make her feel very special by including a bottle of her favorite fragrance.

Open House Today & Tomorrow

The big day has finally arrived...our 20th open house at Smith Galleries. Jean has baked several thousand cookies and they are being gobbled up as I write this. We hope you can come by today or tomorrow for a cookie and conversation.

Gifts For Men

"Men are so hard to shop for." We hear that statement more often this time of year than any other, so let us help you "demystify" shopping for him. He doesn't need another shirt; and he's already gotten all the electronics your house can handle, so give him something really special.
We've chosen a dozen ideas to show you from those items we see men admiring most in the gallery; but if you need additional help, come by or give us a call! You may view the items as a slide show.
Shown is a three stack wooden book treasure box. It has hidden compartments and is perfect for a man's desk or study.