Smiling Jesus Paintings Collection
Welcome to the Smiling Jesus Paintings Collection, a captivating series of artwork that portrays Jesus Christ with warmth, joy, and divine love. Each painting in this collection captures a unique moment of serenity, grace, and spiritual connection.
Explore this collection to discover inspiring depictions of Jesus that bring peace, hope, and faith into your home. From intimate portraits to majestic scenes of the Last Supper, each piece is created to touch your heart and uplift your spirit.
What Is the Smiling Jesus Series?
The Smiling Jesus series is a body of original contemporary Christian paintings by Ivan Guaderrama depicting Christ with warm, joyful expressions — a deliberate counterpoint to the somber portrayals dominant in religious art for centuries. Ivan launched the series in 2024 and it quickly became the flagship collection of the Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery in San José del Cabo, Mexico. Each painting is hand-finished on canvas using the artist’s proprietary Live Texture technique (developed 2004), which combines oil and acrylic with marble dust and resin to create three-dimensional surfaces that invite touch and reveal new depth as light moves across them.
The series is theologically grounded in the joy that Scripture attributes to Christ — a passage such as Hebrews 12:2 (“for the joy set before him”). Each piece is intended for homes, sanctuaries, and contemplative spaces where the central message of the artwork is hope rather than suffering.
Featured Works in the Collection
The Smiling Jesus collection includes multiple formats and price points so collectors can engage at the level that fits their home and budget:
- Original hand-painted canvases — one-of-a-kind pieces signed and dated by Ivan, ranging from intimate portraits (24×36 inches) to majestic large-format works (60×80 inches) suitable for sanctuaries or statement walls. Originals incorporate Live Texture and, on select pieces, augmented reality activation through the free Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery mobile app.
- Limited-edition hand-retouched prints — small-run canvas reproductions hand-finished by Ivan himself, each individually signed and numbered. Each piece carries the artist’s touch even at a lower price point.
- Open-edition canvas prints — gallery-wrap reproductions in three standard sizes (12×12, 24×24, 36×36 inches), available worldwide through the official online store.
For the complete current inventory of original Smiling Jesus paintings — including dimensions, pricing, and availability — visit the Smiling Jesus collection on the online store. The store ships worldwide and is updated weekly as Ivan completes new pieces.
The Story Behind the Smiling Jesus Series
Ivan Guaderrama has been an active artist since 2005 and founded his gallery in San José del Cabo in 2009. Across two decades of work he has exhibited internationally at venues including NASA, the Empire State Building, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, One & Only Resorts, Flora Farms, and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Before Smiling Jesus, his catalog was anchored by angel paintings, heart paintings, and his pioneering work in interactive augmented-reality canvas — but the Smiling Jesus series marked a creative turning point.
In Ivan’s own words, the series began with a question he kept hearing from gallery visitors: “Why do almost all paintings of Jesus look sad?” He started sketching Christ smiling — not idealized, not sentimental, but the kind of warm, knowing smile a person might offer a friend across a room. The first finished painting drew a stronger emotional reaction than any previous work in the gallery, and within months he had committed the studio to expanding it into a full series.
The series sits at the intersection of two long-running threads in Ivan’s practice: the proprietary Live Texture painting technique (2004) and the Glass Expression technique (2010), which applies resins, color, and electrical effects to glass surfaces. Select Smiling Jesus pieces incorporate both — producing canvases that change subtly with the angle and intensity of room light.
How to See the Collection in Person
The Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, displays a rotating selection of original Smiling Jesus paintings alongside Ivan’s angel, heart, and interactive AR pieces. The gallery is ranked the #1 of 55 things to do in San José del Cabo on TripAdvisor with a 4.9-star rating across 300+ reviews and was awarded the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2025.
- Address: Alvaro Obregon 20, San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur 23400, Mexico
- Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Phone: +52 624 189 1144
- Email: info@ivanguaderrama.com
- Every Thursday (Nov–Jun): the gallery participates in the San José del Cabo Art Walk, 5:00 – 9:00 PM, free admission
Plan your visit at our gallery page or read the San José del Cabo Art Walk guide before your trip.
Where to Purchase Originals
Original Smiling Jesus paintings are sold exclusively through two channels: in person at the gallery in Los Cabos, or through the official online store at ivanguaderramaonlinestore.com. Originals ship insured worldwide from Los Cabos; print editions ship from the United States to addresses across North America and beyond. For commissioned Smiling Jesus pieces — custom dimensions, specific verses, or pieces incorporating the AR layer — contact the gallery directly at info@ivanguaderrama.com or call +52 624 189 1144.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Smiling Jesus paintings exist?
The series began in 2024 and is actively expanding. As of the most recent gallery inventory, the collection includes more than a dozen original hand-painted canvases plus hand-retouched limited editions. New pieces are added monthly as Ivan completes them in the studio. The most current count and availability are always reflected on the Smiling Jesus collection page.
What makes Smiling Jesus different from other Christian art?
Most historical depictions of Christ emphasize suffering, sacrifice, or solemn authority. Ivan Guaderrama’s Smiling Jesus series intentionally centers on joy — drawing from biblical passages where Christ speaks of joy as the fruit of relationship with him. Visually, the works combine Ivan’s proprietary Live Texture technique (oil, acrylic, marble dust, resin) with select pieces activated by augmented reality through the free mobile app.
Can I commission a custom Smiling Jesus painting?
Yes. Ivan accepts custom commissions for the Smiling Jesus series — including custom dimensions, integration of specific Bible verses, or pieces with the augmented reality layer. Commissions typically require 6–10 weeks depending on size and complexity. Contact info@ivanguaderrama.com or call +52 624 189 1144 to discuss your project.
Do the paintings include augmented reality?
Select pieces in the collection are AR-enabled and respond to the free Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery mobile app, available for iOS and Android. Pointing your phone at an AR-enabled piece reveals an animation layer composed by Ivan specifically for that painting. The non-AR pieces in the series are equally collectible — the AR layer is a complement, not a requirement.
Where can I ship an original Smiling Jesus painting?
Originals ship insured worldwide from the gallery in Los Cabos. Past commissions have shipped to collectors in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Smaller-format prints and limited editions ship from a US warehouse to addresses across North America. Shipping cost is calculated at checkout based on dimensions and destination.
