Every morning I scroll through my Facebook feed to admire all the beautiful posts from my friends and family. It is inspiring to see the world in the images shared by those that are now far from me in body but always with me in spirit.
Sometimes during my morning scroll, a particular photo captures my attention. I may ask my connection if I can use it for painting inspiration. Painting frees my mind to take in the image I am immersed in and recreate what my mind’s eye sees. Frequently these images are shared and given to the person who was kind enough to let me reproduce their memory.
Art has always been a part of my life. Aside from the fact that my father’s name is Art, my parents have a passion for collecting art from their travels around the world. On my visits to their home, I share my recent artwork in what we refer to as a “mini art show”. I select recent paintings and place them around their living room attempting to find the best light to showcase my new masterpieces. Sometimes certain pieces make demand performances and are shown on multiple occasions.
This particular piece caught the attention of my father. Each time I would bring the piece to the “mini art show” he would stare at it until one time he said, “tell me how much for that one and I’ll pay it”. He was going to be reaching his 90th year on the planet and I realized now that I had the perfect gift for the occasion. Although he did not take the picture that inspired the painting itself, his inspiration has been a cornerstone throughout my life.
Below is the writing that accompanied the gift to the man who continues to inspire me.
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Thanks for putting sunrises and sunsets of my memories top of mind! Delightful reflection Raissa. Thanks!
blessings,
Cynthia
Amazing piece ❤
Thank you Renee.
Love this Raissa. How blessed to share your stunning painting with your inspiration, your dad. I live in Michigan. Your poem is music.
Thank you Jane. I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan. I can never go visit my hometown without visiting my friend the lake. I miss the sound of its gentle waves.
Raissa, come back. ? The lakes aren’t going anywhere. I have lived in three areas of Michigan my whole life. Every one of them has been within an hour of a Great Lake.
What a special post, Raissa. I love your painting: the simplicity, the gorgeous colors, the serenity of the scene. I really enjoyed hearing about your background with and love of art, and the story about your dad truly touched my heart. How wonderful that you wrote this poem to go with the gift. I read the poem twice because I wanted it to really sink in.
Thank you Milli! Sometimes are best writing comes from the stories that surround us. Learning every day. The positive feedback is warming my heart.
Love your art and the poem thank you xo
Thank you Suzie! Painting and writing are new to me. The encouragement I am receiving is priceless
Riassa, not only is the artwork stunning but the story behind it of your dad touched my soul.
Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words Kat. Painting is a passion I only discovered when I escaped Corp USA a year ago. Thankful to have been blessed with the gift.
We are thankful, too.
Superb, Raissa! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you Maria. The pleasure of being rewarded with such amazing feedback has been amazing.
Beautiful work of art!
Thank you PreKaya. My art is the inner soul surfacing.
Your art is beautiful! I can see why your father would be drawn to this piece. And your poetry is another form of art that blends both together beautifully.
Thank you Yvonne. This is the first time I’ve shared my art and my writing in one. Beauty is everywhere if we allow ourselves to be free to explore. Thank you kind words and taking the time to comment.
It’s my pleasure, Raises. Have a wonderful day!
Absolutely Beautiful!
Thank you Larry! This is the inner me ?