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Sunrise On Ice

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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Sunrise On Ice
Lake Michigan has always been my favorite body of water.
Every morning the sun rises over the lake to begin a new day.
The sunrise is deceiving. We think of it as a snapshot in time when the sun is visible over the horizon. The truth is it begins when we start to see its light.
It will begin to reflect off the sky and the clouds.
It will make the sky come to life with colors of purple, blues, and pinks.
It will paint a vision of what we cannot see when the light is not directly on these spectacular cloud formations in the sky.
As it continues to make its way into view the colors will dance and change as it nears our vision.
It will warm us with reds, oranges, and yellows until it bursts over the horizon and reflects its beauty on the Great Lake.
Each day is different.
Each day has promise.
Each moment should be cherished [/message]
Raissa Urdiales
Raissa Urdiales
Raissa lived most of her life along the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. She currently lives in the quiet city of Tega Cay, South Carolina, just across the border from the very active art community of Charlotte, North Carolina. Raissa has not always considered herself as an artist. She spent a great portion of her adult life staring into computer screens and managing computer system implementations and upgrades in the traditional corporate setting. It was through a chance paint night that she discovered her passion for painting. On her 51st birthday, she treated herself to some acrylic paints and brushes and has not stopped painting since. She balances her passion for creating with her day job as a systems analyst. In the wee hours of the morning, you will find her painting before she immerses herself in the technology that is consuming the world today. Although Raissa does not have formal training in the arts she is very conscious of the benefits it has on the human psyche. She holds a Bachelor's of Science majoring in Psychology where she focused her studies on Organizational Psychology. Through her corporate career, she has learned how to strike a balance between that which provides monetary reward and that which fulfills us as humans. For her, this balance is obtained through painting, writing, and exercise. She is currently a member of the Guild of Charlotte Artists where she exhibits select pieces during the quarterly art shows in and around the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. She has also submitted and is featured regularly in the Light Space & Time online gallery. When she is not painting or working with computer systems, she is writing. She currently has a column with BIZCATALYST 360° named “Artful Being” where she writes on topics both in and out of her corporate life to help others gain balance on what it is to be human.

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22 CONVERSATIONS

    • 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.

  1. 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.

    • Thank you Suzie! Painting and writing are new to me. The encouragement I am receiving is priceless

    • 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.

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