Watercolor by Pat Rayman
Prose by Ben Rayman
“A Heart’s Icon”
Home again not too far away,
Memories of thy youth glide smoothly like a sleigh.
Rising dawn is painted with a white crispness of a cold air fog,
Trees wearing its winter’s dress seemingly in leapfrog,
As I travel the whining roads along the river Mohican,
Weathered by age, the old barn is my beacon.
Holiday wreath with its red fins visually addressing,
Home again gifts thy its bountiful of blessings.
Look around and notice the changes in the world. Actually, this is an incorrect statement. The world is the same today as it was yesterday and as it will remain tomorrow. Only people change.
When human behavior motivates too little time, changing morals and confusing facts, we feel uprooted from the security that once made us feel safe.
Consistency is the glue that holds roots in place and forms strong resilient minds and ideals. Art has a way of slowing time, meditating on what is important and digging deep into the soul for answers.
Patricia Rayman had the insight over 30+ years ago to realize that art was actually a safe place where children and adults could create, find a rooted environment and reduce the increasing pressures of the world.
Rayman has devoted her life to teaching art to all age groups. Over the years, she has been showered with over * hundreds of recognitions for her artworks in art and photography by various local, regional and non-Ohio organizations; * chosen Big Sister-of-the-Year by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Lima-Allen County for her involvement in a young girl’s life which allowed this child to bud from a thorny environment, and blossom forward with noted local and national achievements; * selected Tri-County Woman-of-the-Year for Allen, Van Wert and Putnam, Ohio local media for her volunteerism and an undaunted willingness of providing encouragement: Art is ageless, not only to the young, but even among nursing home seniors; * recognized by the Ohio Senate for her humanitarian contributions which goes back to her younger years working with emotionally and physically handicapped children.
In addition, she also received * an Outstanding Achievement in Education award as the founder of Art-to-Art: Building Friendships Through Art, (1986-2006) an Ohio-based k-12 national art-based education program which bridges the gap with the subjects of Geography, History, Reading, Writing, and Communications through Human Relations; and has been included in * Who’s Who Education In America in the past.
Published in “Confident Color: An artist’s guide to harmony, contrast and unity” by author-artist-educator Nita Leland – www.nitaleland.com/North Light Books/F+W Publications. Leland writes, “…Experienced artists like Rayman manipulate color to create a picture unified by sound color principles…”
Not only is Pat a professional in teaching the skills of painting and drawing as well as many other artistic trainings, she is also a highly skilled in bringing out the real life scenario of still life through the use of colors or capturing the photograph of a lake as if you were actually standing on the shore, admiring the awesome view.
Today, Pat continues to hone her artistic skills while teaching art education applications and academics at the Wassenberg Art Center in Van Wert, Ohio and Auglaize/Mercer Arts Place in St. Marys, Ohio.
By Kate Eglan-Garton