Emergence: Ajuga de Rubin Study. 2017 | Watercolor Pastel paper | 12" x 9"

July 4, 2019

UPDATE: This contest is closed.

In life we are presented with choices, every day, every minute of every day.

In my work that I do through Open Window Meditations of connecting to others energetically in order to bring forward information that helps them in their growth, I have experienced the connections between us all in ways that never fail to humble me, ways that feel both miraculous and magical. And I have also seen and felt how the healing of one person expands outward. There are many choices we can each make as to how we can and will act to help with the healing of not just another human being, but with our collective healing.

Right now, there is a humanitarian crisis that presents us with an opportunity to act towards healing our fellow human beings. How the crisis came to exist in its present form and what can be done to affect change on a broader scale is a worthy conversation, but zooming out and focusing only on the big picture can cause us to fail to act when the opportunity so clearly presents itself. And right now, there are children of all ages who have been separated from their families, after fleeing their homes and enduring a long and dangerous journey, who are forcibly living in reprehensible conditions that are beneath us and that harm not only those children and their families but all of us.

It's true that there is a lot of need in this world, and a lot of suffering. The humanitarian crisis that currently exists along the U.S.–Mexico border is very literally close to home for me. It is practically in my backyard. It involves the intermingling of people who for centuries have influenced each other culturally and personally, which has evolved into the culture I consider my own, in all its polarity. Seeing the suffering that is occurring that is layered on top of pre-existing suffering, and seeing it happen to children, is morally unacceptable to me, as it is to many, many others out there.

And so I ask that those of you who are able to make a donation in whatever amount you can to RAICES Unaccompanied Children Fund do so. The fund provides support and legal representation to correct the severe imbalance that presently exists, where 76% of children of children in immigration courts in Texas (where the crisis is playing out) went without representation.

In exchange for your kind donation, I am offering this original painting of Ajuga de Rubin in Big Bend Ranch State Park to a person selected at random from everyone who sends me proof of their donation. This location looks out across the Rio Grande, which is tucked behind the peaks from this vantage point, and the lands delineated by the border blur together. To participate, simply email me a screen shot of your confirmed donation by July 31 with the email subject line: Lisa Rawlinson Art RAICES Fundraiser. The winner will be selected on August 1.

Your choice to act in this small and easy way is very much appreciated.

Fundraiser details:

• Make a donation of any amount to the RAICES Unaccompanied Children Fund.
• Email me a screen shot of your confirmed donation by July 31 with the email subject line: Lisa Rawlinson Art RAICES Fundraiser.
• Offer open to anyone in the U.S. due to shipping costs.
• Winner of the random drawing will be selected on August 1.
• The prize is an email reading of your choice valued at $100.

.  .  .

you might also like:

emergence  The Emergence series consists of eight landscapes painted from photos I took in and around Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Using the concept of geological change as a metaphor for personal growth, the paintings intentionally straddle the line... See More

black ouroboros  There are places that call to us. At least I assume that others experience this same kind of beckoning. My own insatiable wanderlust must be whetted periodically, and it's become almost ritual for me to climb into my car and make the long drive across Texas to the Big Bend area... See More

universe  I have a memory from when I was a young child of asking what came before the Big Bang. The answer "nothing" was as unsatisfying to my kid brain as it is to my adult brain. The cogs were already in motion and while long fascinated by astronomy and physics, this piece was inspired by my more recent exploration of current scientific research. In my lifetime our understandings of the universe and the nature of reality have made some great leaps... See More

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