• Dr. Raquel Ramsey’s Verses of Poetry about Greenblatt’s works.

• 2012 – October – “Enthusiasm #7” and “Vitality #2” of the Japanese Character Series became a part of the permanent collections of the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland.
• 2011 – Artist-in-Residency, “Simply Perfect” Art Project sponsored by Patron Spirits Company
• 2011 – Tel-Art-Phone Exhibition, Co-Curated with Mat Gleason at Beacon’s Arts Building, Inglewood, CA, May 28th–July 3rd

 

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Poems

 

“Hope”, Fusion Ikebana Series – A poem by Dr. Raqui Ramsey

As the new decade begins,  I like to open the year with a light of INSPIRATION  with your work “HOPE”, Fusion Ikebana Series. What better way to bring to life every individual’s hopes and aspirations! 

HOPE: A FOUR LETTER WORD so powerful in every one of us to give us aspirations in our future,

HOPE: The answer to every prayer when you are in need and facing challenges in Life,

HOPE: The desire to succeed and meet your goals and ambitions as you search for your identity,

HOPE: The knowledge and realization that no matter the struggle, success is at hand.

It is found in every one of us, in the most difficult of times and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

In a student, completing his project in class and desiring a good mark from his teacher,

In a father, working hard daily to bring to his family all their needs and wants,

In a mother, as she welcomes her young baby to the world and prays for her wonderful life,

In a family, as they work together filled with Hope for their happiness and success!

Greenblatt captured those emotions in her 3D work with the outflowing of flowers from each branch;

As we peek through each door, we see light and that nourishes the branches and a flower goes forth…

Each door represents one phase in our life; which explains three doors and stages that we go through,

First Stage; Birth to Childhood; joy of being born and the age of discovery and curiosity of the world…

Second Stage: Adolescence to Maturity; striving to reach your desired goals and then meeting them..

Third Stage: Adulthood to Retirement; feeling satisfaction in life and enjoying every moment.

Greenblatt has made us see our lives through these three doors and every challenge we face becomes

A lesser one because we have HOPE in our hearts and that fuels our spirit to overcome and

Eventually find HAPPINESS in our lives through our belief in ourselves and the family that surrounds us.

At every stage, there is Doubt and Fear, but the branches makes us see the light and the flower blooms

Bringing Beauty and Serenity to a troubled world filled with Uncertainty and Doubt and Disbelief!

As I look again at Greenblatt’s latest work, her constant expression of HUMAN EMOTION

Is so well displayed by every piece of work she creates for us and her desire for all of us

To see the world through her eyes as an Artist, and a MOTHER!

At this stage of her life, Greenblatt shows us that no matter what stage in life you are

You can discover a more positive tone in a world filled with anxiety and pessimism,

She shows us through her work, that we can choose to see the world through her eyes of

OPTIMISM and HOPE for a BETTER TOMORROW for ourselves and our families!

YOU INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THESE VERSES OF POETRY FROM YOUR ARTWORK!

WITH LOVE, ADMIRATION, AND GRATITUDE,

RAQUI    

 

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Harmony – A poem by Dr. Raqui Ramsey

Harmony

Amidst all the chaos in the world, Man seeks HARMONY

That is the overwhelming call of Mankind to all….

Harmony is defined as a combination of simultaneous musical notes

In a chord; unity of purpose; internal calm and tranquility

SERENITY now as we strive to bring harmony in our lives

IT CAN BE FOUND:

In a quiet home in a small village filled with love of family

In a musical recital as the orchestra practices each instrument

Bringing unity to a masterpiece

In a studio as a painter uses a palate to merge colors and lines

Bringing life to a landscape or figure 

In a relationship, two parties seek love and understanding

Bringing joy and fulfillment in their marriage

At a time when the world seems to be falling apart, what we need is HARMONY

Which is displayed in Greenblatts’s unique artistic creation; a combination of figures, lines and colors

Every trace and every color represents a feeling and emotion; every line speaks from her heart.

It resonates to the viewer like me, her message of True Love and Understanding which is so necessary

In our daily lives.

She expresses through her painting Man’s Universal desire for Peace in a troubled world filled with anguish, pain and suffering.

She allows the viewer to dwell in her human emotions of Forgiveness, Love and Empathy for others,

They are cornerstones in our lives to make a Better world for us all.

Thus, her painting brings to life that message as we seek a Better tomorrow with Peace, Love and Hope

In her mind as an artist. She establishes HARMONY in her expression of lines and figures as she looks 

At life through her brush and her canvas

SHIZUKO GREENBLATT has succeeded in creating another Masterpiece

As she brings to the audience, her innermost feelings and expressions

Making the viewer one with her in her portrayal of HARMONY

I am so proud of her work as she adds another dimension to her paintings and establishes another feather in her cap of achievements

Which makes viewers like me marvel at her talent and ability

CONGRATULATIONS! Shizuko for your GIFT

And my piece of writing, I present to you as my gift this Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY DEAR and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With love and gratitude,

Raqui

 

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Enthusiasm #8 – A poem by Dr. Raqui Ramsey

WHAT IS ENTHUSIASM?

Is it the cry that kids make when they win a game?

Is it the eagerness of young girls to see the Man they LOVE?

Is it the coach & players as they prepare for a season’s game?

Is it the excitement one feels when you overcome the pain?

IT IS ALL THESE AND MORE;

Men strive to succeed against all odds and when he does he feels success

In the accomplishment of that goal!

SHIZUKO GREENBLATT has succeeded in expressing that human emotion through her work;

“ENTHUSIASM”

She has captured on canvas the innermost feelings of everyone 

And the triumph they feel after reaching their goal.

She describes by the color and expressions on the painting

The need for humans to feel that emotion

And it brings the viewer the reality that we too can sense

And enjoy the emotion and a release of laughter or tears after the long road has been reached.

Pent-up feelings can be evoked whenever one can see the details and strokes of the painter.

GREENBLATT has achieved that reality as she brings her feelings to life

Through her art, and the viewer shares that experience.

I CONGRATULATE SHIZUKO for her outstanding creation as she brings

Out my emotions as I stare at the designs and so many others will share that too.

You have a GIFT and THANKS for bringing it to LIFE for us!

LOVE AND THANKS,

RAQUI

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The Tree, Reaching for the Sky – A poem by Dr. Raqui Ramsey

THE TREE, REACHING FOR THE SKY

Who are thee? But just a Tree?

You opened so many doors to me

I see you as a Symbol of Beauty,

For you capture the imagination of everyone

As they watch your form and grandeur,

Like Greenblatt captured you on canvas,

Which made her win multiple awards!

You are a Symbol of Love,

As your branches embrace your viewers

Who rush under to protect themselves from drops of rain

Or from the sun’s rays striking right onto their faces.

You are a Symbol of Strength,

As we learn from you to be self-reliant and self-sufficient

And to know that we will overcome any adversity that faces us

As you have stood the Test of Time,

You are a Symbol of Life

As every stem and branch gets nourishment from its roots

Teaching us that we receive our nourishment from our Moms, like Shizuko

That we need to appreciate every day of our lives and be grateful for

We are blessed with Gifts like YOU! And we hope that they last till Eternity.

But they change and so do we, they undergo difficulty as their branches break and so do we,

They may be cut down by others who do not recognize your beauty and so many times, we do too.

But Learn from the Tree, a Symbol of Stability, Love, Beauty and Life!

Shizuko saw all that when she painted you and she carries your message reflected in my poem to her.

SHIZUKO GREENBLATT has succeeded in expressing that human emotion through her work;

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SHIZUKO!

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND ALL YOU DO FOR OTHERS WITH YOUR TALENT AND GRACE!

ALL MY LOVE,

RAQUI