At Ease

40" x 16" oil on canvas and gicle'e prints by Ellen Rice
​Original available
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 A portion of all print sales of At Ease will be donated by Ellen to Operation Mend, a UCLA medical program dedicated to helping some of our nation's most ​devastatingly injured "wounded warriors" and their families. So far, prints of At Ease have
​contributed more than $2,000 to Operation Mend.
​

​At Ease
by Ellen Rice

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 Picture
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​In At Ease, a young man who recently returned from active duty overseas walks down the beach in Rehoboth apparently deep in thought - finally "at ease" after a long deployment. I was walking thirty or so yards behind him and wondered what was going through his mind. Feelings of pride mixed with an understanding that no one who comes back from war returns unscathed 

For four years I'd been searching for an image for a painting whose name had come to me in prayer after I heard about the conditions wounded soldiers were facing at Walter Reed. I've successfully raised both funds and awareness with my paintings in the past and hoped to be able to help this way again.

In preparation, I was fortunate to be able to get my U.S. Marine niece-Goddaughter and her Marine brother-in-law to pose for me in uniform on the beach. But none of the images had the feeling I sought. 

Then, on a casual walk, it was all laid out in front of me, a poignant contrast of beauty and peace juxtaposed against the vast energy of the sea and Delaware's concrete reminders of wars past. 

I'd wanted to paint something beautiful that people would want to bring into their homes for all the right reasons, while telling a story with purpose. This was my painting. 

Sunlight shone through sea spray and made rainbows over the waves, a symbol of hope. A lone seagull looked on as this young veteran of the 21st Century walked toward wartime watchtowers from the 20th. The only thing I added when painting At Ease was an often-seen vapor trail from an Air Force aircraft -- a tiny bright speck in the sky carrying precious cargo to war. 

As a child the watchtowers meant to me that I was at the beach and there were happy days ahead! Today, after watching Ken Burn's World War II series and living 60 years, they also remind me of how almost 70 years ago, more than at any other time in Earth's history, so many different people from all walks of life in one nation came together in so very, very many ways to support our ways of life and the men and women giving their all to protect our freedom. 

I was against the war in Iraq. I felt then and still do, that it was a Pandora's box. Regardless, our volunteer servicemen and women deserve the very, very best care modern science and medicine can provide to these brave, self-sacrificing sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and in some cases, grandparents. 

Partial proceeds from every print of At Ease will go directly to a program I learned about some months ago that is helping soldiers who have suffered devastating disfiguring injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. The help is both physical and psychological and costs about $500,000 per soldier -- and gives them back as much normal life back as possible.

You can look into the program and donate directly at http://operationmend.ucla.edu. They're doing almost miraculous work. 

I went nationwide with this print release to raise more awareness. Every step in the right direction helps, no matter how small. Now Dancing with the Stars has brought the program to the fore.

This is pivotal moment in time for our country. We must join hands and move forward together in so many ways - as many people and cultures in one people. That is the American way. Helping our returning "wounded warriors" is one step we can take together. 

Ellen
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