Ray's Commentary on his Contributions to the Spiritual Communities of SB

For years I have been a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Parish located in Santa Barbara, California. Week after week I attend Sunday masses and often admired the art and sculptures within this historic church.

In 2003, I completed a painting of Saint Juan Diego commissioned by Our Lady of Sorrows. Having established a strong connection to this church and the late Pastor Quihuis, I volunteered to revamp a large majority of the statues within the church. So many looked aged and weathered from time. Some had moderate to sever breaks and paint chipping. But one by one, I cleaned, plastered, sanded and repainted each damaged statue to bring back their luster.

With so much confidence and comfort in this subject matter, I turned to my good friend and spiritual advisor, Reverend George Brookes Jr. We had known each other for years because of my work as a set designer and Production Director at a local community access television station. Having known me for so long, he commissioned me to create three painting for his Pentecostal church, The Bethel Church of Christ, also in Santa Barbara. In 2007, I completed "The Birth of Christ", "The Last Supper" and "The Resurrection."

I take great pride in my community service work and I am proud to be able to share my gifts with churches within Santa Barbara. Also, I feel blessed to be able to do what I do, and I am honored by the acknowledgment of my art. So, I would like to take this moment to thank the late Pastor Luis Quihuis and Reverend George Brooks Jr., not only for their continued support, but for also giving me the opportunity to give back to the community.