My paintings are meant to reflect the happiness of the children that I've encountered while on mission trips to Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. I chose to paint these children because of the impact they have made on my life.

Before leaving for my first experience in an underdeveloped country, concerned individuals �informed� me about the devastating poverty that I would see and about the "poor" children there who would hardly have anything. From their generalizations along with my own, I was expecting to be filled with pity by what I would see.

However, I was affected by my experience in an unexpected way. The children that I met approached us with open smiles. They seemed to be radiating with a life and happiness that defied the less than desirable circumstances that surrounded them. They may have been lacking in food and other essentials; but they made the best of what they did have taking joy in the simple things of life, demonstrating a happiness that can be found through cultivating loving relationships with others.

My change of attitude concerning these children made an impression on me that I will never forget. Too often in this world we make judgments, based on the circumstances we are used to, without taking the time to consider another view point. Consequently these prejudices and biases often create barriers that separate us from others, keeping us from the many enriching experiences that life has to offer. Those children demonstrated an open minded attitude which was refreshing. They didn't let barriers of race, age, culture, or language get in the way. Instead they accepted us with great happiness. And through their smiling receptive faces, I saw that with all that they didn't have . . . perhaps in some ways they had more than some of us back here in the United States.

It is my hope to capture the preciousness of these children in my paintings--their openness, the joy they showed despite their circumstances. They looked to us for love and attention--something more essential and more rewarding than the material comforts of life. They taught me a valuable lesson in looking at the world from another viewpoint.

-Christina Davis





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