Unguarded Thoughts: Poems of an artist and a world traveler - Tapa blanda

In Unguarded Thoughts, Lourdes Odette Ricasa has undertaken an extraordinary exploration of her travels and works of art. The book reveals her poignant side. One can feel the moment and it does not take long to feel what she expresses.Seeker of sunlight and bright skies, fascinated by light, shadows and colors, she has compiled poems written since nineteen hundred and eighty seven. By seeing through the eyes of an artist, she has also written about the enjoyment, rewards and pleasures of painting and everyday experiences in life. The depth of text is impressive in the way she has superbly presented the beauty of Spain. The Cow Bells of Monte Perdido, The Magic of Flamenco, the long and memorable sunsets at the Alhambra, the caves of Guadix and Flamboyant Seville are a few examples. Filled with the spirits of Asia, the book begins with the splendor of Angkor Wat, Cambodia and ends with the poem 'Life Without Television'. She emphasizes her dislike or hatred for watching television, which she considers a waste of time. This explains how she was able to accomplish her goals in life. The poems include verses of daily life in the Philippines, where she was born.In more than ten years time, Odette has left an indelible mark of her travels around the globe.

Lourdes 'Odette' Ricasa was born in Manila, Philippines, a country that was under Spanish rule for three hundred fifty years. She is better known by her nickname, Odette. Born at the end of World War II in 1945, her father was a piano maker and merchant. They had a small warehouse that imported piano parts from Germany. Factory workers assembled the parts into completed pianos. In front of the warehouse were a piano store and an art gallery, where starving artists displayed their works. Odette's emotions were tied into these. Her mother is of mixed Chinese descent and was a housewife. Odette would insist to her dad that she would one day come to America and fulfill her dreams of travel. Both her poetry and paintings prove her as a keen observer of life in other countries and customs of the people. In 1971, she immigrated to New York and worked at Gimbel's Department store in Manhattan. After eight months, she moved to Los Angeles. She took night classes in computer programming at East Los Angeles College.Writing, painting, and playing the piano are her favorite hobbies. She took up painting classes at the Art Institute in Manila, Pasadena City College, and the Mission Renaissance Art School in South Pasadena in Los Angeles.