BEST OF SHOW - AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY

1st Place Special Recognition Physical Disability Category (18 x 24")

Duty - Oil painting

Creating a painting of my uniform after developing Parkinson’s Disease helped me bridge the gap between being a soldier and being an artist. In Duty, there is a juxtaposition between creating a painting of my Army uniform while battling the young onset of Parkinson’s related to my 20 years of service. There are emotional and physical barriers that are amplified because of the progression of Parkinson’s Disease. Painting allows me to focus on each individual brush stroke which puts me in the moment. And when I’m in the moment, the hand and arm tremors go away. The satisfaction of each individual accomplishment that I get in a painting, each part of painting, replenishes the lack of dopamine my brain produces. I hope the viewer gets a sense of the weight of my service through the badges, patches, and rank I wore while serving my country and also the living warrior ethos of never quitting and never accepting defeat despite the challenges that Parkinson’s presents.