A "Simple" Canvas.....(my second post of the night!)

I have this awesome nephew! His name is Travis. He is Jerry and Dene's youngest and he is so very gifted! He has recently, and I DO mean recently, taken up airbrushing. Not too long ago Dene was here visiting, it was after I had returned from our trip to Nebraska, and we were talking about his art work. I asked her to take a picture of my dad and see if Travis could paint it for me. This is the result!



HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!! The picture I took doesn't even do it any justice. He brought it in to me and it made me cry. What an amazing likeness to my dad, see the tiny picture in the corner? It just blows me away. He doesn't draw it first, he just starts painting. Personally, I think it is an annointing that the Lord has given him, a gift. I am so blessed. I have to come up with a price for to pay him!

The picture was taken in Caserta Italy, circa 1945's, during World War II in which our father was one of many honored with the Bronze medal for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. He told me the story once. He was a Corporal in the Army, enlisted in the National Guard and called up for duty when the war broke out. He became a member of the Red Bulls, famed for having many bronze star medal earners and for being some of the first in the war and last ones out. I have a whole box that my grandmother saved full of letters our dad wrote home to her and clippings and articles about the Red Bulls! Look it up, its pretty fascinating stuff to read. Dads job was in communications, specifically, to keep communication open between our troops. In one area where they were, he said the Germans kept bombing their lines so rather than keep his troops up all night long, he climbed up into the tree and kept reattaching the lines in order to keep the communication open for our guys. He earned a medal for that act. I am sure the war was full of moments like that for him. On our trip to his house recently, I opened up his closet and hanging right there in front was his army uniform. I reached into the closet and gingerly touched it, feeling that red bull insignia on the sleeve. I would not be surprised if it wasn't the same uniform he wears in this picture!

Thank you Travis, I am sitting here looking at that canvas in complete awe! Yep, thats MY dad!