I would agree that doing and presenting the firefighter portrait also made me feel more honored and humbled than any other volunteer project I've ever done.
The firefighter I painted, Doug Oelschlager, was a loving family man with two young daughters. I also have two small daughters so I could relate in a very personal way to this man's life, at least outside of his role as firefighter. I wish I had known him.
I was in New York to present the painting to his widow just a few days ago. Afterwards she and I, accompanied by several NYFD firefighters, visited Ground Zero together. That was a moving experience I will never forget.
The widow and I have become good friends, though we had only spoken on the phone before I presented her with the painting. She told me yesterday that having the portrait in her home makes her feel like he is there, in a way, and that it makes her feel comforted for the first time since his death.
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Hybrid Mode
