“Never Forget” – A Tribute to Our Soldiers
Over the course of two years, Scott’s paintings have taken a deeper, more meaningful direction.
Perhaps it’s because he’s getting older. It may also be because of the state of our country.
All I can say is that I can see and feel it too.
Social media and News Channels have made a fortune spotlighting what’s wrong in our world and continue to enforce our Nation’s division. We’ve seemed to have forgotten our rich history as Americans which should unify us. Therefore, this painting hopefully helps shake things up.
Before Starting the Painting
Before beginning, Scott found a local Veteran named Niles Harris to include in the research and composition.
“I didn’t want to disrespect any branch of military, so I involved Niles, a highly decorated veteran, in the design process” said Scott.
About Niles Harris
“On November 8, 1965, the 173rd Airborne Brigade on Operation Hump in War Zone D in Vietnam, were ambushed by over 1,200 Viet Cong. 48 American soldiers fighting with Harris lost their lives that day. So each year on the 8th of November, Harris puts on a suit and tie, and has a drink out of respect for is fallen brothers.” –Source.
Years later, Big and Rich wrote ‘The Eighth of November’ because of Niles’ experience during Vietnam.
Photographing the Painting
After taking over 100 photos, Scott and family finally chose their favorite so he could begin the painting!
“The most difficult part was coming up with the composition and knowing which elements to include. I’m thankful for Niles’ help in the early phases” reflected Scott.
Beginning the Painting
The blocking in process took MUCH longer than anticipated, but once all the colors were solid, Scott set aside several weeks on this painting alone.
With his busy travel schedule and long list of awaiting commissions, this was a big commitment.
“I don’t have 11 weeks to dedicate to one painting like I used to, but this one had to be done. When I’ve had an idea for years and I finally see it on a canvas; it’s like the final chapter of a book. I get to close it and then let the world see my creation.”
I asked Scott was the most difficult part of the painting was and he shared, “everything was difficult. There’s detail everywhere on the canvas!”
Watching him take on a piece of this size reminded me of a project he’d have done in the early 2000s while he was still a whole human and not partially bionic.
For those that don’t know, he had two shoulder replacements in five years. The first was in 2016 after a traumatic motorcycle accident and the second was a reverse shoulder replacement when his body rejected the first. (Story here.)
When I saw the size of the canvas he had stretched for this painting, it was clear the message behind the image meant more to him than his own comfort.
Scott’s Message
“This painting is paying homage to everyone that’s fought for our freedom. It’s a tribute to those that risked or lost their life for our country.
After completing ‘We the People’, I had this strong desire to paint more patriotic paintings. People take all these liberties as Americans for granted and they don’t think about the people who sacrificed their lives for us to keep them.
Families that have been changed forever because of their losses.” (Story behind “We the People” here.)
As the days dragged on, the painting began to look more and more realistic.
He and I worked together to document the process behind the small detail work. There are so many areas in the image that one might overlook, so I wanted to share them on purpose with our viewers.
The Details of “Never Forget”
Below is a collection of those details in the painting.
I’d like to remind you that everything in this image was painted by hand. There was no image printed underneath that he simply had to paint over. This was a BLANK canvas.
That means that every line, letter, star, and American flag were individually painted.
That takes a lot of time!
“People are losing sight of why our country has been so great. It’s our responsibility to ‘never forget’ that every day someone has died fighting for democracy.
I hope that people can look at this painting without needing anyone to explain anything. I believe I can make as big of a statement with my paintbrush as others can with words.
Like Norman Rockwell; the story behind it is told with the overall image” said Scott.
Fourth of July Unveiling
We all thought it was fitting to unveil such a patriotic piece on the anniversary of our country’s independence.
Jocey, a sweet young girl, sang the National Anthem while Alexa signed it. The crowd paid their respects while the two performed and then Scott got on the mic to talk (and cry) about the importance of this painting.
He invited Veterans up to share their experiences while fighting to our country. It was a great way to show our gratitude and share in some of the trauma they went through in order to keep us free.
To all those who fought and died fighting, THANK YOU.
New Patriotic Painting, “Never Forget”
