An American Portrait Part 1

This collection of paintings was one of the most technically demanding projects of my career. The coordination of all the paintings, the consistency of each of the continuous elements, the lighting of each individual scene, and the creation of this boy's life - this family's life - made the collection of paintings an extremely difficult and emotional challenge. The "heartfelt firsts" within "An American Portrait" were built around my own personal experiences, but the setting in which they take place was not based on an actual location, rather my imagination. It is a tribute to America. It is my way of honoring Servicemen and Servicewomen, Veterans, and the families who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. The final painting, "His Last Good-Bye" captures on canvas Redlin's memory of his brother-in-law and dear friend. Charles Langenfeld was killed in the Siege of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War in 1968. Like many Americans, the Redlin family lives forever with the pain of the ultimate loss.