American Faces #27

Rick is the friendly Floridian face for this American Faces installment. My family and I met Rick as he guided us in kayaks through the mangrove tunnels near Anna Maria Island, Florida. This guy who has lived his whole life in the Anna Maria area knows the mangroves tunnels like the veins on the back of his tan hands, which was evident as he adroitly lead on a winding and informative trip. He is wonderfully knowledgeable about the aquatic creatures that are plentiful below the water, the small crabs that call the mangroves home, and the birds that had their wings set on the coastal breeze above the bay as we kayaked. Men like Rick are gems. We were given more than just a tour as he talked about life and how much the mangroves mean to him. The gentle strokes of the kayak paddle as he guides people through the mangroves have been a salve of sorts for this man with a salt and pepper beard. Guiding visitors is not his first vocation, he is a 61 year old retired respiratory therapist.The sights and sounds he saw in his four decades in the healthcare industry with most of those years as a respiratory therapist were not always easy. I suppose one can say the saltwater has been good for his soul.

Slowing down and taking time to paddle gave my family and me time to experience the mangroves and the serenity they have to offer. It also gave us a time to meet Rick, a man who shared a bit of his life with us on a sunny day in Anna Maria, Florida.

If you are in the mood for a kayak tour in Florida check out this link: https://www.amipaddleboard.com/

American Faces # 26

One can often find Patty Voje painting a variety of subjects when she is not leading a team of creatives at Spot. Patty is a woman with a great vigor for life and the willing subject for #26 of my American Faces series. During the day, Patty can be found at the helm, as the owner of Spot, a creative shop & digital advertising agency in St. Paul, MN. In her free time, she is a wonderfully, talented painter in the alla prima style, a style in which oil paint is applied in layers while the paint is still wet. The strokes from her brushes bring to life country landscapes and cityscapes. All around the globe her florals, cats, dogs, and farm animals such as cows, which are the favorite of people can be found. Patty shared with me that she has been painting actively for 20 years (actively to Patty means almost daily). Painting is an outlet for her creativity away from her day to day job as an owner and creative at Spot. Patty has such a zeal for life even after a career in the graphic arts industry, it can be seen in every painting in her brownstone studio in St. Paul, MN. Her love for art is apparent in the paintings that surrounded us as I created the image of her. She also encourages others to push themselves to create and share their work on a daily basis. When the end of our time together was coming to a close I asked Patty if there was anything she wanted to share, she said, “If you are drawn to art give yourself permission to create.” May a zeal to create push each of us to make this world a better place one painting, one sculpture, one photograph, one amazing creative work at a time!

Patty’s artist website can be found at: https://www.patriciavoje.com/

Serve #37 - Matt S.

Serve #37

A soldier named Matt S. is the subject of this Serve. He is a man who experienced life and combat in Iraq over a period of 24 continual months during Operation Iraqi Freedom and has been active duty in the U.S. Army since 2000. Currently, he serves as a Staff Sergeant as an ammunitions specialist. He comes from a long line of men who have proudly served and sacrificed in the Armed Forces. I can truly tell that Matt has so much respect for those who have sacrificed. I saw it in the tear in his eye as he shared why he chose the Fort Ripley Military Cemetery as the background for his photo; to him each burial site is a symbol of sacrifice. Matt's time in Iraq left an indelible mark on him, but it also forged him into the man he is today. I suppose one could say he was refined by what he endured while under fire in a country thousands of miles from home. I am continually brought to a place of awe and respect for people like Matt. Admiration wells up inside of me as I realize I am sitting next to someone who has lived out the very definition of what it means to “lay down his life for his fellow man”. I am so thankful for the sacrifice that people like Matt have made. A thousand thank yous could never repay your sacrifice.

Best wishes,

Shawn Nielsen Mobile. 612.750.2593

Studio. 763.498.7375

Email: shawn@nielsen-studios.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsenstudios1

Web: http://nielsen-studios.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nielsen.studios.inc/

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