I went on a historical journey to capture the essence of who Congressman John Lewis was to this country and the lasting impact his legacy will have in the shaping of laws for years to come.

I began my voyage by researching who John Lewis was to so many. I mean everyone knows who he was but I wanted to dig a bit deeper. Story after story made him sound like this incredibly nice and humble man. I recall a story that my wife's best friend shared with her. She had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Lewis on a flight to Alabama. She stopped to greet him and asked to get a photo with him later. He was in the front of the plane so she thought, oh well there is no way I will catch him when I get off the plane. As she deplaned, a smiling Congressman Lewis was waiting to take that photo he had promised her. Such a simple act, which a lasting impact... I knew that I needed to tell his story in a different way, so the concept of combining the medium of painting with the collage technique was a natural fit.

I struggled initially with compositional issues, but soon came to the decision to make his presence the dominant focus of the canvas in many ways. This lead to the overlapping of his image coupled with archived articles, found words from magazines and articles that I utilized to capture his essence; his legacy; his impact.

This is my tribute to a man who believed in Good Trouble. He repeatedly sacrificed his life for the greater good. Here's to the man who walked the walk and talked the talk. I salute you and thank you for your self-less sacrifice. Thank you for sharing your light with the world in a way that only you could.