America Rose Original Oil Painting dedicated to 9/11 copyright 2005 Paul Vincenti

After the events of 9/11/2001 Paul Vincenti decided he'd better do something to help out. Surely, he thought, he could donate a work of art, or the money made from its sale. That might raise a few dollars for the relief effort. The question was- what to paint? After many sketches, the ideas all seemed too sad. Powerful though some of the concepts were, he deemed them unsuitable. He needed to capture something about the mood, about what he was feeling inside. Something that he knew others must be feeling as well. Taking note of the upswell in his and everyone's patriotism, Paul let his thoughts percolate.

We were encouraged to go on with our lives. Not to be afraid. And we all did; down to the big truck that sold roses on the side of the road, and the tent that popped up accross from him selling flags. Ultimately, these images caused a vision to just "pop up" out of nowhere. A clear, exact image was in Paul's head. The result was immediate: a full color sketch of "America Rose" Finished in one afternoon, Paul liked the results and emailed it to a few friends. The response was immediate and overwhelming.

Encouraged to "flesh it out" into a large oil, Paul did so. Paul had already had several shows coming up that included a charity for disaster relief. The art was highlighted at these shows- the press caught wind, and in short order "America Rose" was seen in nearly every major newspaper in Florida. Paul got a call from the "The International Association of Fire Cheifs" in Washington, D.C. What would he charge to use this on the memorial edition of their journal? "Not a thing" was the reply. It was seen on TV in Orlando- WFTV Chennel 9's did coverage on the art show in Celebration, near Disney. At this show- Paul sold the original for $3500. Instead of the suggested percantage- Paul donated the entire sale to Disaster Relief in NYC via Howard Alan Events' "Art from the Heart" fundraising.

In addition, Paul was asked to join the Mayor of Boca Raton to promote the Art Festival they were having. This was the town in question, and at the time when the antrhax scare had joined the nightly news. The Mayor and the Artist, standing on the corner of a busy road in broad daylight, were there to show that it was OK to go about your lives- to enjoy them - to attend an art show, for instance! Paul gave a spirited interview with CNBC.

More requests followed. Can we use your image for our?: shirts, buttons, keychains, etc. Yes was always the reply. Paul aided many charities including becoming an Honorary member of the Arkansas City Kansas, Fire Department, and the Grand Marshall for the Sertoma Foundation parade in Venice, FL.

When he shows this piece to those who have never seen it, the response is still amazing. Sometimes, when a painting is truly from a vision, from something you really care about, the results are timeless.

All reproductions are done on the finest quality archival paper paper or archival canvas.

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