Conservatory is the first piece in a series of four done for the doctors, staff, firemen & paramedics for their compassion in caring for Paul's mother and brothers who were in a car accident January 5th 2000. It is gracefully hanging on the fifth floor of Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Each of the four paintings has a pathway with shadows and light streaming across it as a representation of the good and sad times we each go through in our walk through life. "As the subject of my first painting in this series, I chose the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul because this is a familiar landmark to many people. I want the painting to stimulate good memories for the patients and care givers while they are at Bethesda Hospital. The concept of a conservatory is a parallel to what a hospital does.
When my brother Joe was at Bethesda, it was so hard to have him in a coma. It was also on of those times in life that I hold really close. I miss the time spent sitting beside his bed, reading to him. Sorrow and grief are crushing, yet it is those moments of deep sorrow that I found I wasn't alone, that God was there too. There were people around our family that a genuine compassion for us and Joe. This painting is my story of that sad, yet sweet time. The path wanders into the garden, a brief time to meander through and collect your thoughts. That was my experience at Bethesda, a brief time to walk life's path alongside my brother, to hold his hand and tell him 'We love you.'
I'll never forget the evening he passed away. It was peaceful, all of us were gathered around his bed and my sister Christy leaned over, brushed his hair with her hand and whispered "Joe it's ok for you to go now, the angels are coming to get you."