Entre Amis

Entre Amis (Between Friends) - by David Dossett

This is a special version of the ever-popular snow angels that I would like to dedicate to Former US Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman and his wife Vicki. Mr. and Mrs. Heyman love Canada, and have been passionate advocates for this country at every turn. As a Canadian, I am inspired and grateful for their commitment to improving relations between our two great countries, especially during these challenging times. What better way for an artist to show appreciation than to dedicate a painting that has special meaning?

All of the paintings I have done have a special meaning to me. And what I am trying to do now is to write down that meaning, that special story, that inspired me to do that painting. But at times, someone tells me their story that they see in my art and, well, they express those feelings better than I ever could. Here is a quote from 2015 from someone who has given me permission to share her wonderful story:

"David, I thought I'd share this story with you, as it tells why I am a fan of your art, particularly the 3 angels: I am the youngest of 3 sisters. Our father passed away in January of 1998-- during the time of the '98 Ice storm. Since then, my two sisters and I have made a tradition of visiting our father's grave in January, around the anniversary time of his passing, and we make snow angels! (You have to imagine 3 women in their 50s and 60s making snow angels, and enjoy the laugh). Anyway...several years ago, my eldest sister, found your Three Angels prints for sale, and purchased 3 copies...one for each of us. My sisters and I each have them hung in our homes as a reminder of our yearly tribute to our beloved dad, year around. Thank you"

What a charming and touching story. I am truly grateful when people reach out to me with stories like that. They fill me with inspiration and enthusiasm, which I , in turn, try to pass along through new works of art. I hope that Mr. and Mrs. Heyman fins some inspiration from this piece.

And now a bit about Ambassador Bruce Heyman ( source: https://unchartedllc.com):

Ambassador (ret) Bruce Heyman is the co-founder of Uncharted LLC, which convenes and connects diverse groups of Americans and Canadians for impact. There, he combines his political, economic, and charitable experience to work on projects involving philanthropy, storytelling, and political activism.

Most recently, he served as the United States Ambassador to Canada under President Barack Obama from 2014 until 2017. He continues his work strengthening the relationship between Canada and the United States by serving as a strategic advisor to Canada 2020, a Canadian progressive think-tank based in Ottawa, as a member of the advisory board to the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center, and as an honorary patron to the Council of the Great Lakes Region. He is also on the advisory board for Uptake in Chicago.

Ambassador Heyman is a 33 year veteran of Goldman Sachs, where he served as partner and managing director in the Chicago office. He previously served as a board member for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation. He also served as an advisor to the Fix the Debt CEO Council of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He has been a member of The Executives’ Club of Chicago and the Facing History and Ourselves Chicago Advisory Board.

A magna cum laude graduate with both a BA and an MBA from Vanderbilt University, Ambassador Heyman continues to maintain close ties to his alma mater. He is past president of the Alumni Board and a former member of the Board of Visitors at the University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

He and his wife Vicki live in Chicago, where they celebrate their family and friendships. They have three children and three beautiful grandchildren.

Follow Bruce on Facebook @AmbassadorBruceHeyman – Instagram @bruceheyman – Twitter @bruceaheyman