When Art and Freedom Meet
Growing up in the vibrant streets of The Bronx, it was inevitable for U.S. Army Veteran Denis Velez to immerse himself into the art culture found on every block.
His colorful art pieces are only a glimpse into his energy that can only radiate from a soldier’s experiences.
Since he can remember, his talented hand has been a part of who he is. From junior high school and all the way to military service.
Little did he know, his deployment to South Korea was just the beginning of his creativity. At the time of Denis enlisting, the Commanding General of the Pacific Ocean was in desperate need of an artist, so much so that on his DD-214 it states – “Illustrator.”
During the Korean War, Illustrators were the computers and relied on heavily to be the drawing board for the next plan of action.
As a grandfather now, he has traded in his military drawing board for photography and colorful paintings alongside his artist companion and wife, Mayra Velez.
Just as he finds hope in his art, he does with the health care team at the West Palm Beach VA. As a patient of the VA during the most life-threatening times of his life, overcoming Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and now prostate cancer, he is a believer in the VA.
His belief is so strong that he left his old home in the Dominican Republic so that he could call West Palm Beach his new home. Mayra says, “The moment we found out he was sick again, I knew we had to go back to West Palm Beach VA.”
With tears swelling in his eyes, he remembers the phone call from VA Oncology that felt like it took the breath right out of him.
“Overcoming my GBS and now cancer, I believed and still do believe in the doctors. I am not afraid. I spill my guts and feelings out to them.”
The VA has become his “home away from home,” also known as the Fisher House. After every radiation, he has a place to lie his head and a sanctuary of comfort surrounded by those undergoing, if not the same, but very similar, life stages.
The house, only a crosswalk away from the main hospital, has been Dennis and Mayra’s relief. So much so, Denis could not leave this time without giving back.
As an artist he is fulfilled when he can express his emotions into a masterpiece. He says, “I want to give back emotionally, that is why I made this painting.”
Carefully stroked by an acrylic felt tip pen and handpicked colors that identically mimic the well-known pink, large facility represents more to Denis than a place he seeks treatment.
Pointing with a smile to the VA Medical Center art piece, he says, “The sunbathed building represents new hope for Veterans and their families during times of debilitating illness. The palm trees represent soldiers who have supported each other in battle as well as in peace time.”
Denis’s choice of therapy is one that often leaves a trace of his giving soul everywhere he goes. More so than often, his pieces are created with a purpose to honor a person who has come his way - That is what the VA Medical Center painting is centered on.
From military drawing boards once used as a lighting path for soldiers to now connections of color among Veterans. Denis is the beacon of hope for Veterans that serves as reminder to them that they are not alone in their journey fighting for their lives.