I was accused of being born with a pencil in my hand. Like most of us, I had a dream to be or do something great, then wonder where all the time had gone and when did I lose sight of those dreams. I know that our dreams come from deep within each of us. If we find a way to nurture them, no matter the age or circumstances, we can achieve them. I loved art in my younger years and studied at the hands of great teachers up through a year of collage. Then getting married, having kids and having the need to provide for them, shifted my focus to pursue ways to accomplish that.

I have done many different things trying to find my place in the world and where I could make a difference. I finally settled on truck driving and more specifically hauling cars since 2000 and have loved it. However, I have not been able to escape this unseen spiritual pressure telling me there is more in life for me to do.

In Feb. 2011, my life took a drastic unforeseen course correction that completely took me by surprise. One night while traveling in my truck with a load of only four cars, southbound on highway 93 between Las Vegas, NV and Kingman, AZ, I was struck by a pick-up truck that was traveling on the wrong side of the freeway with only one head light, which I mistook for a motorcycle in the other lane. We collided head on driver side to driver side. The damage to both vehicles where complete and total. I was instantly off the road and at the mercy of God, as I had no control of my truck. By His grace I walked away from a totaled semi truck without injury or any residual pain. The other driver was not so fortunate and was killed instantly. Nothing in life brings clarity of mortality and the fragile nature of life than a brush with the end of it.

I was out of work for two and a half months waiting for a truck replacement to begin work again. During this time, my wife's cousin Bobby died suddenly from diabetic complications. While mourning with the family I thought, "What could I do to contribute?". The answer came out of no where and instantly. "Draw a memorial tribute of him using the families most favorite pictures and memories." So I did. 18 days later her Uncle died of Cancer he had valiantly fought for a while. I again drew a memorial tribute of her uncle, for the family. The response from the family was overwhelming in both instances. I provided prints of the original to extended family and friends who expressed their great appreciation for what I had done in helping them celebrate the best of their loved one.

This experience ignited the flame of desire in that dream to do something great, to create Original Custom Artwork for others by celebrating and honoring their loved ones who have passed to the other side and aide in the healing process. I then realized there are many areas of life that can be celebrated through this gift of art that I have been given.

I invite you to enjoy the examples of art I have created in the galleries. If you feel I may be of some service to you or your family, I encourage you to complete and submit the Art Request Form. The consultation and initial layout are FREE. I will contact you to see how I can help.

Sincerely,
Joseph Baggs