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Brad "Well, this makes it operation number 5 for me, all within an 18 month stretch, heart attacks, wrist surgery, sinus surgery, gall bladder surgery and now lung surgery. There is a song that Allen Jackson sings called Everything I Love is Killing Me. Couldn't have said it better myself. Doctors took my coffee, soda, and whiskey away because I had to give up the caffeine and any stimulants that got my heart to jumping around. They said stay away from fried food, fatty meats and of course the red meats as well, they are too hard for your body to digest. Well there go those great brats and steaks on the grill. Doctors also over the years have been hounding me to quit smoking, which I did almost two years ago. No more fine cigars around a fire on a warm summer night.

Yep, I can't eat, drink, or smoke. And I call myself an artist. I want to live as Monet, Hemingway, and Picasso, eating, drinking, and smoking my way through my creative journey in life. I have done it all up to now. These were pleasures and rewards I had enjoyed. I’m adjusting I guess."

Lung_Surgery Recently doctors had spotted a mass in Brad's upper right lung. It could not be determined whether or not that this mass was indeed cancer. Doctors felt based on their findings that it was indeed cancer, but could not be sure until it was removed. Because biopsies are not always possible when masses such as this are found in the upper part of the lung, removal of the portion of the lung area in question is highly recommended. They removed the top portion of Brad's Lung and the operation went well. Brad and his family were relieved to hear from the doctors shortly after the surgery, that the mass was not cancer.

After the operation there had been a significant scare. The narcotics that doctors put Brad on to handle the pain from surgery and tubes that were still in him, made his intestines expand to the point that they could have burst and killed him. They immediately put Brad on different pain medicine and he has had about six weeks of needed recovery time.

Brad elected to have VATS surgery done on his lung, this stands for Video Assisted Thoroscopic Lobectomy. This is a less invasive means of surgery to cut down on the size of the large incision they usually have to make across the back and under the arm to perform lung surgery. Brad knew the new method would not only speed up his recovery time, but also would minimize any damage to the many nerves and muscles doctors have to go through to perform this operation. He also knew the possible consequences to his art career going into this operation and had expected the worst and hoped and prayed for the best. The later of the two had proven victorious and Brad is very close to a full recovery.

Brad's pastel painting titled "Whispers Of Love" (Top) has been singled out this past December from over 1600 entries from 30 countries in the 4th Annual International ARC Salon® Competition as one of the top one hundred works of art in the world. ARC which stands for Art Renewal Center, is a non-profit educational organization committed to reviving standards of craftsmanship and excellence in showcasing the finest works of art in the world by the finest artists in the world. ARC is the largest online art museum which contains hundreds of thousands of paintings by the old world masters as well as today's living master artists. The ARC web site reportedly receives over 500,000,000 hits per year. Both Brad's oil painting titled Passing Showers (Bottom Left) his magnificent oil painting titled Creation of Heaven and Earth (Bottom Right) were selected also in December of 2006 as one of the Top One Hundred Paintings to be chosen by ARC for the full color catalog to be released in 2007. You can view these specific works by Brad on the ARC web site at www.artrenewal.org.

Note: This painting was painted in 1990 in memory of the owner's late husband, who loved and respected everything in nature. This painting was a winner in the 1990 Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum International Birds in Art Competition. Brad has taken top honors in this prestigious competition on the three occasions he has entered. Brad has loved wildlife as long as he can remember. He has never wanted to be pigeon holed as a wildlife artist due to his love of all life, however, he is considered to be one of today's best.

Recently one of the world's foremost art museums specializing in works of art from world renowned wildlife artists, acquired one of artist Bradley J. Parrish's most beautiful and crowning works, entitled Mother Goose. The original framed oil on canvas recently became part of their permanent collection, as it was gifted to the museum by a collector and owner of many of Parrish's original works. This special work of art will now have a permanent residence and be on display, allowing millions of people around the world to view and appreciate this masterpiece. The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum is located in Wausau, Wisconsin and attracts visitors from different countries around the globe. The museum has within their extensive permanent collection, original works by such noted artists as, Roger Tory Peterson, Robert Bateman, Ray Harris-Ching and Andrew Wyeth to name a few. You can visit their web site online at www.lywam.org.

Over five years ago Brad was rear ended by a motorist traveling at a high rate of speed. The accident injured both of Brad's wrists and hands, primarily his right painting hand and his right leg. After seeing several surgeons, Brad was referred to one of the world's leading wrist and hand surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, who performed surgery on Brad in September of 2005. He was able to repair enough of Brad's hand so that he can now paint without the excruciating pain that he has had to endure over the past five years. Within the last year, Brad had undergone four surgeries, the latest being heart surgery this past September. He states that 2006 has been one of the most trying years of his life. Not because of all the surgeries, but rather that the surgeries had robbed him of the time he wanted to spend on, and to devote to his art. Many collectors around the world were not aware that Brad's painting career almost was taken from him, or that he recently had two heart attacks that could have taken his life. Brad stated that he is grateful for the love, support and prayers by so many and that he will continue to paint. His greatest works are yet to come.

Brad Says: This has been without a doubt the hardest five years of my life. I have for the first time in my life, found my self wanting to paint and and not being able to do so. The pain of not being able to do what you love to do, and what you have done your entire life, was the most frustrating thing I ever had to deal with. I am so thankful that the surgery on my wrist and hand went so well. I am thankful to God and to those doctors that have moved mountains for me, so that I might continue with that which I love. I can only pray that God allows me the opportunity to complete those works I still have to do.For me not to paint, is for me not to live life. The works I have yet to do are those works that will be my best.