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Did you know that Adna has it’s very own Mr. Incredible?  By day, Gary Bilodeaux helps to heal people’s bodies at Steck Medical Group as a Certified Physician’s Assistant. By night he touches people’s imaginations with his art.

Gary has done many different things in his life. The father of seven and grandfather to three has formerly been a police officer, paramedic and firefighter. Gary began to think about the people he had saved and what occurred after he left them. “I just wanted to see how they ended up,” he says.  This was the drive behind his desire to become a Physician’s Assistant.

Gary’s Mickey Mouse as Captain America piece. Photo courtesy: Gary Bilodeaux, artwork copyright of Disney

Incredibly humble and with a kind soul, Gary’s desire to make a difference in not only Lewis County but everywhere is honorable. He sends out gift cards to two to three random people from the phone book every year at Christmas. His only request is that the receivers pay it forward.

Gary started sculpting ten years ago and then tried his hand at painting. His mother and grandmother were very artistic, so it’s not surprising that Gary is as well. His ever-growing collection of artwork is found on his Facebook page Gary Bilodeaux.

What started out as a hobby grew into something extraordinary. The Bilodeauxs are avid Disney fans and Gary’s created the most magical pieces of Disney art. His artwork is found on canvas and even phone cases and shoes. With special permission from Pixar to be able to even create these images, it’s such an amazing accomplishment for Gary to share his artwork with other Disney lovers. His favorites are pieces featuring Winnie the Pooh and Ichabod Crane.

Gary Bilodeaux
Matt Asner with Gary’s artwork. Photo courtesy: Gary Bilodeaux, artwork copyright of Disney

He’s created illustrations for a few children’s books as well as written and illustrated a book called Darby’s Down Day. Gary’s also donated several pieces of art to different local organizations he is passionate about.

Gary and his youngest son Tristan had the pleasure of doing something not many have the opportunity to do – tour Pixar’s studios. The two were so grateful to be able to share the experience together and the pair also had the pleasure of attending the Toy Story 4 premiere. Tristan, who has taken after his Dad in his love for art and all things Disney, was able to sit at the legendary Walt Disney’s desk. “It was pretty amazing,” says Tristan. “To be able to experience something like this with my Dad, made it even more special.”

Tristan isn’t the only family member that has caught the Disney bug.  Gary’s son Chandler went to culinary school and now works at Disneyland.

Gary’s art that was auctioned off at Ed Asner’s ninetieth birthday party. Photo courtesy: Gary Bilodeaux, artwork copyright of Disney

Because of Gary’s love for Disney and painting, he became acquainted with Matt and Navah Asner, the son and daughter-in-law of the famous Ed Asner who was the voice of Carl in the Pixar movie UP. Matt and Navah are the founders of  The Ed Asner Family Center. The center was created for children and families of children on the autism spectrum to offer support and the tools needed to succeed in life.

In November, Gary donated several pieces of art to be auctioned off at Ed Asner’s ninetieth birthday party. The proceeds benefited Camp Ed, which was created by Navah after she had been unsuccessful in finding appropriate summer camps for her three sons experiencing autism. Gary and his wife Deena attended the gala, where they were welcomed with open arms. His artwork was a huge hit with the family and friends of the Asners.

Gary went on to create Christmas cards for the Ed Asner Foundation and is currently working on a children’s book in collaboration with Matt Asner about a girl on the autism spectrum named Penelope. This summer, Gary will be participating in the 8th annual Ed Asner and Friends Poker Tournament in California. The proceeds from this star-studded event will go to the Ed Asner Foundation.

The artwork for the 8th annual Ed Asner and Friends Poker Tournament. Photo courtesy: Gary Bilodeaux, artwork copyright of Disney

Walt Disney inspired millions for generations including Gary Bilodeaux. Even while he saves lives for a living, Gary still finds the time to pursue his dream. “If you can dream it, you can do it” is Gary’s favorite quote by Walt Disney. His ultimate dream is to have his artwork displayed at the WonderGround Gallery in Disneyland, something this incredible human will undoubtedly achieve.

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” – Walt Disney.

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