A Surreal Life

The Meaning of Life is a Life With Meaning

Neil at the peace day event

For me to begin to describe Neil would be just a small glimpse into the amazing and creative person he was. In addition to being my best friend, he truly was one of the most inspirational and fascinating people I have ever met. Having grown up together in the same suburb of Montreal, I saw the progression from a quiet introspective teenager to a young adult who became a truly enlightened individual and someone I was privileged to call a friend.

Early Years

Some of the earliest memories I have of Neil in grade school were drawing and using our imaginations to make up stories with an ensemble cast of stuffed toys. As teenagers, Neil and I would go to abandoned warehouses where armed only with cans of spray paint he would make desolate grey spaces his own personal canvases, tagging under the name Koala and Fuser. Little did I know that this was only the beginning of the real artistic talent that Neil would unleash on the world in the years to come.

In our later teens, Neil began to use oil paints and pastels; two mediums completely unknown to him. But with experimenting and persistence, he quickly started to tackle large projects on canvases and smaller ones on any medium he could get his hands on. One of his most random projects he ever did was a painting on the back of a baking tray. Neil was not afraid to try different things and the more excentric, the better.

Adult Years

In our early twenties, Neil’s passion for art progressed as did his interest in world religions and spirituality. He was an avid reader, loved to learn about new things and most of all pass on that knowledge to others – a true Aquarius.

His passion for creating collages and mixed medium art took off in the early 2000’s, with him amassing pounds of scrap clippings, pieces of fabric and anything else that would one day fit into the missing puzzle piece of his next great artistic achievement.

Before Neil’s passing, he began to explore music and actually worked on several songs which he wanted to one day perform. In Neil’s eyes, nothing was unsurmountable and learning something new was part of the natural growth of an individual.

My Dedication

This is a dedication to a true friend who will never be forgotten and to his wonderful parents Debbie and Rod, who are an extension of my family, where we can share Neil’s achievements with the world while keeping his memory alive.

Neil and Danny at a house party

Neil was a crucial part of the person that I am today and I can attribute a lot of my own accomplishments to his encouragement and unique outlook on life. He taught me the importance of being myself and to question society’s definition of “normal”. I could always rest assured that if the whole world was against me, that I would have one person on my side and that was my best friend.

I invite you to visit the Memories Wall section of the site to write about an experience you might have shared with Neil. If you have an original piece of art created by Neil, it would be greatly appreciated if you could visit the Contact Page to upload a digital copy and it can be added to the website.

“Peace and love” – Neil St. Louis (1984-2008)