LEWISTON – Long Island painter Scott LoBaido arrived in Lewiston on Thursday night in pursuit of his dream: to get his work where as many people as possible can see it.

On Friday he began his latest piece, a flowing replica of a U.S. flag that will decorate the rooftop at 240 Russell St. He expects to have two-thirds of the flag finished by Saturday afternoon, wrapping up the work on Sunday.

LoBaido scheduled to complete a whirlwind tour of the country in December – 50 states in 10 months. He’ll leave behind an impressive portfolio: stylized flags on rooftops in every state.

“It’s an awesome thing when an artist can combine not only the visual product but the emotional – something they feel passionate about,” LoBaido said Friday.

His passion is patriotism.

“In my opinion, patriotism and the flag got all tangled up in this negative arena of politics,” he said. “I’d like to separate it a little bit.”

He hasn’t shied away from politics before. One piece he painted several years ago attacked a ban on cigarette smoking in New York City. Others have depicted President Bush carrying the severed head of Osama Bin Laden.

“I aim to express myself, and to test the boundaries of the First Amendment,” he said. “Plenty of artists do that. But let’s not forget why we are able to do it.”

That’s the point of the project, reminding people that they are free and have reason to be proud. It’s about being proud of the country, proud of the people who serve it, and honoring them.

LoBaido began the project in February in North Carolina. He has made the rounds in the South and West and finished his work in Vermont on Wednesday. He will head to Concord, N.H., on Tuesday.

Every roof he’s done so far offers a different take on the traditional flag, blown by an imaginary wind.

“They’re close-ups of a flag, just part of it,” he said. “When you look at it, imagine how big the whole thing would be.”

The Lewiston flag will include the initials “D.C.” and “S.D.,” in homage to Danny Cunningham and Shawn Dostie, Lewiston natives killed while serving in Iraq. Cunningham was killed in April 2003 and Dostie in December 2005.

His project is dedicated to Cunningham, Dostie and all who have served.

“These men and women are still out there, sacrificing and dying not only for the safety and security of this great country but for me personally,” LoBaido said.

Old Betsy

LoBaido picked up his only traveling companion, a 1989 Chevy Suburban, three days before he began his flag-painting odyssey in February. He repainted it right away, covering it with one of his signature flags, and named it “Old Betsy.”

The rear window is decorated with 28 stickers, one for each state he’s visited on his trip. A pair of deer antlers decorate the front of Old Betsy’s hood. The antlers were a gift from the mayor of Butte, Mont., given when LoBaido finished work on a roof there in July.

“I haven’t washed her once,” LoBaido said. “I don’t want to wash away one speck of dirt, one bug splattered on the windshield. When I finish this, I want to cover this thing in acrylic and preserve each bug and each scratch forever.”

He has left the Suburban behind only once. When he flew to Ketchikan, Alaska, the car stayed with a Seattle-area mechanic getting an engine overhaul.

For all of his travels, he hasn’t had to pay for much. Volunteers usually step forward to provide what he needs – food, lodging, paint and supplies – and work on Old Betsy.

But this project is not about turning a profit, LoBaido said. He takes just as much as he needs to carry him from one roof to the next.

“I won’t even take donations from veterans, and I’ve actually had confrontations because of that,” he said. “They try and give me money, and I tell them they’ve already paid me in full with their service.

“I’m doing this for them.”