My Paintings
All in a Day’s Work
“All in a Day’s Work”
Acrylic on canvas, 18” x 24”
This occurred in December of 2009 in Afghanistan. We had gone out to one of the FOB’s. (Forward operating Base) to pick up a chinook blade that was in a crate. Because of the nature of the long box, they needed manpower to physically load the crate into the helicopter. So we got to go for a ride! In my 9 1/2 months in Kandahar, I only got to go for a ride 3 times.
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother
Acrylic on canvas, 36” x 60”
During my 9 1/2 month tour of Afghanistan in 2009/10 with the Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan, we lost 18 Canadian troops and a female reporter who was imbedded with the troops. The Americans averaged 1 casualty per week. I wanted to do this painting to help tell the story of Afghanistan. I actually had a hard time finishing it. The closer it was to being finished and realistic, the more it was bugging me and affecting my PTSD. I walked away from it more than once.
Leave no Brother Behind.
Mother Canada
Oil on canvas, 17” x 34”
As a veteran, Vimy Ridge holds a special place in my heart. It was a coming of age for Canada, and the first time all 4 Canadian divisions fought together in the First World War, and under Canadian command. The 4 day battle that started on 9th April, 1917 had over 10,600 killed or wounded. One day I will be fortunate enough to visit it, along with the other European battle fields.
The central statue at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial is called Canada Bereft, also known as Canada Mourning Her Fallen Sons. This statue, carved from a single block of stone, depicts a young nation grieving her dead, with her eyes cast down and chin resting on her hand. It stands as a powerful symbol of Canada’s loss during the First World War.
Calm before the Storm
Acrylic on canvas, 18” x 24”
We were just coming on shift at about 7am in the morning, and it was quite and calm, and still relatively cool. I thought the Chinook looked at rest sitting out on the line. The Canadian government had leased or bought this Vietnam War era Chinooks off of the Americans. They were nice and big, and a joy to work on as a technician.