It's been a few years since I have painted poppies in a series. We moved from Ontario to Alberta late last fall but once summer rolled around this year I was thrilled to see those gorgeous red poppies coming up in the garden. They were not the Flanders Fields type (corn poppies) but the oriental (opium) type which inspired this new series. Over the last few years I have reconnected with veterans that I served with many years ago as a supply tehnician, as a civilian contractor and in the reserves, all in for 16 years. That was a long time ago and I treasure those friendships. Over these last few years I have also met soldiers who served on the front lines of the Afghan war, many are my son's ages. This series is dedicated to those fallen heroes who served overseas during this time. May they rest in peace and never be forgotten. I made 5 paintings, this is the story of Lest We Forget 11424 which is a 24 inch by 36 inch acrylic painting on canvas. You will notice the camouflage background overlaid with the Canadian flag. My good friend James Gault (Sgt ret) allowed me to borrow these two hats from his kit that he had worn while serving in the middle east. When the CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) first entered the Afghan war the camo uniforms were the green variations only which funny enough did not work so well against the colors of sand. Wasn't long before the CAF got that issue taken care of with the new sand variation which is why both types are part of the paintings, I felt it was an important detail to include. Of course the flag is also an integral part of a soldier's uniform and represents the oath every service member takes while serving their country. The following photos represent the making of this painting: Here is a sneak peek of all five of the paintings. I will be posting the detailed pics that I took as I painted each one in the next few posts as we get closer to Remembrance Day November 11th.
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AuthorBehind the scenes from the studio of Carole Malcolm Archives
January 2025
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