The Mouths of Babes

December 14, 2009 – 1:34 am

As we sat watching the Roar of the Rings curling finals today, a friend relayed this story from her four-year-old son…
Listening to a clip on the radio news about Afghanistan with his mother, he asked her, “Why are they still fighting over there?”
She tried to explain as best she could, but he interrupted and told her he knew what should be done to resolve the conflict.
“What I would do,” he said, “is I would sneak in there at night and steal all their clothes. Then they wouldn’t want to go and fight.”
Such a simple, yet somehow so profoundly logical solution coming from the mouth of a boy who believes the world would be a better place if only people wouldn’t fight with each other.
Since four-year-olds don’t run the world, and the Taliban and our soldiers still have their clothes, there will still be conflict in Afghanistan.
The best we can do is support our troops and pray for their safety while they work on our behalf.
Here’s to Canadian soldiers at home, in Afghanistan and in other countries world-wide. We appreciate you and thank you for all you do.
And thanks to all the four-year-olds who should be thinking of snowmen and toys and chocolate. Knowing that they also think of world peace means they will become sensitive, caring adults who will make a difference in tomorrow’s world.

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Edmonton Visit

November 24, 2009 – 9:07 pm

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Shairl (far right) and I recently visited with Sarah Keller, (centre) wife of Cpl. Bryce Keller who was killed in action in August, 2006.
As we gained insight into Bryce’s character in order for Shairl to paint his portrait, we also found a kinship with this smart and kind young lady who is also in the Canadian military.
Sarah is currently studying for her nursing degree at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), after which she will use her nursing skills in the military.
As with other soldiers’ family members who we have visited, Sarah shared her husband’s story openly.
We are so grateful for how open all the families have been and we appreciate that it must be incredibly difficult to do that.
Thank you so much to Sarah and to all the other families who have welcomed us so warmly and allowed us to paint the portraits of their loved ones.
We are truly honored to do this project and will do or very best to make you all proud.
— Susan Abma

*Please note: Our website – www.projectheroes.ca – is being rebuilt and will be down for about two days. It should be back up Nov. 26 or before. We are very proud of our new look and thank Lynda Baxter and www.artincanada.com for redesigning it. We hope you’ll check back in a few days to see our newly designed website. Thanks for your patience.
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We All Remember

November 11, 2009 – 8:28 am

November 11.

We all remember. It was the day we all actually stayed silent for a moment in school, remembering the soldiers who fought for our country.
At the time, those soldiers were often not known to us and their faces not familiar. But we knew from our teachers and parents the incredible significance of honoring their service.
November 11: Remembrance Day. Veterans Day. Armistice Day.
Around the world it has different names, but the day is the same and the purpose also the same. The day is seen as the end of World War I, which ended on this day in 1918.
Today, it is as powerful as never before. We honor those who served Canada in World War I and other wars our country was involved in, and also we honor the soldiers whose faces are now familiar – those from the Afghanistan war. Our brothers, boyfriends, husbands, sons and fathers are among the faces now fighting for our country and the Afghan people. Some of them have not come home, sacrificing themselves for the cause they believed in.
We remember them today – those serving currently and those who served in the past – and thank them all for their incredible service to Canada.
We pray for the safety of those in Afghanistan and those still to be deployed. May they take comfort in knowing how grateful we are for what they do. Return home to us safely and may God be with you.
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Andrew’s Smile

November 7, 2009 – 5:56 am

Andrew's Smile

Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom

What a pleasure it was to paint Canadian army medic Andrew James Eykelenboom, or “Boomer” as his mates called him. The first time I learned about Andrew, was when his mother Maureen told his sad but beautiful story “Andrew’s Smile” on the radio. I couldn’t wait to read about him, visit his home in Comox, meet his parents and hear more of his goofy but sweet humour.

Yes, it has been a pleasure painting your smile, Andrew, and getting to know you.

Shairl

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Goodbye Pat and Edmonton soldiers

November 1, 2009 – 7:40 pm

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Saying goodbye to my cousin’s fiancé Patrick at the Edmonton garrison was difficult to say the least.

The hall was filled with soldiers ready to leave, their parents, siblings, spouses and children.
As the soldiers waited to go into the line-up to have their bodies and their gear searched, they clung to their wives and children. Most of the spouses had welled up tears in their eyes the entire time, but most of the soldiers stayed fairly straight-faced and tearless, putting on a brave face for their families. The look in their eyes told the story of the sadness they felt leaving their loved ones, especially knowing that there was a possibility that it could be the last time.
Although the soldiers kept a brave face throughout the waiting period, as they left their families to be searched and then board the bus, almost all had tears in their eyes.
It’s hard to explain how electric the atmosphere was, full of love, sadness, fear, and even excitement. Even though the soldiers were sad to leave their families, there was a part of them that looked forward to doing what they had been trained to do.
My heart broke as I watched my cousin cry and her daughter wave goodbye to Daddy. As the soldiers walked out of the hall and out of sight, my cousin ran outside the hall and around the building to have a last chance to see her soldier in the bus as it left.
It struck me how solitary life as a military spouse can be. It’s hard to think of a child not seeing her Daddy for six to eight months, and again thinking that the worst case scenario is that she could never see him again. As the parent who stays home, the spouse is a single parent and lonely. There are times when they have no contact with their soldier for long periods of time, and they hold their breath as the names of fallen soldiers are announced. They pray that it’s not their spouse, and yet are so very sad for the family that does have to deal with the loss.
Shairl, Cindy and I have become so close up and personal with this project that we, too, hold our breath every time another fallen soldier’s name is announced. Our hearts break for the families, and we often cry also as we sit with the families and share the stories of the brave soldiers who never made it home alive.
I pray for the safety of my cousin-in-law to be, and all his comrades as they work hard in Afghanistan for a cause they believe is worth dying for. Besides my own family, I don’t know if I’d ever be that brave for anyone else. I am thankful for everything these soldiers are doing for us, for our country, and for the people of Afghanistan.
God bless them all.
—Susan Abma


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Deployment

October 7, 2009 – 11:59 pm

Tomorrow I will be heading to the Edmonton Garrison to say goodbye to a group of soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan.

This time it hits home more than ever with me. One of the soldiers has a child with, and is engaged to my cousin.
This project has always been very personal to me, but sending Pat off to the war in Afghanistan and sharing the pain my cousin feels as he leaves, is even more personal than this originally set out to be.
When this project tugged at my heart and started to become my priority, my cousin hadn’t even met Pat yet. I had no connection with the military at all – I just felt strongly that the soldiers who put their lives on the line needed to be commemorated in a lasting and special way.
In only a few short years, many more soldiers have died, and my cousin met, fell in love with, and had a child with an Edmonton soldier. They are scheduled to be married on the base in June of 2010, when Pat returns from Afghanistan.
Along with Pat, many other soldiers will board a bus bound for the Edmonton International Airport, where they will then board a plane bound for Afghanistan.
These soldiers believe in what they are going there to do and they want to do what they were trained for, but one can only imagine that deep beneath their courageous exteriors there is a fear of what they will face when they get there and also whether they will return home to their mothers, wives, husbands, children and other family members.
I commend their bravery and their commitment and my greatest hope is that all the prayers that Canadians will be saying for them in the coming months will keep them strong, uplifted and safe from harm.
Godspeed!

- Susan Abma
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Cpl Shane Keating

October 2, 2009 – 7:19 am

Cpl Shane Keating

Painting this portrait of Corporal Shane Keating was, for me a humble but extremely rewarding experience. I must thank his mother, Judy Budd, for making it possible for me to get to know Shane; for sharing her photos, the letters, the stories of this exceptional young man and Shane’s writings in his own hand. Not only do I feel honoured that I was able to paint Shane’s portrait, I feel blessed to have met a wonderful new friend, Judy, who is also an artist.

Shairl Honey

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Support Our Troops Gala

September 29, 2009 – 1:09 am

Support Our Troops Gala


Wow! We had an unbelievable evening Saturday!

We had the exceptional good fortune to attend the CFPSA Support Our Troops Gala at Edmonton Northlands.

Approximately 700 people gathered at the new, massive, Exhibition Hall E to raise funds in support of the troops and their families. (See www.cfpsa.com for more information)

We are not getting paid for doing the portraits of the soldiers, so at $225 per seat we would, under normal circumstances, not have been able to attend this incredible event. We very much appreciate Don’s Power Vac of Edmonton, that sponsored our tickets (www.furnaceman.ab.ca).

At the event we were fortunate enough to meet General Walt Natynczyk and his wife Leslie, who is the head of the Military Families Fund. They were so warm and expressed their appreciation of how Project Heroes is honoring the fallen Canadian soldiers. It was our incredible honor to be able to talk with them both and we certainly hope to work with the Military Families Fund in some way in the near future.

We also visited with Maureen Eykelenboom, the exceptional woman at the helm of Boomer’s Legacy. Boomer’s Legacy was named in memory of her son Corporal Andrew “Boomer” Eykelenboom, after he was killed by a suicide bomber in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, in August 2006.

While other funds help the soldiers and their families at home in Canada, Boomer’s Legacy provides humanitarian needs, medical care and tools for education for the people of Afghanistan. (See www.boomerslegacy.ca for more information).

Our work through Project Heroes, will be to thank the fallen soldiers and their families for their service and sacrifice. (www.projectheroes.ca)

We hope that everyone will consider supporting whatever of these causes touches their hearts as they all need your support to exist.

photo6While at the gala, we met many soldiers – some who have already served in Afghanistan, and some being deployed in October. Their dedication to their country and their bravery in facing possible injury or death to serve their country was humbling to say the very least. Each time we meet the soldiers who have served or will serve in war stricken areas, we are even more thankful for the ability to work on the fallen soldiers’ portraits for Project Heroes. It’s our way to thank these heroes who serve us all so selflessly.

At the CFPSA gala, we were treated to the wonderful humor of Jessica Holmes (Royal Canadian Air Farce), and the music of Blue Rodeo.

There were so many added little ‘treats’ for the crowd, like when one of the musicians took the mouthpiece of his trombone and put it in a rifle and played the rifle. Having never seen this done before, we were astounded and excited about how unique it was as well as how beautiful it sounded.

Military drummers played in unison and it was a delight to watch their synchronized moves, especially when the lights were dimmed and their drumsticks and parts of their uniforms glowed in the dark.

Congratulations to the organizers of this event. The gala was top-notch and we were proud to have had an opportunity to attend and help Support Our Troops.

- Susan, Shairl and Cindy



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Completed Portrait

September 26, 2009 – 11:42 am
Completed Portrait

Corporal Cole Bartsch

Another painting is finished. Each portrait represents a life and we are reminded how special these young people who have given their lives are. Not everyone can do what they have done and we are grateful to them and their families.

Cindy Revell

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Cpl. David Braun

September 21, 2009 – 3:18 pm
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The completed portrait of Cpl. David Braun

As we work on Project Heroes™, it is important to us to convey an indication of the soldiers’ characters – something that is hard to achieve from their official military photos that are quite serious and straight-faced.Cpl. David Braun was a sincere pleasure to paint. My studio was so cheerful looking at this handsome, smiling soldier as I completed his oil portrait.

I made a preliminary drawing (see below) and put a layer of color on without worrying about being too exact with the drawing as it changes slightly here and there as I apply paint and reassess it.

Each layer builds the painting to a higher level. I build my skin tones from the basic undertones, which in this case was very pink. I work in layers often, but occasionally tackle a portrait more directly, depending on how I think I can achieve the best result.
It was our sincere pleasure to have spent time with David’s mother, getting to know a lot more about him. This helped have a true sense of what he was like which is essential in order to create a good portrait.
Every time we meet with the families, I am awed by their openness, their sharing, and their strength. Without their support, we would be unable to do this and we thank them for that, as well as for the incredible sacrifice their soldier made. We hope that this project will help ensure their loved one will always be remembered.
- Susan Abma

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The rough drawing and start of the first layer.

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Getting closer to completion.

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