Recently we went to hear Maureen Eykelenboon talk in Spruce Grove where she spoke to the audience about her son Andrew for whom she created Boomer’s Legacy. Maureen talked about his experiences in Afghanistan and his conviction that what he was doing there was important work, something we hear from every single family that we [...]
Category Archives: Afghanistan war
Goodbye Pat and Edmonton soldiers
November 1, 2009 – 7:40 pm
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 [...]
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 [...]
Cpl. David Braun
September 21, 2009 – 3:18 pm
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 [...]
Painting with friends
August 9, 2009 – 6:41 pm
For several summers now, Shairl (centre) and I (right) have spent three weeks in Newfoundland painting scenes there en plein air (outdoor painting).
Although we have a fairly grueling schedule while there, painting from sunup to sundown most days, it is well worth it because it helps keep our painting skills finely tuned, and it is [...]
Personal Time With A War Hero
July 8, 2009 – 1:58 am
This pencil drawing was done with the photos of Cpl. Shane Keating at hand. I wanted to explore his face and get to know his structure before starting the portrait painting.
Drawing out these heroes before I start painting them gives me personal time to get to know them.
I can imagine their strength, their love [...]
Painting Portraits on Canada Day
July 1, 2009 – 7:36 am
Today we Canadians celebrate our country’s 142 birthday. We’re a quietly patriotic nation with a deep love of this huge land with it’s many wild places and just like our anthem says we are indeed strong and free. Giving others the strength and the means to become free is what our soldiers are working toward [...]
Shairl Follows ‘Andrew’s Smile’ to Vancouver Island
June 10, 2009 – 1:15 pm
“I have to meet this mother; I want to paint her son!” said Shairl as she listened to Maureen Eykelenboom share her story called ‘Andrew’s Smile’ on CBC Radio.
Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom died on August 11, 2006. He was the first Canadian Forces Medic to be killed in Afghanistan. “Andrew was packing up [...]
The brushes are wagging….
May 11, 2009 – 9:19 am
Shairl and Susan have been drawing two young corporals, while Cindy has been working on a commemorative painting for the exhibition.
Although the subject of our paintings is sad because we have lost these heroes to the Afghanistan war, there is some happiness for us because they will ‘live’ in their paintings for many, many years [...]