Asleep in a Foreign Soil

28" x 20", oil on wood panel, 2014

Since the theme of this year's Doors Open is World War One, there's going to be an exhibition of artwork with a poppy theme at the Wellington Town Hall (just down the road from the museum). The painting above (part of the "Remembrance" section of of my War Project) is my submission to the show and is inspired in part by this quote:

"For the first time the British army lost its spirit of optimism, and there was a sense of deadly depression among many officers and men with whom I came in touch. They saw no ending of the war, and nothing except continuous slaughter such as that in Flanders."
–notes from a war correspondent

detail

I thought about including a helmet or rifle, but I didn't want to indicate which side this soldier is/was on; he's meant to represent all who died in the war.

Welcome!

On my last two (of 10) painting sessions in Prince Edward County's five museums I was at the Wellington Heritage Museum which used to be a Quaker Meeting house (which I painted this museum last year as part of my County 101 marathon). Speaking of Quakers, I have two Quaker-based paintings in store for my War Project, inspired by stories related to them being conscientious objectors during World War One and the disturbing repercussions of that stance.

And now houses a pretty impressive collection of canning items from the county's rich canning past...

I like this doorway.

Cool canning gear.

There's lots of great stuff to see here, especially if, like me, you're fond of vintage label design.

By the sheet.

I like old cans.

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The Naked Silo

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