Hype TV films Project Heroes™ at Philip Debney Armoury

Dixon Christie, far right, visited our Philip Debney Armoury studio to shoot a video about Project Heroes. Left, Artist Susan Abma. Centre, Artist Shairl Honey.

Artist Cindy Revell with Dixon Christie in front of one of the panoramic paintings that will accompany the fallen soldiers' portraits. This three-panel panoramic painted by Revell commemorates the families of soldiers, another three-panel panoramic painting by Susan Abma will commemorate wounded soldiers, and a third three-panel panoramic painting by Shairl Honey will commemorate serving soldiers and veterans.

Dixon Christie, Producer at Hype TV, came to the Project Heroes™ studio at the Philip Debney Armoury yesterday to film a segment about the artists as part of his Paratroopers series (visit http://www.paratroopers.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238&Itemid=15 to see some of the video footage of that series.

Once the video about Project Heroes™ is complete, it will air periodically on Shaw Cable throughout the summer. Plus, it will be posted on the Project Heroes™ website and Facebook page.

It is exciting to be filmed and shown in conjunction with another project that also honours members of the Canadian military.

The Project Moves Along

A project like this takes time, energy and money to put together and none of these things are in great supply. Each of us has other work to take care of, illustration, commissions, and an online magazine, nevertheless it's something we think is important and it's moving forward. Before the trip to Saskatchewan we each worked on 2 sample paintings that would be shown to the families of the soldiers to help them understand what we were doing.

First Nations Bravery

Andrew Greenaway and Joice Lakow with the Project Heroes™ display

The Project Heroes™ display at City Hall was a great opportunity to connect with the public. We met Andrew Greenaway and his friend Joice Lakow who shared a story about his grandfather Jeff, a WWII war veteran who was the only survivor from his section, all of whom were killed behind enemy lines. Alone with just his own determination and First Nations skills, Jeff hiked out of the bush through enemy territory where he eventually located the allied troops.

Details about this courageous man are limited, if you know of any information about him or a comprehensive list of all First Nations veterans let us know. We'd love to pass this on to Andrew and help fill in the blanks.

Project Heroes™ honours not only the Canadian soldiers who died in the Afghanistan war but through three 6x9 foot paintings we are also paying tribute to sacrifices of the families, the wounded and all veterans from past wars. Thanks to our First Nations veterans for their contribution.

Cpl. Zachery McCormack's Parents View His Portrait

Robin (left) and Armande McCormack, are the parents of Corporal Zachery McCormack, KIA Dec. 30, 2009.

Below, Robin and Armande with Susan Abma, the artist who painted Zachery's portrait for Project Heroes.

Robin and Armande McCormack shared many stories and photos of Zachery with Susan. The main reference photo Susan used was of Zachery holding a puppy that he had rescued in Afghanistan. Afghanistan children were swinging the dog by its neck (dogs are not highly regarded there), and Zachery ended up trading a chocolate bar and other small items for the dog, which he and his comrades looked after in their tent. He called it Napoleon and shared his food with it for a month until it was back on its feet. Susan was drawn to that photo because of the utter happiness in Zach's eyes and also because it was completely in tune with what his parents had said about Zach's gentle, caring nature, and that he was always helping others. Zachery's portrait will be posted on the Project Heroes™ Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/projectheroes) very soon.

Project Heroes™ Shares Portraits With Sir Winston Churchill Society

A Room at Breccles, Norfolk by Sir Winston Churchill

Last night Project Heroes™ was honoured to display several of the portraits at the 48th Annual Memorial Banquet held by the Rt. Hon. Sir Spencer Winston Churchill Society of Edmonton at the MacDonald Fairmont Hotel.

The banquet is held annually honouring the current year's recipients of scholarships, awards and prizes as well as winners of the High School competitions. The society featured key-note speaker great grandson of Sir Winston, Randolph Churchill whose topic was Churchill, European Unity and Economic Turmoil. 

It was a pleasure for the artists Cindy Revell, Shairl Honey and Susan Abma to meet some wonderful and interesting people including Randolph himself and share the project with the guests. Sir Winston Churchill was not only a statesman but an artist which was an appropriate connection to this event for us.

Randolph told the artists that the project was of huge importance, and that showing many of the fallen Canadian soldiers smiling in the portraits really brings home the human aspect - that the soldiers were real people.

"When I get to heaven I mean to spend a considerable portion of my first million years in painting, and so get to the bottom of the subject..." - Sir Winston Spencer Churchill

Soldier's Wife Visits Project Heroes™ Display at Edmonton City Hall

Darcia Arndt in front of a portrait of her husband Master Corporal Raymond Arndt (KIA August 5, 2006)

While the artists were at Edmonton City Hall painting and displaying portraits for Project Heroes™, they were visited by many family and friends of the soldiers.

One of their visitors was Darcia Arndt, wife of fallen soldier Master Corporal Raymond Arndt.

Speaking directly with Darcia and getting family photos to work from helped artist Shairl Honey as she tried to paint a sense of Raymond's spirit and character into the oil portrait.

The artists, Shairl Honey, Susan Abma, and Cindy Revell knew when they started that they wanted to do more than just recreate a copy of the soldiers' official military photographs in oils. They wanted to tell a complete story about the soldiers through their paintings and the information and other photos, videos, etc. obtained from families.

Finding the families, interviewing them, working from as many as five or six photos at a time, and then having to, in many cases, paint the soldiers back into their uniforms makes this a very time-consuming and more difficult project. But the result is a series of portraits that no one has seen before, and it makes it so much more personal. 

The artists are also including three 6' x 9' paintings that will commemorate the wounded, serving soldiers and veterans, and families of the soldiers.
This one-of-a-kind collection of portraits, paintings and other information, photos and videos records the history of the soldiers who served and sacrificed in the Afghanistan War in a sensitive, personal, comprehensive and lasting way. 

It is important that friends and families of all soldiers know that Canada is grateful for the special men and women - our Canadian heroes - who served our country in Afghanistan, and that we will never forget the unfathomable sacrifice of the wounded and the fallen. We remember them, and Project Heroes™ will help ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to get to know them and remember them also.

Saturday is the last day at City Hall

Artists Cindy Revell, Susan Abma and Shairl Honey had this beautiful, expansive space to work in for the last two weeks. Countless events filled the space with people and excitement during the two-week period.

After an incredible two weeks of painting in Edmonton City Hall, meeting people including soldiers and families and friends of the fallen, we will be packing up at the end of the day tomorrow and heading back to our studio at the Philip Debney Armoury.

While we are happy to be going to our lovely studio in the armoury, this has been an exceptional opportunity to spread the word about these incredible men and women who fought and died serving in Canada's military. We are passionate about the importance of giving Canadians the chance to see into the lives and histories of our fallen heroes, and if we could talk about it all the time, rest assured we would! But at City Hall we have done quite a bit more talking than painting, and at the armoury we will be doing more painting than talking, so we will get back to painting and get more of the soldiers' portraits complete.

Many thanks to the City of Edmonton for hosting us so graciously for the past two weeks. What an opportunity - it has been a wonderful experience.

If you're looking for a Saturday excursion, come down and visit us at City Hall  between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and take in a great Farmers' Market as well. 

Young class visits Project Heroes™

Shairl Honey, far left, shares information about Canada's fallen heroes at the Project Heroes™ display at Edmonton City Hall.

Students think our Canadian soldiers are the best. They learned about our fallen military heroes, the three artists: Shairl Honey, Cindy Revell and Susan Abma, and about how Project Heroes™ will have a national exhibition that will honour our Canadian Army heroes.

Over the course of the two weeks that some of the soldier portraits have been on display at the Edmonton civic centre, the artists have had many groups of school classes visit to hear about our country's brave men and women who served Canada in Afghanistan.

There is nothing more heartwarming than the innocence and honesty of children, and some of their questions are not only difficult to answer, but make a person think seriously that they have it right and adults could really learn from them. 

It feels wonderful to be able to share some stories about the service members in the portraits - it makes the students understand that the soldiers were real people - some loved puppies, some worked out, they had families, some earned medals, some had children, they loved their country, they were brave, and they believed that their service in Afghanistan would one day make a difference.

Everyone knows of the death of the soldiers, but through Project Heroes™, they will learn about, and have the opportunity to celebrate the lives of our Canadian military heroes.

Young class visits Project Heroes™

Shairl Honey, far left, shares information about Canada's fallen heroes at the Project Heroes™ display at Edmonton City Hall.

Students think our Canadian soldiers are the best. They learned about our fallen military heroes, the three artists: Shairl Honey, Cindy Revell and Susan Abma, and about how Project Heroes™ will have a national exhibition that will honour our Canadian Army heroes.

Over the course of the two weeks that some of the soldier portraits have been on display at the Edmonton civic centre, the artists have had many groups of school classes visit to hear about our country's brave men and women who served Canada in Afghanistan.

There is nothing more heartwarming than the innocence and honesty of children, and some of their questions are not only difficult to answer, but make a person think seriously that they have it right and adults could really learn from them. 

It feels wonderful to be able to share some stories about the service members in the portraits - it makes the students understand that the soldiers were real people - some loved puppies, some worked out, they had families, some earned medals, some had children, they loved their country, they were brave, and they believed that their service in Afghanistan would one day make a difference.

Everyone knows of the death of the soldiers, but through Project Heroes™, they will learn about, and have the opportunity to celebrate the lives of our Canadian military heroes.

Friends of the Fallen Visit Project Heroes™

Artist Cindy Revell with visitors Trent and Peter, friends of Capt. Matthew Dawe

The City Hall display has been a great opportunity to meet and share Project Heroes™ with the public. In the two weeks that we've been at City Hall we've met friends, family and colleagues of the fallen soldiers. The other day we had the pleasure of meeting friends of Capt. Matthew Dawe, Trent and Peter, who told us about Matthew. it's always great to hear personal stories about the men and women that we are painting. 

CTV interview

Project Heroes™ had a really great interview with Robin and Armande McCormack. Thanks CTV for sharing this important project honoring Canadian fallen soldiers. It will be on the 6 p.m. news (Edmonton time).

Project Heroes Connects at City Hall

Susan Abma, Shairl Honey, Susan Farnell and Cindy Revell at City Hall, Edmonton

It's week two of painting and displaying the portraits at City Hall where we're meeting members and family of the military, veterans, friends of the fallen soldiers, school children and all kinds of wonderfully supportive people. Sharing our soldiers with the public and seeing their response to the portraits has been incredible. Our thanks to Simon Farbrother, City Manager who invited us and Susan Farnell, Protocol Officer with the City of Edmonton for coordinating our two week visit.