Artist, Chris Hennebery can lay claim to having been both an artist and a soldier, and in late March, he will combine the two to satisfy a
passion.
His passion is to capture on canvas, the effort Canadian soldiers are making to create stability in Afghanistan. It will be done through a self-motivated project he calls "Painting to Afghanistan", which will require both himself and photographer, Shaun O'Mara, to imbed themselves with
the Canadian Military in Afghanistan.
Hennebery now lives on the Lower Mainland but grew up in 100 Mile House and graduated from Peter Skene Ogden
Secondary School in 1987.
Already a member of the Canadian Federation of Artists at that young age, he headed straight for the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He also began what would become 20 years of service as a reserve soldier with the Royal Westminster Regiment in New Westminster, and
later retired as a sergeant.
Over the years, he's had many friends who have served in Afghanistan and he's heard their stories. Those accounts were the inspiration for his project, but in time, he realized that he could not do his paintings proper justice without personally experiencing the life of a soldier in Afghanistan.
Now, with imbed status secure, the artist and photographer will spend three weeks sketching and photographing as they hear the stories of soldiers at Canadian patrol bases in what Hennebery describes as "the
middle of nowhere" on the military front in Afghanistan.
"There will be no staying in the safety of Kandahar. That's not allowed," he
says.
Danger is immanent, but Hennebery feels that he is as prepared
mentally and physically as he can be.
"I am excited, but my wife is apprehensive. She worries for me and wishes that I wasn't going, but she knows
that I am passionate about it."
Hennebery says that having a personal
connection is essential.
"It's part of the story. Soldiers put themselves in harm's way every day and that becomes part of the experience and part of the project. I want to create a legacy through my art that is relative and contextually accurate to soldier experience. I hope to capture the good and
the bad. To do otherwise would be doing nobody a service."
His goal is to create 10 large paintings from his sketches and have a show of his works in April, 2012. Following that, he would like to see the large pieces accepted by
local regiments and the Canadian War Museum.
Hennebery and O'Mara are depending on their own resources and donations from friends to fund the
project.
To help out, visit
Hennebery's website at www.paintingtoafghanistan.com.