“Tommy 2” is a smaller version of the original painting “Tommy” that I painted to help raise money for the British Legion’s 90th anniversary in 2011.  The painting depicts a WW1 soldier wading through a field of poppies in France some time during the 1914 – 1918 Great War.  All the profits from the sale of the original painting along with the proceeds from the sale of prints and cards will be donated to the Legion.

The original idea behind Tommy came to me when I was watching the 2007 movie “Atonement”, in which there is a brief scene of a soldier walking through a poppy field during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940.  My wife said at the time that this would make a good painting.  I decided that in keeping with the British Legion’s anniversary and John McCrae’s famous poem “In Flanders Fields” that inspired the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, a WW1 soldier would be more appropriate.   

The painting is very similar in layout to the original version, where I have used golden sections (1: 1.618) to position the sun, soldier and horizon.  However, the soldier’s uniform and pose are slightly different from the first version, most of which was created out of my imagination.  

My hope is that this painting will be thought-provoking.  It is my intent to leave it to the observer to ponder where Tommy may be heading and whether he is advancing or retreating.  The dead oak tree on the horizon could represent an omen of the possible horrors to come, along with the birds taking flight at the sight of Tommy.  I also hope that it will remind people of the horrors of war and of the importance of remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

*    Paper print dimensions include the card mount (normally double-mount in ivory with gold slip).

** Framed price may vary, depending upon the grade and complexity of frame chosen.