previously sold work

48” x 48” acrylic on gallery depth birch board.

This painting was donated to the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto in support of the 48th Scottish Regiment of Toronto’s fund raising campaign for 2024.

It is my interpretation of the code named Sugar beach in Italy as seen from above when the 48th landed on July 10th, 1943. It serves as a tribute to the brave men who participated in that landing.

Proceeds from it’s sale are to be used to fund the Regiments Trip to Apeldoorn NL in May of the 2025. During that trip the Regiments pipe and drum band will march down the same road, on the same day at the same time, playing the same song, into the same city that their predecessors did 80 years ago.

The painting is now in the home of a fine art collector in Toronto Canada.

48” x 48” oil on 2" gallery depth canvas

Private Collector Chester Nova Scotia

This piece is a tribute to the mooring balls located in the back harbour of Chester Village in Nova Scotia.

The balls are apx 3cm in diameter and height to give the painting a three dimensional look.

They are made of solid oil paint.

40cm x 30cm acrylic on canvas board.

Ghost of the Unknown Soldier was the 41st military portrait that I completed in 2020.

It's now in the home of a private collector in Grosse Point Michigan. He saw the painting on page 92 of my book "Finding Peace" while visiting Langdon Hall in Cambridge Ontario in the summer of 2024.

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private Collector Cambridge Ontario

In 1629 winds of change were whistling across the Flemish flatlands and through Dutch gardens. No longer was the home focused on a practical kitchen and herb garden. Following the Italian fashion, the Netherlands were creating formal gardens decorated with geometric shapes, arbors, loggias, and trickling fountains — anything to provide a backdrop for the new plants that were finding their way into the country. Foremost among them was the tulip.

In the early seventeenth century, even before tulips were fashionable, gardens were changing. Flowers, previously the providence of the physician and the cook were being "botanized" and revered for their decorative qualities. Holland was about to become the bulbs spiritual home. The tulip, found most abundantly in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ranges in central Asia, had spread to China and Mongolia before it reached Europe. Turkish gardeners were renowned for bringing the tulips that now decorate the Netherlands to bloom a thousand years ago.

By 1637, the business of bulb dealing was spiraling out of control: one bulb sold in 1637 for 6,700 guilders, equivalent at the time to a house and a garden on a smart Amsterdam canal, and 50 times the average annual income. A rise in theft of bulbs would form the basis for the flower industry of Holland's future.

The men of the Allied Air Forces would witness the revitalization of Holland's gardens from above as Dutch botanists worked to rebuild their gilded pathways of the past.

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private Collector Cambridge Ontario

In 1629 winds of change were whistling across the Flemish flatlands and through Dutch gardens. No longer was the home focused on a practical kitchen and herb garden. Following the Italian fashion, the Netherlands were creating formal gardens decorated with geometric shapes, arbors, loggias, and trickling fountains — anything to provide a backdrop for the new plants that were finding their way into the country. Foremost among them was the tulip.

In the early seventeenth century, even before tulips were fashionable, gardens were changing. Flowers, previously the providence of the physician and the cook were being "botanized" and revered for their decorative qualities. Holland was about to become the bulbs spiritual home. The tulip, found most abundantly in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ranges in central Asia, had spread to China and Mongolia before it reached Europe. Turkish gardeners were renowned for bringing the tulips that now decorate the Netherlands to bloom a thousand years ago.

By 1637, the business of bulb dealing was spiraling out of control: one bulb sold in 1637 for 6,700 guilders, equivalent at the time to a house and a garden on a smart Amsterdam canal, and 50 times the average annual income. A rise in theft of bulbs would form the basis for the flower industry of Holland's future.

The men of the Allied Air Forces would witness the revitalization of Holland's gardens from above as Dutch botanists worked to rebuild their gilded pathways of the past.

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private Collector Cambridge

In 1629 winds of change were whistling across the Flemish flatlands and through Dutch gardens. No longer was the home focused on a practical kitchen and herb garden. Following the Italian fashion, the Netherlands were creating formal gardens decorated with geometric shapes, arbors, loggias, and trickling fountains — anything to provide a backdrop for the new plants that were finding their way into the country. Foremost among them was the tulip.

In the early seventeenth century, even before tulips were fashionable, gardens were changing. Flowers, previously the providence of the physician and the cook were being "botanized" and revered for their decorative qualities. Holland was about to become the bulbs spiritual home. The tulip, found most abundantly in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ranges in central Asia, had spread to China and Mongolia before it reached Europe. Turkish gardeners were renowned for bringing the tulips that now decorate the Netherlands to bloom a thousand years ago.

By 1637, the business of bulb dealing was spiraling out of control: one bulb sold in 1637 for 6,700 guilders, equivalent at the time to a house and a garden on a smart Amsterdam canal, and 50 times the average annual income. A rise in theft of bulbs would form the basis for the flower industry of Holland's future.

The men of the Allied Air Forces would witness the revitalization of Holland's gardens from above as Dutch botanists worked to rebuild their gilded pathways of the past.

48” x 56” acrylic on 1/2 cm Birch board.

Collection of Dan Cooper

Keukenhof Gardens outside of Amsterdam is one of the world’s largest flower bulb producing locations in the world.

After the Allied Landings in Normandy in June 1944, the western Allies rapidly advanced in the direction of the Dutch border. Tuesday the 5th of September is known as "Mad Tuesday" — the Dutch began celebrating, believing they were close to liberation.

Later in September, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden an attempt to advance from the Dutch-Belgian border across the rivers Meuse, Waal and Rhine into the north of the Netherlands and Germany. However, the Allied forces did not reach this objective because they could not capture the Rhine bridge at the Battle of Arnhem.

Allied Aircraft including a large contingent of Canadian flyers provided much needed food drops behind German lines to assist the people of the Netherlands.

The Government of the Netherlands sent over 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada in 1945 as a symbol of their appreciation for the role that Canadians played in their liberation and still sends over 10,000 bulbs to Canada each year.

When Keukenhof Gardens opened in 1947 the view from above of it’s bold beauty, bright colours, and distinct lines stood in stark contrast to harsh reality of a bombed out Europe.

48” x 60” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Dan Cooper

American Airforce P57 Mustang low altitude fly over April 1949.

These two paintings are 24” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm Birch board.

Collection of Dan Cooper

Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase known as Operation Neptune, part of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ouistreham to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, the beach proved to be the easternmost landing site of the invasion after the abortion of an attack on a sixth beach, code-named Band. Taking Sword was to be the responsibility of the British Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Polish, Norwegian and other Allied navies.

Among the five beaches of the operation, Sword is the nearest to Caen being located around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the goal of the 3rd Infantry Division. The initial landings were achieved with low casualties, but the advance from the beach was slowed by traffic congestion and resistance in heavily defended areas behind the beachhead. Further progress towards Caen was halted by the only armoured counter-attack of the day, mounted by the 21st Panzer Division.

The assault on Sword began at about 03:00 with the aerial and naval bombardment of German coastal defences and artillery sites. The landing was to be concentrated on Queen Red and Queen White in front of Hermanville Sur Mer, other approaches having proven impassable due to shoals. At 07:25, the first units set off for the beach. These were the amphibious DD tanks of the 13th/18th Hussars; they were followed closely by the 8th Infantry Brigade, and by Royal Engineers in AVRE’s and the various odd-looking, specialized vehicles that had been nicknamed “Hobarts Funnies” The engineers set to work clearing mines and obstacles under a steady hail of small arms fire and artillery fire from Périers Ridge just south of Hermanville. Resistance on the beach was initially fairly strong, with wrecked vehicles piling up and casualties mounting; however, with most of their armoured vehicles successfully landed, the British were able to quickly secure the immediate area. By 09:30 the engineers had cleared seven of the eight exits from the beach, allowing the inland advance to begin.

60” x 80” acrylic on Canvas

Private Commission for the collection of Janice Gaboury and Doug Fulford Oakville Ontario

Part of my Day Before D Day Series that is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

Juno beach spanned from Courseulles village just east of the British beach Gold, to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, and just west of the British beach Sword. Taking Juno was the responsibility of the Canadian Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the Royal Canadian Navy and the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Free French, Norwegian and other Allied navies. The objectives of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day were to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airport west of Caen, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.

The beach was defended by two battalions of the German 716th Infantry Division with elements of the 21st Panzer Division held in reserve near Caen. The invasion plan called for two brigades of the 3rd Canadian Division to land on two beach sectors—Mike and Nan—focusing on Courseulles, Berniers and Saint-Aubin. It was hoped that the preliminary naval and air bombardments would soften up the beach defences and destroy coastal strong points. Close support on the beaches was to be provided by amphibious tanks of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and specialized armoured vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division of the United Kingdom. Once the landing zones were secured, the plan called for the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to land reserve battalions and deploy inland, the Royal Marine commandos to establish contact with the British 3rd Infantry Division on Sword and the 7th Canadian Infantry Division to link up with the British 5th Infantry Division on Gold.

The 3rd Canadian Division’s D-Day objectives were to capture Carpiquet Airfield and reach the Caen– Bayeux railway line by nightfall.

36” x 48” Acrylic on Canvas

Collection of Thomas Timlin Ottawa

I created this piece as a tribute to the development of the colours of the football uniforms for my alma matter - Carleton University in Ottawa.

36” x 48” Acrylic on Canvas

Collection of The Kennedy Family Toronto

I created this piece as tribute to the Queen’s University Sports teams and the Queens experience.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Collection of the Roger Family

Part of my Day Before D Day Series that is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

The units that first landed on Gold Beach belong to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and Commando No. 47 of the Royal Navy. These two units belong to the 30th British Corps led by Lieutenant General GC Bucknall, one of the two assault corps of the 2nd Army commanded by General Miles Dempsey.

Gold beach, located between the towns of Port-en-Bessin and La Rivière, is divided into four main sectors: “How” in the extreme west, followed to the east of “Item,” “Jig,” and “King.” The assault mainly took place in the “Item,” “Jig,” and “King” sectors, between Asnelles-sur-Mer and La Rivière, in order to keep the town of Arromanches intact. This strategy proved to be useful during the creation and the use of a future artificial harbor that the Allies would install once the bridgehead was secured.

Gold Beach was defended by the men of the 716th German infantry division, made up of 29 companies and armed with 500 machine guns, 50 mortars and 90 guns of various calibres. Elements of the 352nd Infantry Division were also positioned west of Gold Beach.

36” x 40” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Collection of the Davis Family

“After living in Belgium and visiting Juno Beach a few times it was clear when I saw your painting that you captured all of the warm feelings I have about living in Europe and life along the coast in the colours and the style of your work. This is the first painting that I have ever bought and one that will become impossible to compete with. Thank You.”

Jay Davis 2021

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Collection of Don Parans

Part of my Day Before D Day Series that is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

Point Du Hoc is a promontory with a 100-foot (30 m) cliff overlooking the English Channel on the northwestern coast of Normandy in the Calvados Department of France. During World War II it was the highest point between the American sector landings at Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east.

The German army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits. On D-Day, the United States Army Ranger Assault Group attacked and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs. In the months before D-Day the Germans were recorded by Allied Intelligence removing their guns one by one as they re-developed the site with the final aim of establishing four casemates facing Utah Beach and the possibility of 2 x 155mm guns in open emplacement. During the preparation for Operation Overlord it was determined by American Lt. Col. Rudder, that Pointe du Hoc should be attacked by ground forces, to prevent the Germans using the casemates.

Recently released documents in the US Archives show that Rudder knew prior to landing that the casemates were unfinished and only two were actually structurally close to being ready. They remain that way today. The U.S. 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions were given the task of assaulting the strong point early on D-Day. When the Rangers made it to the top at Pointe du Hoc, they had sustained 15 casualties most of them from the raking fire to their left. The force also found that their radios were ineffective. Upon reaching the fortifications, most of the Rangers learned for the first time that the main objective of the assault, the artillery battery, had been removed. The Rangers regrouped at the top of the cliffs, and a small patrol went off in search of the guns. Two different patrols found five of the six guns nearby (the sixth was being fixed elsewhere) and destroyed their firing mechanisms with thermite grenades.

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private Collector Toronto

In 1629 winds of change were whistling across the Flemish flatlands and through Dutch gardens. No longer was the home focused on a practical kitchen and herb garden. Following the Italian fashion, the Netherlands were creating formal gardens decorated with geometric shapes, arbors, loggias, and trickling fountains — anything to provide a backdrop for the new plants that were finding their way into the country. Foremost among them was the tulip.

In the early seventeenth century, even before tulips were fashionable, gardens were changing. Flowers, previously the providence of the physician and the cook were being "botanized" and revered for their decorative qualities. Holland was about to become the bulbs spiritual home. The tulip, found most abundantly in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ranges in central Asia, had spread to China and Mongolia before it reached Europe. Turkish gardeners were renowned for bringing the tulips that now decorate the Netherlands to bloom a thousand years ago.

By 1637, the business of bulb dealing was spiraling out of control: one bulb sold in 1637 for 6,700 guilders, equivalent at the time to a house and a garden on a smart Amsterdam canal, and 50 times the average annual income. A rise in theft of bulbs would form the basis for the flower industry of Holland's future.

The men of the Allied Air Forces would witness the revitalization of Holland's gardens from above as Dutch botanists worked to rebuild their gilded pathways of the past.

20” x 16” Acrylic on canvas board

Private Collector Cambridge

As Rommel attempted to withdraw his forces before the British could cut off his retreat, he fought a series of delaying actions. Heavy rains slowed movements and grounded the Desert Air Force, which aided the withdrawal, yet Rommel's troops were under pressure from the pursuing Eighth Army and had to abandon the trucks of the Italian forces, leaving them behind..

Rommel continued to retreat west, aiming for 'Gabes gap' in Tunisia. Kesselring strongly criticized Rommel's decision to retreat all the way to Tunisia, as each airfield the Germans abandoned extended the range of the Allied bombers and fighters.

Rommel defended his decision, pointing out that if he tried to assume a defensive position the Allies would destroy his forces and take the airfields anyway; the retreat saved the lives of his remaining men and shortened his supply lines.

At that point, Rommel's remaining forces fought in reduced-strength combat groups, whereas the Allied forces had great numerical superiority and control of the air. On his arrival in Tunisia, Rommel noted with some bitterness the reinforcements, including the 10th Panzer Division, arriving in Tunisia following the Allied invasion of Morocco..

30cm x 40cm Acrylic on canvas board

Private James MacDonald

May 24, 1944 during a parade in London, England. His regiment was founded in 1936 as The North Nova Scotia Highlanders by the amalgamation of the Cumberland Highlanders, The Colchester and Hants Rifles, and ‘C’ Company, 6th Machine-Gun Battalion. It acquired its present title in 1941.

The regiment landed on Juno beach on D-Day, assigned to 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

MacDonald survived the war after being wounded in the leg on the morning of Thursday June 8, 1944

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Collection of Jennifer Devereaux Toronto

The Toronto St. Patricks were renamed the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927.

After taking control of the team on February 14, 1927, Conn Smythe immediately renamed the team the Maple Leafs, after the national symbol of Canada. He attributed his choice of a maple leaf for the logo to his experiences as a Canadian Army officer and prisoner of war during Wolrd War I. Viewing the maple leaf as a "badge of courage", and a reminder of home, Smythe decided to give the same name to his hockey team, in honour of the many Canadian soldiers who wore it.

Two Toronto Maple Leaf active players Syl Apps and Turk Broda enlisted in the Canadian Army during World War II. Famed goal tender Johnny Bower enlisted when we has 16 in 1940. It was not until the inter-league draft in 1958 that the Army veteran joined the Leafs.

Conn Smyth, who reenlisted in the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War II was given leave from military duty to view the final game of the 1942 finals. He arrived at the game in full military regalia.

Earlier, at the outbreak of war, Smythe arranged for many of his Maple Leafs players and staff to take army training with the Toronto Scottish Regiment.

48” x 48” Acrylic on 1.5 inch board

Collection of the Davey Mclellan Family Almonte Ontario

My client mixed one part winter’s dream, four parts family, added in an old picture from a bright winter day, mixed in hope for generations that will follow, to come up with the inspiration for the painting titled “A Winters Dream At Bagot Long Lake”.

When her family purchased a new home after sending their kids off to university they found themselves with an open concept space that needed large scale art that would make a positive impact to the energy and tone of the room.

She was attracted to my From Above Series titled Cuxhaven I, II, and III.

We decided to use the view of their family cottage as seen from above to guide the geometry of this custom painting. Located in heart of the Ottawa Valley, the lake and property around the cottage holds a special place in the hearts of her large family and circle of friends.

The purchase of their property was inspired by a winter’s dream of hers long ago.

We turned our attention to a bright warm winter colour palate that would represent the best that a winters day at the cottage can bring.

This 48” x 48” acrylic on board will soon hang on the wall of her new home in the city to serve as a reminder of the families retreat. She hopes that the story behind this painting inspires the next generation to believe that dreams really do come true.

If you like this approach to creating a piece of custom art let’s talk about that special place of yours. Connect with me soon.

48’ x 48” acrylic on birch board part of the From Above Series

Corporate Collection of Monarch Wealth Management Toronto

Following the fall of France in 1940, German submarine forces started operating from bases along the Biscayan coast. As the war intensified, upward of 100 U-boats sailed to and from massive concrete-roofed pens at Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire,

La Pallice, and Bordeaux every month. These undersea predators proved extraordinarily difficult to defeat and by 1941 were sinking a large percentage of the war matériel, fuel, and food that Great Britain needed to stay in the war.

Something had to be done about Germany’s U-boats, and soon. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, in charge of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command, put his Operational Research Section (ORS) to work on the problem. The ORS consisted of British scientists and mathematicians charged with advising operational commanders on technological solutions.

Already, ORS’s out-of-the-box thinkers could claim credit for developing a reliable magnetic detonator fitted to aerial depth charges and a more effective camouflage pattern for low-flying patrol aircraft. Their work on increasing the lethality of air-delivered antisubmarine munitions through improved explosive filler and shallower detonation settings had, by the middle of 1941, begun to pay dividends in angry North Atlantic waters.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board.

Private collector in Toronto.

Cuxhaven Germany on the coast of Northern Germany as seen from above by the RAF on February 15th, 1944.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Howell Family Collection

The view from 20,000 feet of the area outside of Argenteuil Belgium as seen by the RAF on the evening February 19th, 1944.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2cm Birch Board

Collection of Dan Cooper

The 1943-44 season was a campaign in which the NHL teams lineups were most drastically affected by players enlisting in the World War II service.

The enlisting affected the composition of all six NHL clubs, watering down the product in many views. Several teams lost core elements and the Montreal Canadiens were greatly criticized at the time, as it seemed on the surface that the Habs lost less talent than others did to the war.

Ken Reardon, who played defense for Montreal was the only active player from the team to enlist in the Canadian Army. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. Ken is the brother of Terry Reardon.

Reardon was born April 1, 1921 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was known as a tough defenceman, a physical player who exhibited great endurance by continuing to play while injured. He played two seasons with Montreal before enlisting in the Canadian Army in 1942.

Criticism of the Habs contribution to the war came from Conn Smythe, a veteran of the first world war, who became a Major in World War II, and served overseas in the 1944 season. Chapters and books have been written recounting Smythe's valiant efforts on behalf of his country.

Smythe suggested in his battlefield war of words aimed at the Montreal Canadiens on ice success that it was built while he was off serving his country. He never quite accepted that the Canadiens gained ground on Toronto while he was not at the helm of the team. Smythe never let go of his notion that the Canadiens organization profited from the perceived weaknesses of others to become an NHL power in the mid 1940's.

36” x 36” Acrylic on 1/2 cm canvas

Collection of the Leung Family Toronto

In mid-1943, the Allied command in the Pacific began Operation Cartwheel, which was designed to isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain.

The key elements of Cartwheel involved Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur pushing across northeastern New Guinea, while naval forces secured the Solomon Islands to the east. Rather than engage sizable Japanese garrisons, these operations were designed to cut them off and let them "wither on the vine."

This approach of bypassing Japanese strong points, such as Truk, was applied on a large scale as the Allies devised their strategy for moving across the central Pacific. Known as "island hopping," U.S. forces moved from island to island, using each as a base for capturing the next.

As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his push in New Guinea while other Allied troops were engaged in clearing the Japanese from the Aleutians.Low level approach to Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands on November 10th, 1945.

24” x 24” oil on canvas

Collection of the Heighway Family Fall River Nova Scotia

This piece is a tribute to the mooring balls located in the back harbour of Chester Village in Nova Scotia.

The balls are apx 3cm in diameter and height to give the painting a three dimensional look.

They are made of solid oil paint.

48” x 60” Acrylic on canvas

Private Collector Toronto

Keukenhof Gardens outside of Amsterdam is one of the world’s largest flower bulb producing locations in the world.

After the Allied Landings in Normandy in June 1944, the western Allies rapidly advanced in the direction of the Dutch border. Tuesday the 5th of September is known as "Mad Tuesday" — the Dutch began celebrating, believing they were close to liberation.

Later in September, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden an attempt to advance from the Dutch-Belgian border across the rivers Meuse, Waal and Rhine into the north of the Netherlands and Germany. However, the Allied forces did not reach this objective because they could not capture the Rhine bridge at the Battle of Arnhem.

Allied Aircraft including a large contingent of Canadian flyers provided much needed food drops behind German lines to assist the people of the Netherlands.

The Government of the Netherlands sent over 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada in 1945 as a symbol of their appreciation for the role that Canadians played in their liberation and still sends over 10,000 bulbs to Canada each year.

When Keukenhof Gardens opened in 1947 the view from above of it’s bold beauty, bright colours, and distinct lines stood in stark contrast to harsh reality of a bombed out Europe.

48” by 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm board.

I have the honor and pleasure to own an original piece of art by Steve. The piece is named “Omaha Beach”. I was immediately drawn to its vivid colours, textures and movement. Next, came the exploration into the piece. This work means much more to me than simply beauty. It has gifted a daily reminder of the sacrifices of others in order for me to exist in peace and safety. Thank you Steve.

48” by 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm board.

In mid-1943, the Allied command in the Pacific began Operation Cartwheel, which was designed to isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The key elements of Cartwheel involved Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur pushing across northeastern New Guinea, while naval forces secured the Solomon Islands to the east. Rather than engage sizable Japanese garrisons, these operations were designed to cut them off and let them "wither on the vine."

This approach of bypassing Japanese strong points, such as Truk, was applied on a large scale as the Allies devised their strategy for moving across the central Pacific. Known as "island hopping," U.S. forces moved from island to island, using each as a base for capturing the next. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his push in New Guinea while other Allied troops were engaged in clearing the Japanese from the Aleutians.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm board.

Collection of the Pledge Family Toronto

Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase known as Operation Neptune, part of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ouistreham to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, the beach proved to be the easternmost landing site of the invasion after the abortion of an attack on a sixth beach, code-named Band. Taking Sword was to be the responsibility of the British Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Polish, Norwegian and other Allied navies.

Among the five beaches of the operation, Sword is the nearest to Caen being located around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the goal of the 3rd Infantry Division. The initial landings were achieved with low casualties, but the advance from the beach was slowed by traffic congestion and resistance in heavily defended areas behind the beachhead. Further progress towards Caen was halted by the only armoured counter-attack of the day, mounted by the 21st Panzer Division.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board.

Collection of the Janeiro Family

This painting is inspired by search patterns used by allied air forces in the hunt for U Boats during WWII.

Following the fall of France in 1940, German submarine forces started operating from bases along the Biscayan coast. As the war intensified, upward of 100 U-boats sailed to and from massive concrete-roofed pens at Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, La Pallice, and Bordeaux every month. These undersea predators proved extraordinarily difficult to defeat and by 1941 were sinking a large percentage of the war matériel, fuel, and food that Great Britain needed to stay in the war.

Something had to be done about Germany’s U-boats, and soon. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, in charge of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command, put his Operational Research Section (ORS) to work on the problem. The ORS consisted of British scientists and mathematicians charged with advising operational commanders on technological solutions. Already, ORS’s out-of-the-box thinkers could claim credit for developing a reliable magnetic detonator fitted to aerial depth charges and a more effective camouflage pattern for low-flying patrol aircraft. Their work on increasing the lethality of air-delivered antisubmarine munitions through improved explosive filler and shallower detonation settings had, by the middle of 1941, begun to pay dividends in angry North Atlantic waters

40” x 30” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Jeff Jacubus Toronto

40” x 30” acrylic on canvas

This painting is part of my Day Before D Day Series that is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

The units that first landed on Gold Beach belong to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and Commando No. 47 of the Royal Navy. These two units belong to the 30th British Corps led by Lieutenant General GC Bucknall, one of the two assault corps of the 2nd Army commanded by General Miles Dempsey.

Gold beach, located between the towns of Port-en-Bessin and La Rivière, is divided into four main sectors: “How” in the extreme west, followed to the east of “Item,” “Jig,” and “King.” The assault mainly took place in the “Item,” “Jig,” and “King” sectors, between Asnelles-sur-Mer and La Rivière, in order to keep the town of Arromanches intact. This strategy proved to be useful during the creation and the use of a future artificial harbor that the Allies would install once the bridgehead was secured.

Gold Beach was defended by the men of the 716th German infantry division, made up of 29 companies and armed with 500 machine guns, 50 mortars and 90 guns of various calibres. Elements of the 352nd Infantry Division were also positioned west of Gold Beach.

36” x 48” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Don Parans

Part of my From Above Series.

Inspired by the men of the Allied Air Forces who would witness the revitalization of Holland's gardens from above as Dutch botanists worked to rebuild their gilded floral pathways of the past.

In 1629 winds of change were whistling across the Flemish flatlands and through Dutch gardens. No longer was the home focused on a practical kitchen and herb garden. Following the Italian fashion, the Netherlands were creating formal gardens decorated with geometric shapes, arbors, loggias, and trickling fountains — anything to provide a backdrop for the new plants that were finding their way into the country. Foremost among them was the tulip.

In the early seventeenth century, even before tulips were fashionable, gardens were changing. Flowers, previously the providence of the physician and the cook were being "botanized" and revered for their decorative qualities. Holland was about to become the bulbs spiritual home. The tulip, found most abundantly in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ranges in central Asia, had spread to China and Mongolia before it reached Europe.

Turkish gardeners were renowned for bringing the tulips that now decorate the Netherlands to bloom a thousand years ago.

By 1637, the business of bulb dealing was spiraling out of control: one bulb sold in 1637 for 6,700 guilders, equivalent at the time to a house and a garden on a smart Amsterdam canal, and 50 times the average annual income. A rise in theft of bulbs would form the basis for the flower industry of Holland's future.

.

12” x 30” Acrylic on Canvas

The Stretch Lab Toronto Corporate Collection

My Day Before D Day Series is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

Juno beach spanned from Courseulles village just east of the British beach Gold, to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, and just west of the British beach Sword. Taking Juno was the responsibility of the Canadian Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the Royal Canadian Navy and the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Free French, Norwegian and other Allied navies. The objectives of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day were to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airport west of Caen, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.

The beach was defended by two battalions of the German 716th Infantry Division with elements of the 21st Panzer Division held in reserve near Caen. The invasion plan called for two brigades of the 3rd Canadian Division to land on two beach sectors—Mike and Nan—focusing on Courseulles, Berniers and Saint-Aubin. It was hoped that the preliminary naval and air bombardments would soften up the beach defences and destroy coastal strong points. Close support on the beaches was to be provided by amphibious tanks of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and specialized armoured vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division of the United Kingdom. Once the landing zones were secured, the plan called for the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to land reserve battalions and deploy inland, the Royal Marine commandos to establish contact with the British 3rd Infantry Division on Sword and the 7th Canadian Infantry Division to link up with the British 5th Infantry Division on Gold.

The 3rd Canadian Division’s D-Day objectives were to capture Carpiquet Airfield and reach the Caen– Bayeux railway line by nightfall.

60” x 80” Acrylic on Canvas

Private Collector Cambridge Ontario

My Day Before D Day Series is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

Juno beach spanned from Courseulles village just east of the British beach Gold, to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, and just west of the British beach Sword. Taking Juno was the responsibility of the Canadian Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the Royal Canadian Navy and the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Free French, Norwegian and other Allied navies. The objectives of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day were to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airport west of Caen, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.

The beach was defended by two battalions of the German 716th Infantry Division with elements of the 21st Panzer Division held in reserve near Caen. The invasion plan called for two brigades of the 3rd Canadian Division to land on two beach sectors—Mike and Nan—focusing on Courseulles, Berniers and Saint-Aubin. It was hoped that the preliminary naval and air bombardments would soften up the beach defences and destroy coastal strong points. Close support on the beaches was to be provided by amphibious tanks of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and specialized armoured vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division of the United Kingdom. Once the landing zones were secured, the plan called for the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to land reserve battalions and deploy inland, the Royal Marine commandos to establish contact with the British 3rd Infantry Division on Sword and the 7th Canadian Infantry Division to link up with the British 5th Infantry Division on Gold.

The 3rd Canadian Division’s D-Day objectives were to capture Carpiquet Airfield and reach the Caen– Bayeux railway line by nightfall.

30” x 28” Acrylic on Board

The Stretch Lab Toronto Corporate Collection

Following the fall of France in 1940, German submarine forces started operating from bases along the Biscayan coast. As the war intensified, upward of 100 U-boats sailed to and from massive concrete-roofed pens at Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire,

La Pallice, and Bordeaux every month. These undersea predators proved extraordinarily difficult to defeat and by 1941 were sinking a large percentage of the war matériel, fuel, and food that Great Britain needed to stay in the war.

Something had to be done about Germany’s U-boats, and soon. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, in charge of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command, put his Operational Research Section (ORS) to work on the problem. The ORS consisted of British scientists and mathematicians charged with advising operational commanders on technological solutions.

Already, ORS’s out-of-the-box thinkers could claim credit for developing a reliable magnetic detonator fitted to aerial depth charges and a more effective camouflage pattern for low-flying patrol aircraft. Their work on increasing the lethality of air-delivered antisubmarine munitions through improved explosive filler and shallower detonation settings had, by the middle of 1941, begun to pay dividends in angry North Atlantic waters.

36” x 36” oil on canvas

Private collector in Chicago

The Cat and Custard Pot is located Paddlesworth, near Folkestone in Kent.

This pub was formerly known as the Red Lion and alongside its unusual name also has the claim as the highest pub in Kent.

It was a regular haunt for fighter pilots based at RAF Hawkinge during the Battle of Britain and throughout the war.

20” x 20” oil on canvas.

Private Commission for a collector in London UK

Part of the Rings of Our Forefathers Series.

12” x 12” oil on canvas.

Private collector in Toronto

Part of the Rings of our Forefathers Series.

36” x 48” acrylic on canvas

Collection of the Haywood Family

Part of the From Above Series that was inspired by the use of aerial photography that rapidly matured during the First World War as aircraft used for reconnaissance purposes were outfitted with cameras to record enemy movements and defences. At the start of the conflict, the usefulness of aerial photography was not fully appreciated, with reconnaissance being accomplished with map sketching from the air.

Frederick Victor Charles Law started experiments in aerial photography in 1912 with No. 1 Squadron RAF using the British dirigible Beta. He discovered that vertical photos taken with 60% overlap could be used to create a three dimensional effect when viewed in a stereoscope. This would create a perception of depth in cartography and in intelligence that would dramatically improve information derived from aerial images. The dirigibles were eventually allocated to the Royal Navy so Laws formed the first aerial reconnaissance unit of fixed-wing aircraft; this became No. 3 Squadron RAF.

Germany was one of the first countries to adopt the use of a camera for aerial reconnaissance, when they began using a Gorz camera in 1913. French Military Aviation began the First World War with several squadrons of Bleriot observation planes, equipped with cameras for reconnaissance.

In 1939, Sidney Cotton and Flying officer Maurice Longbottom of the RAF suggested that airborne reconnaissance may be a task better suited to fast, small aircraft which would use their speed and high service ceiling to avoid detection and interception. Although this may perhaps seem obvious today with modern reconnaissance tasks performed by fast, high flying aircraft, at the time it was radical thinking.

Cotton and Longbottom proposed the use of Spitfires with their armament and radios removed and replaced with extra fuel and cameras. This concept led to the development of the Spitfire photo reconnaissance variants. With their armaments removed, these planes could attain a maximum speed of 396 mph while flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The Spitfire PR was fitted with five cameras, which were heated to ensure good results (while the cockpit was not). In the reconnaissance role, the Spitfire proved to be extremely successful, resulting in numerous Spitfire variants being built specifically for that purpose. These planes eventually became No. 1 Photographic Unit.

In advance of the D-Day Invasion other aircraft were also adapted for photoreconnaissance, including the British Mosquito and the American P-38 Lighting and P-51 Mustang. Such aircraft were painted in photo reconnaissance unit Blue or Pink camouflage colours to make them difficult to spot in the air, and often were stripped of weapons or had engines modified for better performance at high altitudes at over 40,000 feet.

40” x 30” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Nico Haywood

For one year, and one year only, the RCAF chose to use a special variant of the roundel in celebration of Canada’s Centennial Year – a remarkable and memorable year of national pride – and to celebrate the recent re-flagging of the country. The new Canadian flag, the one we know and love today, did not have universal support and acclaim when it was first launched on February 15, 1965.

Many reviled it, especially older folks, who had grown up under the Red Ensign flag flown throughout the Second World War. Many of its detractors were in the ranks of the RCAF, for they had fought under the Red Ensign in three wars. To show allegiance to the new flag and to wave it even more vigorously, the RCAF and The Department of National Defence chose to use only red in the roundel in 1967, in celebration of Canada’s 100th birthday year.

The RCAF Centennial roundel was employed exclusively on VIP and personnel transport aircraft such as the Canadair Yukon and the CC-109 Cosmopolitan.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private collector in Toronto

Part of my Day Before D Day Series that is inspired by aerial reconnaissance photographs taken in advance of the allied liberation of Europe.

Juno beach spanned from Courseulles village just east of the British beach Gold, to Saint Aubin Sur Mer, and just west of the British beach Sword. Taking Juno was the responsibility of the Canadian Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the Royal Canadian Navy and the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Free French, Norwegian and other Allied navies. The objectives of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day were to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airport west of Caen, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.

The beach was defended by two battalions of the German 716th Infantry Division with elements of the 21st Panzer Division held in reserve near Caen. The invasion plan called for two brigades of the 3rd Canadian Division to land on two beach sectors—Mike and Nan—focusing on Courseulles, Berniers and Saint-Aubin. It was hoped that the preliminary naval and air bombardments would soften up the beach defences and destroy coastal strong points. Close support on the beaches was to be provided by amphibious tanks of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and specialized armoured vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division of the United Kingdom. Once the landing zones were secured, the plan called for the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to land reserve battalions and deploy inland, the Royal Marine commandos to establish contact with the British 3rd Infantry Division on Sword and the 7th Canadian Infantry Division to link up with the British 5th Infantry Division on Gold. The 3rd Canadian Division’s D-Day objectives were to capture Carpiquet Airfield and reach the Caen– Bayeux railway line by nightfall.

48” x 36”

Collection of Dan Horth Victoria BC

The most ubiquitous roundel used after the World War II up until the introduction of the modern era flag maple leaf roundel, was the classic Big Leaf roundel of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Like the Small Leaf version, it is a silhouette of a silver maple leaf. Canadian pilots and aircrew were justifiably proud of this bold Canadian identity. Canada was the first of the Commonwealth air forces to adapt the old RAF roundel to make a powerful national identity statement.

The RCAF was using maple leaf inspired roundels since the late 1940s and were employing this red, white and blue maple leaf roundel before the end of that decade.

It was not until 1956 that the Royal Australian Air Force stopped the usage of the standard RAF roundels and adopted the silhouette of a kangaroo to replace the centre red circle. The Royal New Zealand Air Force did not employ the kiwi bird-centred roundel until the end of the 1960s.

There is no doubt that the beautiful and proud practice of adapting an RAF roundel with a national symbol silhouette comes from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

24” x 36” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Don Parans

Part of my From Above Series.

48” x 48” acrylic on 1/2 cm birch board

Private collector in Toronto

Part of my From Above Series.

24” x 36” acrylic on canvas

Collection of Patti Ewen

Omaha refers to an 8-kilometer (5 mile) section of the coast of Normandy France, facing the English Channel from east of Sainte Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer on the right bank of the Douve River estuary. Landings here were necessary to link the British landings to the east at Gold with the American landing to the west at Utah thus providing a continuous lodgement on the Normandy coast of the Bay of The Seine.

Taking Omaha was to be the responsibility of the United States Army troops, with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment provided predominantly by the United States Navy and Coast Guard with contributions from the British, Canadian and Free French navies.

The primary objective at Omaha was to secure a beachhead eight kilometers (5.0 miles) deep, between Port-en-Bession and the Vire River, linking with the British landings at Gold to the east, and reaching the area of Isigny to the west to link up with VII Corps landing at Utah. The untested American 29th Infantry Division along with nine companies of U.S. Army Rangers redirected from Point De Hoc, assaulted the western half of the beach. The battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division was given the eastern half

12” x 16” oil on canvas rendered to 36” x 48”

Private Collector Chester Nova Scotia

Experimenting with the colours of the back harbour of the village of Chester NS.

12” x 16” oil on canvas rendered to 36” x 48”

Experimenting with the colours of the back harbour of the village of Chester NS.

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30cm x 40cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of Mike Boles

RAF Warrant Officer Norman Parsons as I imagined on the eve of operation Bremen on June 25, 1942.

As part of the famous “1000 Bomber Raids” Bomber Command had to muster every available aircraft. This included operational training units that Parsons flew in. He took off from Abingdon in Oxfordshire with a five man crew aboard a Whitley V BD201 to bomb the Focke Wulf aircraft factory. They were shot down by German Ace Hptm. Helmut Lent of Staub II./NJG2 in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin engine heavy fighter and crashed at Welvershoof Holland at 02:56 hrs.

Parsons and his crew survived and became prisoners of war at Camp Stalag Kopernikus. He was prisoner #347. He survived the war and lived a long and healthy life, dying in 2004.

This portrait hangs on the wall of the home of his grandson, Mike Boles in Boston Massachusetts.

30cm x 40cm acrylic on canvas board

Private collector in Toronto

Major General James Wolfe was a British army officer known for his training reforms.

Remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. Following the success of the siege of Louisbourg he was made commander of a force which sailed up the St. Lawrence River to capture Quebec City. After a long siege Wolfe defeated a French force under the Marquis de Montcalm, allowing British forces to capture the city.

Wolfe was killed at the height of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759 due to injuries sustained from three musket ball shots.

He has been dubbed. “The Hero of Quebec,” “The Conqueror of Quebec,” and also, “The Conqueror of Canada.

40cm x 30 cm acrylic on canvas board

Private Collector in Oakville

Private James Weston of the British Expeditionary Force as imagined the day after the brutal Battle of Spion Kop January 25, 1900.

The British losses were 243 killed and 1,250 wounded. The South African commandos prevailed despite being outmanned and outgunned.

British tactics and leadership changed soon after.

40cm x 30cm acrylic on canvas board

Private collector in Toronto

Lieutenant General Louis Joseph de Montcalm. February 28, 1712 to September 14, 1759.

Montcalm was a French soldier best known as commander of the French forces in North America during the Seven Years War. When the forces of his nemesis General Wolfe reached Quebec in late June 1759 and took position on the opposite shore, they started bombarding the city on July 12. Their bombing campaign reduced the city to rubble over the course of two months.

Montcalm, on many occasions, managed to repel attempted landings by the British forces, most notably at the Battle of Beauport, on July 31, 1759. After spending the month of August ravaging the countryside, the British would once again attempt a landing on September 13th, this time at l’Anse au Foulons, in an attempt to catch the French off guard. Before Montcalm could react, Wolfe’s forces had already reached the plains outside the city, and were ready for battle.

In a decision largely considered to be Montcalm’s greatest mistake, the General decided to attack the British with what forces he had rather than wait for the forces garrisoned along the shore to come and bolster his numbers. Montcalm believed that if he allowed the British to fortify their position, he would not be able to defeat them, therefore the attack could not wait. In the ensuing Battle of the Plains of Abraham, the French forces were defeated, but managed to repel the enemy at the gates of Quebec. The British won a partial victory, failing to capture the city and to disable the French army.

Montcalm died on September 14, 1759 after being shot in the back while in retreat to Quebec City.

Before his death he signed a letter of surrender to Wolfe who unbeknownst to him had died a day earlier.

30 cm x 40 cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of Aislin Tobin Fretwell

Korretten Kapitän Günther Prien 7th U-boat Flotilla on April 7, 1941 At Saint- Nazaire, France during Die Glickliche Zeit. The first U-boat Commander to be awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for sinking the British Battle Ship Royal Oak in the harbour of Scapa Flow.

A month later he was dead on the bottom of the Atlantic 200 miles south of Iceland.

20” diameter Acrylic on canvas

Collection of Alex Bittner Toronto

Following the fall of France in 1940, German submarine forces started operating from bases along the Biscayan coast. As the war intensified, upward of 100 U-boats sailed to and frommassive concrete-roofed pens at Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire,

La Pallice, and Bordeaux every month. These undersea predators proved extraordinarily difficult to defeat and by 1941 were sinking a large percentage of the war matériel, fuel, and food that Great Britain needed to stay in the war.

Something had to be done about Germany’s U-boats, and soon. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, in charge of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command, put his Operational Research Section (ORS) to work on the problem. The ORS consisted of British scientists and mathematicians charged with advising operational commanders on technological solutions.

Already, ORS’s out-of-the-box thinkers could claim credit for developing a reliable magnetic detonator fitted to aerial depth charges and a more effective camouflage pattern for low-flying patrol aircraft. Their work on increasing the lethality of air-delivered antisubmarine munitions through improved explosive filler and shallower detonation settings had, by the middle of 1941, begun to pay dividends in angry North Atlantic waters.

30 cm x 40 cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of Craig McLellan

Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, KStJ, PC May 5, 1883 – May 24, 1950. Wavell was a senior officer of the British Army.

He served in the Second Boer War, the Bazar Valley Campaign and World War I, during which he was wounded in the Second Battle of Ypres. He served in the Second World War, initially as Commander-in-Chief Middle East, in which he led British forces to victory over the Italians in western Egypt and eastern Libya during Operation Compass in December 1940. He was defeated by the German Army in the Western Desert under the command of German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. Rommel was eight years younger than Archie.

30 cm x 40 cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of David Beveridge

Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington KG GCB GCH PC FRS May 1, 1769 – September 14, 1852.

He was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19thCentury Britain, serving twice as Prime Minister. He ended the Napoleonic Wars when he defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

During the Hundred Days in 1815, he commanded the allied army which, together with a Prussian Army under Blücher, defeated Napoleon. Wellington’s battle record is exemplary; he ultimately participated in some 60 battles during the course of his military career.

30 cm x 40 cm / acrylic on canvas board

Collection of David Beveridge

Horatio Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805 Nelson was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was wounded in combat, said to have lost sight in one eye in Corsica at the age of 35, and most of one arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife when he was 40.

He was fatally shot during his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. On his chest is a medallion of an order that was instituted in 1799 by Sultan Selim III when he wished to reward Horatio Nelson, an Anglican Christian, for his victory at the Battle of the Nile. None of the existing Ottoman orders could be awarded to non-Muslims, so Selim specially created the Order of the Crescent for Nelson, making him its first Knight and sending him the insignia in August 1799. (He also rewarded Nelson with the separate award of the Chelengk.) The Order was then extended to reward further British military successes on land and sea against Napoleon’s forces in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean in 1801.

30 cm x 40 cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of the Giffin Family Toronto

Colonel Benjamin O. Davis as I imagined him on the day he learned that the U.S. Army was forming a flying squadron which came to be called the Tuskegee Airmen.

They were a group of African-American and Caribbean-born military pilots (fighter and bomber) who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces. The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks and other support personnel.

The Tuskegee Airmen shot down three German jets on March 24, 1945, when 43 P-51 Mustangs led by Colonel Davis escorted B-17 bombers over 1,600 miles (2,600 km) into Germany and back. The bombers’ target, a massive Daimler-Benz tank factory in Berlin, was heavily defended by Luftwaffe aircraft, including propeller-driven Fw 190s, Me 163 “Komet” rocket powered fighters, and 25 of the much more formidable Me 262s, history’s first operational jet fighter.

Pilots Charles Brantley, Earl Lane and Roscoe Brown all shot down German jets over Berlin that day. For the mission, the 332nd Fighter Group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation.

30cm x 40cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of Steve Benac

Private Horito Takashina

31st Army Battle Group as imagined on Mount Barrigada Guam August 3, 1944.

On the eve of the final day of the battle, many Japanese soldiers attempted to surrender accepting the risk that they would be shot by their own comrades if caught. Hortio managed to surrender and returned to Japan, he lived until age 100.

30cm x 40cm acrylic on canvas board

Collection of the Graham Family

Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet, GCB, OBE, AFC (April 13, 1892 – April 5, 1984). Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

He was commonly known as “Bomber” Harris by the press and often within the RAF as “Butcher” Harris. As Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) RAF Bomber Command, he led the RAF during the height of the Anglo-American strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in the Second World War.