"Shot, Out."

 A sketch of the Fire Control Center for the 81 mm mortars of Weapons Company, 2nd Bn 25th Marines during live fire exercises in Mojave Viper, 29 Palms CA.

As We Go By, They Watch

 Once while on a patrol in and around Delaram, Afghanistan back in 2009, as we were nearing the edge of town, I looked over to our left and saw a group of local kids watching us as we passed. They weren't afraid or angry, but seemed interested in these exotic American Marines walking through their neighborhood...! We were the local entertainment, I guess.

The sunlight falling on the adobe buildings and the children's colorful garb stood out to me, and I knew one day I'd try to depict the scene. I applied color with intentionality of stroke, and the buildings lent themselves to palette knife application... almost as if I was spackling real stucko!

 Here's a detail...

Burton's Coffee Shop

A "Slice of Life" in the FOB

When one thinks of life in a combat zone, one thinks of ... well, combat.

And when people envision art depicting such activities, most people probably envision  "poster art" or grand depictions of Marines attacking the enemy, and so on.

Of course, Marines do attack the enemy, and some of the finest art out there depicts Marines in combat.

But  the majority of a Marine's time is not spent in combat, or in a convoy, or on patrol; but in the FOB or Combat Outpost-- and most people may not be aware of what life is like there: dark spaces, surrounded by dingy cement-block or dusty HESCO walls, stacks of sandbags, wire, & strewn with some rubble or other detritus of war-- hardly "homey" surroundings. 

Creature comforts are sparse out where the infantry lives. A good ol’ cup o' Joe or some cocoa can really hit the spot. Anything to make life a little more like home is a relief from the drudgery of a place like Saqlawiyah.

This sketch is of Cpl D. Lee Burton, of 2nd Bn 8th Marines, making himself coffee in his trusty canteen cup (one of the longest-lasting and useful implements in the US inventory, by the way…).

Ahhh... a little closer to home.

Blisters at Bridgeport update...

The painting of Jellison's Blisters, from the training evolution at MWTC in Bridgeport-- a Movement to Contact in which the subject carried his weapon and gear for ten to twelve "klicks"-- is coming close to full maturity...

Haiti-- one year ago today, the earth shook

I can't believe it's been a year since the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti, physically and emotionally...

I was deployed there back in February, to assist the humanitarian assistance activities of the 22nd MEU in Operation Unified Response.

I sketched, watercolored, and  photographed my way around the affected area, documenting the activities of the Marines as they helped the people (I also helped interpret on occasion, as I once lived there for two years as a missionary and learned Creole)...

I've been working on an oil painting which features the activities at a rice Distribution Point near Carrefour.
The painting in still in process, and much of it is still in the blocking-in phase, but you can still get a sense of the color and composition, as well as the important human element and narrative in the image:

A sea of humanity, a sea of emotions...

Update 1/13/11:
While we're remembering Haiti-- Here's an small painting I did last year, based on experience in Haiti with the people.... Here, a Haitian boy watches us as we provide security at the Rice Distribution Point:

 A detail of the work:

Civil Affairs-- Winning the War, One Heart at a Time

Though not normally something associated with fighting and winning a war, Civil Affairs has played an enormous role in the successes we've seen in Iraq, and it carries on today in Afghanistan. Successful Civil Affairs activity is vital to any victory it today's "asymmetric warfare" (winning the proverbial hearts and minds is important, not only  in winning a war but also in winning the peace...).

Here is a drawing I did today, showing a Civil Affairs Marine-- Sergeant Scott Spaulding-- engaging in conversation with a local Afghan farmer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, summer 2009.

 These Civil Affairs Marines are the unsung heroes, in my (sketch) book...

Home on the Range

"Every Marine is a rifleman", as the saying goes, and since its inception, the Marine Corps has instilled in its Marines not only pride in their profession, but also a love of their rifle-- and skill in its employ.

To insure that this tradition continues, each year all Marines must qualify with their weapons on the Known Distance (KD) Course,  known by most as the rifle range. Shooters must learn how to hit targets from 200, 300, and 500 meters.

In August, I had the privilege of firing on the range here at Quantico, and qualified "Expert" with the M16A4. Out of that experience came several sketches, as well as this graphite wash drawing:

It depicts a shooting coach giving some helpful pointers to a shooter on the two hundred meter line.

 passing on the wisdom, keeping the tradition...

Making and Recording History

Another drawing of a Marine Historian in action

CWO4 Timothy McWilliams, seen here in Helmand Province, July 2009. He's talking to a DEA agent after the Marines and the DEA raided an Afghan bazaar which was suspected of involvement in the opium trade. The raid yielded chemicals for opium manufacture, as well as thousands of bags of poppy seeds, which were later destroyed by the Marines.    See also here.

Two Wars, Two Warriors Meet

Here is a graphite wash drawing I did today using a "Sketch & Wash" pencil (a pencil with water-soluble graphite, which allows the use of line and watercolor effects with the shading).

The subject is Marine historian, CWO4 Timothy McWilliams, in July 2009, talking with a DEA agent about a patrol and drug raid made that day by Marines working with the DEA to help eradicate poppy seeds being used for opium production.

TBS War Gaming... MOUT City

I was tasked with covering the M.O.U.T. (Military Operation in Urban Terrain) training of Marine 2nd Lieutenants on the TBS side of Quantico a few weeks back.
Out of this experience has come several sketches and an oil painting so far, each featuring the new officers getting their first practice taste of urban warfare...
One image that really struck me was of a Lieutenant who'd been "killed" in the training, and was lying there, as many others were also doing, probably contemplating the brevity of life, his own mortality, and the would-be permanent consequences of quickly-made temporary decisions...!

("I can't believe I died so quickly! Man, life is short ... I wonder what's for lunch?")