In the spring of 2000 while working on my art series I started researching WWI and was preparing
to start work on the painting entitled Sanctuary Wood.  I planned to paint the face of my soldier in monochrome, and one night while watching TV I came upon the WWII series Combat! which was filmed in black and white. I studied the features of the men and the effects of the lighting, noticing how the strong contrasts of shadow and light gave such a different view of a world we are so used to looking at in colour.

Each night after that I watched the show to do more research, and soon became captivated by the characters and the great story lines. In the summer of 2001, I began to work on an art series  featuring some of the themes of Combat! and it has been a wonderful journey of recreating on canvas the characters that so many people hold dear in their hearts.

The portraits are painted in oil, a slow-drying medium that is built up in layers, which is excellent for capturing the sheen of skin and for striving toward physical accuracy. I am pleased with what I have created so far, but the greatest thrill as an artist is always the next painting that is still no more than a dream in the imagination. I have so many images in my mind that I would like to try to bring to  life.... how the characters interacted, the way they looked at one another when words were not necessary..... all the small things that made Combat! great, that makes it relevant to new fans just discovering it today.

I will also be offering select paintings to fellow fans in a very limited art print series. Please check back for details to be added in the near future.

Susan Moar
2002