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Creating the Australian SAS Jubilee Artwork

As a military artist, I was very excited and honoured (also a little nervous) to be asked to produce an artwork to celebrate the SAS Regiment’s 50th birthday.  Luckily, the Association assigned me two capable blokes (Adrian Blacker & Gary Kingston) who had firm ideas of how the SAS should be represented. We tossed around a few ideas and soon decided to go with a visual timeline concept (as seen above).

Following this, Adrian (seen in the photo above) rounded up some soldiers to act as models (a better choice I could not have found using professional models) and the Historical Society graciously equipped them with period uniforms and weaponry for a photo shoot.  Hugh Donaldson drove the camera and gave me a selection of images of such high standard it was difficult to choose which ones to finally use.  From that selection I sketched numerous different layouts until we agreed on the one shown above.

The next stage was painting the layout onto canvas. With a pencil, I measured and lightly outlined the main image and then I overlayed it with brown paint (Burnt Umber) on all the images except the CT figure in which I painted black. Once that stage was dry, I swapped brushes and painted the background colours.

Using ‘Medium No.1’ to thin the oil paints I glazed over the brown outlines of the figures. The colours are very significant in this painting.  The blue background represents the sea, the Australian flag and the SASR banner. Gary Kingston came up with a ripper idea to colour Australia to represent the sandy beret. 

The background images are simply painted in blue (French Ultramarine) and highlighted with white. However, on a job like this, choosing those background images was never going to be easy.  No matter which ones you choose, someone would always feel slighted.  Thankfully, members of the committee made some of the harder decisions.  Adrian Blacker was indispensable at this point.  He generously gave his advice and time in finding that one image that sums up an entire sentiment. 

Details from the Australian SAS Jubilee Artwork

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Acknowledgements I would like to recognize the people who have contributed to the creation of this artwork. The production of which is a collaboration of many minds and various talents - I am simply the monkey at the end of the brush. Thanks to the SAS Regiment, the SAS Association and the SAS Historical Foundation. A special mention to Adrian Blacker, Bart Mavrick, Gary Kingston, Hugh Donald, Brian & Annette Kent, Marty & Bob from the Sgt's Mess and to the soldiers who modeled (you know who you are). Print Signatories: Commanding Officer: LTCOL Dan McDaniel; Regimental Sergeant Major: WO1 Bill Maher. These people's generosity of time contributed greatly to the print sales going to various SAS charities.

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