I remember watching the Melbourne ANZAC parade on television in 2013 and was inspired to create a lasting tribute to those that served and sacrificed. Not long after that I approached Bendigo District RSL President Cliff Richards to discuss my vision and he jumped at the idea! 

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I worked closely with Bendigo Military Museum Curator Peter Ball and Cliff to identify themes throughout the painting. I asked them to envisage what the finished painting might look like. I also had my own themes that I wanted to incorporate. 

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I created a pencil sketch from my extensive research which took 60 hours to complete. A couple of themes were changed in consultation with Cliff and then the image was drawn on the canvas and the magic began. The painting was completed in oils and is 2.0m x 1.5m in size, it was a 400 hour labour of love and tears! 

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This painting is about people, real people like you and I who were thrust into extraordinary and unimaginable circumstances. They weren't just soldiers or nurses as we see them in the painting, they had mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends, a large majority didn't return to this lucky country of ours. 

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I hope that as you reflect on the painting you will see the people behind the uniforms who had the same thoughts, the same fears and the same ambitions as you and I.