Domestic Stories

ONTARIO ARTISTS FINDS FAME WITH HMCS CALGARY PAINTINGS

By Sarah Gilmour

Doug Bradford has spent his life painting. His work hangs in private collections and galleries throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Japan. He may now add the new Canadian War Museum to this list.

His latest watercolour works were commissioned by the Canadian Forces Artists Program (CFAP) with the goal of capturing living military history.

Credit:  Doug Bradford, Bob Diotte CFAP artist Doug Bradford captured this image on his stay aboard HMCS Calgary.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native embarked aboard HMCS Calgary to take over 300 pictures of the crew’s activities, including firing their guns, playing war games, working on the bridge and running Sea king helicopters out of a hangar.

Upon his return to shore, he turned those pictures into just under 20 pieces of art. Two are hanging in the war museum, and the rest were on display and for sale recently at Calgary’s 10^th anniversary celebration.  Many were picked up by present and former Calgary crewmembers.

Mr. Bradford has been an artist with the CFAP since 2003, an organization that keeps military history alive by recording and interpreting events in all of Canada’s armed forces.

“It makes me feel wonderful,” said Mr. Bradford about his role in the CFAP.

Mr. Bradford’s artistic impulses came to light in the fourth grade, says longtime friend Bob Diotte. By high school, Mr. Bradford was well on his way to becoming an accomplished artist.

As any artist knows, art rarely renders enough money to survive, especially during that artist’s beginning. Mr. Bradford worked as a barber to supplement his creative work.

This latest assignment aboard Calgary has been called the highlight of Mr. Bradford’s career.

“It has certainly brought my own interest in art up again,” said Mr. Bradford.

“I have known him for years, but have never seen him so inspired,” said Mr. Diotte.

Recently, Mr. Bradford was in the Sault taking pictures of the Army’s 49^th Regiment, and he is now beginning work on that project.

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