Laura Harrison’s grandfather served in WWII. She’s #014/100 in the 100 Portraits / 100 Poppies project. Tuesday July 14, 2015. Guelph Public Library.
What motivated you to be a part of this project?
There are a few things that motivated me to get involved with this project. My interest was peaked when I read about Greg Denton receiving the Artist Residency because I knew him from attending the University of Guelph and I’ve admired his work. I also immediately thought of my mother, whose father served for Canada in World War 2. I never actually knew him and he passed away when she was quite young, so I thought this could be a way for us to both remember him and connect to that part of our family history.
What was going through your mind when you were “Sitting in Remembrance” for the project?
While I was sitting for the portrait I really took the time to think about what I knew of my grandfather and my mom’s family. l also wondered about the other people who sat for their portraits and what their story was. Each person has their own story to tell and that’s why I’ve always been fascinated by history and also by portraiture as a medium. This project was a really neat exploration of both of those things and I feel very grateful to have been part of it. It was also really interesting from a painter’s perspective to have the painting face me the whole time and watch it take shape from start to finish.
What message do you want to pass along to future generations about your life’s experiences?
As for future generations, it sounds cliché but I really think we need to keep learning from our past and just try to take care of each other.