What motivated you to be a part of this project?
A friend saw an article about the project looking for people with some relationship to the military to volunteer. Since I am in the military and had never had my portrait painted, it seemed like something that would be interesting to do and for a good cause so I volunteered.
What was going through your mind when you were “Sitting in Remembrance” for the project?
While I was sitting for the portrait I was fascinated by the process and the mechanics of what the artist did. As someone who had never sat for a portrait before and who unfortunately has no artistic talent of his own, I found myself completely intrigued and captivated by the process and how the artist produced his work. Watching him produce the portrait from a blank canvass was very interesting and completely new to me. I was in no way thinking about myself or why I was sitting there
What message do you want to pass along to future generations about your life’s experiences?
I don’t really have any message or expect anyone to take away anything particularly deep or profound from my experience. I joined the army as a young man because the lifestyle appealed to me and I still love what I do. I guess my message to people would be that, find something you enjoy doing and embrace it.
Major Keith Mills stands beside his portrait. #015/100 in the 100 Portraits / 100 Poppies project. Wednesday July 15, 2015 at the Guelph Public Library.