The Portraits of Honour National Tour stopped in Regina recently before heading west to Alberta and then back across the country to the east coast.  The tour wraps up in December at CFB Shilo in Brandon, Manitoba.

The following details about the mural are from the Portraits of Honour website:

The Portraits of Honour mural stretches 10 feet tall by 40 feet wide and features the faces of the 156 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew who have lost their lives in Afghanistan.

Originally started in artist Dave Sopha’s home, it quickly took up too much space and was moved into the basement space of Kin Canada’s headquarters located in Cambridge, Ontario.

Since he began in December of 2008, Dave has painted an average of 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Despite efforts to have him slow down, Dave cannot seem to tear himself away from his mural. He feels an overwhelming obligation to each soldier, sailor and aircrew, and to each of their families to make each portrait perfect.

And he has. In fact, if you point a newer model digital camera at any portrait, it will “ask you” if you want red-eye reduction as it is tricked into recognizing a human face.  /