AMericanSoldierArt.com
Battlefield Brothers
A Painting for Veterans
By a Veteran
Battlefield Brothers
24x36, Oil on Canvas
About the Painting
15 Years since Operation Iraqi Freedom began and 10 years since I enlisted in the Army Infantry, I finally decided to create my first military based painting. This painting is based on a photo I took in Iraq in 2008 while patrolling a rocky hill area west of Mosul.
I was gunning on our HMMWV while my platoon was performing dismounted patrols and I noticed they stood out strikingly against the sky. I snapped a quick photo and later my brother photoshopped it to create the dramatic lighting. I didn't think I'd do much with it until now.
In 2011 I returned to civilian life and pursued a career as an artist, creating landscape paintings for various galleries. As time marches on I often feel nostalgia for my soldiering days. I imagine there's a whole new generation of veterans who might feel that same longing for the comradery they experienced while wearing the uniform.
Thus I created this painting for veterans to remember their brothers they fought along side.
Behind the Painting
Learn more about the central figure of the painting.
See the story of Gary Villalobos
I knew him first as my Platoon Sergeant and later as my First Sergeant. On his 2nd tour in Iraq, Villalobos was awarded the Silver Star, the military's 3rd highest award.