The Department of National Defence wants to draw in more Canadian artists to follow its soldiers around the world.
The department is keen to have artists reflect the experience of being a soldier, whether it's in Afghanistan, on a navy ship, or training on a base.
Through what is called the Canadian Forces Artist Program, the department will give qualifying artists unprecedented access to troops in theatres of operations around the world.
Artist Gertrude Kearns spent a month embedded with Canada's troops in Afghanistan. She was there when diplomat Glyn Barry died in a 2006 bombing attack in that country.
The attack inspired her to paint a vivid drawing of the event. She was in the vehicle right behind Berry's, giving her a view of war that many artists never see.
Although it can be dangerous, Kearns told 麻豆影视 that she has an "interest in conflict and conscience within the Canadian military."
Now other artists will get the same opportunity as Kearns to learn firsthand what Canadian soldiers experience.
Some of the pieces from artists who are accepted into the program will become part of an exhibition to be put together by the Canadian War Museum.
"The artists in a way go into these experiences feeling very much like the Canadian public -- sympathetic towards the troops, but conflicted about their attitudes to war and a lot of that starts to come through in their paintings," said Laura Brandon of the Canadian War Museum.
Karole Marois was one of the artists to go through the program.
"The military has always intrigued me," she said. "To me, they all looked alike before. But now that I've been to the Netherlands for three weeks with them, I have a totally different view of the military, and I think that's what I wanted."
She visited the Netherlands with Canadian Forces personnel. Out of that experience, she created a work called "The Parade." It's a piece that can be seen in a variety of ways.
"It's the image of the parade through 13 canvasses that kind of look like soldiers or they could be gravestones. So, it has that cemetery look, but at the same time a lot of joy," Marois said.
Curators hope to take that exhibition on a cross-Canada tour next year.
With a report by CTV's David Akin
