A sketched account of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan

The news today of another six dead Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan spells a sad day for the Canadian military, and Canada in general.   According to the National Post, the total number of soldiers killed since troops were deployed in Afghanistan is 66 - any death is too many.

In a related vein, I recently came across a blog hosted by the National Post Blogs site.  The blog recounts artist Richard Johnson’s experiences and efforts while working as a news combat artist in Afghanistan.  Combat art as news is a First World War tradition, and it’s one that seems to affect me more than regular photographs do.  The sketches seem more real, more human.  They fit really well with the written account of the blog, and are done with an amount of detail that instantly creates that personal link between you and the subject.  Johnson also sketches the locals, which provides an interesting view of the Afghan people.

The unique insight into the activities of our troops in Afghanistan provided by Kandahar Journal makes it well worth a read.