He is a soldier that stands at attention, saluting his friends left behind.
The statue of that solider represents Canadian soldiers lost in the First and Second World Wars and those who continue to put their lives on the line for their country. The statue proudly bears a crimson-red poppy on its chest, with several others trailing down at his feet.
“It’s a memorial piece I did so people would talk about Remembrance Day,” said Christina Hartwick, a multimedia artist and creator of the piece, which is currently on display at aRt & Home Studio on Peter Street.
The statue is one of the poppy artwork pieces on display at the studio as part of the Poppy Art Fund event, which was launched Saturday and ends on Nov. 10.
It’s the second year Hartwick is doing this.
She started the fundraiser last year in November with a target to sell 25 wire-art poppies at $15 each, with half the sales money going to the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 34. Hartwick said she was hoping to raise $200 with the help of friends and family members.
To her surprise, the demand was even higher than what she had imagined.
“I ended up selling 106 poppies and donating $745 to the legion,” said Hartwick.
This year, she decided to start the process early on. She’s already received orders from Ottawa, Halifax and Alberta.
“I made a list of people who bought the poppies — sometimes in memory of a veteran or a lost family member,” said Hartwick, noting she will do the same this year. “And then I created a board displaying the list and took it to the legion so the veterans know that we care and that we remember them.”
For this year's fundraiser, she has created a variety of art pieces sporting poppies.
“You can leave them on display at home year round,” said Hartwick.
She does it because she wants vets to be remembered.
“When I think of the vets and their families, I think of how their whole lives changed because of the war,” said Hartwick. “It’s just really hard to live the rest of your life not being able to talk about it.”
Elaine Peterson can understand Hartwick’s passion for the project.
“My great uncle was killed in Germany in the Second World War,” said Peterson, who picked out a $15 poppy for her home. “He was a bomber.”
The Orillia resident said she only remembers her great uncle from what she was told by family.
Peterson thinks the poppy art fundraiser is a great idea to keep the stories alive.
“I go to the services and it’s definitely an emotional time,” she said, adding it’s important to talk to children and grandchildren, noting social media has made the task easier.
Peterson said she’s already looking forward to buying artwork from Hartwick for next year’s fundraiser.
Such gestures warm her heart, said Hartwick.
“I think when you do something that comes from the heart, it goes a long way,” she said. “People who didn’t even know me trusted in this and bought poppies. I was blown away by it.”
As for the 18-inch statue, Hartwick said she now plans on auctioning it off online to raise funds for the legion, as per a request from Orillia legion president, Rick Purcell.
