Middleton 1

Kelsey Middleton

Miles

English Pre AP P.4

04 October 2017

Art Critic Report

Elizabeth Washburn created Combat Arts San Diego for veterans to be able to paint their

stress away after being in the war. This painting was created by a veteran with PTSD (post

traumatic stress disorder). The painting is of a man looking in a mirror seeing himself as a soldier

and the horrible memories on the wall are what he remembers of his time being a soldier. The

colors used in the painting are shades of tan and green which are in camouflage and this shows

how much the affected him. The technique that the author used looks into the mind of the

veterans and comes across the point that PTSD affects their minds which most people don't see.

Someone looking at the picture is able to see into both the mind and physical features of the man

in the painting. Bright light makes the bad memories on the wall stand out. The painting is 5 feet

by 6 feet. Leonardo Da Vinci painted Mona Lisa with the oil painting technique. Mona Lisa is

the woman in the painting who has a slight smile. The main colors are shades of tan, green, and

black. The light is dark and the painting is 77 cm x 53 cm. Khalid Alussey is the sculptor of 4id

at the Fort hood memorial made on February 16, 2004. The 4id is of a soldier kneeling with

boots, a rifle, helmet, and dogtags of his fallen comrade. The young girl is touching his shoulder.

Bronze is the technique used to make the statue and creates a shiny but rustic color. The statue is

about 2 times bigger than lifesize. British Tommy was created by Ray Lonsdale and is located in

Seaham Seafront in County Durham. The British Tommy is of a soldier with his head bowed,

rifle in hand, and was made to reflect the sheer horror of World War 1. Lonsdale created the
 Middleton 2

statue after hearing the story of Murton who has PTSD. The dark green, metallic, tan color of the

statue is made out of the technique of corten steel. The light makes it shiny and rustic. The

British Tommy is a little bigger than life size.

The Combat Arts painting relates to Hayley's dad, Andy, because he was in many wars

where he was shot multiple times, bombed, and almost captured. He has post traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD) which is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Out of

nowhere he gets visions of the moments he was in the war. “The dark blue smudges under his

eyes were from lack of sleep, not a fight. He’d woken up screaming three times that night

before,” (Anderson, 40). The visions lead to unhealthy habits such as not sleeping, getting drunk,

overdosing, and smoking weed. In the Combat Arts painting the man also had PTSD and he

shows this in the painting by the mirror showing how he looks at himself , a soldier, and him

painting all the bad memories that come with it on a wall. Mona Lisa represents Hayley’s

emotions. Mona Lisa is trying not to let others see she is trying to smile. Hayley is an introverted

person. She makes it hard for other to see her emotion because of trust issues. She puts on her

“mom” face when shes at home and her “fake zombie” face on when she's at school. “There are

two kinds of people in this world: 1. zombies 2. freaks,” (Anderson, 3). Hayley doesn't consider

herself a zombie or a freak which is why she doesn't trust anyone because they are different than

her. Like Mona Lisa, people don't know if Hayley is being true about her actions or fake. “... I

forgot to be a bitch..” (Anderson, 9). Hayley’s fake personality is being a constant “bitch” and

she barely ever shows real emotion.

British Tommy reflects upon the horrors of World War One which compares to Andy

because he always has memories that come back to haunt him about when he was in the war.

“The past took over. All he heard were exploding IEDs and incoming mortar rounds; all he saw
 Middleton 3

were body fragments, like an unattached leg still wearing its boot, and shards of shiny bones,

sharp as spears,” (Anderson, 9). Certain words and actions can trigger these memories so Hayley

and other have to be careful about what they say and do. 4ID Iraq Memorial represents the

connection between a soldier and his daughter. The soldier is reflecting on the losses of fellow

soldiers and the girl is comforting him. Hayley is always comforting her dad when he goes crazy

because of his PTSD. “I checked his face and hands; there were no scrapes or cuts to show he

had been in a fight,” (Anderson, 73). She acts like the mom of her and her dad since her real

mom died. Hayley knows the words that will trigger his PTSD so she stays away from using

them because Andy could hurt her. When Roy invites Andy to go camping in the woods for a

night, Andy gets very furious when Hayley is encouraging him to go. Andy soon yells out, “I

don't like the woods, damn it!” which he then later explains is because that is where most of his

stations were when he was a soldier. Andy has a lot of help from Hayley and others when trying

to prevent the effects of PTSD.

Works Cited

“Fourth Infantry Division.” army.mil, http://www.carson.army.mil/4id/. Accessed 03 Oct. 2017

 Middleton 4

Scar, Ken Sgt. “Combat Arts Program provides creative therapy to Veterans with PTSD.”

army.mil, https://www.army.mil/article/111956/Combat_Arts_program_provides_

creative_ therapy_to_Veterans_with_PTSD. Accessed 04 Oct. 2017.

“Sculpture of British Tommy reflecting upon the horrors of World War One during the first

minute after peace was declared installed for cemetery.” daily mail, http://www.dailymail.

co.uk/news/article-2643999/Sculpture-British-Tommy-reflecting-horrors-World-War-One-

minute-peace-declared-installed-mark-centenary. Accessed 04 Oct, 2017.

“The Mona Lisa- by Leonardo Da Vinci.” leonardodavinci, https://www.leonardodavinci.net/ the- mo

na-lisa.jsp. Accessed 03 Oct. 2017.