BEHIND THE UNIFORM

Army Veteran, “This piece is in honor of each of 7,015 of my brothers and sisters in arms have fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan since October, 2001.”
“Their names are laboriously written on the Kevlar helmet, and hand-carved weapon, boots, sandbags, and wood box. It is a tribute to the soldiers I knew and to the rest who I now feel a little more connected to after writing each one of their names.”
“Not only was it a penance for me, but was also a way to explore loss, healing, and homage.”

Anne is an Army veteran who spends much of her time attending workshops through various veteran service organizations, supporting advocacy work for veteran wellness, and mentoring retiring service members at Walter Reed.

Sgt., Master Crafter, Author, Lemon Lover, and a proud wife to a fine man.

Daughter of Navy Veteran.
“My father did not have many pictures of the time he served in the Navy during the Korean war. My images are meant to capture the less-than-ideal situations they had to endure. Rough seas, bad weather, cramped quarters and not-so-home cooking. The sailors’ faces are a bit battle-hardened. I want the viewer to feel as if they are right in the middle of the action.”
Beth Johnston is a professional artist who usually creates encaustic paintings (melted beeswax). She uses encaustic medium because of the creative possibilities it offers but has found AI-generated images also offer that sense of creativity. Her imagination is triggered by many different stimuli and AI provides a means to take that spark in many different directions.

A U.S. Army veteran and daughter of an Air Force veteran, Catherine graduated from The Citadel minoring in Fine Arts where she studied combat art under the
instruction of Colonel Craig Streeter. Her painting addresses her sexual assault and sexual harassment experiences while serving in the Army. The use of black references the darkness and depression she experienced as a result of her assault. For this powerful painting, she received the inaugural CWO-2 Michael D. Fay Award for Outstanding Reportage Art, Fay mentored Colonel Streeter, who mentors Catherine and many others, paving the way of the next generation of combat artists.

Former Sgt. U.S. Air Force
Edu. Pratt Institute, Fine Arts Painter.
Basketball and Jazz Savant.

My art attempts to portray the American ideal that so many have sacrificed to create and desire to protect.

Marine Veteran whose immense body of artwork are expressions of his profound commitment to righting history, teaching social justice and preaching anti-racism.

Army Veteran, injured and submerged during a training mission, he was rescued by a Huey helicopter and has been fascinated by them ever since. Apart from his military service, he served as a Rhode Island police officer becoming a traffic accident investigator and expert witness whose ability to quickly draw a scene translated into an art career which has honored military veterans and communities.

Marine Veteran. “After my experience in the Marine Corps, I am wary of the gap between the stated goal and the outcome. I am comfortable with the statement “I just make cups.” I’d like trust that my work will speak for itself, now and over the next five hundred thousand to one million years.”

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13)

Army Veteran. “Creating art is an escape for me. It is my outlet from within, from the confines of my own mind. The experiences I had in the military, and particularly Iraq, shaped who I have become as a man and as a person, I do not always know how to interpret my thoughts and memories of these experiences in words, so my art becomes my medium.”

Jeremiah, a D.C. local, memorializes the city through vibrant art. Moving beyond postcard imagery, he seeks  D.C.'s essence, from historic facades and protest scenes to intimate moments, including portraits of homeless residents in their tent homes. Influenced by Tolosa Hunt syndrome, his "double vision" style offers a unique perspective. Passionate about community, Jeremiah creates home portraits for D.C. public school fundraisers and evocative wine labels that tell untold stories. He also translates live music's energy into visual art, painting live concerts and party scenes. Notably, the Behind the Uniform art show provides an opportunity to create from feeling and memory, particularly honoring his Navy EOD teammate lost to suicide. His art is a testament to D.C.'s diverse narratives and Jeremiah's commitment to giving back, while serving as a powerful act of remembrance.

Air Force Veteran. “Ladies in Waiting explores the ideas of service and gender roles in our society. These highly ornate porcelain plates depict female soldiers armed and in battle gear, ready and waiting. Waiting to pull the trigger, waiting for the order to move out, waiting for the interrogation to be over, waiting for their service to end, waiting to return home, waiting for what comes next."

Pinned on … pinned in … pinned down … pinned up.
One female soldier through the layered lens of uniformed camouflage.

US Navy Veteran

“A Look Inside.” CDR USNR Ret., Upcycler, Mother, Social Worker, Runner, Unapologetic Liberal.

SGM ret. Piccolo Soloist, US Army Field Band, Swimmer, Chocoholic, Nat/Commanders Fan.

Air Force combat veteran, his artwork reflects on his service, its impact and how photography and poetry has and continues to help him.

Army and severely wounded Iraqi War Veteran. “The process of observing simple, often overlooked moments of our everyday lives, and capturing that on canvas through my own personal artistic style has given me a profound sense of meaning and purpose.”

“I’ve been taking painting classes since I was five and I have had the opportunity to learn from many great art instructors. Some of these stamp size paintings take up to eleven hours and I made over 300 of them since I started in 2020.

I am American of Persian descent and my relatives were in the business of miniature paintings on pottery. I’ve been influenced by many master painters such as Constable, Stubbs, Rembrandt, and Sargent, so I combine miniature and landscape paintings into my own way of expression: miniature landscapes.”

Navy Veteran. “I was an officer in the U.S. Navy for 22 years but have always been an artist. My paintings examine some of my own experiences with combat and military life. Some are based on things I saw in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Some are based on experiences leading sailors at sea. Others are based on events in my own personal life.”

Military Spouse from Singapore. Explore her work, where art and advocacy meet at:

Marine Veteran. "Since my retirement, I have been able to explore more about myself including my lifelong passion as an artist, becoming a visual arts instructor for the veteran community, and most recently, creating a large veteran community around those who are retiring from military service and transitioning into civilian life via my podcast, The Military Retirement Podcast and YouTube channel The Green Logbook.