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Up and coming projects

Discover the ideas behind Laurence Kirwan's next military helmet paintings, including a Victorian British design and an American counterpart, with notes from the artist.

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Up and coming projects - Art goes to War

Upcoming Military Helmet Art Projects

This preview brings together two planned artworks inspired by historic military helmets on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Laurence Kirwan explains what drew him to each subject and how original headwear influences the painting process.

My next two projects are from opposing sides of the "Pond". On the Eastern shore is an iconic Home Service Helmet of the Victorian West Surrey Regiment. This was a helmet which was also adopted by State and Federal forces in the United States during the Spanish American Wars, in a modified but still very elegant version. I recently purchased the Home Service Helmet from Peaks Militaria in Sheffield England. It got lost in the Post and was then subjected to tariffs before finally arriving in the United States. The box was crushed but the Helmet survived. The Home Service Helmet was intended only for temperate climates. The style was adapted for tropical wear as a pith helmet. This was colored white and had a "puggaree" around the base which was derived from the Sikh Turban.

Victorian Royal West Surrey Regiment officer Home Service helmet

this is the M1881 United States version which was very similar and often had a ceremonial plume of buffalo hair.

M1881 pattern military helmet shown as an art reference

Here is the "Foreign Service Helmet" which was used in tropical stations.

Black Watch officer headwear artwork in progress

On the Western shore of the Pond I am planning a painting of the Stars and Stripes. It is an image that simply never gets old. Jasper Johns famously painted it in 1954 and you can view his version at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Jasper Johns artwork reference

This is an "encaustic" painting. 

The Encaustic Process
Ingredients: The paint uses beeswax combined with damar resin (crystallized tree sap) and pigment powder. The resin hardens the wax and adds durability.
Application: Artists melt the mixture on a heated palette and apply it to a surface (usually prepared wood) with brushes or other tools while it is hot.
Fusing: Each applied layer is reheated with a heat tool or torch to fuse it securely to the layer beneath it.
History and Usage
Ancient Origins: Developed over 2,000 years ago by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, it was used to paint wooden ships, murals, and burial portraits.
Durability: Famous historical examples include the vivid Fayum mummy portraits from Roman-era Egypt, which remain remarkably colorful and lifelike today.
Modern Revival: 20th-century artists like Diego Rivera and Jasper Johns revived the technique, and modern craft makers continue to use it for luminous, tactile fine art.

Here is the version I plan to paint. 

American flag artwork variation

The Stars and Stripes; which one comes first? Guess.

Developing American flag painting by Laurence Kirwan

Explore related art and historical background for related artwork and background.

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