Cambridge, Ontario
Mr. Sopha is a civilian who has been airbrushing murals and paintings for the past 38 years. He discovered his artistic talent during an eight month recovery following a car accident in 1970 that left him with a broken back. Mr. Sopha has had an extensive career supporting military murals across the country in Royal Canadian Legion Branches, receiving numerous awards for his work. His mural, The Portraits of Honour, is Mr. Sopha’s first excursion into the world of oil painting. It stretches 10 feet tall by 50 feet wide and features the faces of 157 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew who lost their lives in Afghanistan. Since he began the work in December 2008, Mr. Sopha has painted an average of 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. He feels an overwhelming obligation to these brave individuals and their families to make each portrait perfect. Despite the fact that he has had to shut down his business for the past two years, Mr. Sopha has accepted the kind support of the Kinsmen Club and private donations to help pursue his noteworthy initiative. The Portraits of Honour are part of a national tour which started in June 2011, visiting the hometown of every fallen member of the Canadian Forces and every city with a Canadian Forces base. The mural will provide Canadians with a chance to grieve, remember, celebrate and heal together.