The story of Captain Tom Moore has captured first the nation and then amazingly the whole world.
What started out as an aim to raise £1000 for the NHS Charities Together organisation by walking 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th Birthday has turned into a global phenomenon, as the Second World War veteran has raised a staggering £27 million to date.
He has inspired the whole nation, with a Spitfire flypast being planned for his big day on 30th April, a Number One charity single with Michael Ball and calls for a knighthood.
Everybody wants to acknowledge Captain Tom for his amazing act of compassion and his recognition for the incredible work every member of the NHS is doing.
This is demonstrated by the fact the local Royal Mail centre has reported receiving over 25,000 cards to celebrate his Birthday.
One particular man came up with his own unique way of paying tribute to Captain Tom Moore.
Paul Lock, an artist from Surrey, has been inspired to honour the man and his heroic achievements by painting a portrait of Captain Tom from a photo of him when he served in the war as he explained to Breaking News Today.
“It was late Friday night when I received a message from my friend, James saying ‘you need to do a painting of this guy’. It was Captain Tom Moore. Unlike most of the country, I wasn’t aware of what Tom had been up to! As I read about Tom’s goal of raising £1000 for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his one-hundredth Birthday, I was in awe. Then to read he had raised over £20 million, I couldn’t believe it, it was inspiring, humbling and just incredible.
I began to read about Tom’s life and became more and more inspired. My Gran (Mary) lived through WWII and at 97 years-old is also still alive to talk about it. She was in the Civil Defence, and her house was bombed and destroyed in the Coventry blitz.
My Grans Mum, my Great Gran, died of shock and like so many others, my Grans life was changed forever.
My Gran has been a big influence on my life and has always told me that life is all about helping others and here was Tom, doing just that with such style and with the most amazing outcome.
Captain Tom has done so much for all of us that I thought how lovely it would be to paint Tom’s portrait for his hundredth birthday.
I searched for an image to use and came across the old black and white photo of Tom in his army uniform; it was perfect. My aim was to add colour to it and turn it into a subtle oil painting. I wanted to show Tom as a young man.
The next morning Tom was the first thing on my mind, I couldn’t wait to get to the studio to start painting. For me, Captain Tom represents the best of all of us. He is a symbol of hope, generosity, kindness, determination, positivity and humbleness. I hope I have captured some of this in his portrait.
You never know with a portrait if the person will like it, it’s such a personal thing. But if Tom’s family like my painting, I would love them to have it. Fingers crossed this article helps me to reach Tom’s family before his Birthday.”
Paul Lock’s personal tribute to Captain Tom Moore is yet another example of how he has inspired a whole nation at such a difficult time and focussed us all on the thanks we owe the NHS, careworkers and keyworkers that are caring for and supporting us all.
As his daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore said, “he is a beacon of hope in dark times.”
Paul Lock is a professional artist based in Surrey, England. Paul left a successful career in Information Technology to pursue his passion of becoming an artist around six years ago. Paul is predominantly self-taught, picking up a paintbrush for the first time in 2012. Paul has held two solo exhibitions in Fitzrovia, London where he showcased portraits of inspiring ex-offenders who have turned their lives around. For more information on Paul’s work:
www.paullock-art.com
www.instagram.com/paul.lock8
www.facebook.com/paullock4rt
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