Toy Soldier was created during a time when war seemed to dominate everything around us. I found myself thinking about how a small number of leaders can send ordinary men and women to fight people they have never met. That uncomfortable thought became the starting point for the artwork.

This was also my first drawing with a fully colored background. Although the piece is relatively small, the intense red combined with the subject is meant to give it a much stronger presence — and hopefully make you stop, look, and feel something.