This picture was painted as part of the anti-Raytheon and anti-war in Iraq capmaign in Derry stroke Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Raytheon is the world's third largest manufacturer of shattered lives, pain and misery. It is an armaments manufacturrer. it makes its money from the death and destruction of human beings. It exists because our governments want it to exist and there are people to whom profit means more than than the devastation of other people's lives and our planet. Maybe this goes beyond profit. maybe they actually like the idea of making money out of the pain and suffering and destruction of lives and our planet.

What is Derry stroke Londonderry? Derry stroke Londonderry is the name of the city I live in. The reason why it is called Derry stroke Londonderry is because it is a city in the middle of a civil war and these are the names by which it is known to the participants.

Not long ago, about 5 years ago, there was the begining of a peace process. This peace is still in negociation. And one of the first things that was done with the coming of this peace was that our two much loved Nobel Peace Prize Laureates John Hume and David Tribmle could not think of anything else they wanted to do as much as invite Raytheon to Derry stroke Londonderry.

Was that not a great idea? The North of Ireland is just coming out of a war and the first thing that these paceniks want to do is to start building weapons.

Shame on them. Shame on us.

Raytheon was not coming here just to twiddle its thumbs. It was coming here in order to take up a lucrative U.K. government contract as part of the Astor project. The project involved the construction of an aeroplane to fly at great altitude and in near stationary orbit in order to direct precision bombing in urban areas. The aircraft would be built at Short's in Belfast, and somewhere in Scotland. The software would be built by Raytheon in Derry.

At first news of this outrageous exploitation of the peace settlement in Northern Ireland the pressure group: the "Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign" (FEIC) started its protest.

For the while I will not document the history of that protest: Google "Derry raytheon" and see. The important thing to know is that life is on the side of the optimists: we can build a better world.

But to continue the story of this picture. I can't rememmber how it started. Yes I can. I was going to paint it in public, in the Guildhall square as part of an anti Iraq war protest.
I remember now.
There were very few people about. The canvass was on an easel and up against the wall of the guildhall. I had drawn in the outlines of the figures with charcoal but the colours had to be filled in. There was a bit of a wind. It was cold. Kids stopped by and we chatted. I did more work on it later in the studio but the main colours were put in then. Strange how large parts of one's life just dissappear until doing something else makes memories conscious.

What I have to say about the different parts of the picture are to be found on other pages.