In Watercolor Bootcamp, veterans were first invited to paint their boots—not simply as objects, but as powerful symbols of journey, identity, and experience.
This gallery celebrates those deeply personal self-portraits in footwear, each one reflecting a story of resilience, service, and self-expression. Veterans are invited to share their paintings along with one or two sentences about the meaning behind the piece, signed with their first name and the first initial of their last name.
In 2019, Mary Whyte’s groundbreaking traveling exhibition of 50 watercolors called We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America opened to the public in Charleston, South Carolina. In the first six weeks alone over 22,000 people viewed the collection. The response, especially from veterans, confirmed Whyte’s belief in art’s extraordinary power to communicate and connect. And so, what began as fifty portraits turned into a national mission giving veterans a means of finding whole health through art and self expression.
If you have a heart for veterans, art and teaching, contact info@patriotartfoundation.org
Patriot Art Foundation
P.O. Box 620
Mt Pleasant, SC 29465
For more information about online classes or if your company is interested in becoming a PAF partner, please contact Patriot Art Foundation:
© 2026 Patriot Art Foundation | Non-Profit. All Rights Reserved.
Read how veteran and artist Gladys Lawrence shares her experience with Mary Whyte’s Watercolor Bootcamp and how art has impacted her life. The Mailchimp piece centers on Gladys Lawrence, her participation in the Patriot Art Foundation’s Watercolor Bootcamp, and the emotional and creative impact of art in her life.
