Keep on Truckin'

It's always been my policy to be as open-minded about new things as is humanly possible. Now, sometimes that is not particularly easy. I think that many of us get set in our ways and a little bit reluctant to move away from habits that we have developed over the years. I know this has happened to me on several occasions where my own stick-in-the-mud patterns have been firmly implanted in my brain and the resistance to new things has created an almost mule-like stubbornness.

Over the course of time, however, I think (and hope) that I have managed to move myself away from this mindset and become more accepting of things that are offered as new techniques, new styles or anything, for that matter, that is unfamiliar.

While we all work very hard to improve and enhance our current skills I think it's very important that we keep our mind open to new techniques and new ideas as they are presented to us. As some of you may know I've been painting with oils and occasionally with acrylics for the last 50 or so years and it was only recently that I decided to branch out into gouache and maybe even dabble in watercolour. Both of these particular media are very strange to me. I am not at all used to the kind of techniques and even the brushes that you have to use for watercolour or gouache so it's a bit of a steep learning curve . Considering that I have never subscribed to the idea that you can't teach an old dog new tricks and have become more receptive to throwing over the traces in search of new challenges, it’s quite enjoyable, though occasionally frustrating. I am however, determined to get the job done in this particular area of art with great enthusiasm.

Now obviously,my first efforts have not been sterling. I'm still working out what I can do with the paint and I'm still working out what surfaces I can use to paint on, which are a bit different from the way I've been working my whole artistic life. In one respect, my own determination to get out of my comfort zone is propelling me to try new things with the medium. As I have never been very pedantic about following the rules (which has constantly gotten me in trouble with the bosses throughout my life), I just do what it seems right to do with the paints and the brushes to get the effect that I'm looking for. I've already had some longtime watercolour and gouache painters tell me that I'm going about things wrong, or that I should be using a different technique but my opinion is basically that if it works and it makes it look the way I want to then the heck with the rules.

One of the things I've been doing which suits my thoughts about how things should look is preparing a sheet of water colour paper or board using a combination of gesso and something like a yellow ochre or burnt sienna acrylic in order to create a toned ground. I put the gesso on with a reasonable amount of fairly coarse brushstrokes so that it gives almost an oil paint quality to it. I suppose that's a throwback to the way I've always painted so it's so looks a little bit more familiar. I know a lot of people who paint regularly using gouache do so on very smooth boards which results in a very smooth look to the painting. I like to be a little looser than that, so having a bit of texture to the board with the brush strokes in the gesso ground works for me.

In any event, for the foreseeable future I intend to be experimenting a with different effects that I can get using various media including gouache, watercolour and acrylics; trying to get away from the strictly oil painting side of things and see what develops.

The painting I’m working on at the moment is being done with gouache on a surface called HyPro. Thick, almost card like paper that is texture like canvas on one side and smooth on the other. It has the ability, if soaked, to be molded into 3 dimensional shapes. When I lived in Jeddah, where art supplies were scarce, I used to soak it and stretch it over canvas frames. When it dried, it shrank and gave a very taut surface. I only have a few sheets left now and Grumbacher doesn’t make it anymore, so I’m rationing it out. I’ve toned the smooth side of the surface with my gesso and acrylic mix.

Still quite a ways to go, but as I say, it’s a learning process.  Fun though.

Still quite a ways to go, but as I say, it’s a learning process. Fun though.

The painting is a fairly close shot of a Tiger Moth cockpit with the pilot and passenger getting ready for a flight. It’s a composite of some old pictures that were taken back in the 80s when I was flying out of Redhill with the Tiger Club. I’m certainly learning as I go and have to repair some areas where I’m still getting used to the characteristics of Gouache. Still, it’s fun and instructive. As someone once told me, ‘if you don’t make mistakes, you can’t learn and progress.’ Anyway, we’ll see how it turns out.

The Guild of Aviation Artists Online exhibition is still available here: https://www.artsteps.com/view/609a5d9fc9ff690aecd4e643

For those of you with iPads, you can also download the Artsteps App from the App Store. It’s faster and more stable than viewing it in a browser on the tablet.

The exhibition will run for a while yet so you still have time to view and hopefully purchase some examples of the finest aviation art around.

Ta ta for now.

Mad dogs and aviation artists go out in the midday sun

I've missed out a week of posting on this little blog, primarily due to the demands of the day job, which, in my case, don't necessarily stop at weekends. That is not an excuse, just a reason for my absence. I've been concentrating (art-wise) on getting some drawings and paintings ready for an exhibition or two that are coming up in the next few weeks, so burning the midnight oil, not least because the day (?) job required my getting up before dawn to participate in MS Teams calls with the clients in India and Thailand. This coming week it's 03:00 wake-ups to chat with the folks in New Guinea. Not complaining, and it's far better than the jet lag of pre-Covid days, but does re-prioritise the waking hours.

The best thing about the last two weeks was a chance to meet up with some other members of the Guild of Aviation Artists at the Jet Age Museum, located at the Gloucester Airport, for a day of sketching and painting. I've attended many GAvA sketching days over the years, but this time I decided to force myself out of my comfort zone and paint, rather than draw. I've done very little painting outside my own studio, so this seemed like a good opportunity to stretch my boundaries and see how it affects my confidence. Like most people trying something new among a collection on one's peers, there is always an element of "stage fright". I know I can adequately sketch something in pencil or pen, but creating a painting within the time constraints (about 4 hours) is something I've never tried, especially when surrounded by other far more practiced and competent artists than myself. Still, that adds an edge to the day and focusses the mind on the task at hand.

I chose the nose of an AVRO Vulcan, which was up on a stand outside the hangar. It seemed to me that the subject, though familiar, was enhanced by the surroundings, various bits, a crane, and the contrast between the aircraft nose and the hangar itself. I chose to work in gouache on a surface I Prepared by gluing watercolour paper to a bit of hardboard, then toning it with a mixture of gesso and yellow ochre acrylic. This helps make the surface less permeable. As I'm still quite a newbie with gouache, I was interested to see how it would all come together.

While some of the assembled artists chose to work in the relative cool of the Hangar, I positioned myself outside where I could get a good position in relation to the Vulcan. As it happened, the sky was essentially cloudless and the sun rather merciless in its intensity. The result was that the paint dried almost immediately when applied. This is a characteristic of the medium and didn't bother me a great deal, but the rapid drying also affected those who were working in oils and especially watercolour. Well, we chose our spots, so no grumbling. It does make me ponder how the impressionists could cope with it day after day in places like the South of France. No wonder they worked so fast. I personally faded out from the heat in the afternoon and didn’t entirely finish the job. Will have a go at tidying it up a bit in the comfort of the studio.

Looks like the pilot misjudged the parking somewhat..

Looks like the pilot misjudged the parking somewhat..

This is as far as I got before the heat got to me.  Will finish it off with a nice Chianti.

This is as far as I got before the heat got to me. Will finish it off with a nice Chianti.

I certainly enjoyed the painting and as always, found the critique at the end of the day very educational.

John Wynne - Hopkins an David Calow passing comments on my efforts.

John Wynne - Hopkins an David Calow passing comments on my efforts.

I'm looking forward to the next chance to repeat the challenge. Might try acrylics next time, just for the heck of it.

Things are stirring in the art scene here in the UK as we come ever slowly out of lockdowns and isolation:

The Guild of Aviation Artists 2021 Annual Exhibition (virtual) is live now and will be available here for the near future. Head over and have a look at this year’s crop of great aviation art:

https://www.artsteps.com/view/609a5d9fc9ff690aecd4e643

The National Gallery is now open and has an exhibition centred on Jan Matejko’s painting of Copernicus. There's also an online talk about this painting as well. Both links can be found here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/conversations-with-god-jan-matejkos-copernicus

The Royal Academy summer exhibition starts on the 22nd of September and you can book tickets here: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/summer-exhibition-2021

Take care and keep painting.

Mea Culpa

Every picture tells a story, or at least it should. I think this is true in general, but even more so when talking about Aviation art. Many people start out just drawing or painting aircraft with no supporting context, a practice which has its place, but pales rather quickly in the grand scheme of things. A well done profile of a plane is very nice to see, in fact I have one hanging on the studio wall, but for the long haul I think it's important to try to have a tale to tell with the painting. This, of course, requires quite a bit of research which in some cases can take longer than the actual artwork. Case in Point: I'm working up a couple of paintings involving a specific C-7A Caribou operation in Vietnam, and while I have a lot of background information to go on, including first hand accounts, there is no apparent information on exactly where the subject aircraft was hit by NVA anti-aircraft fire. The airplane subsequently crashed, killing the crew, but nowhere can I find out specifically what damage brought it down. Even those who were there are hazy on that subject, so I may end up using a bit of artistic licence, though not having the correct details rankles a bit.

Having a story to tell enhances the artwork immensely and if you look at most "great" aviation art, there is usually a good background tale unfolding. Even general scenes are improved by placing them in some kind of context, even if it is somewhat generic. The creation of an atmosphere that triggers a response lifts a painting out of the mundane and adds immeasurably to the enjoyment.

On another note, I've been looking over some of my old sketchbooks recently and it occurs to me that I've slipped out of the habit of always having one along when out and about. I used to carry a small one and at least one pencil and a pen pretty much all the time, but the advent of the ever popular mobile phone has made me and, I suspect, many others a bit lazy. Where I used to pause to make a quick, sometimes very rough sketch of something that caught my eye, I now just take out the old phone and snap a shot. While this may be great for capturing details, it does nothing to catch the 'essence' of the subject. A quick snapshot is also almost always done in passing, so no time to sit and absorb the little nuances that only come from being in the presence of your subject for a reasonable period. For me, the act of sitting in front of a subject, catching the way it reflects the light and dozens of other little elements that you only get when up close and personal give me a much deeper appreciation for it and those impressions can be noted and put down later if I'm developing it in the studio. Certainly photos taken on the spot can help fill in the gaps where the memory or the sketch have let me down, but all in all, the personal touch of on site rendering of a subject can't be beat. It's one of the reasons I look forward to the sketching days organised by the GAvA regions. I also have resolved to get out and do some painting en plein air more often. There are plenty of subjects here in Hampshire and I should get off my backside and get at it. I've always used the excuse that my travelling, the short layovers and jet lag kept me too tired to concentrate, but approaching 18 months of various lockdowns has really put paid to that particular reason for inaction. No one's fault except mine.

A sample of things I did manage to sketch when I was swanning around the globe: (sorry, flat-earthers, it really is round)

Spent the better part of a sunny afternoon at Petworth Park catching this old fellow.  I love trees.

Spent the better part of a sunny afternoon at Petworth Park catching this old fellow. I love trees.

Arabic Coffee pot and a couple of hand made metal bowls done during my time in the Middle East.

Arabic Coffee pot and a couple of hand made metal bowls done during my time in the Middle East.

My old faithful canvas satchel.  My constant traveling companion for I don’t know how many years.

My old faithful canvas satchel. My constant traveling companion for I don’t know how many years.

Pagoda Tower, Kunming China.  I spent too many years there for this to be the only sketch I have.

Pagoda Tower, Kunming China. I spent too many years there for this to be the only sketch I have.

The upshot of all this soul-searching is that I am going to try and get back to basics and get out and about, recording the things I see the old school way, with paper and pencil. At least that’s the plan.

As far as the art world here in the UK goes, there are things opening up and things still available online:

The Harvard Museum online has a Zoom lecture on one of Edward Hopper’s New England Watercolours on the 13th of this month at 17:30 BST. It’s free and you can register for it here: https://harvardartmuseums.org/calendar/art-talk-live-on-cape-cod-with-edward-hopper

The National Gallery has a series of “Stories of Art Online” starting on the 14th and running into August. The whole series will set you back £75, but it does look interesting: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/course-stories-of-art-online-module-7-1900-2021-2021?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2021July_Newsletter_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=124402

That’s it for this week. Get out there and draw stuff.

Happy Independence Day

This Independence Day thing works both ways, I guess. Americans are celebrating their Independence from Great Britain and Great Britain, I suspect, is celebrating the same thing, at least these days. As a person with a foot in both camps, I'm just happy to celebrate whatever is going. Any excuse for burgers and beer.

But that's today. Yesterday, the 3rd, was a celebration of another sort. The Guild of Aviation Artists had a presence at the Wheels and Wings day at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop and I was privileged to be there. The event was in aid of the museum, which, like all such organisations, has suffered during the seemingly eternal lockdowns of the last 16 months. There was a good turnout of some fabulous vintage cars, motorcycles and aircraft. During the run-up to the day, there was some consternation regarding the great British weather which promised the usual drenching and possible thunderstorms, but as Saturday dawned, the rain did not materialise and at points the sun actually appeared.

There were 7 Guild members in attendance, each with a selection of paintings and / or drawings in various media for display and sale. We pitched up in the vicinity of 0800, which meant that some of us had a pretty early start. The Welsh contingent left Llanelli at 0400 in John Wynne Hopkins' beautiful black Land Rover Defender for a 4 hour drive. That's dedication. They had a long trip back home at the end of the day as well, so applause all around for the "Taffia". I almost felt guilty about my piddling 50 minute drive. We all tackled the chore of putting up stands and hanging pictures before the general public arrived. With amazing foresight (or luck) our erstwhile organiser, Rob Hames, arranged for us to be in the Beer tent, which meant a guaranteed footfall of punters during the day, not to mention a source of liquid refreshment for starving artists.

We had a stack of Guild brochures and catalogues from the last (2019) annual exhibition at the Mall galleries to hand out as one of the aims of the day was to recruit new members for the Guild, an effort that met with some success. Rob's girlfriend Diane assumed command of the PR duties and kept us all in line during the day. Artists are an unruly lot and need a firm hand at the controls.

The artworks shown were an interesting mix of media and subjects that went down well with the visitors (and why not? Aviation art at a gathering of vintage aircraft? Sounds good to me.)

There was a great deal of appreciation on the part of the public and a few sales were made, which brightened up the atmosphere.

We were located just adjacent to the aircraft parking area, so had a good view of the aircraft as they arrived. A flock of Chipmunks, Tiger Moths, Austers, Pipers and some rarer birds all showed up despite the low cloud. We didn't have an opportunity to go out and sketch any, but we did wander about and take plenty of reference pictures. More than one Artist was heard to mutter "There's a painting in that." The highlight of the day, aircraft wise (at least for me) was the arrival of an absolutely pristine Travelair 4000 in the markings it wore during the early days of the Airmail routes in the US. One of the rarer American biplanes, there are only a few on this side of the pond, so great to see.

I think that Rob did a superb job of organising the day and it was great to meet and catch up with members who haven't been seen in person for a good long time.

Here are a few snaps to give you a taste of the day.

A well earned pint at the end of a great day:  Left to right - Rob Hames, Jack Froelich, Richard Hawkin, Martin Perman, John Wynne Hopkins, Ieuan Layton-Matthews, Tim Jenkins.

A well earned pint at the end of a great day: Left to right - Rob Hames, Jack Froelich, Richard Hawkin, Martin Perman, John Wynne Hopkins, Ieuan Layton-Matthews, Tim Jenkins.

Our flag was flown with pride, but with all the hay bales around, we looked like a Wurzel Gummidge convention.

Our flag was flown with pride, but with all the hay bales around, we looked like a Wurzel Gummidge convention.

All set up and waiting for the first punters.

All set up and waiting for the first punters.

My Contribution to the day’s display.

My Contribution to the day’s display.

Avgeek’s delight:  TravelAir 4000 - a rare bird indeed, though an invasive species in the UK.

Avgeek’s delight: TravelAir 4000 - a rare bird indeed, though an invasive species in the UK.

I’m certainly looking forward to any chance to do this sort of thing again. Sketching days are coming up too. Looks like it’s going to be a good year after all.

Take care and keep painting.

Better late than never

This last weekend introduced me to a couple of things I haven't done before, one art related and one not. As I'm trying to get some gouache paintings and pencil drawings ready for display, I needed to get them matted. I toddled up to the local art shop, which is rather good at that sort of thing to see what could be done, considering the short time I have to get them completed. I have the frames, so only appropriate mats were needed, but the backlog meant that they could not be done in time. Curses. Nothing for it but to teach myself mat cutting. I purchased the necessary hardware and some sheets of mat and have spent most of the day cruising YouTube and the internet for tutorials. So far, I've practiced on a bunch of scrap cardboard and am reasonably satisfied with the results. The old rule of "measure twice, cut once" has always been my motto so most of the afternoon has been spent measuring, doing the math and coming up with the right numbers. Since I'm new at this, I've expanded my paranoia to measure 3 or 4 times, then double check to make sure the numbers come up the same. Tomorrow, when I'm fresh, I'll gingerly set about cutting the boards.

The other new(ish) thing that occupied my Sunday morning was diving into the innards of my motorcycle's engine to find an elusive noise that I noticed the last couple of rides. Enfields have a tendency to produce weird and wonderful sounds anyway, and I've become used to most of them, but this was new and seemed to be coming from the engine case rather than the cylinder head, the normal source of the bike's vocalisations. Without getting too technical, all was well within the case: the clutch and primary drive chain were in good nick and within wear limits, but upon closer examination, I discovered that the automatic tensioner for the primary chain was installed backwards, which meant that the chain was not tensioned properly and was most likely a bit loose, hence the disturbing racket. I've never had the Left side of the engine case opened before, so this had nothing to do with me, mate. Most likely, it's been like that since it came from the factory 6 years ago and finally wore the tensioning pad down enough to start rattling. Anyway, it's now installed the right way around and a short ride before the rain hit proved successful; less noise from the beast. Always a nice feeling when something you do works out right.

My commission for the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum has been turned in and will form part of our exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of Group Captain 'Teddy' Donaldson's speed record which took place in Sept. 1946. His Meteor F4 is one of our exhibits so the painting will accompany the aircraft.

Meteor F4 EE549 is readied for Group Captain Donaldson’s speed record flight, Sept 1946.

Meteor F4 EE549 is readied for Group Captain Donaldson’s speed record flight, Sept 1946.

I usually go on about the projects I'm involved with and works that are presently in progress, but I thought I'd stray a bit from that path this week. A fellow artist, Michael Daley, has an interesting tale to tell, so here it is, in his own words:

A TRIUMPH OF ENTHUSIASM OVER EXPERIENCE

By Michael Daley

"I’ve been painting to a professional standard for about 11 years now. In that time I have been fortunate enough to have a few commissions for aviation and marine work They are always a journey of discovery but have mostly turned out ok. I confess I am no businessman and have generally worked on trust and good will. Sometimes however, it goes “tits up”!!

It all started about 16 months ago pretty much coinciding with the start of the pandemic.

A chap who had been following my work on FB initially sent me a friend request and then sought membership of my FB Group. A US citizen living in Scandinavia he asked if I took commissions. He wanted a painting of a vessel that his grandfather had served in durning WW1. He had already got a fair bit of info on the ship and provided a photo of her in dry dock. Two things intrigued me; It was a type of warship I had not come across before and she was wearing Dazzle camouflage (Razzle Dazzle ) in the US. I could only find two photos of her on the net. Th one he sent me and another blurred image of her at anchor somewhere.

The painting was to show her off Gibraltar as a convoy escort in the Spring of 1918, As per usual I made some thumbnail sketches, six in all and sent them off. We agreed on one and I did a small watercolour to show the overall colour scheme. Much discussion via FB followed regarding size and price. He decided he would like a very large painting on canvas, 4 feet by 2 feet. Overcome with enthusiasm for the project I ordered a canvas, before receiving the deposit we had agreed. First mistake. My problem was and is, is that I love painting big pictures and don’t often get a chance to do so. Also, I have been interested in Dazzle paint scheme on vessels for a while and here was a perfect opportunity to indulge myself. My research threw up the Dazzle colour chart used by the USN during WW1 so I was up and running.

Then it started, excuse after excuse as to why he was unable to pay the deposit. Didn’t want to use PayPal because of the fees the charged, great difficulty getting his bank to recognise my account for BACS transfer and so on. By this time of course I was well into the painting. As luck would have it I had been in touch with the US Coast Guard Archives seeking info on the vessel, a CG Cutter. I shared my colour chart info with them since they had not seen it before but despite doing some digging they were unable to give me much more info, however we struck up an amicable relationship.

You’re probably saying I should have binned this chap long since and you’d be right. However due to my own naive enthusiasm I had a very large canvas and a half completed painting blocking up the studio. To cut a very long story short. I eventually admitted defeat after this gentleman dropped off the radar, stopped replying on messenger and email. I finally wrote to him in what I hope was a professional manner saying enough was enough and the job was at an end. All I received in acknowledgement was a yellow thumbs up sign.

The Triumph bit of the story is that the USCG Museum expressed great enthusiasm for the painting. They had so little info on the squadron sent to Gibraltar during the war and were very keen to obtain the painting. After many months of negotianions and amiable discussions my painting of the USCG Cutter Manning now resides in the US awaiting its place in an exhibitionn devoted to the work of the Coast Guard during WW1.

Sadly, I am now a much less trusting painter and work on a strict “no deposit, no painting” basis. I don’t like it but I escaped a great financial loss by the skin of my teeth and shear good fortune. Once bitten twice shy"

The US Coast Guard Cutter Manning. Spring 1918 on convoy escort leaving Gibraltar. Acrylic on Canvas 4 feet by 2 feet. Now in the collection of the USCG Museum and Exhibition Centre Maryland USA. by Michael Daley

The US Coast Guard Cutter Manning. Spring 1918 on convoy escort leaving Gibraltar. Acrylic on Canvas 4 feet by 2 feet. Now in the collection of the USCG Museum and Exhibition Centre Maryland USA. by Michael Daley

If you want to see more of Michael's works, you can go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2333696986717405

There are words of wisdom here for all of us, I'm sure. I know a reasonable number of independent artists (including me) whose business acumen is not quite up to scratch. I suppose that's why so many of us are keen to get taken up by a gallery and let them do the sales.

Well, it’s back to the matting adventure now. Here’s hoping.

Remembrance of things past

How did it get to be the weekend again so quickly? I expect the rain had something to do with it as it kept me indoors instead of out doing something healthy. The inclemency of the weather has, however, given me time to concentrate on finishing up the painting I'm doing for the Tangmere museum. I don't suppose I'm ever going to be perfectly happy with it as I tend to be my own worst critic. I also still have far more to learn about painting than I already know. The advantage we have now is that we can find expert advice on almost any subject on the old interweb. I've been taking advantage of various YouTube tutorials on Gouache, oils and acrylics. Quite a few of the most renowned and competent professional aviation artists have "how to" videos and clips that are immensely useful in figuring out how to do things. Though I have mixed emotions about the internet and social media, I must admit that it enables much more communication and trading of ideas than was available back in my youth.

I've been going through a pile of old paintings that I have stored in the loft and have noticed that in several cases, I'm tempted to go back and change a few things here and there. I imagine that one's perception of what constitutes a "finished" painting can change over the course of time. Looking at some of the work I did years and years ago, I now see the error of my ways, whether it be composition, tonal value or accuracy of line. How many of us suffer from this same 'affliction'? Of course once a painting leaves my possession, then it's out of my hands, but as long as I own it, I don't see any ethical problem with going back and tweaking it here and there. There are a couple that I have my eye on that might benefit from a re-visit. As I have always used the same palette (Double Primary) colour matching shouldn't be too onerous. I'm not planning any major re-working, just small corrections (as I used to tell my flying students). We'll see how it works out.

I'm just about done with the Meteor painting for Tangmere. The boss is happy with it, so after a few more minor tweaks and varnishing, I'll hand it over.

Almost there.

Almost there.

My next project on the easel has been sitting forlornly by itself while I've concentrated on the Meteor. It's a commemoration of the Siege of Dak Seang, which took place in 1970. From 1 April 1970 until the 9th of May, The Special Forces camp in the Central Highlands was besieged by forces of the PAVN (Peoples Army of Vietnam, commonly referred to as the NVA). Several C-7A squadrons were tasked with relief of the camp, which due to heavy weapons fire, was only possible with air drops. In the first few days, drops were planned in daylight, resulting in the loss of several aircraft. The resupply of Dak Seang continued on the 5th when seven Caribous successfully made airdrops, although very few of the loads could be recovered. On the 6th the last of three Caribous to be lost during the siege of Dak Seang was shot down by ground fire as it was pulling up from its dropping run. The aircraft burst into flames and crashed close to the camp killing the crew. The Painting depicts this action on the 6th of April. Six Caribou sorties were flown on the 6th but, again, most of the loads could not recovered. The next night three successful drops were made by Caribous in conjunction with an AC-119 gunship that provided spotlight illumination during the final moments of the run in. This technique was used successfully for 68 drops over the next five nights, which enabled the defenders to hold on until the situation improved enough for daylight drops and then landings to be made at the camp. The night drops were in large part due to one of my former roommates. After our tour in Caribous ended in 1969, he went on to join the A-26 operation out of Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, flying night strikes on the Ho Chi Min Trail. When the A-26 was phased out, he finished his tour back at Cam Ranh Bay in our old Squadron, where his night experience proved invaluable in setting up the relief effort for Dak Seang. I am planning another painting of the night drops to be done later on. This was probably the most dramatic operation the Caribou participated in. My own tour in the C-7A was considerably less eventful, though there were a few rather sporting flights, but that's another story.

C-7A of the 457th TAS during the siege of Dak Seang, 6 April 1970.

C-7A of the 457th TAS during the siege of Dak Seang, 6 April 1970.

The year moves on and I'm looking forward to a few of the events coming up in the next couple of months. There are several Sketching days scheduled in July for members (and indeed, non members) of the Guild of Aviation Artists. I plan to get to as many as possible. I've missed one already due to the day job, but will try to get to as many of the upcoming ones as possible. The first (not a sketching day, but there will be a GAvA presence) is the Wings and Wheels celebration at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop. Although the day tickets are sold out, they have some late passes available that allow site access after 16:30. You can check it out here: https://armyflying.com/what-s-on/events/wallop-wheels-and-wings-2021/

Other sketching days are planned for the Jet Age Museum at Gloucester Airport on 17 July and at The Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden on the 31st of July. Grab some pencils, brushes or whatever and come along.

July 19th sees the opening of the Guild's annual exhibition. This is the first Annual to be held online and should be quite interesting. You can get an idea of what to expect here: https://www.gava.org.uk/annual-summer-exhibition?fbclid=IwAR0xbPsrAcE5xyw1RD_-zfY7HmvboHWo9E0CnwRKR3HtvQMqnCKiF4ha4DY

Hopefully, summer will see fit to join us again soon. Take care and keep doing artistic things.

De-clutter?

I was just leafing through the pile of old sketchbooks that are stuffed into the bookcase in the studio. I was in the middle of one of my cleaning frenzies and was looking for things to bin. Of course when you start actually opening them, you realise that parting with them is basically impossible. One of the things that became crystal clear is the progress that I've made over the years in drawing and painting. Though I took some art and advanced art courses in high school and University, any discernible progress has been down to perseverance and soaking up any tips and techniques I could from far better artists than I. I loved my career in the air, but it did have an effect on my art primarily due to lack of time at home, and lack of time at other locations, Jetlag and the problem of carrying art gear with me. Part of the problem stems from the fact that I stubbornly refused to consider watercolours and insisted on only using oils. Self-inflicted wound, there. Never mind, I'm starting to come to grips with Water colour and gouache now, so better late than never. Only took me 50 years. I did, however always take a sketchbook and a selection of pencils and pens with me and when time allowed on layovers, would try to get out and about to do a bit of sketching of local items of interest. A case in point is the drawing below, of a pagoda in Kunming, China (notable in aviation history as the headquarters of the AVG in 1941). I taught at the Boeing training centre there for 3 years, so actually had a bit of time to wander about. Some of my drawings of Flying Tiger aircraft are still there, on the walls of the Training centre and a bar we used to frequent.

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Another example of my traveling is the drawing of a metal giraffe sculpture on the terrace of the 'Watering Hole bar' of the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi. These sketches were done fairly quickly as I seldom had a great deal of time, but they enabled me to at least keep my hand in.

Giraffe Sculpture, Ole Sereni Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

Giraffe Sculpture, Ole Sereni Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.


I still carry a small sketchbook with me on days out, and have recently been occasionally lugging the iPad along for the same purpose. I think it's important for us to be able to see with our 'artist's eye', which in my opinion is best captured on site in real time rather than just snapping a photo with our phone and drawing it later in the comfort of home. Of course photos are vital as reference material for future works, so I usually snap quite a few when a subject appeals to me. Mind you, it's a far cry from the days when I lugged my trusty 35mm film camera and all the associated clobber around with me on trips. I always found the perfect shot just after using up the last frame on the roll of film. At least we don't worry about that any more.

While flying with Saudia I spent 4 years teaching in the 737 simulator, which meant little line flying and consequently much time at home. My output in those days was pretty high as we didn't have kids and there wasn't a lot to do in Jeddah at that time. When I left Saudi Arabia at the end of 1991 I managed to sell all but a couple of them, so don't currently have a lot to show for it as far as photos. "Desert Departure", my painting of a Saudia DC-3 departing a Bedouin encampment is the only one I still have.

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Some of the drawings I did during that time survive though. The drawing of the harbour at Al Wejh on the Saudi coast was done during base training for a couple of young Saudi Pilots. The other instructor and his students were bouncing around the traffic circuit, so I used the time to wander down to town and sketch. One of the highlights of that era was a trip out to the fort that Lawrence of Arabia used during WWII when he was raising the Arab army to march on Aqaba. No camera or sketch pad on that day, but I do have a .303 British shell casing I found in the desert and a bullet I dug out of the wall. Missed opportunity. One of the reasons I usually have a small sketchbook along these days.

Harbour, Al Wejh, Saudi Arabia, Pen and pencil, A3

Harbour, Al Wejh, Saudi Arabia, Pen and pencil, A3

Once again, I find myself at home pretty much all the time. Up until the Covid lockdown of March last year, my incarnation as a Safety Auditor and Instructor for IATA kept me on the road for 2 - 3 weeks a month, so paintings tended to stay on the easel for ages until finished. I haven't travelled overseas since then which has given me the opportunity to spend much more time at the easel. Speaking of which, the painting for the Tangmere Museum is slowly coming together. It’s my first painting in Acrylics for quite a while, so great fun.

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It's really wonderful to be able to devote time to it every day (between chores and gardening of course) Even during my remote working I'm on Zoom from the studio, so if a meeting gets boring I can just turn 90º and slip in a few brush strokes. Perhaps that's the best of both worlds.

There are still a few things going on that might interest you.

The Tate is gearing up for the summer and has a number of things happening:

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on

Stella Grace Lyons continues her online talks. Here’s one for you Turner fans:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1681263705417389/?ref=newsfeed

The Royal Academy also has some things of interest:

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions-and-events

And for those who have a passion for aviation art and would like to get involved, regardless of whether you are a novice, student or professional, The Guild of Aviation Artists would welcome you as a member. Go here to check it out: https://gava.org.uk/membership

Take care and keep creating. And save your sketchbooks.

Remember the greatest generation.. we owe them so much.

Well, here it is the 77th anniversary of D-Day. As I was born only 2 months after the landings, it's easy for me to keep track of this stuff. Much has been written and said about what we owe to the teenagers and young men who stormed the Normandy beaches that day, and as far as I'm concerned we need to keep writing, talking and painting about that event for as long as we have the strength. We are here today because of them and all the others who fought to keep the world free.

Most of us who enjoy creating aviation art have a fondness (sometimes an obsession) with aircraft of World War II. Looking at the aviation art web sites on the internet confirms that these warbirds are still exceedingly popular with both artists and collectors. I imagine we all have our favourites from that era. My favourite fighter of WWII is the P-47. It was the first wartime aircraft that I ever actually got close to. When I was about 10, my dad took me to the local airport for a wander around. This would have been in 1954 and in those days, you could just toddle out on the tarmac and get up close and personal with the aerospace vehicles. On that particular day, there was a P-47 on the ramp. They were still in use in some National Guard Units, though I can't remember where this one flew in from. I was literally awestruck by the size of the thing, and though I didn't have a camera with me, the image is burnt into my memory. I poked around it, climbed (with a helpful boost) on to the wing and had a good look in the cockpit. This one experience sort of set my attitude for my whole life as far as military aircraft go. We would go to the airport every weekend and though many other sorts of Air Force and Navy birds would fly in, this Thunderbolt was the 'Eureka' moment. I have only one painting, done years ago of this iconic aircraft, depicting Robert S Johnson's flight home after an escort mission on 26 June 1943. Badly shot up, with over 200 bullet holes and structural damage, Johnson got the bird home safely. In a bizarre twist, the FW 190 that had been attacking him ran out of ammunition and escorted him part way home, then rocked his wings in salute and peeled away.

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As far as bombers go, my favourite is the B-17. I've been up close to 'Sally B' and the aircraft is certainly impressive, though hampered in the war by a fairly small bomb load in comparison to the Lancaster. The only painting I have done on the Fortress is titled "E Z Goin' is back" and depicts the aircraft on the ground at Thorpe Abbot after being rammed by a German Fighter during a raid on Buchen. The Sonderkommando Elbe was a special squadron of the German Luftwaffe and was assigned to bring down Allied bombers by ramming. Sonderkommando Elbe was formed at Hermann Goering’s insistence that the Reich’s defense units should start ramming bombers as a last resort. This group of fighters was not solely tasked with ramming bombers, but that was their last ditch option. In theory this was not a suicide mission, as they were only supposed to ram an Allied bomber if there was a chance to bail out alive. Unlike kamikaze pilots, the inexperienced German pilots brought a parachute with them while flying their Messerschmitt Bf 109’s. If the pilot survived the collision, he could bail out. The only documented instance of this tactic being used occurred on the 7th of April 1945 and resulted in only 15 Allied bombers attacked with eight successfully destroyed. Several planes barely limped back to base, these included the E-Z Goin’ flown by Joe Martin’s crew. Their left stabilizer was ripped off, and the rudder substantially damaged. In addition to having little control of the plane, they also lost engine #1. Somehow the crew was able to return to England, and landed successfully. Events like these deserve to be commemorated and remembered by future generations.

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As usual, here are a couple of links to things artistic:

The Tate is presenting an exhibition by HEATHER PHILLIPSON, “RUPTURE NO 1: BLOWTORCHING THE BITTEN PEACH” which will be available until 23 January 2022. Check it out here: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/heather-phillipson?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRM_Jun_w1_Phillipson_OpenNow_Engaged_UK&sc_src=email_2929565&sc_customer=967112&sc_lid=195826946&sc_uid=6ekkd9Ha9N&sc_llid=105275&sc_eh=8e3caf4a356c9d271

The Guild of Aviation Artists continues its series of "Meet the Artist" with a profile of Chris French. You can read about him and his work here: https://www.facebook.com/GuildofAviationArtists

Take care and keep creating.

The Sun has got his hat on....

It's been a good week. The Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, where I volunteer, is once again open for business, with some Covid restrictions in place. Visitor numbers have been quite low, so I've been passing some of the time sketching various aircraft and exhibits on the iPad. I use Procreate with an Apple Pencil, which is proving to be quite a learning curve, but certainly has value as a convenient tool for quick sketches, something I haven't used it for previously. I have used it to compose and develop preliminary ideas for paintings, but never really considered it for producing finished works. Time will tell. An example of the sort of quick sketches I've managed so far is below: Our Hunter F5 on display in one of our hangars. Don't know if this will evolve into a full fledged painting in the fulness of time, but it's certainly proving to be a fun way to pass the time when the museum is not crowded.

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I've used the software in a couple of cases already as a means to compose scenes: one that I'm working on at the moment is an idea for a painting with a Horsa Glider and a Royal Enfield Flying Flea. As I've flown gliders (not military ones though) and currently ride an Enfield, Combining the two seems reasonable to me. Composing the picture on the tablet gives me a chance to work out the various possibilities before I commit to canvas. When I've finished with the iPad, I'll do a pencil sketch as well at the actual size of the proposed painting just to work up the "muscle memory" and firm up the idea in my mind's eye. Before I'm done, there will be little left of the original photographs, but they serve to give me an idea of what I'm looking for. There will no doubt be some troops in there too. Here's what I have so far:

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On another note, this Monday the 31st of May is Memorial Day in the US. This is our equivalent to Remembrance Day here in the UK. Not sure why they chose May for this, probably because the US participation in the First World War only lasted 2 years. As a rule, I celebrate both with equal solemnity. I certainly feel that it's necessary for us to remember the sacrifices made by so many young men and women that have resulted in us having the freedom to bitch and moan on twitter etc. In many cases we owe our very existence to those who fought, so it's (in my opinion) essential that we not only remember, but communicate through our artwork the effort and pain that was suffered by those heroic generations in order that we are able to enjoy the life we now have. As a Vietnam Veteran, with the names of quite a few friends and colleagues on the memorial wall in Washington, I am reminded every time I thumb through my photo album. Notwithstanding the insanity and ultimate futility of that conflict, 58,000 young members of my generation did what their country asked of them and paid the ultimate price. I don't want to go into the political justification or lack thereof for that war, but the fact remains that I am here and they are not and I owe them the courtesy of acknowledging their sacrifice. Thus endeth today's sermon. Keep painting and drawing subjects that commemorate the conflicts that resulted in our freedoms.

The painting that I'm working on for the Tangmere Museum is coming along bit by bit. I've played around with the composition somewhat and still have a long way to go, but it's starting to take shape. I'm enjoying working with acrylics for a change and am slowly getting used to handling them. I must admit that I like the quick drying aspect as I tend to rest my hand on the canvas while doing detail work. The painting will be part of an exhibit commemorating the world speed record set by Group Capt. Donaldson on 07 Sept. 1946. The exhibit will be in place this September for the 75th Anniversary of the record breaking flight, which originated at Tangmere. Here's where it stands at the moment: Softly, softly, catchee monkey, as they say.

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If you're able and willing to get out and about, there are some interesting things happening at various museums and galleries.

Should you be in sunny Cornwall this Spring / Summer, you could pop in to the Tate St. Ives and check these out:

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRM_May_w5_TateStIves_Engaged&sc_src=email_2932212&sc_customer=967112&sc_lid=194743096&sc_uid=6ekkd9Ha9N&sc_llid=24899&sc_eh=8e3caf4a356c9d271

If you are staying in the UK but would like to experience a bit of France, Exhibition on Screen has a film about painting modern gardens and includes a virtual stroll through Monet's Garden: The film is available on DVD, Download or Streaming and can be found here:

https://www.seventh-art.com/shop/painting-the-modern-garden-from-monet-to-matisse/?mc_cid=2de4c9896f&mc_eid=dbb15057a1

Take advantage of the good weather this weekend and bank holiday. Who knows how long it will last.

Broad, Sunlit Uplands ahead...Use caution

It's heartening to see that things are opening up once again and that we can get out and about. The first GAvA sketching day has taken place and others are scheduled in the coming months. Now if only the British weather would cooperate a bit more. I seem to recall that last year at this time, it was considerably warmer and more conducive to plein air painting and sketching. As I've been working all year with either water mixable oils, gouache, or occasionally acrylics, the massive volume of water descending from the sky has not been exactly my cup of tea when it comes to outdoor work. Not to mention the 50kt winds howling off the channel. Oh well, it is churlish of me to complain about the weather when I have a cosy studio to hide in.

As I sit in said cosy den, I've been having a think about the different subjects that aviation artists have been concentrating on of late. Of course here in the UK, there is a lot of focus on the rich aviation history of these sceptered isles. That being said, one well-known artist of my acquaintance made a remark to the effect that; "If I ever have to paint another Spitfire, I'll go crazy." Of course, he's still painting Spitfires because that's what we do. We paint what other people want to see...or do we? I must admit that I've done a reasonable number of commissions that just had to be the way the customer wanted them. Who wouldn't? As far as painting for my own pleasure though, I tend to dwell on lesser known events and aircraft, but then I've always been a bit rebellious. That's why I was so often in trouble with my various commanding officers.

Being involved with volunteering at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum for the past 10 years has kindled an interest in other museums and their displays. I've managed to visit and produce drawings at several during sketching days with GAvA, but I think I might take this whole museum display thing more seriously and try to portray not just the aircraft, but the way that they are curated and looked after. I have loads of sketches and preliminary drawings from past visits and now might be the time to dwell on the "behind the scenes" subjects found there. It's a thought, anyway. It came to me when I was playing around with gouache and creating the picture below, showing volunteers at the DeHavilland Museum pushing one of their mosquitoes out of the hangar. Virtually all of the paintings I've seen of Mossies have been of an operational nature, which I'm sure most potential customers are interested in. Originally, I only chose that scene in order to become familiar with the medium and didn't really think about the subject matter except in terms of shapes, values, etc., and working with a limited palette. Now that I have had some time to think about it, I might pursue this line of inquiry.

Volunteers at the DeHavilland Museum moving their Mosquito out of the hangar.

Volunteers at the DeHavilland Museum moving their Mosquito out of the hangar.

I'm sure that we all have subjects that are a bit off the beaten path, but hold a place in our thoughts. Perhaps it's time to let the imagination off the leash, just a bit, and see what happens.

As far as things going on farther afield in the art world:

Stella Grace Lyons has a talk on Constable scheduled. I have always found these talks to be quite informative and entertaining. You can check it out here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/383911159510891/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D]%7D

The Guild of Aviation Artists continues its highlights of members: This week it's David Young. You can check out his Bio and a selection of his works here:

https://www.facebook.com/475344522608871/posts/2115639838579323/

Tate Liverpool has a good selection of the photos of Don McCullin, whose work covering conflict and wars from the 60s on is extremely poignant. I remember his works from the Vietnam era.

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/don-mccullin?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRM_May_w4_TateLiverpool_Engaged&sc_src=email_2909737&sc_customer=967112&sc_lid=192683339&sc_uid=6ekkd9Ha9N&sc_llid=44910&sc_eh=8e3caf4a356c9d271

The National Gallery is open for business and has an interesting looking exhibition on Copernicus: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/conversations-with-god-jan-matejkos-copernicus?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2021May_CopernicusEvents_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=114561

The Royal Academy is gearing up for its summer show, which begins on 22 September. You can get the details here: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/summer-exhibition-2021

Now get out there and Paint, you lot.

Chill, Dude....

One of the more interesting (to me) aspects of the past year's Covid situation has been the necessity to adjust to having much more time at home. My "day job" used to have me on the road for at least two weeks out of every month, usually to far distant time zones. The various lockdowns and bars to travel have given me the chance (after 50 odd years) to sit back and take stock of what I want out of life. My aviation career kept me, to a large extent, from focussing on my painting and drawing as much a I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, I love flying and don't regret a minute of the 23,000+ hours I've spent coaxing various bits of aluminium through the skies over planet Earth. It's just that now that I've had time to breathe (metaphorically speaking) and stepped back a bit I now have the chance to re-prioritise. Even if travel becomes less fraught and gets back to more of what it was pre-covid, I think it's time to move in a slightly different direction. Less time away and more time for art. After all, the art was there well before the chance to fly presented itself. I do find that I'm playing catch up when it comes to painting, as it is only now that I have the time and energy to devote myself to the many tutorials and workshops that the internet makes available. Whether it's colour theory, perspective or any of the other aspects of painting, I am trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can. After all as some Ancient Greek probably said: 'If you stop learning, you start dying.'

One of the things I've noticed from wandering through the various online galleries and web sites related to Aviation Art is the sheer variety of styles. As a technically oriented sort, I've always tried to please the 'rivet counters' out there, but the more I see, the less I think that's the way I want to head. This presents a bit of a quandary, as it means unlearning the habits of a lifetime and trying to loosen up a bit. A case in point is a painting I did a while back. The subject is the DH 108 Swallow, which sadly took the life Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. while being used to evaluate handling characteristics at high speed. On 27 September 1946 TG306 suffered a catastrophic structural failure that occurred in a dive from 10,000 ft (3,050 m) at Mach 0.9 and crashed in the Thames Estuary. After this accident, the subject of my painting, VW120 became the third and final prototype based on the newer Vampire F.5 fighter built at Hatfield. On 6 September 1948, John Derry is thought to have probably exceeded the speed of sound in a shallow dive from 40,000 ft.

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Entitled "Shockwave", the painting is intended to be a graphic representation of the impact these early flights had on the quest for sustained supersonic flight, something I have encountered myself in the course of my career. The aircraft is rendered in a realistic manner, but the 'shockwave' is far from it, and I meant for it to represent the 'thin edge of the wedge' so to speak. This has prompted comments that the presentation is not accurate. Sorry guys, but it was never intended to be. It's supposed to invoke a sense of the importance of the DeHavilland programme in the development of high speed flight. The literal image of 'breaking the sound barrier'. Anyway, that was the idea.

This then, is the conundrum: Techno Jack wants the details to be as close to perfect as possible, but Artist Jack wants to evoke emotion and feeling, even if the details are not "photographic" in nature. I marvel at the artists in the Guild and elsewhere who have mastered the techniques that I try so hard to develop. Hopefully, some of it will eventually sink into my thick skull.

I would love to illustrate what I'm talking about by showing some examples of paintings, but as I have not yet contacted any of the artists concerned, I'm going to avoid the pitfalls of copyright violation for the moment. Perhaps in the fulness of time....

On another note, The Guild of Aviation Artists has started to highlight some of the brilliant work of their members with a "Meet the Artist" section on the GAvA Facebook page. The first one is a profile of Ruth Jayne Lewis. Check it out here and visit her Facebook site for some stunning water colour and mixed media works.

https://www.facebook.com/GuildofAviationArtists/?__cft__[0]=AZWo7lo4cfzK6lDx6adB9PCBbss3-HAIsaKVfrYthw9dQb7RGZtUYCvtYXLF1EkwiRrZXpEdvTuYC79RTqp3pAratgvsKlAs5SYnbxhfvR9EGvqZpZ2WrZNlcMojhq_Ha6A&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R

https://www.facebook.com/The-Ruth-Jayne-Lewis-Fine-Art-Academy-753290101368263/

Museums and galleries will be opening ( I hope) in the near future. Here are a few of the things that you can hope to see as the year progresses:

The Royal Academy opens on the 18th and has a full schedule planned for the remainder of the year. Go here for details: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk

Pallant house Gallery in Chichester is also planning on re-opening on the 18th and has some interesting exhibitions planned: https://pallant.org.uk

Although Leighton House Museum in Kensington is not currently open, you can browse some of Frederic Leighton's drawings and paintings here: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leightonhousemuseum1.aspx

The Dulwich Picture Gallery is opening on the 19th and is always worth a visit if you're in a London frame of mind: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

For those of you in the Manchester area, the Manchester Art Gallery is opening on the 19th as well and is hosting the exhibition from Grayson Perry's Art Club as well as many other great works: https://manchesterartgallery.org/visit/welcomeback/

Grayson Perry's own web site is also worth a look in: https://www.graysonsartclub.com

Have a great weekend and keep doing arty things.

Boo!

I don't know which is scarier, a blank canvas or this blank page. They are equally intimidating, though for different reasons. We all know that beginning a painting or drawing can be a daunting prospect, with many details to be worked out; composition, tonal values, placement of the main subject, etc. The problem with the blank page is somewhat different, though it still presents a fearsome prospect. Just as with painting, research is essential to make sure the facts are there and accurate. Of course when writing something like this blog, I tend to use a "stream of consciousness" approach, as I don't often put historical details into the mix. Still, I'll ponder all week long over how to start out and how to build the text. Just as with drawing, I'll often change, move, eliminate words, passages and whole paragraphs in order to get the effect I'm looking for. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote a novel that was not published because it was "too outlandish" in the eye of the publishers to whom I sent it. It had to do with terrorists hijacking an airliner by hacking into its electronic flight control systems. At the time, the publishers scoffed at the idea and that was that (early 90s). I have not done much fiction writing since, not least because I was permanently jet-lagged from my day job as a long haul pilot. For the most part, my writing efforts have been technical, which requires the same sort of research and effort that composing and completing a good painting does. Details have to be correct and verifiable if one is going to satisfy the Aviation audience, who are not shy about pointing out that the shape of an inlet is not quite right or that the written description of a system doesn't quite cut the mustard.

In my opinion, one of the things that sets really good aviation art apart from the mediocre is the attention to atmosphere and sense of "rightness" that is created. As with everything else, the devil is in the details. I'm not talking about photorealism, but the total effect of light, shadow, motion etc. There are plenty of technically accurate paintings out there, that are correct in detail, but do not spark that feeling that you are there in the midst of the action. Some of the most effective and evocative aviation artworks that I've seen are those that, while not going to please the rivet counters, produce an emotional response, the same way that the film "Apocalypse Now" is, in my mind, the most evocative film about the Vietnam war. It brings to my mind the total surrealism and futility of that particular period home to me. I was there, and while other films may be more technically accurate, and have more explosions and battles, that movie takes me right back to the sheer insanity in a way no other attempt at chronicling that era has so far done.

This creates a problem for me in that my entire experience thus far has been very left brained, dwelling on procedure, technical accuracy, adherence to rules and regulations. This, unfortunately, butts up against a very strong desire to 'loosen up' my paintings and go for a more emotional approach. I'm not complaining, mind you, but it is a challenge that presents itself every time I stare at a blank canvas. I'd love to illustrate this with a few examples, but in the absence of permission from various artists, I'm not going to. If anyone out there would be willing to have me use their artwork to elaborate on this theme, please let me know and I'll re-visit the subject in a future post.

In the meantime, here's the latest work in progress shot of my painting for the Tangmere museum. Starting to add some ground crew and figuring out where to put some more ground equipment. Quite a way to go yet and fairly slow progress as I'm still doing some (virtual) safety audits and courses for various airlines.

Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey.  Progress is being made, gradually.

Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey. Progress is being made, gradually.

As usual, here are some links to art-related events that are available.

Though the current run of tickets has sold out, the Tate will put you on a list to be notified when the next batch are available in September. This is for the Yayoi Kasuma Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibition: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/yayoi-kusama-infinity-mirror-rooms

As usual, Exhibition on Screen has plenty to choose from, including this presentation on Canaletto & the art of Venice: https://www.seventh-art.com/shop/canaletto-the-art-of-venice-at-the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/

The Royal Academy has a talk coming up on the 12th of this month: A conversation with Lubaina Himid: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/event/lubaina-himid-ra-in-conversation?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AE_GaryHumePosters_d_MARKETING_070521&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=636859

Stella Grace Lyons as a few more talks coming up if you're interested. https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

Have a good week and stay safe as we move out of lockdown.

Open Season?

I and a number of fellow artists received the welcome news this week that our works have been selected for inclusion in the upcoming Guild of Aviation Artists (Virtual) annual Exhibition, which begins on the 19th of July (details here: https://gava.org.uk/annual-summer-exhibition ). It is always a boost to one's confidence when something like this happens. Most of us who paint and draw aircraft do so for a fairly limited audience. Aviation art, like maritime art or art devoted to cars etc., is not necessarily sought after by the general public, though the following among devotees of the genre is certainly loyal. That being said, I am hoping that the online exhibition this year will give a much wider audience the opportunity to view (and possibly purchase) works from some of the finest exponents of this subject matter. My own contribution will be three paintings of various aspects of the Sopwith Pup, revolving (Ha) around its Le Rhone rotary engine, a type of propulsion that has always fascinated me. Gobs of torque and no throttle. Either flat out or nothing. Story of my life.

Sopwith Pup, uncowled, with Le Rhone Rotary Engine. Note the wooden Engine Bearers.  They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Sopwith Pup, uncowled, with Le Rhone Rotary Engine. Note the wooden Engine Bearers. They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

This causes me to wonder if there should not be more online exhibitions. I know that there are plenty of online Galleries that offer works from their established stable of artists, but a general admission exhibition, allowing a wider variety of work from a wide variety of artists, certainly couldn't help but broaden the appeal of the subject and allow a greater exposure than offered by bricks and mortar galleries. Perhaps a series of mini-exhibitions or regional shows by local artists. Just a thought.

Of course, nothing beats actually being in the presence of a painting, seeing it up close and personal, appreciating the texture, brushstrokes and nuances the artist incorporated into the finished product. Online showings can't really match that experience, but they can allow those who cannot or will not travel to have the chance to see and appreciate art in a way that is accessible and convenient. The GAvA online Virtual exhibition of 2020 was structured in a way that allowed the viewer to wander through the gallery and access information about any work of interest. Given the circumstances, it was an excellent event and although the Covid restrictions are being lifted somewhat here in the UK, the situation this last couple of weeks in India proves that this rather pernicious virus is still a threat to be reckoned with, no matter where you are. Exactly which museums, galleries and events open up to the public in the coming months is still a bit of an unknown and I suspect that a good segment of the public will remain cautious. That being said, if the lockdown blues have got you in their grip and you just need to get out and about, here are some upcoming events and exhibitions that should soon be available:

The Tate Modern is planning to open on 17 May and has a whole slate of events on its Spring schedule. Go here to check it all out: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

The Dulwich Picture Gallery opens on 19 May and is gearing up some interesting things. They also have an online component that gives you a look at some of their more famous paintings. https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Although the Courtauld Institute doesn't yet have a firm date for re-opening, you can browse the various collections and short courses available here: https://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery

Speaking of Exhibitions, you can submit work for the Royal Academy's Summer show up until the 24th of May. If that appeals to you, have a look here: https://summer.royalacademy.org.uk

The National Gallery in London plans on re-opening on the 17th of May with a new series of shows, events and courses: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/

Here's a short update on my work in progress for the Tangmere Museum; Still feeling my way with tones and such, but getting there slowly ( the upcoming vegetable growing season takes up a bit of my time as well ) but I find that letting things percolate for a while helps solidify the ideas. Might yet put some more GSE in. Who knows.

Work in progress, Meteor F.4 preparing for World Speed record attempt, 1946.

Work in progress, Meteor F.4 preparing for World Speed record attempt, 1946.

Ta Ta for now. Keep safe get your vaccinations.

Are we there yet, Daddy?

The last week saw me closeted (in a socially distanced manner, of course) with the fine folks of a major British Airline for their biennial Safety Audit. It certainly brings home the effect of the Covid situation to see how large organisations have had to modify their operations to cope. A smaller fleet, hundreds of redundancies and a virtually empty headquarters emphasise the depredations caused by the Covid crisis. It certainly spotlights the effect that the last year and a bit have had on the travel industry. I'm sure that you all have examples of how things have changed in your own industries as well. It makes me wonder just how much of an economic recovery is going to take place once the restrictions ease here in the UK later this spring. There will very likely be a long term effect felt in the art world, especially for working artists, who depend on commissions and exhibitions for their living. I've already seen some evidence that sales of Limited Edition Prints of Aviation Art are down from previous years. Even in 2019, art sales in the largest markets, China, the US and UK were in decline, particularly in the big galleries and auction houses.

Aviation art, being a niche genre, is especially vulnerable to the slings and arrows of Covid fortune. Live shows and exhibitions have been put on hold and transferred to online activities. The Guild of Aviation Artists cancelled the 2020 annual exhibition and also the 2021 live exhibition in London. The virtual show in the autumn of 2020 garnered a reasonable amount of interest, but fewer sales than a live exhibition would have. With considerably more advance notice, I hope that the 2021 Annual, an online event, will attract more viewers internationally, and hopefully more sales. In one respect, a virtual exhibition is not a bad thing in the sense that literally millions of lovers of aviation art can examine the stunning display of talent that the GAvA annual presents. With any luck, some outdoor and indoor exhibitions will be possible after the restrictions lift (fingers crossed) on 21 June here in the UK. In the meantime you can go here to see the Guild's 2020 online exhibition, which will give you an idea of what the 2021 version will look like:

https://www.artsteps.com/view/5fb7de5cec7b9d30697459b8?fbclid=IwAR0Ytho4jZ1QG75wQfoKpIQCj7DORBZybQaNkaVNPr4_yYnDNWYVsxmGNLk

As far as my own work goes, I now have a month of respite before my next "day job" assignment, so can get down to working on the painting for Tangmere Museum. I've taken into account what the museum wants and starting to block in areas and such. Probably will change a few things as the work progresses, but for me, that's half the fun.

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Don't forget to cruise through all the great Aviation Art videos videos and tutorials available on YouTube. Here are some that should whet your appetite:

Mark Postlethwaite GAvA has several work in progress videos available. This one is one of a trio and illustrates the steps in painting Messerschmitts in the Battle of Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIc9UHlzXow

More of Mark's tutorials and works in progress can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+postlethwaite+artist

Russell Smith also has some great tutorials and tips here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBGHUaVaqNuMWjT7YeOTxw

As far as online lectures and talks go, there are still good opportunities to take in some interesting info:

Stella Grace Lyons continues her series of art history lectures and talks with an upcoming look at Matisse: https://www.facebook.com/events/139688554736908

as well as one one Berthe Morisot: the forgotten impressionist, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/506556467015114

The National Gallery has some online events too:

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2021MayEvents_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=109385

The RA is due to open again on 18 May when Lockdown restrictions are lifted. The Summer exhibition is coming up as well. In the meantime, there is their online sketch club if you want to have a look. It runs from 8 may - 26 June. If you think you might be interested, details are here: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/event/saturday-sketch-club

I’m sure all of us hope that this next release from lockdown is the real thing and we can get back to some semblance of normal. Keep safe and carry on.

How do you do that?

I just read an article about Jeff Bezos, who made a comment to the effect that "Success depends on creating more than you consume." That seems to me to be a pretty good way of thinking, though I imagine there are some folks out there who have issues with J.B.'s level of "success", but that's another story.

Certainly in the realm of Art, creation of something from virtually nothing is what we do. We "consume" the cost of a canvas, paint and a few other materials and create (hopefully) something that adds value to the sum total of the effort put into the project. (Not ignoring you sculptors or wood carvers out there. You get the drift.). In that sense, we are taking some raw materials and making something worthwhile out of them, which, if we're lucky, will tempt someone to appreciate that added value and purchase our work. The creative process of taking a blank sheet of paper or canvas and transforming it into art is not always easy to describe. I often hear things like "you're very talented" or "I could never do anything like that". What most people don't realise is the amount of blood, sweat and tears that goes into creating a good painting or drawing. How many of us have gotten several hours or days into a project only to basically tear it up and start all over again. The effort that it takes to come up with a good solid composition, just the right perspective (especially with aircraft in flight) and just the right colours for the markings. Of course when speaking of Aviation Art in particular, there are hordes of critics ready to pounce if a roundel is slightly off, or squadron markings not quite in the right place. The volume of research it takes to come up with the goods is in itself quite time consuming and sometimes frustrating. I still have stacks of articles and photos of aircraft left over from magazines that stretch back over 40 years. Of course the internet has speeded up the process of researching, but as I'm sure you've found, just figuring out the right question to enter into the search engine can be rather frustrating at times.

I'm currently working on a project which will relate to the speed record attempt by Group Captain Teddy Donaldson on 7 September 1946, when he established a new official world record of 615.78 mph (991.00 km/h; 535.10 kn) in a Gloster Meteor F.4 over Littlehampton. The aircraft is at the Tangmere Military Aviation museum, where I’m a volunteer, so no problem with accurate markings etc., but I've been asked to have the aircraft in front of the T2 Hangars at Tangmere, with ground crew working on it in preparation for the record attempt. Finding the design of those hangars is easy enough, but determining exactly what colour they were and their condition in 1946 is proving problematic. So far, hours have been spent just trying to solve this one problem. There are countless Black and White photos, and plenty of colour pics of T2 hangars at other bases, but they don't necessarily reflect the ones in place at Tangmere at the time. Were they in standard RAF Colours? Were they already beginning to show signs of rust and deterioration? Here's a look at a concept sketch in Gouache which contains the elements of the finished work, but only in the roughest form. How many of you would recognise the fact that the Meteor in this preliminary example is an F3, whereas the Record was set in an F4? What is the giveaway?

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I guess what I'm getting at here is that quite a few people are not aware of the amount of work that goes into producing a painting or drawing. (Or any other form of art) Those of us who devote our time to aviation art must spend a lot of time and effort in getting it "just right" or our audience (and potential buyers) will not hesitate to point out the obvious flaws in our depiction. Aircraft in particular can be quite tricky as various models can have very small differences which will always be "caught out" if the artist has not been careful. Inflight events such as dogfights have to be imagined, but it takes quite a bit of imagination to come up with a credible scene. The effort to effectively depict an aerial battle can be quite considerable if the details are to pass the test set by our audience and critics. All of these things combine to help us create more than we consume, even though the effort itself sometimes does not garner the appreciation it deserves.

As far as art events online go, Stella Grace Lyons has yet more lectures and talks coming up. You can find the schedule here: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=Stella%20Grace%20Lyons%20-%20Art%20History%20Lectures%20and%20Tours

Don't forget the Guild of Aviation Artists Annual (virtual) exhibition coming up on the 19th of July. Details here: https://www.gava.org.uk/annual-summer-exhibition

I'm off on a trip for the day job this coming week, so no chance to work in the studio, more’s the pity.

Take care and keep creating.

Safety First, then paint

Today I'm going to deviate a bit from my normal subject matter of art and say a few words about something that is taking up a lot of space in my mind these days. Just a few days ago, I lost a very good friend to Covid while another friend had a mild case and unwittingly passed it on to her father, who subsequently died from it. Yet another friend watched his wife die in a mere 12 days from onset of symptoms. This prompts me to speak out a bit on the subject.

My friend was not one of those who downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. Because we were both career aviators and used to a lifetime of travel, sometimes to places with less than optimal hygiene and medical services, we were used to the experience of carrying a shot record and having to produce it when entering some countries. I, for one continued to travel throughout Africa, the Middle East and Far East throughout the Ebola, SARS, MERS and numerous other health scares. Because neither I nor anyone we worked or associated with caught any of these diseases, we developed a somewhat cavalier attitude towards the various plagues that we encountered. It seemed that the authorities in the countries we visited had things reasonable well in hand: Temperature checks at airports, medical forms to fill out on landing and of course the ubiquitous "yellow card," the international vaccination certificate. I've carried one since the 1960s and never thought of it as any sort of impingement on my freedom. Some countries simply wouldn't let you in if you didn't have it. That was just the way of the world.

Now, when we are faced with a real pandemic and the death toll still marches on, there appears to be a lot of skepticism among some of the population (worldwide) about the disease and its impact on our individual lives. I say this because although my friend was not a skeptic about Covid and continued to travel and work despite the various lockdowns and cautions in place, he was worried by what he saw on the aircraft in which he was flying. His concern was not with getting through the airport safely, but rather what happened once everyone was on board. He related that numerous passengers would be coughing and sneezing, removing their masks and moving about the cabin during flight. Indeed, we suspect that it was on a flight back from a week of work abroad that he was exposed to the virus. Our occupation (Aviation Safety) is one that allows travel without resorting to quarantine in many countries, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because without the freedom to travel and work in countries all over the world, airline safety might suffer and on a personal level, our income would be compromised. A curse for the same reason, really. Just because you can travel doesn't mean you should. Here's where my friend and I differed. He was willing to roll the dice and keep flying and working despite the restrictions and risk of exposure, whereas I was and still am not willing to risk international air travel. I suppose you can say that I've been brainwashed or given in to the "hype" about Covid, but then I'm alive and well and my friend, who continued to travel, is not. My family is healthy and our life is reasonably close to normal, while his has been plunged into sadness. I don't make any judgement here; we all have to walk our own paths. I certainly don't say that the way I've handled it is any better in some respects; I have only had a fraction of the work I could have had because I've restricted myself to working remotely so the income has all but dried up, placing its own stresses on daily life, which I'm sure some of you share.

What dismays me is the way that the deniers, skeptics and let's face it, career troublemakers are making such noise and with the help of social media, getting attention far exceeding that which they deserve. The threat is real, and though we have better defences through vaccination and social distancing, if we ignore the threat and cease to pay attention to the details, we can still be blind-sided by Covid. You may not particularly care if you catch it and die, but the burden and grief you put upon your family and friends is unconscionable.

OK, got that out of my system. On to more pleasant thoughts.

The Guild of Aviation Artists has announced that the Annual Exhibition will begin on the 19th of July and will be a virtual one this year. The submission 'gate' is open until the 18th of April for those artists who would like to submit works. You can find out more here: https://www.gava.org.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2t2eUGEpARKj3mYhOmguWqbvgimEi0SQOVofrrDnmh2hw5nKvTbszMCDc

You don't have to be a member of the Guild to submit paintings, so if you are an aviation artist, head to the web site above for more details on submission.

I've been bogged down with the day job this week, preparing for the remote audit of an airline in Africa, so haven't had much time at the easel, though I've managed a few brush strokes on the concept sketch for the painting I'm doing for the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum. This little study is only for composition etc., and done in gouache on paper. The final work will be in acrylics on canvas. (For those "rivet counters" out there, I know that the Donaldson speed record Meteor was an F4 and this preliminary sketch is of an F3. Just using it for ideas. I'm also aware that the proportions of the hangars [Type T2] are not quite right either. That's why I play around with these things before getting down to the final painting.)

Preliminary study for commissioned painting for Tangmere Museum.

Preliminary study for commissioned painting for Tangmere Museum.

While museums and such are preparing to open their doors to the paying public in the foreseeable future, there are still some online events that might be worth your while:

The Tate is preparing to open their J.M.W Turner exhibition when we're let out of our cages, and in the meantime have some articles on the artist available here: https://www.tate.org.uk/tate-etc/issue-50-autumn-2020/turners-modern-world-jenny-uglow?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRM_Apr_w2_Turner_GetToKnow_Engaged_NoPrices&sc_src=email_2803386&sc_customer=967112&sc_lid=183455195&sc_uid=6ekkd9Ha9N&sc_llid=27723&sc_eh=8e3caf4a356c9d271

The Mall Galleries in London has the 209th exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours coming up in May, which you can preview here: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/royal-institute-painters-water-colours-209th-exhibition?fbclid=IwAR0WgBU0dE_8NKpBxBo3wg9tqqRaEg-Tgd9_xPDB4c2BQelEcYjdN9T5xEA

Stella Grace Lyons continues here Art history talks with a three part series in May on how to look at nude paintings: https://www.facebook.com/events/1901160093371235/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%7D

And of Course the Guild of Aviation Artists has the Annual (online) exhibition coming up in July: https://www.facebook.com/events/495546358560454/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%7D

Here's hoping that we're let off the leash soon and can get out and about. I, for one, am looking forward to some sketching days and other opportunities for plein air painting and drawing.

Keep safe and "watch your six"

Happy Easter, Artists...

There's been a lot of bad press recently about social media and the negative effect that it can have on our brains and the way we think. There is, however, one area that I don't think the lockdown period and the Covid crisis could have prepared us for and that is the positive effects of social media when it comes to those of us who paint and draw.

As it happens, I've been thinking a lot about the impact of social media on those of us who are not able to work or travel. The lockdowns have been a double edged sword for a lot of us: on one hand, it's been a curse during the last year as we have not been able to gather together for exhibitions, workshops, etc. One of the things that I've missed is the opportunity to get together with like-minded artists to sketch, paint, chat and critique each other's work. As there has not been a chance to travel or meet up with anyone, we've had to more or less do our artwork in solitary confinement. On the other hand, this has a positive side because it gives us a chance to concentrate on the things that we want to be painting or drawing. I, for one, have done more painting and drawing this last year than I have in the previous several years. My "day job" has always kept me on the road, but the Covid situation has kept me home and given me much time to actually spend at work in the studio.

That being said, it is the ability to share works and thoughts on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Zoom and such that has been a surprising and useful experience. Being able to put a high resolution image on line and get some feedback has been very good, though nothing beats actually seeing a work "in the flesh," so to speak. There have been numerous tutorials available and quite a few of the artists I know have put step by step daily updates of works in progress on Facebook, which I have found to be very illuminating. I have learned quite a bit from following artists’ development of a canvas and in some cases been pleasantly surprised when they turn out to use the same techniques and materials that I do.

This ability to learn via the work of others is invaluable in improving technique and learning about different media. When I wanted to start working in gouache, a few hours of cruising YouTube resulted in the viewing of some very enlightening tutorials and advice on how to proceed. Indeed, just looking at some of the "in progress" entries of some of my friends and fellow artists on Facebook has given me some very helpful tips and ideas that I can incorporate into my own works. (I make no pretence of being an experienced artist. I have always painted and drawn, and though I studied art and art history at University, I made my way in the world in the cockpits of various aluminium tubes in the service of the military and airlines.) It is only now, in "semi retirement" that I have the time to (hopefully) improve my skills to the point I would like to see. In this respect, the exposure to others' experience and techniques are an invaluable aid that has only increased as the Covid crisis has endured. The number of tutorials, workshops and online exhibitions certainly seems to have increased exponentially during the last year and has proven to be extremely valuable.

We have had online exhibitions, too. The Guild of Aviation Artists 2020 online exhibition is still available here: https://www.artsteps.com/embed/5fb7de5cec7b9d30697459b8/560/315?fbclid=IwAR3H5AWn_DDaggtyL5gPJt6zJ-FG60SWXBRxRcQP8f1rUnefHkL5xjacNOM . This year’s GAvA annual exhibition will also be online beginning on the 19th of July 2021. One of the up-sides to this is that the exhibition will be a world-wide event rather than just a local one in London. I can't help but think that the extra exposure to all that fine aviation art can't be a bad thing for "spreading the word."

As far as my own work goes, I’ve started blocking out a commission for the Tangmere Museum that will involve our Meteor F4 that was flown by Group Captain “Teddy” Donaldson on 7 September 1946, when he established a new official world record of 615.78 mph flying from Tangmere over a course offshore near Littlehampton. The image below is an initial gouache study of the ground crew preparing the aircraft for the speed run. The setting is in front of Tangmere’s T2 hangars as they existed at the time. (At the request of the museum). Early days yet and no doubt many changes before committing to canvas and oils.

Gouache rendering / concept  for painting of Meteor F4 as commissioned by Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

Gouache rendering / concept for painting of Meteor F4 as commissioned by Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

As I mentioned tutorials and such, here are a few to be looking at, should the mood take you:

Darryl Legg has a great demo on painting a P-40 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt4DjNb3sGM

You can watch Cathy Sik paint a DC-3 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhI7giOwFfQ&t=13s

Here you can enjoy Mark Postlethwaite doing a painting of the Amiens Raid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deS30Ae2HJM

Marc Philipp Veenendaal has a good demonstration of Perspective drawing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lJy61KMT88

Above all, Keep safe and keep painting (and keep perspective)

I'll just Google that, shall I?

Some of us in the Guild of Aviation Artists gave ourselves a challenge recently to do a painting or drawing from one of our favourite aviation books. You might think that this is actually quite easy but when you start to list all the different books that you might have read that relate to aviation and have proven to be inspirational in your life, either as motivation for art work or just increasing your knowledge of aviation, it proves to be quite a difficult task.

Once I put names of books down on paper I found that the list was far longer than I anticipated and that it was going to be very difficult to choose a single example to be getting on with. You'll just have to wait for a while to find out which one I chose but suffice it to say that it has proven to be a little bit more of a challenge than I thought it would be at the very beginning. The shot below is a taster of the work in progress. Any ideas of the title?

Part of a work in progress: Memorable Aviation Book. Mixed media on A4 watercolour paper.

Part of a work in progress: Memorable Aviation Book. Mixed media on A4 watercolour paper.

That particular exercise segued into a remembrance of the way that I used to do research back in the age of the dinosaurs, when I was in High School and University. Nowadays we just Google or search for something online and we can have access to virtually the sum total of human knowledge (with certain caveats obviously). We certainly can find just about anything we want to without leaving our desk or studio.

One of the things that I recall most of all, especially during my early teenage years was going time and time again to public libraries in search of information and research, not just on school topics, but other things that interested me (usually involving aviation). I was lucky in the fact that I lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the time. The Carnegie library, located on the eastern side of town was and still is a vast source of information, if you would take the time and effort to search. This was quite a distance away from where I lived in the South Hills and involved several trolley rides, about an hours worth of transportation. (A fact that also points out the advantage of a well run and inexpensive public transit system. Green too, as the 'streetcars' were all electric. But that's another story.)

I would spend hours wandering through the stacks, which you could do in those days, and finding books or magazines with any sort of information that might pique my interest. I think I must've read every issue of 'Flying' magazine going back to World War II as well as every issue of 'Life' magazine, an unbelievably rich source of photographs and other sorts of research into aviation in general.

There was something quite attractive to me about spending hours on a Saturday afternoon in the back corner of the library with a pile of old aviation magazines on my desk, or just wandering through the stacks at leisure looking for anything that seemed of interest. It's a part of my life that recall with fondness.

It's not the same somehow just sitting here at my desk and 'Googling' a particular squadron's history or the story of a particular aircraft. It's all right in front of me, to be sure, but there is something missing and I think that is the effort that it used to take me to do the same research.

One of the things that I remember most was being conversant with the Dewey decimal system. if you wanted to go find a book, you had to have the know-how to read the card catalogue, then traipse through the stacks to find it. I know we can do this on our computers now without even a second thought and there are times that I am extremely grateful for that, but I do miss the ritual of finding the card and going back into the stacks and looking around. Sometimes there would be a book on the same shelf which would prove to be far more interesting than the one I was actually looking for and and that sort of serendipity added to the magic I used to feel when I was wandering around in the library all by my lonesome. While I suspect that might be possible nowadays I don't think it's practical anymore. We have become so used to instant gratification that the thought of spending a couple of hours searching for something (not to mention the actual act of leaving the house to do so) is not something we relish. (nor is the cost of the train fare to London)

I have never been to the British library and I don't know exactly what the form is for getting out something to look at as far as research goes. I doubt that you can just wander through the stacks at random looking for things that catch your eye.

The one library I have ready access to that takes me back to those old days is the one we have at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum. It's not big, just one room, but the shelves are crammed with books of every sort relating to all elements of aviation whether it's Military or civilian.

I do think that whatever the means, research is vital to the kind of detail and historical accuracy that we strive for in Aviation Art. Whether you do it online, or hop on your bike and head to the nearest library, the main thing is to get it right. (Though there is always room for some artistic licence, to be sure.)

On another note, I’m still pottering along on another gouache experiment illustrating a night supply drop at the besieged Special Forces Camp at Dak Seang in 1970. Not sure where I’m headed with this one, but that’s half the fun.

Work in Progress: Night Drop, Dak Seang 1970. Gouache on watercolour paper., A4

Work in Progress: Night Drop, Dak Seang 1970. Gouache on watercolour paper., A4

But enough of all that. What’s happening art-wise online these days:

Stella Grace Lyons continues her talks on various art subjects here: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory/

David Young has his Aviation Art web site up and running here: https://www.davidyoungartist.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR13tDnebdnf9Y-TSGvZUbMXiPCRG-YBq6Ul9pSbXqYxj-egrlxyCIIC5rY

Aviation Art World has some interesting paintings here: https://aviation-art-world.com/html/world_war_2_-_various_artists.html

Doug Cargill has some fine Aviation artwork here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.706482936576128&type=3

Here’s hoping we actually get let out of our cages in the next few weeks.

Now What??

As we inch slowly towards an exit from what seems to be a never-ending series of lockdowns and restrictions, we have all been given an opportunity to re-examine the way we live our lives. In some cases we have seen our priorities shift and mutate as the months have gone by.  For some it means that working from home may become the norm rather than the exception. For others, it may be that the extended furlough or even demise of our employer has prompted a new direction, perhaps not sought or desired, but maybe now embraced.  It has certainly been quite a roller-coaster ride as we come up on the anniversary of the first lockdown on 23 March (in the UK). I for one, have done some serious reflecting on what I want and what I need from life from this point onward.  Having spent most of my career away from home it certainly has been a revelation to me to be home 24/7 since the first lockdown started. This has given me a chance to re-evaluate what I’m looking for in the way I want to be living. I doubt that I’m the only one. 

It’s been quite a revelation to be here for a whole, unbroken year.  I’ve managed get a lot (but not all) of the backlog of “honey-do” items sorted, indulged my fantasy of growing my own veggies and, of course, had scads more time to devote to drawing and painting than I’ve ever had before.  This has allowed me to explore new media, expand the variety of subjects and concentrate on (hopefully) improving what skills I have.  It occurs to me that many others have also found the time to devote to honing their artistic skills, if the plethora of online courses, talks and lectures that now exist is anything to go by.  In that respect, the internet has been a Godsend.

These online offerings have proved to be quite enjoyable.  Those of you who have remained gainfully employed during the last year have not, perhaps, had time or opportunity to indulge, but those of us with unexpected time on our hands have had a chance give our curiosity a free rein.  I’ve seen two online talks recently that dealt with the artists and art of Polperro, Cornwall.  New to me. I have some familiarity with the Newlyn painters, but was blissfully unaware of the fantastic painting going on just around the corner, so to speak.  

Closer to home, I have several works in progress:  

The first is an oil painting depicting the relief of the Special Forces Camp at Dak Seang, RVN. On 1 April 1970 a strong NVA force besieged the camp and an airdrop of ammunition and supplies was made by three C-7s during the afternoon. The NVA had positioned several anti-aircraft guns along air corridors that transport aircraft might use during their airdrops. Some ground fire was encountered on these first missions and one aircraft received two hits that did little damage. NVA pressure on the camp continued throughout the night and on the following morning two more Caribous set off from Pleiku to make another drop. Ground fire proved to be heavier on the second day and one of the aircraft was hit and crashed. Despite the obvious danger a further 11 airdrops were made by C-7 crews on the 2nd with three aircraft being damaged by ground fire. The airdrops continued despite intense ground fire that eventually claimed three C-7s and damaged many more. However, by 13 April the situation at Dak Seang had improved enough for the air resupply mission to be largely taken over by US Army helicopters although C-7s made a small number of night airdrops towards the end of April. On 11 May C-7s resumed landing at the camp’s airstrip. Between 1 April and 1 May the C-7s of the 483rd TAW had flown 127 sorties to Dak Seang dropping 240 tons of supplies, 90 per cent of which was recovered by the defenders from within the perimeter of the 200 feet-square camp itself.

Although I had left Vietnam by that time, my squadron (457th TAS) was involved in the action. One of my former roommates was on his second tour and largely responsible for planning the night drops that began after the loss of 3 Caribous during the daylight action. The painting will depict the drops of 1 April 1970, which kicked off the relief action. I’m planning another one depicting the night drops.

Relief of Dak Seang, 1970.

Relief of Dak Seang, 1970.

Another work in progress is barely past the thinking about it stage. I’ve been asked to do a painting for the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum depicting the preparations for Group Captain Edward (Teddy) Donaldson’s speed record attempt of 7 September 1946. Flying from Tangmere, he established a new official world record of 615.78 mph in a Gloster Meteor F.4 off the coast near Littlehampton. The actual aircraft is currently on display at the museum, and we hope we’ll be able to open to the public again later this spring. Fingers crossed. Get your jab and wear your mask.

Compositional study for projected painting for Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

Compositional study for projected painting for Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

Here are some links to art stuff that you might find interesting in the next week:

Stella Grace Lyons has all of her talks and lectures here: https://stellagracelyons.co.uk/arthistory/lectures/

Phil Jackson AGAvA has some nice quick sketching videos of various subjects: https://www.facebook.com/phil.jackson.3591/videos/3727203994030888

Charles Thompson GAvA, ASAA has a great two part tutorial on painting 5 aircraft in formation on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFvkZeGwUSI

Darryl Legg also has some Aviation art videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7KTSzoLlnqFKmC6tUsdFpg

Cathy Sik has some YouTube Videos of her aviation painting as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhI7giOwFfQ

Until next week, Enjoy and keep thinking art.

Light at the end of the tunnel (?)

I was sitting comfortably, drink in hand and watching Grayson Perry’s Art Club on TV last evening, which got me thinking about the different slants people take on a given theme and the way that they deal with it.  The theme for the week was Food and the way that a wide variety of folks chose to address that subject was diverse and eclectic, to say the least.  

If we approach any subject from a personal point of view, then the results from a large population sample should, you might expect, vary quite a bit.  In Aviation art, though, this does not normally appear to be the case.  Most Aviation subjects are depicted in a very technical, left-brained way.  Accuracy of line, correct colours and a myriad of technical details govern the way that aircraft and aviation subjects are depicted.  You might ask how else  could you do it and stay true to the core idea of what such art is all about.  The dichotomy between a photorealistic technique and pure interpretation or emotion is an interesting one, and one that constantly fights for supremacy in my own approach to my painting and drawing.  

Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been technically and mechanically minded that I started out trying to be almost photographic in my drawings. I even took a couple of courses in mechanical drawing and industrial design in my somewhat mis-spent youth and the training shows, more in my drawings than in my paintings, yet there has always been the urge to loosen up, get less technical accuracy and more emotion in my work.  I suspect this is due to what aviation and flying mean to me.  I have been a “total aviation person” as Uncle Roger (Remember him?) used to term it, as long as I can remember.  I had all but given up on ever actually flying until the US got embroiled in Vietnam.  Due to the “Draft”, I was resigned to entering the service, but was completely taken aback when, because of some mechanical aptitude and the passing of the USAF Flight medical exam, I was offered the chance to enter Pilot Training.  Of course the military approached flying from a very technical and precise viewpoint, which appealed to one side of my nature, but the other side simply revelled in the joy of flight.  I often thought that if I could fly without an aircraft, then I would do so.  It’s the freedom, the 3 dimensional movement that excites me.  Although always there in the background, my aviation career has always been guided by the technical, from systems knowledge to extensive procedures.  I think that this is why I rebel a bit now when faced with an empty canvas.  I want to express the feelings that aviation has always given rise to rather than the technical perfection that is so prevalent in the genre.  This is not easy.  50+ years of emphasis on getting every thing just right is not shaken off overnight.  I am trying very hard to get a bit less hung up on the “rivet counting” and concentrate on the interpretation of what flight, aircraft and aviation mean to me.  

I take inspiration from the masters of the genre such as Keith Ferris, Gerald Coulson, Frank Wootton and others too numerous to mention and hope that one day I will be able to attain the goal I have set.


The examples below are not as technically perfect as they could be, but I’ve tried (and in my own mind fallen short ) to convey the emotions felt.  Now that I have the time to look back over a life spent away from home and strapped in various aluminium tubes I can recall those moments that have delighted me, terrified me and left me astounded at how unbelievably lucky I have been to experience them.  Here’s hoping that I’ll find my feet and be able (finally) to put down on canvas the feelings I’ve had when chasing the Northern lights for hours on end high over the Arctic, or the nervous tension of flying in close formation.  

“The Northern Lights have seen queer sights”*

*The Cremation of Sam Magee by Robert W. Service.

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A 747 freighter leaves contrails across the Arctic sky en-route from JFK to ANC under the bright and constantly changing Aurora.  5 Hours of sheer delight, with the cockpit lights turned as low as possible and just staring out in wonder.

T-38s over Webb AFB, Texas

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This was the high point of my pilot training.  I loved four-ship formation more than any other aspect of the programme.  Every flight filled me with both joy and dread; the striving to be in position, the constant motion, the tiny, almost imperceptible movements of the stick and throttle and the intense feeling of satisfaction when it all came together.  Nothing before or since has quite lived up to it.


As usual, here are a few links for Art related sites to visit while we wait out the end of lockdown:

Stella Grace Lyons continues her online talks and courses:

https://www.facebook.com/search/events/?q=stella%20grace%20lyons%20-%20art%20history%20lectures%20and%20tours&sde=AbqgRuIjseVY9v6OIg4ObaOAQ_Dk_nZy75ZrT7UBwGpxxZ-SUocyq0-c4EJ7qat3M5JNKdDdSRpSlVoaqrVL_oAu


Here’s a little ink drawing course that might be fun:

https://www.facebook.com/events/779662259633761

Art UK has some online galleries to view:

https://artuk.org

Aviation Art Works has a gallery of some fine stuff;

https://www.airpowerart.co.uk

Cheers,

Jack