So What Else is New?

Last week saw my first trip away from home since the beginning of the first lockdown in March of last year. I spent the week at Heathrow involved in a safety audit of BA. This provoked a lot of introspection on my part. Not only have I become used to the idea of never leaving home except to head off to the local shops, the idea of actually driving from home to LHR evoked a sense of adventure that certainly didn’t apply to that journey when I was gallivanting around the planet auditing and teaching safety courses and shuttling between Petersfield and Heathrow two or three times a month. As a result of Covid-19, my view of airports and standing in queues has mutated, like the virus, I guess. I suspect I’m not the only one who has seen his/her values change over the the last year. For one thing, it’s the first time in about 50 years that I’m not jet-lagged and actually on one time zone for more than a week. It’s made me re-evaluate my attitude towards the way I’ve been living. One of the major benefits, at least to me, has been the ability to concentrate on art for more than a couple of days at a time. The freedom to spend time each day at the easel has proven to be a tonic for the soul, so to speak. Although I always had a sketchbook and selection of pencils with me on my trips, the time to use them to advantage was at a premium. After a 15 hour flight from JFK to Seoul, it was often hard to work up enthusiasm for drawing during the 24 hour layover in an airport hotel. I’m not complaining, by any means. I was unbelievably lucky to be able to fly for a living, and don’t regret a single minute of it. Having the time to devote to my second passion now is absolutely fantastic, but the whole covid situation has really made me start to think twice about going back out on the road as much when things get back to some sort of normality. Time will tell, but at the moment, I savour the time I have in the studio and am looking forward to pushing the boundaries by doing much more plain air work when Spring finally arrives.

Our informal GAvA challenge to create a work based on a favourite aviation movie met with much enthusiasm and produced a wide selection of responses. Such was the success that it. has now been suggested that we do something related to a favourite aviation book. I’m up for that, though I must admit, the choice of aeronautically inspired novels and books is much larger than I originally imagined, so narrowing it down will take a bit of time and effort. I’m also working up a painting for the Tangmere Aviation History Museum for our summer event.

Composition study for “Night Drop”. Gouache on toned watercolour paper, A4

I’m still getting familiar with the characteristics of Gouache by playing with a scene from the Vietnam war focussing on the C-7A Caribou, provisionally titled “Night Drop” illustrating the relief of the Dak Seang Special Forces camp in 1970. Although This action occurred after I had left the squadron, the programme of night drops was developed and led by a former roommate. I’m also doing a painting in oils of the daylight drops during the same action. 3 Caribous were lost during the daylight relief action, which is why the night drops were instituted.

Work in Progress: “Relief of Dak Seang, 1970. oil on board 35cm x 45 cm.

As is my usual habit, here are a few art related links:

The National Gallery has some new events, talks and such here : https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events

Stella Grace Lyons has lectures and talks on various subjects that are quite interesting: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

The Smithsonian has some online events and exhibits too: https://www.si.edu/exhibitions

I don’t know how many of you are following Grayson Perry’s Art Club on Channel 4. It’s quite interesting and offers quite a different take on things, but if you want to follow it, you can go to the web site here: https://www.graysonsartclub.com/

And some links to Aviation artists:

Kenny Reeves: https://kenny-reeves.pixels.com/

Jonathon Westwood: https://www.westyart.co.uk/

Elaine Jones: https://1-elaine-jones.pixels.com/collections/aviation

Spring is in the air

The days are gradually lengthening, the sun has been out a couple of days and although it’s still pretty cold in the early mornings, things are warming up. Pretty soon, I’ll decide to come out of hibernation in the studio and venture forth into the “plein air”. I know a lot of artists who have not been daunted by the winter weather and have gotten out and about to produce some stunning winter scenes, but my old bones are waiting for the temperature to get a few more degrees above freezing before I’m happy to leave the warmth. I have set myself a goal to spend more time painting out of doors this year. Largely because I was on the road extensively during my flying career, it’s not been my main practice thus far. My normal subject matter, pets and airplanes usually require photo references or Airfix kits (for the airplanes, not the dogs) so lends itself to indoor work, but at the behest of a good friend, I’m going to get cracking on some outdoor scenes. Last year during the gap between lockdowns, we managed to get out on to the south downs for a spot of landscape painting, and I’m looking forward to more of the same. I find it very interesting and educational to paint alongside of someone else. Fascinating to see the difference in interpretation of the same subject. The drawing of the ruins of Boxgrove Abbey were sketched in pencil on site, then the pen bits were added later in the studio. I am quite keen to get back there in the Spring and paint the same scene. I haven’t made up my mind whether to use Gouache or oils though. Decisions, decisions.

Boxgrove Abbey ruins, Boxgrove, West Sussex. Pen and Pencil, A4

On another note, The little challenge among the GAvA crew to produce a work illustrating a scene from a favourite Aviation movie really produced some great drawings and paintings. Although I concentrated on my painting from “The Flight of the Phoenix,” which featured in last week’s blog, I also did a quick Gouache sketch from “Catch 22”. The scenes of the squadron takeoff is probably the only time that many Mitchells got together since the Second World War. I didn’t go for photographic realism, but tried to keep it much looser, hopefully creating a feeling of “the fog of war.”

Dusty takeoff. B-25 Mitchells from the film “Catch 22”. Gouache on toned Watercolour paper, A4 size.

Looking around at what’s available to us in this (hopefully last) period of enforced incarceration, here are a few art related online events:

The National Gallery continues to add online events here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2020MarchEvents_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=99552

Stella Grace Lyons continues her online talks, which I find quite fascinating. Here’s the upcoming schedule, including a 3 part course on portaiture: https://stellagracelyons.co.uk/arthistory/online-talks/

You can also access her talks here: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

Not exactly art related, but the Museum of Army flying has an online talk on the origin of the Spitfire which should be of interest to us AvGeeks: https://www.armyflying.com/lockdown-lectures/spitfire-85/

The National Portrait Gallery has some online events, courses and tours available here: https://www.npg.org.uk/visit/explore-at-home/

‘Til next week, keep safe. Lets pay attention to the rules and maybe we’ll be let out of our cages once and for all.

Cheers.

More Lockdown Musings

I’ve noticed a couple of things over the last few weeks that seem to indicate an interesting trend. I’ve been trying to replenish some of my art supplies, paints, a few new brushes etc., but most of the art supply sites appear to be out of stock for many of the items I would like. I suppose that could be down to production and supply chain problems due to Covid, but from the interest I’ve seen in various art tutorials on social media sites, I suspect that considerably more people are having a go at some sort of art, whether painting, drawing and so forth. Lockdown has certainly provided more time to devote to such things as our social lives have been seriously constrained. I think this is encouraging from the standpoint of getting more folks interested in putting down their thoughts, emotions and love of a particular subject on paper, canvas etc. I just wish the rest of the world wasn’t buying up all the tubes of Alizarin Crimson Gouache and brushes that I’m after.

Flight of The Phoenix: Gouache on toned watercolour paper, A4

This last week we had an informal challenge among some of the members in the Guild of Aviation Artists to paint or draw a scene from a favourite Aviation themed movie. This was not as easy as it seemed, because there are an awful lot of such films to choose from, some well known, some not so much. The obvious choices are classics such as “Dambusters”, “12 O’Clock High”, “The Bridges at Toko - Ri”, and literally a host of others. Being a contrary sort of fellow, I tend to gravitate towards some of the lesser known offerings such as “A Guy Named Joe”, “Spirit of St. Louis” (Well, anything with Jimmy Stewart in it actually), ”Strategic Air Command”….. the list goes on and on. In the end, I choose to depict an imagined scene from “Flight of the Phoenix” ( The original 1965 version, rather than the 2004 remake) partly because the Fairchild C-82 “Flying Boxcar” has always appealed to me the same way the the Blackburn Beverly does. They are great lumbering, slab sided workhorses that do a lot of heavy lifting and never get any of the glory. Maybe that’s why I chose to fly the Caribou when it was time for my Vietnam tour. Anyway, in addition to the lure of the C-82, the movie starred Jimmy Stewart and Richard Attenborough, a winning combination in my book. I think that a challenge such as this one is an excellent way to get you to really look at your own preferences and maybe analyse why you do like a certain kind of aviation story or type of airplane. Being of a certain vintage myself, I tend to gravitate to the flying machines of the 40s, 50s, and 60’s, an era in which I grew up. It was an age when you could walk out onto the tarmac and touch an airplane, talk to the crew and even be allowed to climb into the cockpit on occasion. It’s hard to imagine a time when there was no security, ID badges or any bar to getting as close to the aircraft as you wanted, but I was there, and did it as often as I could. We will not see that level of freedom again, sad to say.

Speaking of freedom, in a sense, it’s come to my attention that in this age of Social Media and the fact that virtually the sum total of human knowledge is available on the internet, some folks feel free to post images of art without acknowledgement of the Artist, writer, what have you. It’s nice to have our work available to the general public, but there seems to be the feeling that anything found online is in the public domain, which it certainly is not. Most images found during an internet search are copyright or otherwise the property of the author and that should be taken into account when the image is used by a third party. This is certainly a sensitive subject, and one that needs some addressing, though how that is to be done remains to be seen. Ideas?

This weeks links to things that are going on in the art world:

Stella Grace Lyons continues her excellent talks that you can check out here: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

Bendor Grosvenor has a very interesting series on BBC iPlayer “Britain’s Lost Masterpieces” which is quite interesting and is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b096mhvs

The Berlinische Galerie has online tours and exhibitions here: https://berlinischegalerie.de/en/collection/our-collection/

Here are some links to yet more works of great Aviation artists:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ehangar/media

Roy Grinnell: https://www.brooksart.com/Grinnellist.html

Ronald Wong: https://www.brooksart.com/Wonglist.html

Keep safe and here’s hoping we’re able to get a bit more back to normal in the coming weeks.

What to do? How to do it?

As the Covid situation rambles on, I am at least grateful that I have time to devote to painting and drawing, since the day job has all but disappeared. I’m not whingeing, as I would rather be closeted all day with my brushes and canvases than almost anything else. Besides, I’m getting too old to go out on the motorbike when it’s -4ºC out there. Better to sit in the studio with the fan heater warming the feet.

I occasionally get asked, “How do you choose a subject to paint?”  When it comes to Aviation art, answering this can get quite complex.  There are obvious subjects, such as Spitfires, Lancasters, Mustangs, B-17s and other assorted aircraft from WWII that have almost universal appeal. If you look at various aviation art websites, these are among the most popular types and from a historical point of view, have a lot of different stories to tell. One of my problems, if you want to call it that, is that I have always gravitated to the lesser visited corners of aviation.  While I have drawn and painted the popular subjects, I actively seek out the more obscure possibilities when pondering my next work.  Though the aircraft which is portrayed may be well known, I try to find some unique setting or situation in which to set the scene.  A case in point is my painting of a GAvA sketching day at the DeHavilland Museum, which does not revolve around the operational use of the subject aircraft, but the current setting as a museum exhibit and the artists involved in the activity of concentrating on their own work.  In this case, we can ask, “What is the actual subject of the painting?” Is it the aircraft, or is it the artists who are concentrating on their work and who have not, in fact, chosen the Dove as the object of their interest? 

Sketching at DeHavilland Museum, Oil on Canvas, 2011

Unless we have been directed to a singular subject through a commission, we can often be faced with this difficult choice of subjects from the myriad of possibilities with which Aviation history presents us.  

This topic has come to mind because Paul Couper, a fellow member of the Guild of Aviation Artists has posed a “lockdown challenge”. As the result of a poll, it is up to us to choose a scene from our favourite aviation movie to paint, draw, or depict in some fashion.  

The first challenge, of course, is to decide which aviation film is one’s favourite, not an easy task for most of us Total Aviation Persons.  Having thoroughly perused the old VHS and DVD library and settled on one, the next step is to decide what scene best exemplifies the emotion, atmosphere etc., that we want to illustrate.  I know that the result of this little exercise is bound to be fascinating, because among the Aviation Art community, there is a very wide, eclectic mix of interests.  As an American, I tend to gravitate towards that side of the Atlantic in the choice of subjects, but, on the other hand, that is also countered by my 30 odd year residence in the UK.  What to do?  How to do it?  You’ll have to wait until the first of March to find out…..

While we’re still under “house arrest” courtesy of the Covid situation, we can still find a few things to look at that might interest us regarding art, either Aviation or otherwise.

Stella Grace Lyons is pressing on with her great talks on various artists.  Next Friday’s (19 Feb) offering will deal with Grant Wood and the regionalists. Her talks cost a few quid, but are well worth it and she usually has folks from all over the planet aboard.  You can go here to have a look:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rdvwA99hQPO1khleGeGhlw

You can see her other offerings here: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

There are some online courses and other events at the Tate here:

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on?daterange=fromnow&gallery_group=online

The American Society of Aviation Artists has some online interviews and other interesting features here:   https://asaa-avart.com/asaawp2014/

The Dulwich Picture Gallery has some online events and such here: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/

And of course, a selection of Aviation art from some of the best:  

Wade Meyers, as usual has a superlative selection of his work on show here: https://www.wademeyersstudios.com/works

Paul Hunt has a presence on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/PRHART63/

Neil Fraser has a nice collection here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.316153128942446&type=3

Chris Rock has a selection of his work here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.675075173050238&type=3

It looks reasonable promising that we might get released from our various lockdowns sometime this year.  Here’s hoping.  In the meantime, stay safe and keep creating art.

What colours?

Over the course of the 50 odd years that I’ve been painting, I’ve seen, heard and read a lot about the palettes that different artists choose for their work. Some folks like to work with a large array of colours and others with very few. I suppose it all is down to personal preference. Personally, I have nearly always used the same choice for everything I have done. I gravitated early to a simple selection, reasoning that if the printing industry can get away with 3 colours plus black, that should work for me. Of course printing can get away without using white, but we can’t. In the end, I chose a double primaries palette, using cool and warm shades for each colour. As far as oils go, My “standard” palette consists of Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Medium for the reds, Cerulean and Ultramarine blue and Cadmium Yellow medium and Naples yellow for the others. I usually don’t use black, preferring to mix my own, which I think gives a more harmonious blend that marries nicely with the other hues in the painting. I’ve occasionally thrown in a bit of Viridian or Sap green, but can usually get the greens I want without them. I’ve found that this palette, or a variation of it (exchanging the Ultramarine for Thalo Blue or Cobalt for example) suits the type of painting I usually do.

I’ve recently been experimenting with Gouache, and have been playing around with various palettes that seem more suited to that medium. At the moment, I’m playing with James Gurney’s Triad palettes as they are basically the same concept I’m used to in oils. If you’re not familiar with Gurney or his methods, have a look here: https://gumroad.com/l/color2

One difference from my normal practice is the occasional addition of black to the three colours plus white in the triad. I’m not used to using black in creating the hues I’m mixing, so there is a bit of a learning curve here. So far, I’m pleased with the results I’m getting, but it’s early days with gouache, so trial and error is the main event, so to speak.

I would love to hear from anyone out there about their own thoughts on colour and palettes.

On another note, I’ve been pondering over the different styles one sees when looking at Aviation Art. Looking at various sites, I’ve seen comments about the accuracy of depictions of aircraft and scenes. I’m well aware of the tendency of aficionados of Aviation paintings to want every rivet and air scoop to be photographically correct, but I think that some of the most effective artwork I’ve seen is not particularly accurate in a technical sense, but rather conveys an emotion or sets up an atmospheric scene. As one who has spent pretty much his whole adult life pushing aluminium tubes through the sky, the most memorable memories I have are the scenes which evoke a feeling. A case in point is a painting I did some years ago, which seems to elicit a marmite-like response in viewers: The title I gave the work is “Shockwave”

Now before you start complaining, yes, I know that’s not what a shockwave actually looks like. I’ve spent hours demonstrating the build up of transonic shockwaves on various aircraft and creating situations where the initial wave front is visible on the upper surface of a wing, but the accurate depiction of the wave was never the point of the picture. It was meant as an almost movie poster-like evocation of the effect that the first supersonic flights had on the aviation world: A breakthrough that would eventually lead to such marvels as Concorde. Whether or not you see it that way, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I commend those who strive for photo-realism in their work, and I admire the skill and craftsmanship that goes into such art and I also think there is room within the aviation art community for both that and the more evocative and atmospheric styles you can see in the works of artists who employ a much looser style, where not every rivet and screw is technically perfect.

Go to some of these links and see what you think:

https://www.facebook.com/PaulWarrenerArt/

https://www.ragged-edge-art.com/ragged-edge-art

https://benart.studio

As usual, here are some things going on art-wise that you can access and enjoy during this enforced time at home:

Stella Grace Lyons has some interesting talks on various artists. I’ve seen a couple of them and consider them quite worthwhile. Here’s next week’s offering on Edward Hopper: https://www.facebook.com/events/415201243026173

There’s also one coming up later in the month about Grant Wood and the Regionalists: https://www.facebook.com/events/415739243205091

The National Gallery has some virtual tours on offer: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours

And as usual, here are some links to great aviation art:

David Bryant: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049977051153

Charles Mchugh: https://www.aeroartist.com

Paulo Gonçalves: https://www.facebook.com/groups/22410068000/user/1800041828/

Stay safe. See you next week.

The Tyranny of the Blank canvas.

Whether we paint, draw, sculpt, or write, we are all faced with the occasional uncomfortable confrontation with the “blank canvas”.  In my case, it can generally manifest itself in several different but equally intimidating forms:  What the subject will be is one of the ones I encounter frequently, mostly because I have dozens of potential subjects whirling around in my head.  Right now, for instance, I am trying to come up with a good idea for a painting of the C-7A Caribou operations in Vietnam.  I have numerous photographs taken during my tour that I will certainly reference, and drawings that I have done previously, but I want to approach it from a new angle, so I’m spending a good deal of time just staring at various references and trying to find the solution.  Some of the most interesting subjects are only memories, as I was too busy with the job to be taking pictures or notes.  I’ve also got ideas for numerous other subjects, mostly aviation, but sorting them out in my mind and prioritising them is an ongoing mental challenge.

I’m also still experimenting with gouache, so thinking about how to use that to the best advantage. Or maybe I should go back to oils for a while… and then there’s the choice of support.  Canvas, board, watercolour paper, which would best suit the subject and mood I’m trying for? Then I have to decide on whether to use a toned background or just stick with white.  

At the moment, I’m at work on a gouache painting of one of my niece’s rescued foxes.  (work in progress picture below). I decided to try using some old Grumbacher HyPro paper fabric that I’ve had around since the 70s.  It was an interesting product, which could be used as a painting support on its own, with a smooth side and an imitation canvas texture on the reverse.  It can be used dry, or moistened and molded into shapes that harden into whatever you’ve sculpted them into.  I used it many moons ago when I lived in Jeddah because canvases were impossible to find at the time.  I used to soak it and stretch it over homemade frames, where it would shrink up drumhead tight.  Right now I’m using it like watercolour paper, moistened and taped to my board.  I’m using the smooth side and prepared it with a coat of gesso tinted with yellow ochre, which provides a good surface for the gouache.  It seems to be progressing just fine, but time will tell.  If it works really well, I’m going to be annoyed though, as Grumbacher doesn’t seem to make it anymore and I only have about 10 sheets left.  C’est la vie.

While we sit around waiting for whatever foolishness the government throws at us next, here are a few links to things that can break up the monotony:

Stella Grace Lyons is an art Historian who delivers online lectures on various subjects.  I’ve seen two of them. (Charles Rennie Mackintosh and The Glasgow Boys) and they are well delivered and informative.  She charges a bit for them, but I personally think they are worth it.  There are several more coming up that you can check out here:  

https://stellagracelyons.co.uk/arthistory/online-talks/

Exhibition on screen has a good number of programmes available for download or DVD and have also proven to be an informative and educational way of whiling away a rainy afternoon:

https://www.seventh-art.com/product-category/exhibition-on-screen-2/

Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, though closed at the moment, has an online talk on Richard Hamilton, a leading figure in British Pop Art. Scheduled for 25 February, you can find out more about it here:  

https://pallant.org.uk/whats-on/richard-hamilton-ways-of-seeing-in-a-modern-world/

Here are some more links to great aviation art and artists:

Ben Elton:  https://www.facebook.com/bensaviationart/?pageid=188775128399004&ftentidentifier=626042208005625&padding=0

Doug Cargill:  https://www.redbubble.com/people/hmsresolute/shop

Chris Rock:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.706482936576128&type=3

Aviation Art World:  https://aviation-art-world.com

Until next time.  Stay safe and keep you and yours healthy.

A Winter's Tail?

As I sit in my sanctum sanctorum ( Man Cave ) at the bottom of the garden, it is snowing heavily for the first time this winter. The temperature will rise later this morning, so I suspect it will all be gone by mid-afternoon. Sure looks lovely, though I’m quite happy I don’t have to drive anywhere. I do plan on taking a walk to get some photos for reference that might come in handy for future paintings.

The never-ending task of putting bread on the table meant that my art activities had to be put on hold for the week. Quite frustrating, considering that I was involved in Microsoft Teams sessions with the Auditees in Germany while sitting barely an arm’s reach from my easel. My newest project is not an aviation subject, but a painting of one of my niece’s rescue animals: a fox, in this case, who was saved from a fur farm in the US. I have a couple of aviation paintings on the go too, but this one is another attempt to get comfortable with Gouache, while the aviation ones are in my more usual oils. As I won’t be doing any more remote working for a couple of weeks, I’m hoping to get the time to seriously crack on with the artwork.

I’ve done animals before, but usually in Pencil, coloured pencil and/or ink. The pooch below was done for a work colleague and is in graphite, pen and coloured pencil on A4 Cartridge paper.

Flick

I’ve done a couple of beasties in oils as well. The foxes below are also now living a more comfortable life at my niece Nicole’s rescue centre in Florida. Those are actually two separate 8” x 10” paintings in Oil on board. The critter on the left is Libby, who was slated for extermination due to not having a tail, and Louie on the right, whose ears were seriously damaged by disease. Both animals were rejects and would have been put down, but as I say, they have been rescued and are living out their foxy lives at PAWSITIVE BEGINNINGS INC. in Florida. These are the only two oils I’ve done recently of animals, but may do more. If the idea of rescuing animals interests you, go here to check out what it’s all about: https://pawsitivebeginnings.org

While the lockdown here in the UK toddles on and keeps us close to home, here are a few links to things coming up Online that involve art and artists. Some of them cost a few pounds, but hey, it’s cheaper than the train fare to London.

Art History in Focus has some courses and presentations that cover a range of art subjects. I’m signed up for this one on the 25th as I’ve always loved El-Greco’s work;

https://www.arthistoryinfocus.com/courses/277/el-greco-and-toledo.html?fbclid=IwAR2prCF1f2gWNAibPtAC8wdJJwd7-mcEzC-qhx8TbT51J0DfhsVcpl4engE

You can go to their main web site for the full list of things available: https://www.arthistoryinfocus.com

It’s also worth checking out Stella Grace Lyons’ series of talks here: https://www.facebook.com/stellagracelyonsarthistory

The National Gallery has a good selection of talks and online tours that are quite interesting as well. Here’s a link to their menu of online goodies: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/online

In keeping with my predilection for Aviation Art, here are a few links to some of the best aviation artists in the business:

Peter Robichaud: https://www.facebook.com/studiorobichaud/

Wade Myers: https://www.wademeyersstudios.com

Alvaro Lino: https://www.instagram.com/alvarolino.art/

Rehan Siras: https://www.facebook.com/RehanSirajAviationArt

Take care and stay safe. ‘Til next week.

Are We There Yet?

Another week has managed to slip by and I’ve just finished (?) my first painting using gouache as a medium.

I am reasonable pleased with it and will most likely try another one soon, though I have a couple of oils in the pipeline that need attention too. The question mark above brings to mind something that I think all artists ponder. Namely, the thought; ‘is this painting / drawing really done, or am I just not seeing the little tweaks that will polish it off?’ When I look at artists’ comments about their work, I often see the remark “ I think I’ll call this one done.”, which leads me to believe that this lack of surety about how “done” a work is, is somewhat endemic with visual artists perhaps more than with some other creative endeavours, though I suspect this nagging doubt plagues writers, composers, or any variety of artist.

I know that when I “finish” a painting, I’ll let it sit for a few days or weeks, then come back to it and try to see it objectively, though that’s pretty hard. My eye always picks out the little imperfections that exist in any hand-worked product and I agonise over whether to do something about them or not.  My left brain wants technical perfection, and the right brain wants artistic perfection; not exactly the same things.  Coming from a career as a military and civilian pilot, I tend toward the technical perfection side and find that it takes quite a bit of effort to “loosen up” and accept things that are not of a photo-realistic nature.  Still, without these challenges, life would be boring.  A bit of tension helps in the process of creation when it comes to art.  At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

In the current lockdownish situation, we are still unable to visit museums, but there continue to be online / virtual exhibitions and events of which we can take advantage.  Here are a few to think about:

The Art Fund has several virtual tours and events available that you can access here:  https://www.artfund.org/whats-on/art-and-stuff

The National Gallery keeps adding to their online events and exhibitions:  https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/stories

There are also a number of upcoming events and lectures available on Facebook which are art related:  

The Art of Frederic Leighton and Leighton House

https://www.facebook.com/events/3491467100931722

Online Lecture; El Greco and Toledo

https://www.facebook.com/events/246206277046567/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%7D

Charles Rennie Macintosh: More than just a Tearoom:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1708302062662534/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%7D

Edward Hopper: The Art of Isolation

https://www.facebook.com/events/415201243026173

As usual, here are some links to some of the best Aviation art around:

Ben Holmes has just published his web site. Go here to see some really great work: https://benart.studio/?fbclid=IwAR14LTL0WSDlKZ9pnGftZV_BuIAuKEYLVoP-Za5B760q41bwDUd4KZ4wN-0

Graham Henderson: https://grahamhendersongava.co.uk

Steve Stonestreet: https://www.facebook.com/StonestreetsArt/

Stay safe and healthy: until next time,

Cheers

Move along now, nothing to see here.....

Another week has passed and the situation here in the UK seems to be just as bewildering as before. Obviously, the solution is to immerse oneself in art, or other creative endeavours that might take our minds off the relative chaos of the present muddle. I’ve been proceeding fairly slowly with my first attempt with gouache, which I must say, is turning out to be instructive. As I spent most of the last 50 years in various metal tubes at 35,000’ and was usually too jet-lagged to concentrate on experimentation when on the ground, I always stuck with pen and pencil on my travels and oils when home for my days off. Having the time to learn a new technique and medium is proving to be very uplifting. Chris Draper ( https://www.chrisdraperartist.com ) put me on to James Gurney’s videos on YouTube which I’ve found to be extremely helpful in figuring out how to proceed. You can check out his web site here: https://jamesgurney.com/site/, and his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/gurneyjourney. If, like me, you are new to gouache, there is a lot there to inspire and motivate you. If you are practiced in the use of the medium, there are lots of tips on composition and use of colour. Worth a visit.

My own first go at the medium is, as I said, proceeding slowly, as I experiment and find my feet with it. The subject commemorates the 80th anniversary of the entry of the DeHavilland DH 98 Mosquito into operational service in 1941. The specific scene is that of a group of volunteers at the DeHavilland Museum rolling their Mosquito B.MK.35 out of the hangar, an event that occurred during a Guild of Aviation Artists’ sketching day back in 2011. Here’s some background on this aircraft from the museum’s web site: ( https://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk )

“The Museum’s exhibit flew in 1945 as a B.Mk.35 TA634 and was one of the last Mosquitos built at Hatfield powered by a pair of Merlin 114s .This aircraft was later adapted for target-towing as a B (TT) Mk. 35.In November 1953 it entered service with CAACU moving to the HQ 2nd TAF in March 1956.Its final service duty was with 3CAACU at Exeter in September 1959 and upon its retirement it was flown to Speke Airport on the 6th November 1963 for the Liverpool Corporation to preserve in a new Terminal Complex.

The project did not happen and the aircraft became one of the Mosquitos that flew in the film “Mosquito Squadron” which took place at Bovingdon Airfield, Hertfordshire during June and July 1968.

It was last flown on 16th July when it was flown back to Liverpool by the late Neil Williams and on the 15th May 1971 it was officially handed over to the Museum at Salisbury Hall.”

I’ve wanted to develop this painting for some time now, and the latest lockdown provides me with the time necessary to devote to it. I’m not rushing through it, and I’m sure it will not turn out as good as I want it to be, but one step at a time….

On other art related notes, There are a few things available online as far as tutorials and such. Here’s one example from the Royal Academy:

http://tracking.wordfly.com/view/?sid=MTYzNF8xMzk5Ml8zODk2NjFfNzAzOQ&l=31cad0b2-3f45-eb11-a82b-0050569dd3d9&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AE_LifeDrawingLive_d_Marketing_080121&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=632965

There are also some events and tutorials that might be of interest on the National Gallery web site:

http://tracking.wordfly.com/view/?sid=MTY0Nl8zMDgzNV85NDUxNTdfNzAxOQ&l=7d3bfc8c-0051-eb11-a825-0050569d715d&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2021January_Newsletter_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=91060

In keeping with my usual habit, here are a few links to some great aviation (and other) art:

David Burchett: https://arts.damecatherines.org/product-category/entries/david-burchettd41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e/

Dan Tearle: https://www.instagram.com/dantearle/

Marc Heaton: https://www.facebook.com/MarcHeatonArt/

Stay safe and be careful out there.

Welcome to my (2021) world

As this is the first post of the new year, I was hoping to find something pithy and intense with which to start the blog, but so far nothing asserts itself.  We all had a pretty rough ride in 2020 and most of us are glad to see the back of it.  Major changes in our lives have affected the way we live and the current semi-lockdown here in the UK means more of the same when it comes to lack of social interaction.  On a personal level, we had a somewhat subdued Christmas and new year due to the inability to get together with family and friends. (I know, I’m one of those boring types who actually abides by the government guidelines on Covid-19) The upside to the enforced solitude is that I have been able to devote more time to my drawing and painting.

Two works are in progress at the moment, though one is more of an idea than an actual WIP, but I’ve set aside the time in the coming week to start on it and picked the medium, which will be pencil / coloured pencil on Bristol board.  The one work I’ve made some progress with is somewhat of a departure for me:  I’m doing a tribute to the 80th anniversary of the entry of the DeHavilland Mosquito into active service in November 1941.  I’ve always loved the lines of the Mosquito and been intrigued by the wooden construction, so this is a treat for me.  I decided that it’s time I branched out a bit from oil painting and pen and pencil drawing, so doing this one in gouache on Strathmore Watercolour paper.  As I’ve never worked with gouache before, this is taking time and the learning curve seems rather steep.  I’ve decided to take my time with it, so no pressure to finish it quickly.  I take inspiration and encouragement from the works of other Aviation Artists I know who work in gouache and will be interested to see how it goes.  I’m happy with the work so far, but we’ll see how it works out in the end.  More about the context when I get it finished.

Looking forward to this year, I do hope that we can get some sketching days organised with the Guild of Aviation Artists.  This roller-coaster lockdown lark is certainly throwing up barriers, but we will see as the year progresses.  I also plan on doing some plein air painting in the South Downs with another artist friend of mine who lives a couple of blocks away.  There are plenty of old churches, abbeys and other ruins around here that are worthy of a visit (with appropriate social distancing, of course).

With various lockdowns in place for the foreseeable future, those of us who frequent museums are going to continue getting our art fix online.  Here are a few of the upcoming events:

The Royal Academy has some links to films and documentaries available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and iPlayer.  Go here to have a look:  https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/10-artist-movies-and-documentaries-to-watch-on-netflix-amazon-iplayer

The RA also has an interesting article on tips from well known creatives:  https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/creative-advice-from-artists-architects-academicians

The Tate is also currently closed, but you can view over 77,000 works of art via their website.  go here and enjoy.  https://www.tate.org.uk/search?type=artwork

Here are some events coming up via Facebook, for those of you so inclined:

https://www.facebook.com/events/581245542747775/

https://www.facebook.com/events/862013124550964/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5B%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D%5D%7D

https://www.facebook.com/events/1367947876713529/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5B%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D%5D%7D

https://www.facebook.com/events/740453069900921/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5B%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D%5D%7D

As usual, here are some links to fabulous Aviation Art: 

Simon Mumford: http://simonmumford.co.uk/

Chris Draper: https://www.chrisdraperartist.com/

Alan Bateman: https://www.facebook.com/groups/379992775532280/user/1479747187

Until next time. I hope the new year is kind to all.

Once more into the breach

This last week leading up to Christmas has been somewhat hectic, but here I am on Sunday wondering what the heck happened. Like so many things, the build-up is long and slow and full of sound and fury, but the actual event is over in a flash. As we here in Southeast England are now in yet another forced lockdownish situation, I plan on spending the next week at the easel. I’m currently labouring over three works; two related to C-7A Caribou operations during the Vietnam war, and one commemorating the 80th anniversary of the DeHavilland Mosquito’s entry into active service in WW2. There are a few more projects lurking in the recesses of my mind that will soon start to take shape as well.

Unfortunately, due to the depredations of the Covid Virus, most, if not all, art venues in the southern half of the UK are closed, though some have posted some online exhibitions and events that I’ve listed below. Have a look and perhaps you might even try the RA quiz and see just how much of an expert you really are.

I’ve also include some more links to the web sites of aviation artists for you to enjoy.

Here’s hoping the coming year will enable us to get out and about to do some sketching, painting or just looking.

Until next week.

Royal Academy: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/the-great-art-quiz-of-2020?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AE_BoxingDay_d_MARKETING_261220&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=632467

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester: https://pallant.org.uk/whats-on/

National Gallery - Artemisia: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/artemisia

National Portrait Gallery: https://www.npg.org.uk

Here are some links to individual Aviation Artists as well:

Vincent Nevin: https://www.wirralsocietyarts.org/gallery/vincent-nevin-2/

David Livesley: https://gava.org.uk/2019-gallery?start=240

Jonathan Westwood: https://www.westyart.co.uk

Right or Left side of the Brain?

This last week, I’ve been distracted from any artistic activity due to the never-ending quest to put bread on the table.  5 days of MS Teams meetings with folks in China meant getting up at 03:00 local time.  The up-side to that is that I had a good portion of the afternoon to think a bit about something that has been on my mind for some time.

It’s been my observation that aviation artists tend to fall into two categories: those who draw and paint with almost photographic accuracy and those who take a looser, more unstructured approach.  As I’ve spent pretty much my whole adult life in the highly structured technological world of driving airplanes around the sky, my artwork tends toward the more technically accurate type which is sometimes linked to the left side of the brain.  This is fine, as far as it goes, but somewhere inside is a yearning to loosen up and get more “painterly” and use a more right brained, less structured approach to painting.  I’ve had some success with non-aviation subjects, (see the painting of the camel in the sandstorm on this web site). That work was done only with palette knife and was never intended to be more than an impression.  I also painted the small Sopwith Pup on my “latest works” page with a much looser than normal style and a lot of palette knife work.  While I’m happy with it, it takes me out of my comfort zone and I do that sort of painting with a lot less confidence than I do ordinarily.  I find this frustrating as I would dearly love to cut loose and push the boat out a bit more.  I’m not sure if anyone else feels this sort of conflict.  Regardless, I will forge ahead and force myself to get bolder with my work.  Whether I ever show any of the results to anyone is a bridge I’ll cross when I come to it.

As far as things to see in the world of art this week, it’s going to be very hard, in the run up to Christmas, to get out and about, what with the change in Covid restrictions.  Thankfully, our little corner of Hampshire is still (fingers crossed) in Tier 2, but now part of the family is in a tier 4 area, so no visits to them, or shopping in Portsmouth or Havant for that matter.  Be that as it may, there are still some art related things to see online and on TV.

The 5 part Series “Great Art” is still available on ITV Hub and Britbox, with looks at the lives and works of a number of Artists.

Artcast is a streaming service that displays art on a TV. It's available on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The app features over 400 galleries filled with fine art, photography, and videos. The galleries are auto-looped, so you don't have to come back later and restart playback.  You can go here to have a look:  https://artcast.tv/stream/

Artnet haș links to 9 tv series related to art and art history that can be streamed or watched on a variety of platforms. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-history-tv-series-1843368

As is my usual practice, here are some links to the pages of some more outstanding aviation artists:  Enjoy!!

Ronald Wong:  https://ronaldtkwong.com

Derek Blois:  https://www.derekblois.co.uk

Simon Atack:  https://www.simonatack.com

Phil Jackson:  http://philjacksonart.com/Phil_Jackson_art/WELCOME.html

Don’t forget that the online GAvA exhibition is still on at:  https://www.artsteps.com/embed/5fb7de5cec7b9d30697459b8/560/315.  It runs until the 23rd, so there’s still a chance for you to fill that empty spot on the living room wall with an outstanding example of aviation art.

’Til next time….

Almost there....

Another week of semi-lockdown has past and the run up to Christmas is gathering pace. I’ve been tinkering with a drawing to mark the 80th anniversary of the entry of the DeHavilland Mosquito into service. It’s an aircraft I’ve always admired (and would love to fly) and it certainly has a rich and varied history. I’ll let you know how it. goes. Next week will be spent performing a remote Audit on an airline in China, so probably not much time at the easel. As the Microsoft Teams meetings will start at 06:00 GMT each day, it’s going to be an interesting gig. Early to bed and early to rise, to sort of quote Ben Franklin. This long period of no travel has given me a lot to think about. I spent about 50 years being gone from home for 2 to 3 weeks every month in the pursuit of my flying career. Even after retirement from active flying, my life as an aviation safety auditor and instructor kept me on the move, often to places I can’t even pronounce properly. I’ve met and worked with great people all over the world, but being home since mid March has changed my perspective quite a bit. I’ve managed to do more drawing and painting in 8 months than in the previous 8 years and have also learned that jet-lag isn’t a normal human condition. We’ll see how the future pans out.

Art-wise, there are (at the moment, Covid permitting) a few things to have a look at around and about London and South. If you’re a Turner fan, there’s an exhibition running until 7 March 2021 at Tate Britain. Find out about it here: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turners-modern-world. If contemporary art is your thing, then there are several exhibitions going at Tate Modern as well: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern . if you’re in the vicinity of Chichester, there’s an exhibition about Christmas cards and their history in Britain: https://pallant.org.uk/whats-on/christmas-greetings-by-modern-british-artists/

For those of you further north there’s the Manchester Art Gallery, which, among other things is featuring the works from Grayson Perry’s Art Club. Have a look: https://manchesterartgallery.org/microsites/temp_homepage/home.html

That’s it for this week. If you find any exhibitions or galleries you think should be mentioned, drop me a line and I’ll have a look myself.

The Guild of Aviation Artists on-line exhibition has been extended until the 23rd of December, so plenty of time left to have a look and enjoy the fantastic aviation art on display. https://www.artsteps.com/embed/5fb7de5cec7b9d30697459b8/560/315

Below are some links to more the Aviation art web sites of some very talented and gifted artists:

Alex Hamilton: https://www.alexhamilton.net

Neil Hipkiss: https://www.neilhipkiss.com

Mark Postlethwaite: https://www.posart.com

Stephen Chard: https://hansenfineart.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=22_97_117

The Exhibition is open

The Guild of Aviation Artists Virtual Pop Up Exhibition is now here. It is open to the public from 11:00 today (7th December) until the 11th. This is the Guild’s first virtual exhibit, so wander over and have a good look, and possibly buy some art. I have two works listed and am very pleased.

https://www.artsteps.com/embed/5fb7de5cec7b9d30697459b8/560/315

Clearing Skies

There finally seem to be some bright spots on the horizon, with the possibility of a viable vaccine for Covid-19 and the UK government letting us out of our cages for Christmas.

An art-related ray of sunshine is the upcoming Guild of Aviation Artists Virtual Exhibition that will run from the 7th of December (Pearl Harbour day for my countrymen) to the 11th. Considering the fact that this year’s exhibition at the Mall Galleries was cancelled due to the Pandemic, it’s great that the Guild has managed, at short notice, to put something together so that our artwork will be available. There will be 108 works of aviation art exhibited and I’ve been fortunate enough to have two of my paintings selected. I’m quite pleased with that. The Exhibition will be online, of course, and I’ll post a link to it as soon as I have one, which will be on Monday morning. The screen shot below gives an idea of what it will look like. You’ll be able to stroll around and study the artwork and, hopefully, decide to buy one or two. Prices listed include UK shipping.

On another note, due to the enforced leisure we’ve had for the past 8 months or so, I’ve been pondering the effect of chance or serendipity in how our lives play out. When I look back, I can identify a few forks in the road which resulted in me being where I am now in my life.

Not to get too detailed, my somewhat accidental passing of the USAF Flight Medical exam led to an aviation career that has lasted over 50 years. Not bad for an avowed aviation anorak who had every possible Plastic model of WW2 aircraft hanging from the ceiling. Considering that I have a degree in German and Russian, entry into Aviation was unexpected, but fortuitous. Though I have been drawing and painting for almost as long as my flying career, it has not been until the last 8 months that I have been able to devote the time and energy to my passion for art that had for so long taken a back seat in the never ending quest for a crust of bread.

The answering of a two line ad in an aviation magazine was the fork in the road that eventually led to my being ensconced in East Hampshire rather than New Hampshire. The ad was looking for pilots for an “overseas” assignment on the Boeing 707. The assignment turned out to be with Saudi Arabian Airlines, a job that resulted in introducing me to more places in the world than I had ever imagined. It also resulting in meeting the British lady I’ve been married to ever since.

I could go on, but you get the drift. At many points in our lives we encounter unexpected opportunities for expansion of our horizons. These opportunities should not be summarily dismissed. Often, a leap of faith brings dividends we can’t foresee.

Enough philosophical rambling: What’s happening now in the art world?

Seventh Art Productions has a comprehensive selection of art related films available for DVD, Download or Streaming. I’ve seen a number of these and they are perfect for a rainy afternoon or evening (with or without a nice Single Malt). Go here to have a look: https://www.seventh-art.com/product-category/art/

The TATE has an online presence and you can look at their online galleries here: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/collection-on-display

Or you could head over to the Guild of Aviation Artists and have an online stroll through their extensive galleries: https://gava.org.uk/all-galleries

As far as individual Aviation artists, here are a few more links to browse:

Chris French: http://www.chrisfrenchart.co.uk

Paul Warrener: https://www.facebook.com/PaulWarrenerArt/

Neil Higgs: http://www.soaringscenes.co.uk

That’s it for this week. Stay safe and warm (or cool if you’re in Phoenix)

Lockdown Blues

I can’t say that the past week has been particularly productive in terms of art. I’ve started a new drawing and will keep at it until I’m happy with it, but most of my attention this past week has been focussed on preparing for Thanksgiving (not a big thing here in the UK, but we keep up the American holidays as well as the British ones, so there you go). I notice from cruising the art web sites that there are some events and exhibitions out there, and some good programmes on the various catch up TV channels. We just watched a rather interesting program on Vincent Van Gogh’s fascination with Japan and how Japanese art and techniques influenced his own art. Actually, you can access two different programmes on this subject. Here: https://www.seventh-art.com/shop/van_gogh_and_japan/ Which you can view on the web and Here: https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week46/great-art If you can access ITV Hub. Both are quite enlightening and entertaining.

There is also a good look at the available exhibitions and events in London, most of which have been modified to comply with all of the government COVID restrictions, which make it difficult, but not impossible to get out and about to enjoy art even now. https://secretldn.com/art-exhibitions-london/

In addition to the above, the Guild of Aviation Artists is planning a Virtual Exhibition that opens Monday 7 December at 11 am for sales – closes 23 December. It will be hosted on Artsteps.com. Stay tuned for more details.

Speaking of the Guild of Aviation Artists, here are some more links to members’ web sites:

Martin Bleasby. http://martinbleasby.co.uk/

Russ Proctor https://www.rpfineart.com/

Phil Hadley https://philiphadleyart.co.uk/

Once again, if you want to look at some fine examples of aviation and other art, you can’t go wrong looking up these folks.

Looking East

I spent 15 years living in Jeddah and the experience gave me a deep appreciation for the architecture of the old buildings and dwellings found in the Middle East. During my time with Saudi Arabian Airlines, I visited many cities and countries from Morocco to Sri-Lanka. Each locale has its own unique style of building, but with a common thread of Islamic decoration. This scene (Cairo in the 1920s) is from way before my time, of course, but some of these mosques and other buildings can still be found if you look for them.

Cairo Street Scene, 1920s. Various products with this image available here: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/62852391

This week, I continue to give you links to the sites of some of the finest Aviation artists in the UK. Of course Aviation art is only one aspect of their output, which includes many different areas. There’s plenty to engage your interest. Have a look:

Philip E. West - http://www.philipewest.co.uk

Richard Wheatland - http://www.richardwheatland.com

Andrew Latham - https://ruislipartists.co.uk/member/andrew-latham-gava/

Graham Cooke - http://www.grahamcooke-art.co.uk

The Beat goes on

It’s week two of our second lockdown here in the UK and the nearly constant rain isn’t helping matters if you want to get out and about. I had planned to head off to a few old churches and buildings for a bit of sketching, but the weather has forced me indoors, so I’m spending some time going through my catalogue of old reference photos to get some inspiration for my next efforts. I prefer to draw from life, but sometimes relying on a set of pictures taken on site is the only way to possible. I don’t like copying directly from photographs, but I usually take a selection to work from and use them for detail and perspective. As the festive season is fast approaching, I’ve also begun work on this year’s Christmas cards.

On another note, as the galleries and exhibitions are down for the duration of the the current craziness, you can go here to download or stream some interesting exhibitions and films about art and artists. I’ve seen several of them and they are quite interesting and informative. https://exhibitiononscreen.com

As before, here are links to some fine artists who share a passion for Aviation Art and are accomplished in that and other subjects. This week, I’m focussing on the Welsh contingent from the Guild of Aviation Artists, with whom I have spent pleasant hours sketching and chatting.

John Wynne Hopkins: https://www.facebook.com/johnwynnehopkinsartist/

Ieuan Layton-Matthews: https://www.facebook.com/ieuan.laytonmatthews.5

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

If you want to see how a true master works up a painting of Spitfires, go here to see Charles Thompson work his magic : https://youtu.be/zOvIntGGjrI

I hope you enjoy the links.

Here we go again!!!

As the days draw in and we head towards winter, November has become another month of Lockdown here in the UK. The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has become the season of frustration and boredom. At least there is a good excuse for spending more time at the easel and tweaking those paintings and drawings that are still works in progress.

One of the things that we can do is to get away from the news channels, full of gloom and doom. Whether it’s the latest “science” that can’t decide if we are doomed or not, or the Election in my homeland, which is beginning to look like the plot of a Hollywood horror film, the world outside has enough negativity to fill an ocean.

Here’s a better idea: Head over to these web sites to see what other aviation artists are up to these days.

www.davidyoungartist.co.uk

www.ragged-edge-art.com

www.paulcouper.com

www.robhames.com

I have spent quite a few pleasant hours with these fine gentlemen during sketching days sponsored by the Guild of Aviation Artists at venues in the south of England. Well worth a visit to their sites; and for a broader overview of the Aviation Art scene, head here as well:

www.gava.org.uk

I’ll be adding other links as time goes by. Check back occasionally.

CATCHING UP

Oct 2020

It’s been quite the ride so far this year. Lives have changed drastically for most of us. For me, it’s been a major shift from constant travel for work to having more time than ever to get on with painting and drawing. One has to take the rough with the smooth. I’ve had a chance to re-vamp this web site and I hope that it is an improvement over the last incarnation, which suffered from my having to focus on my auditing and teaching jobs.

I plan to devote more time to this blog, which will focus on subjects and news related to art of all kinds, and hopefully list some exhibitions and shows as it becomes possible to open things up again.

Once again, I hope you like what you see here. If you are moved to purchase any products with the artwork presented you can go here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/artistav8r/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown

I will be Updating information and adding to the collection as often as I can. This is bound to be a work in progress, so stop in now and then to see what’s new.

I am aware that some of the works have incomplete captions or information and I’m working as fast as I can to update all of them.