Navair Rising, © Keith Ferris
19th ANNUAL
February 4 – April 26, 2013
19th ANNUAL
February 4 – April 26, 2013
CAE SimuFlite is proud to present the 19th Annual Horizons of Flight Aviation
Art Exhibition and Competition. This event, first held in 1993, supports aviation
artists and gives the public an opportunity to view their original work.
Many of these works are available for sale. Contact Margie Badyna,
972.456.8000. Sales inquiries will be relayed to the original artists.
page i
Exhibition Awards Judge
Robert Ligon
Distinguished University Teaching Professor Eric Ligon is the Associate
Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at the College of Visual Arts
and Design at the University of North Texas. He is also a member of the
communication design faculty, in which he teaches the full array of courses
at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. (He especially loves the
typography courses.) Ligon is president and cofounder of BrailleInk., a
non-profit organization that produces dual-use, braille and print children’s
books that encourage sighted and blind individuals to share reading time.
His design work on this format has been featured in People Magazine,
the Lions Club International Magazine and a variety of local and national
newspapers, radio and television news programs. Additionally, with his
colleague Keith Owens, he redesigned the entire identity system for UNT,
as well as the new identity system for the University of North Texas
Dallas. Professor Ligon earned his MFA in Communication Design from
the University of North Texas and his BFA in Communication Design
from Pratt Institute.
page ii
Exhibition Jurists
Gerald Asher
Gerald Asher is a third generation aviator and self taught artist. He began
creating his original works as a sideline business while still enlisted in
the U.S. Air Force as a jet aircraft mechanic. He has been a contributor
to the Air Force Art Program since 1981, through which his art hangs in
the halls of the Pentagon and other government installations around the
world. As a Charter Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists,
he has served the membership in a variety of capacities, including two
consecutive terms as President. He has created works for book covers,
calendar and magazine illustration, as well as model kit “box art.” A father
of two grown sons, he and his wife, Meg, reside in North Richland Hills,
Tex.
Cher Pruys
Cher Pruys is a self taught artist who specializes in bush planes that dot
the skies above her home in Northern Ontario. Her works can be found
in private and corporate collections around the world. Cher has won
numerous awards for her paintings, and has graced the covers of many
magazines as well as four book covers. Cher is a member of both the
American Association of Aviation Artists as well as the Canadian Society
of Aviation Artists.
Michael Flahault
Michael Flahault was born in Montreal and raised in Montreal, Paris and
London. He is a self-taught artist and a graduate of McGill University.
Michael has been a critical influence in the Canadian Forces Artists
Program, having created and proposed the idea for its formation and
implementation. His aviation art has won numerous awards at international
exhibitions including the 1998 Horizons of Flight Best of Show and two
Awards of Merit.
page iii
page iv
Artists and Works
(Listed alphabetically by artist’s last name. Dimensions are in inches;
height precedes width.)
Gerald Asher
Wymond’s Show
24x36; Oil; $4,500
Following William Wyler’s color documentary on the B-17
“Memphis Belle,” the award-winning director filmed a similar work
around the activities of a Corsica-based Army Air Forces fighterbomber unit. Titled “Thunderbolt,” the film focused on LTC Gilbert
O. Wymond and his command of the 65th Fighter Squadron of the
57th Fighter Group. Here, Wymond rolls in to lead his flight in a
dive-bombing strike against enemy-held bridges in central Italy as
part of Operation Strangle in the summer of 1944.
Gerald Asher is a third generation aviator and self taught artist. He began
creating his original works as a sideline business while still enlisted in
the U.S. Air Force as a jet aircraft mechanic. He has been a contributor
to the Air Force Art Program since 1981, through which his art hangs in
the halls of the Pentagon and other government installations around the
world. As a Charter Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists,
he has served the membership in a variety of capacities, including two
consecutive terms as President. He has created works for book covers,
calendar and magazine illustration, as well as model kit “box art.” A father
of two grown sons, he and his wife, Meg, reside in North Richland Hills,
Texas.
page 1
Ardell Bourgeois
Position Confirmed
22x30; Oil; $3,700
A Harvard Mk. II flying from the BCATP base at Penhold, Alberta
passes over Barrhead (Northwest of Edmonton) while on a training
flight. The iconic grain elevators that dotted the landscape were
useful navigation tools as they were proudly emblazoned with the
town name. While a student could come to find they were not where
they wanted to be, they at least knew where they were.
Ardell was born in Alberta and settled in Sardis, British Columbia after
his father’s retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces. He attended the
Emily Carr College of Art and Design, majoring in Animation and Three
Dimensional Studies. Ardell is currently working as a freelance artist with
a primary interest in aviation subject matter (a lifelong obsession.) He has
had works accepted in many international aviation art exhibits, receiving
awards including those from EAA and ArtFlight. He received Best in Show
in the 2011 Horizons of Flight exhibition and competition.He was selected
to participate in the pilot project for the Canadian Forces Artist Program
and traveled overseas to observe the Air Force contingent of Operation
Apollo (the Canadian contribution to the war on terrorism.) Ardell is
an active member and former President of the Canadian Aviation Artist
Association and member of the American Society of Aviation Artists.
page 2
Mark Bray
Tail Rotor Triage
24x20; Pencil; $750
The painting attempts to capture the interaction that must exist
between man and machine – a relationship necessary to the survival
of both. A pre-flight is being performed on the tail rotor section of
a Navy Seahawk. This Seahawk is part of the Helicopter Maritime
Strike Squadron 41 (HSM-41) Seahawks as indicated by the “TS”
on the tail rotor pylon. It is based at NAS North Island San Diego,
Calif. – one of the premier helicopter training squadrons of the
United States Navy.
Born in Kansas City, Mo., Mark spent his childhood drawing and painting
whenever he could. He grew up watching his father, a part time commercial
artist, work at home on various projects. Taking every art class available
from elementary school on, Mark was hooked at an early age. After high
school, Mark attended Texas State Technical Institute where he studied
Architectural Drafting and Design and from there attended Texas A&M
University majoring in Environmental Design. Mark worked as an
illustrator for the Texas A&M department of Archaeology while studying
there. Mark works with pencil, watercolor and oil. Painting and drawing
a wide variety of subject matter, Mark has recently been focused on the
worlds of aviation and aerospace.
page 3
Hank Caruso
Feet Wet
16x20; Ink & Prismacolor; $850
U.S. Army Air Forces Lt. Col. “Jimmy” Doolittle led sixteen B-25
Mitchell bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet to downtown Tokyo
on 18 April 1942. 1Lt. Ted Lawson’s Ruptured Duck barely cleared
the wave tops because the fuel-laden bomber was inadvertently
launched with its flaps still raised.
page 4
Retro Reticence
16x20; Ink & Prismacolor; $1,400
The first Americans travelled into space wedged in cramped Project
Mercury capsules launched atop ballistic missiles. Then-U.S. Marine
Corps LtCol. (and future U.S. Senator) John Glenn became the first
American to orbit the earth in the capsule he named Friendship
7. After three orbits, telemetry indicated that the capsule’s critical
heat shield might be loose. As a result, the retrorocket pack was left
in place on the heat shield to help keep it secured. Glenn and the
capsule returned safely to Earth.
Hank Caruso’s AerocaturesTM are internationally recognized as some of
the most novel and distinctive images in aviation art today. Trained as both
an artist and test engineer, Hank’s familiarity with aviation technology
and aircraft operations enable him to convincingly show how flight crews
feel about their aircraft and how the aircraft feel about themselves. His
careful draftsmanship and attention to detail add a strong sense of realism
to his dynamic portrayals of each aircraft’s unique personality. Hank is an
Artist Fellow in the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA) and a
regular contributor to the U.S. Air Force Art Program and Naval Aviation
News. Many military aviation squadrons, government organizations,
and commercial businesses have commissioned his aerocatuaresTM for
branding and special events.
page 5
Douglas Castleman
RF-101 Voodoo
8x24; Oil; $500
The painting is a simple view of a Voodoo in flight, with warm clouds
about.
Douglas Castleman is a watercolor and oil painter. He also works
as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. He enjoys painting
representational art, mainly aviation related, along with landscape and
marine subjects. He is a member of several art associations, including the
Los Angeles Society of Illustrators and the American Society of Aviation
Artists as an Artist Member. Douglas has had four solo exhibitions in the
Los Angeles area. He teaches watercolor for the Yosemite Association,
and to many private clients. He holds an art degree from California State
University, Northridge and a computer graphic degree and a multi-media
degree from Platt College, Cerritos, Calif. He resides in Torrance, Calif.
page 6
Don DeGasperi
Loening Over Coco Solo
30x44; Oil; $7,000
A Loening OL-9 is depicted on a southwest heading over the Gatoon
Lake in the Panama Canal. The markings are of Utility Squadron
One (VJ-1B) operating from Fleet Air Base, Coco Solo, Panama
Canal Zone in the early 1930s.
In 1991, DeGasperi retired from the Los Alamos National Laboratory
after 25 years as a Senior Technical Artist. He specialized in drawing
and air rendering precise, minutely-detailed, highly-classified, cut-away illustrations used for various scientific, congressional, and other
governmental agencies. He has won 9 awards in the EAA Art Competition
since 1978. No longer a private pilot and aircraft owner, he still pursues
other aviation hobbies—designing, building, and flying electric-powered
RC scale model aircraft. He lives in Albuquerque, N.Mex. with his wife
Peggy.
page 7
William Dodge
Gulfstream G550
24x36; Oil; $4,000
A Gulfstream G550 climbs to cruising altitude through late afternoon
clouds.
William Dodge is a classically trained artist in the tradition of the old
masters, having studied at the Academy of Traditional Painting of Harold
Ransom Stevenson, a personal student of Norman Rockwell. In a career
spanning thirty years, he has created artwork for major publishers in New
York. He is a faculty member in the Visual Communications Department
at Farmingdale State College in N.Y. He is a long time member of the
American Society of Aviation Artists. He resides on Long Island, N.Y.
page 8
Lou Drendel
Strike Eagle One
24x36; Acrylic; $900
The painting depicts an F-15E of the 336th FS, 4th FW during an
Operation Iraqi Freedom mission in 2003. It was based at Al Udeid
AB in Qatar during March and April of 2003.
Lou Drendel’s paintings have appeared in many publications including the
Chicago Tribune, Time-Life Publications, The Journal of the American
Aviation Historical Society, EAA Warbirds Magazine, and in the 60+ books
he has authored on military aviation for Squadron/Signal Publications and
for ARCO Publishers. He has also authored and published “The Lima Lima
Flight Team: The Life and Times of the World’s First Civilian six-Ship
Formation Aerobatic Team”, and three new Kindle books, “B-25 Mitchell
Illustrated,” “Aviation Art of Lou Drendel II” and “P-47 Thunderbolt
Illustrated.” Lou is a founding member of the famous Lima Lima Flight
Team, where he flew both Team Lead and Solo Lead. He has logged over
3,900 hours in the T-34 Mentor and served as president of the national
T-34 Association. He is a Life Member of EAA and a former director of
the EAA Warbirds of America. Lou and wife Carol live in Venice, Fla.
page 9
Alex Durr
Air Refueling
26x72; Oil; $2,500
The painting depicts a F-4S “Phantom” pilot’s perspective of air
refueling from another Marine aircraft, a KC-130, at Twentynine
Palms, Calif.
Alex Durr is a Ft. Worth artist and pilot. He received a degree in Fine Art
(painting) from the Florida State University in 1983. Following graduation
he served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a fighter pilot. He recently retired
from the Marine Reserves following thirty years of service, including two
deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently flies for American
Airlines as a 757/767 international co-pilot. He has works in the National
Museums of Naval Aviation and Marine Corps and is a member of the
American Society of Aviation Artists.
page 10
Kevin Farrell
Symmetry
22x30; Oil; $1,000
A Southwest Boeing 737 is about to land at PDX Portland, Ore. on
a clear sunny summer afternoon.
Born in Staten Island, N. Y., Kevin Farrell attended life drawing classes at
the Art Students League of New York part-time and was awarded a merit
scholarship for one year full-time study with fine artist Peter Cox. Kevin
specializes in transportation subjects, city and industrial landscapes.
page 11
Keith Ferris
High Summer, 1940
24x32; Oil; $10,000
The painting depicts a typical day in the Battle of Britain whereby
the workhorse of the battle, the Hawker Hurricane, is seen flashing
past our view from below as we observe the contrails and air-toair combat between the more glamorous Supermarine Spitfire and
a Messerschmitt Bf-109E high above. This is a loving study of a
seldom seen view of the Hurricane. The challenge was to create a
fully three-dimensional portrait of the aircraft in this view while
maintaining true spatial relationships in the painting.
page 12
Keith Ferris has spent his entire life in the midst of military aviation. From
his upbringing on the grass flying fields of the Army Air Corps of the
thirties, the massive build-up of the Army Air Forces through World War
II, to the advent of the jet age, Keith has lived aviation. He has made his
career the documentation and portrayal of flight through art. Throughout
his 65year art career, he has served the advertising, editorial, public
relations, and historical documentation needs of the aerospace industry,
aviation publications, the military services and air and space museums.
Mr. Ferris created the 25 foot high by 75 foot wide mural in oil “Fortresses
Under Fire” in the World War II Gallery of the National Air and Space
Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the 20
foot by 75 foot Evolution of Jet Aviation mural in the museum’s Jet
Aviation Gallery. While engaged in his civilian art career, he has been able
to fly with the Air Force for the past 52 years, documenting the Air Force
mission through art. He has accumulated over 300 hours of jet fighter time
and has completed his sixty-third painting for the United States Air Force
Art Program. Keith is a 2012 Enshrinee in the National Aviation Hall of
Fame and recipient of the National Aeronautics Association’s Wesley L.
McDonald Distinguished Statesman of Aviation Award.
page 13
Roy Grinnell
Tinker’s Dogfight for Liberty
18x20; Oil; NFS
Frank Glasgow Tinker was the first “American Mercenary” to
become an Ace during the Battle for the Republican Government
in Spain during their Civil War, 1936-1939. The Mercenaries were
attracted by a very high salary and bonus for every plane shot
down. On June 16, 1937, Tinker, flying a Polikarpov I-16 (Mosca
CM-023) in the Huesca area, Spain, shot down a Fiat CR-32 for
his fifth victory. He finished his service in July 1937 with a total of
8 victories. In Spain, Tinker flew under the name Francisco Gomez
Trejo.
page 14
Roy Grinnell graduated with honors from the Art Center School of Design
in Los Angeles, Calif. after serving in the Navy. As the Official Artist and
Honoree of the American Fighter Aces Association, Roy has completed
close to 50 original paintings for the AFAA, accurately portraying the
aerial combat of aces from WWI, WW2, Vietnam and the Korean War.
These paintings are based on the oral history of the aces involved, and
as close as they can be to what really occurred as if someone was taking
a photograph of the action. He has won numerous art awards in both
aviation art and western/Native American art. As a western artist, he was
a member of the Cowboy Artists of America. Roy’s original paintings are
displayed in museums and private collections including The Museum of
Flight - Kenneth H. Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History, Seattle,
Wash., CAF Airpower Museum - Roy Grinnell Art Gallery, Midland, Tex.;
The George Lucas Collection; The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation; and
numerous other museums around the world. He was the recipient of the
R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art in 1999. Grinnell
took first place in the 2008 Horizons of Flight competition and is a member
of the American Society of Aviation Artists.
page 15
John Hume
Last of the Gunfighters
18x12; Oil/Alkyd; NFS
VF-24 was continuously deployed to the South China Sea during the
Vietnam War. This painting depicts their last F-8 Crusader cruise
aboard USS Hancock in 1975, covering the evacuation of Saigon.
VF-24 claimed their first two MiG kills on May 19, 1967, and were in
the thick of the action for the entire war. The squadron transitioned
to the F-14 Tomcat after their return to San Diego in late 1975.
page 16
John Hume has lived in Alaska for over 40 years. His work ranges from
early pioneer bush planes to current high-tech F-22 Raptors. He has been
commissioned by aviation museums, private, commercial and military
pilots, airmen’s associations, air force units, and aerospace corporations
across the United States and the Pacific Rim. Favored subjects include
military and commercial aircraft from the post World War II period,
when aircraft were finished in bright, colorful paint schemes and polished
aluminum.
John is a 1981 cum laude graduate from Washington State University, with
a degree in fine arts. He is a member of the American Society of Aviation
Artists, the Alaska Airmen’s Association, and the Airplanes Owners and
Pilots Association.
page 17
Wesley Lowe
Over the Somme
24x30; Oil; $2,500
Three SE 5As are making an early morning patrol over the Somme
battlefield. The pilot of one aircraft looks down at the rising smoke
from fires below. SE 5a fighters of squadron 32 originally formed in
1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron saw action on
the Western front including the Somme and Arras battlefields.
Wesley Lowe was born in Toronto, Canada and studied illustration at the
Ontario College of Art. He began his art career in art as a commercial artist
and after several years he became an illustrator. His work was primarily
created for publishers and advertising firms. His personal work is created
on canvas using oil paints, and his favorite subjects revolve around
aviation, marine and historical themes.
page 18
David Meikle
Playball! VF41 Wildcats Over Casablanca
24x36; Oil; NFS
The painting depicts F4F-4 Wildcats from VF-41 flying off of the
USS Ranger battle Vichy French P-36 Hawk Fighters. The date is
Nov. 8, 1942 and this is the first day of the Anglo-American landings
in North Africa.
David Meikle holds a BFA and MFA from the University of Utah. He
has worked as a commercial artist for 20 years and is also an established
gallery artist in Salt Lake City. He has a lifelong love of aircraft. He is
married and has five children.
page 19
Crissie Murphy
Red Gearing Up
24x24; Acrylic; NFS
Paratrooper 342 Training Squadron, USAF Combat Control School,
Pope AFB, Fayetteville, N.C. After a 20 mile hike, with 80 pounds of
battle gear, this young paratrooper prepares for the jump. Combat
Controllers are trained Special Operations Forces and certified
FAA air traffic controllers. Their mission is to deploy, undetected,
into combat and hostile environments to establish assault zones or
airfields while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire
support, command and control, direct action, counter-terrorism,
foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, and special
reconnaissance.
A lifelong painter and sketcher, Crissie earned a BFA in Illustration from
Massachusetts College of Art. A member of the American Society of
Aviation Artists and recipient of the 2012 ASAA Award of Merit, she is
also a member of the U.S. Air Force Art Program, the Coast Guard Art
Program and the Society of Illustrators. At the request of the Pentagon she
has documented operations and events since 2006, including deploying
to Haiti shortly after the 2010 earthquake to document relief efforts. Her
paintings have been exhibited in the National Museum of the USAF, the
National Museum of Naval Aviation, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and
flown aboard the International Space Station.
page 20
Wade Myers
Morning Serenade
14x30; Oil; $1,500
A Royal Air Force 32 Squadron SE5a enjoys a moment of peace while
on patrol in May, 1918. The title refers to the sing-song humming as
the rigging wires vibrate in the airflow.
Wade earned a B.A. in History from Louisiana State University in
Shreveport while serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He attended
Louisiana Tech University while earning his Commercial Pilot Certificate
and Instrument Rating. He later passed on his love of flying as an active
Certificated Flight Instructor. Wade began to work full time as an
aviation artist in 2003. Along with his painting, Wade took the time to
pen “Perspective Projection by Descriptive Geometry: A Manual for the
Artist,” and he recently self-published “The Yielding Sky,” the first book
featuring his aviation art. In 2009 Wade was elected an Artist Fellow in the
American Society of Aviation Artists.
page 21
Patti O’Neal
Afternoon Delights
18x24; Oil; $1,800
This painting captures friends out on an afternoon flight, enjoying
the last golden rays of a splendid Georgia day, one in a 1946 Piper
cub and the others in a peaceful hot air balloon.
page 22
Flagship Detroit
18x24; Oil; $1,800
American Airlines “Flagship Detroit” DC-3, with it’s all metal
finish, portrayed with a bit of nostalgia to bring us back to a time
when these beauties ruled the skies. This particular airplane has the
distinction of being the oldest flying DC-3 in the world.
Raised in Hawai’i, Pati has been involved with art for many years. She
has won recognition for both her 2D and 3D pieces in juried shows. Her
interest in aviation began as a child watching visiting air shows. In the early
1980s, while working as a flight attendant for an inter-island carrier, she
began taking flight lessons and has been around aviation since. Although
not a pilot, she enjoys the many facets of aviation, from experiencing rides
in varied types of aircraft to annually attending EAA’s Airventure.
She combines both interests in her aviation paintings by portraying the
different dimensions of aviation, whether it is capturing scenic images,
illustrating stories or relaying the artistic beauty of form. She always aspires to deduce the essence of the subjects in her works. She is presently
a member of a number of artists’ organizations including the American
Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA).
page 23
Robert Obermiller
The Main Event
15x30; Oil; NFS
The painting depicts four F-16s of the U.S. air Force Thunderbirds
demonstration team and their ground crew preparing for their next
performance at the Randolph AFB summer air show in San Antonio,
Tex.
Robert Obermiller is a Quality Assurance Consultant, residing in San
Antonio, Tex. with his wife and daughters. Military aircraft are his primary
interest, due in part to the fact his father and brother are retired USAF pilots.
He has had paintings in several exhibitions including CAE SimuFlite, and
American Society of Aviation Artists exhibitions. He is a past recipient
of the Capt. Duane Whitney Martin, USAF award for artistic excellence.
Recently he has been expanding the scope of his work to include figurative
and southwest art.
page 24
Cher Pruys
Red Tail
8x12; Watercolor/Acrylic; $3000
Don Heinz piloted this restored P-51C Mustang before he died when
it crashed in 2004. The aircraft’s purpose was to pay homage to the
Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American fighter pilots during
WW II.
Cher Pruys is a self taught artist who specializes in bush planes that dot
the skies above her home in Northern Ontario. Her works can be found
in private and corporate collections around the world. Cher has won
numerous awards for her paintings, and has graced the covers of many
magazines as well as four book covers. Cher is a member of both the
American Association of Aviation Artists as well as the Canadian Society
of Aviation Artists.
page 25
Steve Remington
Morning Dragonfly-Homer AK
12x16; Oil; NFS
A vintage Piper PA-H Cub Special floats on the barely wrinkled calm
of Beluga Lake as the sun rises over Homer, Alaska. The Special was
the end of the legendary J-3 line built under ATC 692 of 1938.
Steve Remington worked flight test engineer for the first 15 years of his
career. His love of aviation prompted him to start his own business in
1965 which for 35 years, was involved in nearly all phases of the general
aviation business, including flight operations as an FBO, maintenance, and
engineering of helicopter accessories. He began an aviation art gallery in
1987, now located in Santa Barbara, Calif. Steve now focuses his efforts
on painting. He and his wife Casey reside in Santa Barbara.
page 26
Stephen Roberson
Getting Dirty
11x14; Oil; $200
The work depicts a Marine Corps CH-46E dropping off Force
Reconnaissance Marines in the austere environment of Afghanistan.
Stephen Roberson is a former Marine Corps CH-46E pilot and Forward
Air Controller. From a young age, he loved art and aviation. While mostly
self taught, Stephen’s father, also an artist, gave him his initial teachings
in drawing and painting. After leaving the Marine Corps in 2005, Stephen
began a career as a Certified Public Accountant while pursuing his passion
for painting in his free time. Stephen’s works can be found at the National
Naval Aviation Museum and in private collections.
page 27
Douglas Rowe
Another Mission Tomorrow
16x20; Oil; NFS
The day began very early, hours before sunrise, and included a
round trip deep into Germany. The damage from the enemy’s shells
and shrapnel to this B-17 has been repaired as the sun sets over the
English countryside. There will be little rest; the Group has been
alerted and there is “Another Mission Tomorrow.”
page 28
N44V
16x20; Oil $1,700
In 1986, Piedmont Airlines acquired this DC-3 aircraft, which
was declared surplus after World War II and has since belonged
to several air cargo companies. Piedmont restored it to its original
airline configuration and repainted the exterior in the color scheme
and insignia used by Piedmont from 1948 to 1963. In the process,
the aircraft’s civil registration was changed to N44V. N44V was the
number of the fifth DC-3 purchased by the airline.
Douglas Rowe is originally from Kansas City, Mo. and graduated from
Central Missouri State University with a BFA in Commercial Art. After
graduation he entered the Air Force flight training system. Upon earning
his wings he remained at Reese AFB to teach in the T-38. His follow-on
assignment moved him to flying C-130s at Pope AFB. He separated from
the Air Force in 1991 and began a career in sales. He has drawn all his
life, but began painting in 2001. He is interested in all aspects of aviation,
which is his most frequent painting subject.
page 29
Russell Smith
The Eagle and the Butterfly
28x51; Oil; NFS
Manfred von Richthofen, flying an Albatros DV is severely wounded
in a head-to-head encounter with an FE2d of 20Sq RFC, July 6,
1917.
An artist Fellow in the American Society of Aviation Artists, Russell’s
World War 1 aviation paintings can be found in collections around the
world including three paintings on display in the Omaha Aviation
Heritage Center in New Zealand. Russell has been recognized by
several publications including “Aviation History,” “Flight Journal,” and
“American Art Collector.” He has also been the recipient of several awards
and honors, and most notably is a two-time recipient of the James V. Roy
Award (Best of Show) in the American Society of Aviation Artists annual
juried exhibition.
page 30
Matthew Smolin
My Ride Home
40x30; Oil; NFS
My Ride Home depicts a flight of two U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60
Blackhawks over the Tigris River en-route from COB Speicher to
Baghdad International Airport October 31, 2012. The artist was
a passenger on the lead helicopter on the first leg of his ride home
from Iraq.
Matthew Smolin is a self-taught artist who paints aviation subjects with
pastels, acrylics, and oils. He is a multiengine and instrument rated pilot
with over 1100 hours. He is a Juried Associate Member of the Pastel
Society of America and has been an Artist Member of the American
Society of Aviation Artists. He is also a board certified Interventional
Cardiologist and a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
page 31
Charles Thompson
Somewhere in England
21x29; Oil; $1,500
A Supermarine Spitfire MkIB of 19 Sqdn, RAF sits on the edge
of an airfield in East Anglia, on a spring morning in 1940. The
cockpit hood is pulled back with the door hanging open, the pilot’s
parachute and harness are laid out on the port wing and the electric
starter trolley is plugged in ready for the call to scramble. A mist
rises from a nearby stream while a cheeky kingfisher, ignoring the
‘NO FISHING’ sign on the river bank catches his breakfast. This
peaceful country scene on the one hand contrasts so dramatically
with the imminent prospect of deadly combat on the other.
The phrase “Somewhere in England” was constantly used during
the early days of WWII so as not to give away information to the
enemy.
page 32
Charles Thompson styled automobiles for nearly 40 years before retiring
in 1986 to paint full time. His numerous awards include an Award of
Merit in the 1995 Horizons of Flight exhibition, the SimuFlite Award in
1996, and several awards from the American Society of Aviation Artists.
He is a Full Member & Past Chairman of the British Guild of Aviation
Artists, since 1980. He is a Master Artist of the Experimental Aircraft
Association, a member of the Canadian Aviation Art Association and the
British Manchester Aviation Art Society. His paintings are found in many
private and public collections worldwide. He has numerous publications
including his own book “Wings.” He lives in Essex, England.
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Exhibition guide printing courtesy ABCO Inc., Dallas
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