PDF Here - the American Society of Aviation Artists

Transcription

PDF Here - the American Society of Aviation Artists
WI!TER 2008
J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r i c a n S o c i e t y o f Av i a t i o n A r t i s t s
Vo l . 2 1 , ! o . 1
ASAA Seattle Forum 2008 Preview
A E R O S P A C E
A R T
DEDICATED TO THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE AND PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF AEROSPACE ART
IN THIS ISSUE
3 NOTARS
4 Notes From Lead
The Journal of the American Society of Aviation
Artists
ISSN 1064 – 0797 © ASAA
5 ASAA Education
Copyright © ASAA 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or
illustration without express written permission of publisher is strictly prohibited.
6 The Evolution of an Image - Part 2
11 Membership
12 22nd Annual ASAA Forum 2008
On the cover: Russell Smith’s
Wolf’s Requiem - 44” x 28.5”, oil on linen.
18 ASAA Eastern Regional 2008
FOUNDER’S CHAIRS
John W. Clark, ASAA: Jo Kotula Chair
Gil Cohen, ASAA: Ren Wicks Chair
Paul Rendel, ASAA: R.G. Smith Chair
19 ARTREPS
ASAA OFFICERS – 2008
President: Kristin Hill; Vice President: Bill Kluge; Secretary: Priscilla Messner-Patterson; Treasurer:
Michael O’Neal
20 Aviation Art Comes to Savannah
22 The ISAP
TRUSTEES-AT-LARGE
Charles Thompson, ASAA; Sam Lyons, ASAA;
Art Lumley; Norm Siegel
24 A Spark of Curiosity - Part 2
29 Aviation Art Newsletters
HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT
John Young, ASAA, GAvA
30 ARTREPS
34 Name That Plane
ASAA FOUNDERS
Keith Ferris, Jo Kotula, Robert McCall,
R.G. Smith, Ren Wicks
This year’s ASAA Forum 2008 Logo designed
by: Norman L. Siegel
A S A A S U S TA I ! I ! G S P O ! S O R S
ASAA, a nonprofit organization founded in 1986, provides a formal communications link among aviation
artists.
ASAA supports and fosters interest and activity in
aviation and aerospace art and education.
Aero Brush is published quarterly: Copy Deadlines: 1
February, Winter; 1 May, Spring; 1 August, Summer;
and 1 November, Fall
Editor:
Don Malko, 13914 Siena Loop, Lakewood Ranch, FL
34202
Tell: 941-932-1542
E-Mail: [email protected]
Please send inquiries about ASAA to Nanette O’Neal,
Executive Secretary:
3 Woodland Avenue, North Brunswick, NJ 08902,
E-Mail: [email protected]
Visit ASAA’s website at: www.asaa-avart.org
Co n t rib u t in g Wri ters:
Ke ith F e r ri s
Jo h n W. c la r k
K ristin H ill
Ch a rle s Th o mp so n
G e r ry As h e r, Wa lte r B o y n e
A r t Lu mle y, P a t Lu ml ey
P r isc il la Me ss n e r- P atterso n
H a n k Ca r u so , Amy H o u le C ar u so
Ro n a ld Wo n g , P e te Wen man
Ro b e rt M c Au l ey
Ae r o Br u sh p u b lish ed b y
Th in k P a te n te d • D a y to n , O h io
“ Bir th p la c e o f Av ia tio n ”
2 W I N T ER 2008 AE RO B R USH
N O T A R S
Procedure for planning the NW Regional: selecting interesting program subjects and activities.
Determine an acceptable driving time to the regional: We used
seven hours which is what it takes to drive from Seattle or San Francisco to Medford, Oregon. Seven hours also covers parts of Idaho,
Montana, Utah, and Nevada. Priscilla and Butch Patterson drove
down from north of Seattle; almost a nine hour drive. Kennard and
Dianne Cole flew as far as they could from Pinole, California, but because of weather, had to rent a car in Redding and drove three
hours to Medford.
Find the telephone area codes for all of the locations covered. Go
to the ASAA membership directory to locate the members with
those area codes. Make a list of former members with those area
codes. (I can assist with this.) Send emails, letters, or make phone
calls to these people announcing the event. The schedule wasn’t
mentioned on the first contact. Plan to send at least three invitations. Be sure that they know their spouses, friends, and guests are
welcome. Give them several ways to ask for information.
Determine possible expenses. We didn’t have a registration fee
since we had the free use of a large hangar. The only expenses
were for travel, food and lodging. Arrangements were made with a
motel for a reduced rate. We received a lot of help from our local
Chamber of Commerce. Emphasize the length of the regional. Last
year it was only Saturday. In September of this year, it will be two
days because we are going to be part of an open house for a fixed
base operator; again, no charge for space. Breakfast and lunch
were provided by a local aero club in the hangar for donations only.
They easily covered their expenses and made a profit. Arrangements were made to meet for dinner at the chosen motel on Friday
and Saturday evenings.
Our Aero Brush editor, Don Malko, would appreciate it if arrangements are made for photographic coverage and an article. Peggie
Foy and Joe Adams took the great pictures for the NW Regional
stories in the FALL 2007, Vol.20, No. 4 issue of the Aero Brush. My
wife, Pamela, and I did the writing.
We had to provide a security plan for the TSA and local administrative security people. It didn’t involve much since the hangar was
away from the terminal and other sensitive areas. They were happy
if visitors were not allowed to leave the hangar area unless they
flew their own aircraft in like John Stahr did, or were escorted by a
person with an airport badge.
If you would like to organize a regional event, please contact Art
Lumley at home at (541) 855-9087, or on his cell phone at (541)
840-1931, or by email at [email protected].
General Michael E. DeArmond, USAF (ret.) would like to commission a painting depicting when he was shot down by a MiG while
flying a F-86 over Korea. At the time he was in the 335 Fighter
Squadron, 4th Fighter Group.
Contact Art Lumley at [email protected] for details.
Call for Art
“Runway 01 Ltd. is an aviation company that specializes in aviation Christmas & Greeting cards. We have been successful in providing many different card images to many customers around the
world. As Associate Members of the ASAA, we have had the pleasure of working with and dealing with Sharon Rajnus, Priscilla Messner-Patterson, Marilyn Galloway, and Charles Kadin - all current or
past members of the ASAA. We are currently looking to purchase images for licensing of Business Jets and Commercial
Charter Helicopters set in Christmas themed backgrounds. These
images can have a background of a festively decorated hangar, a
town below decorated for the festive season, or any other festive
background that makes sense.
The Business Jets and Commercial Charter Helicopters that we
are interested in seeing include:
Business Jets
Cessna Citation - Bravo, V Ultra, Encore +, XLS/Excel, Sovereign
Hawker - 400 XP, 800 XP, 900 XP, 4000
Gulfstream 200, 400, 450, 550 GV
Dassault- Falcon 50 EX, 7X, 900 DX/EX, 2000 EX
Commercial Charter Helicopters
Bell - Longranger, 206 Jetranger, 222
AS355 Eurocopter Twin Squirrels
EC155
AS 365 Dauphin
Robinson R44
Augusta 109
Sikorsky S76
If you have any suitable art that you’d like to submit for consideration for use in Christmas/Note cards please send to [email protected] . If you have any questions please feel free to call Rick or
Tracy Nihda at 905-649-8406. Please see our website at www.runway01.com for some of the examples of Christmas & note cards
that we are currently selling.
Our Christmas / Note card sales also support The Neil Armstrong
Scholarship Fund - that helps financially challenged youth with their
goal of obtaining their pilot’s license.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards, Rick & Tracy Nihda, Owners, Runway 01 Ltd.
Renewal of Membership
ASAA Membership dues are due each year on or before June 1.
Presently, membership dues are $90 for Artist Membership and $40 for
Associate Membership.
Please remit dues to:
Michael J. O’Neal
Treasurer, ASAA
3 Woodland Avenue
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
AER O B R USH WINT ER 2008
3
N O T E S
F R O M
L E A D
Kristin Hill • President, ASAA
Artistic Individuality in Concert with Community
… Or “Why Come to Seattle?”
H
ave you noticed that many successful artists tend to have a fierce independence, while at the same time have the ability to function compatibly within a community? It becomes evident to most artists that it is necessary to risk making
individual creative commitments, even though supportive response might not be assured. At the same time that an artist
takes an individual stand, the value of community connectedness and relationships holds proven personal and professional
benefits.
This is why we will come to Seattle for the 2008 ASAA International Aerospace Art Exhibition and Forum. The Forum will
include painting workshops and presentations by recognized artists; exchanges with individuals who have rich personal
experiences and knowledge in aviation, aerospace and art; an enthusiastic audience; the world class Museum of Flight;
the home of Boeing; the inspiration of the Lindbergh family; the rush of the Collings Foundation WW II planes in flight; the
imagination of the Foundation for the Future; and your opportunity to create.
Here are just a few highlighted benefits in this exciting complimentary relationship:
Individuals will receive
- knowledge from a wide range of resources
- a supportive environment for expansion and exploration
- affirmation and appreciation from peers and audience
- renewed vigor and enthusiasm
- friendships, old and new
Individuals will give
- the gift of yourself
- your perspective, experience, knowledge, and enjoyment of shared interests
- a real person to go with the art and signature that the audience sees throughout the years
- friendships, old and new
As a group, we will receive
- welcome from a community of aviation and space enthusiasts who are excited to share with us
- recognition and visibility resulting from the strength of our combined voices and art
- open doors that are offered uniquely to us as a group
As a group, we will give
- energy, depth, credibility to the art and aviation/aerospace to which we give our commitment
- a rare gathering of a unique group of artists in the Seattle area
- insight to the public audience about what we do as artists and as ambassadors
for aviation/aerospace
- increased audience understanding of aviation/aerospace and inspiration for people
of all ages to appreciate the past and build to the future
So join the fun, friendships, sharing, discoveries and rewards of the exciting ASAA Forum and Exhibition in Seattle. Submit your paintings, send in your registration, pack your bags and art supplies, and join us in Seattle June 16-21, 2008!
4 W I N T ER 2008 AE RO B R USH
A S A A
E D U C A T I O N
Priscilla Messner- Patterson
awesome presentation by Bob Watts on composition that has become a mainstay over the years. Bob’s presentation and Aero
Brush article on composition are reference points for many of us
(See Aero Brush Fall, 1995, Brush Tips #1).
Prior to Bob beginning his lecture, there were several 5x7 paintings spread out on the table. These were his small comps working
out the values, colors and compositions. Working the comps may
begin as a discipline- a necessary step required by an instructor
from long ago that will hopefully become a regular part of the
process. The more I do thumbnails these days, the more enjoyable
they become.
I
used to feel that thumbnails were a tortuous but necessary part
of putting a painting together. Make six thumbnails, three vertical, three horizontal, pick the one you like best, which is often the
first one that went down onto paper, and go for the painting. My
methods were antiquated pen or pencil scribbles drawn on backs of
envelopes, sticky notes, napkins, receipts. Those subscription cards
that come in magazines usually have a little white space just large
enough for a small sketch.
But I’ve come to learn that working out the shapes and values can
be fun and not unlike working a puzzle.
Along with the discipline of doing the thumbnails comes the need
for a place to organize and store them. Maybe even find them
again. (The sketchbook! What a concept. But you have to draw in
it for it to be of any value.)
In an effort to organize my thumbnails and avoid the aforementioned scraps of paper with sketches of airplanes on them, I took a
bookbinding class. Okay. That wasn’t the real reason. My original
intent was to spend a day with other artists doing something fun,
challenging and new. What ensued was fun, challenging, new and
useful. I now have several handmade books to inspire my sketches
and notes to myself.
As for spending time with other artists, what better place than at an
ASAA Forum! Our Forums have stimulating presentations by well
known and accomplished artists, including our own members.
There have been actual painting demonstrations by Keith Ferris
and Charles Thompson, presentations by John Clark and Jim Deitz,
figure drawing sessions with Gil Cohen, just to name a few- the
kind of things that put me in Academic Heaven. We also had an
Sometimes thumbnails and comps can become works of art in
themselves. The first thoughts, shapes and values that bubble to
the surface from your subconscious as you work the process, can
turn out to be exactly what you wish to portray. You can also zero
in on any distractions that may present themselves before they get
to the canvas. (A critique one time brought the question, “What a
nice sketch- what happened to the painting?” Obviously I didn’t
pay attention to my comp!)
One doesn’t have to go to all the trouble of building a sketchbook
from scratch to become organized, but there is something about
sparking the creative process from a point even before the painting concept comes into play. Going back through my files and
sketches can be a nostalgic trip down memory lane-and triggering thoughts on how I could have done better. Looking at the
sketchbooks of others, like the ones Nixon Galloway would bring
to Forums, is really inspiring! It’s that inspiration from our members that keeps the creative juices flowing, and the desire to improve remains alive.
Scholarship update: We are pleased to watch the progress of
Andy Tucker and Mike Ryan as current apprentices in the program and their enthusiasm is truly contagious! Andy has begun
his final painting- the goal of the program is to complete one painting from A to Z under the tutelage of our instruction faculty.
Oh! Those Tthumbnails! continued on page 11...
AER O B R USH WINT ER 2008
5
The Evolution of an Image - part 2
BY
R US SE L L
P .
SM I TH ,
ASAA
Continued from an article in the Summer 2007 issue of Aero Brush; V20, N3.
Step 4 - Fine-Tuning the Composition
O
nce the perspective drawings and value studies are finished, it is
time to start putting it all together. At this point, I needed to decide
on a background. I knew from various historical sources that the
weather on Sept. 15, 1917 was foul. However, I wanted to be able to
show a few spots of sunlight breaking through the clouds so that I could
bring some warm tones into an otherwise predominantly cool color
scheme. I had a photo in mind that I knew would work well as a starting point for my background. It was a photo that I had taken while on
a flight from Seattle to St. Louis the year before that showed some very
dramatic backlit clouds.
In order for this photo to work in my composition, I knew it was going
to need some changes. Most notably, I would need to convert the vertical format of the photo into a horizontal format suitable for the painting. Since my starting point was a digital photo, I decided to make the
necessary changes in Photoshop rather than draw it out on paper as I
do with other works. The sky went through several stages of development before I reached the version that would ultimately be used in the
painting. Initially, the background for the composition was simply a
This was my starting point for the background.
widened version of my photograph, which, in and of itself, made a nice
subtle background. However, I felt like it neither was a good sense of foul weather nor a a sense of depth. I decided that what it needed was some low clouds in the middle ground, between the aircraft and the ground. Once
again, I set about making the necessary changes, adding additional clouds and mist and adjusting the values until
I felt I had a good balance of darks and lights. As with all of my paintings, my goal is to have a background that
supports the subject without distracting from it, while at the same time helping to guide the viewer’s eye through
the composition.
Once I had a background that I was happy with I began placing my aircraft into position. I almost always use Photoshop for this process as it allows me the freedom to move elements independently, lock elements in place and
undo mistakes.
For Wolff’s Requiem, the main body of the composition is constituted by the three largest aircraft. Like the background, all other aircraft should only serve to tell the story and to guide the viewer’s eye around the composition
and back to the subject. I usually don’t feel the need to depict all of the aircraft involved in a particular event. Too
many aircraft in a scene can sometimes be distracting, so I normally try to stick to the KISS theory (Keep It Simple, Stupid), only showing enough aircraft to tell the story and create a strong composition. In this case, however,
I felt that it was important to try and capture some of the swirl and chaos of an actual dogfight. Therefore, I decided to put in 9 of the 10 aircraft that we know were present that day.
6 W I N T ER 2008 AE RO B R USH
Working out the exact positioning of every
element can be a long and tedious process,
often taking days, or even weeks of staring
at the computer screen and making tiny adjustments back and forth until I am satisfied. My ultimate goal was to create an
image which brings the viewer’s eye first
to Wolff and the triplane, on to MacGregor
zooming overhead, and then around the
image through the supporting elements before coming back to Wolff in the Triplane.
Step 5 - Adding Color
Assembling the elements in Photoshop allows me to individually
adjust each element to my liking.
All of my drawings and preliminary sketches were now finished and it was time to take the next big step by adding
color to the image. I already had a good idea of what kind of color scheme I wanted - an overall grayish blue/purple color scheme accented by occasional areas of warm color. I also knew that since the Fokker F1 was painted
olive drab over linen, and the 10 Squadron Camels were finished in PC10, my warm tones would be in the greenish-brown range. However, before I committed myself to the larger canvas I needed to create a color study.
Creating a color study is a step that I always make sure to include in the preparation of a painting. The idea of a
color study means different things to different artists. For some, a color study amounts to nothing more than a
very small thumbnail sketch in color. My color studies are slightly larger and more involved ranging anywhere
from 8 to 18 inches wide and taking as long as couple of days to complete. For me, the color study basically a
miniature version of the larger painting, a dress rehearsal, so to speak. Unlike the larger, finished paintings, I create my studies on small pieces of
prepared masonite. My alla-prima
painting method for the studies also
differs slightly from that of the layered approach to the finished pieces.
Working quickly on a smaller scale
like this helps me to figure out exactly what colors need to go where,
how intense or muted they need to
be and to spot any other color issues
that might arise. This saves me a
great deal of headache later on, as it
allows me to address color issues in
a matter of minutes or hours rather
than the hours or days that might be
spent making corrections to a larger
painting.
The color study for Wolf’s Requiem - 11” x 17”, oil on masonite.
AER O B R USH WINT ER 2008
7
The finished color study for Wolff’s Requiem came out at 11 inches by 17 inches. When completed, I sat down and
made notes to myself of points to watch and things to correct on the larger image:
•
“grey” the background down slightly - possibly add a little more purple
•
Watch the intensity of the green in the triplane, particularly in the sunlit areas
•
glaze some olive drab into the ground
•
possibly brighten the cloud wisp in the upper left
Step 6 - Putting It on Canvas
Once the color study was complete, it was time to start work on the actual finished product. I had decided at the
outset to try a new technique on this painting. Rather than painting all-prima (as I used to do long ago), or painting a relatively thick secondary layer atop a base coat (as I have been doing for the past few years), I wanted to
try glazing Wolff’s Requiem. I have never had any formal training in glazing, and only knew of the technique and
its merits from what I had read, what I had been told and what I had observed in the works of other artists. This
was going to be new ground for me, and I
was going to have to have to plan it out carefully so as not to ruin a big painting!
My first coat would consist of nothing more
than a monochromatic wash which would
constitute a base color for the painting.
Since my image would rely heavily on cool
tones and dark values, I decided to use Ultramarine Violet for my base.
Once my base coat was dry I was able to
come back and begin adding local colors.
This is the point at which the painting becomes an exercise in patience and planning.
As many of you reading this know, working
in glazes consists of adding subsequent layers of paint (mostly transparent) to modify colors below those
layers. Before any layer can be added, the layer below must
be dry enough to paint over. Working in glazes also required
a bit of pre-visualization on my part, and meant that I would
need to begin with colors that were not exactly what I wanted
my final color to look like. A good example can be seen in
the “greenness” of the triplane’s cowling. I knew when I applied that color that I would eventually modify the green to
become more of an olive-brown.
During the painting process, I used two different types of
mediums which were determined by which layer I was working on. My initial layers were laid down with a medium mix
As I painted, I had to keep in mind each layer would be modified
by subsequent colors. In this case, the green of the cowling
would later be modified to olive-brown.
8 W I N T ER 2008 AE RO B R USH
I used Ultramarine Violet for my base color.
that was 1/2 Turpentine and that would allow the paints to dry in quickly. For the upper layers, however, I used a
“fatter” medium that is more viscous and dries more slowly, but that gives the paints a nice sheen.
Initially, as the painting progressed, I devoted most of my attention to the development of the aircraft. Since my
colors and values for the aircraft needed to be more precise than those of the background, my plan was to get those
issues more or less correct before devoting any attention to the background.
I decided to paint the wings just as Anthony Fokker would have - olive streaked over linen.
One might notice that, up to this
point, the wings of the triplane have
remained largely unpainted. The
wings of the Fokker F1 consisted of
olive brown paint streaked diagonally, front to rear, over clear doped
linen. My approach to painting the
wings was more or less the same after all, if it worked for Antony
Fokker, why shouldn’t it work for
me? I painted in the colors of the
linen on the wings and then allowed
that to dry for a couple of weeks. I
then came back and added in the colors of the olive brown streaking,
which, for my purposes, actually
consisted of several different colors
- none of them being olive brown,
but collectively giving the appearance of that color.
By the point at which I had the entire surface more or less “finished”, and all that was left to do was to refine the
piece, I decided to take a step back and check my work in a different light. I use a variety of different methods to
check my work - looking at the painting in a mirror, flipping the painting upside down, taking it into a different
room - anything that will allow me to view the painting differently than what I am accustomed to. In this case, I
took a b/w digital photo and viewed it on my computer. Almost instantly, I could see that I had let my clouds get
out of control.
DOH!!
I had made the mistake of getting so involved with the detail painting of the clouds that I forgotten to step back
and look at them as a whole and in relation to the rest of the elements. In some areas, the cloud edges were too
busy and distracting, and in others the clouds either needed to be darkened or lightened. I could also see that, despite my wispy cloud there, the upper left corner was a dead area, so to speak. It still needed something more to
draw the eye around. Therefore, I made the decision to add another Camel. Fortunately, I had decided early on that
I would only show 9 of the 10 aircraft present that day, so that early decision now gave me the liberty to add one
more aircraft!
AER O B R USH WINT ER 2008
9
Step 7 - The Finishing Touches
The final touches on the painting came in the small details - things such as the rigging of the aircraft, the patterning of the landscape below, a fatal wound in Wolff’s chest (which may or may not be historically accurate, but I
thought it communicated the story well). Altogether, I spent 9 months working on Wolff’s Requiem. Progress during the early stages (i.e. the research, the perspective drawings, the preliminary studies, etc.) was gradual at first,
as I was also working on other projects at the same time. However, by the time I reached the actual painting stage
my attention was devoted entirely to this project. Even with my full attention, the actual painting of Wolff’s Requiem took 2 months. With smaller paintings I can usually add a layer of paint where needed and then set the
painting aside to dry a bit while I work on other projects. Wolff’s Requiem is a fairly large painting - 44 inches by
28.5 inches - and as it turned out, I would paint a layer in one area and then move on to another, and by the time
I was finished with that area, the previous spot would be dry enough to add more paint. I was painting continuously on Wolff’s Requiem for almost the entire 2 months. It was a painting marathon! Although my intent at the
outset was to paint Wolff’s Requiem as a glaze painting, the truth is that it is probably only a glaze painting in a
loose sense of the term. I did experiment with layering colors to achieve a desired effect, but I did not feel that it
would be wise to get too radical with my experiments and risk ruining the painting, so in some areas I fell back
on the techniques that I was already familiar with and layered with colors that I mixed on the palette. Overall, however, I was very pleased with my results, and I achieved the deeper, richer colors that I was hoping for.
As a final note - in a true case of serendipity, I realized a week after I had finished the painting that I had applied
the last brushstrokes (the bullet holes in the triplane) on September 15, 2007 - 90 years to the day after Wolff’s
death!
Wolf’s Requiem - 44” x 28.5”, oil on linen.
1 0 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Oh! Those Tthumbnails! continued from page 5...
We will include his progress and final work in a future issue of
Aero Brush. Mike has finished his initial sketch and is working
through any changes he might wish to make before starting the
next phase. Watching them work through the program is inspiring
for me as well.
As the Scholarship Program continues on, we make changes and
adjustments along the way, much like refining thumbnails into finished comps. We have a revised syllabus and new reading material which will be outlined later when we profile our students’
work. The variety of background, techniques and styles are ever
present to offer a rewarding and enriching experience for all involved. Simply serving as coordinator has provided me with the
opportunity to glean information from everyone and I feel that
they are all, well, making a difference!
P.S. What would YOU like to see in terms of academics at a
Forum? Please let me know!
See you in Seattle!!!
For more information on ASAA’s education program, including
Scholarship, Mentoring and Academics, please call Priscilla Messner-Patterson at (360) 477-4195 or drop an E at [email protected]
M E M B E R S H I P
Artist Fellow Members
Jim Laurier: reinstated
Russell Smith: As early as grade school, teachers and others noticed his creativity and aptitude for drawing. This eventually led to
a degree in art from Augusta State University. After ten years working in the prepress industry as a graphic artist, he was able to make
his dream a reality of becoming a full time artist instead of only
painting when he found time. Russell now works out of his home
studio in North Carolina where he lives with his wife, Susan. He
has been the recipient of several awards including, most notably,
the “James P. Roy” award in the 2007 ASAA annual juried exhibition. Focusing on World War I aviation, Russell has discovered
there are many historians and others who hunger for depictions of
the events and people from that tumultuous era which is a perfect
artistic fit. He says, “Although my work is strongly realistic, my goal
is not to capture the fine details of a subject, but rather to capture
its essence.
Artist Members
Robert Brun: After attending the Rhode Island School of Design in
the 1970s where he earned his B.F.A. in illustration, Robert worked
for various advertising agencies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In 1998, after 18 years of commercial work, he made the transition to fine art. Moving to Newburyport in 1985, where he currently
lives, Robert paints scenes depicting flight and the New England
coast. His paintings can be seen at www.robertbrun.com, the Plum
Island Aerodrome, the Washington Gallery, and in private collections. His paintings appeared in the 2007 ASAA juried show at BWI
Airport in Baltimore, MD. It is the excitement and freedom of flight
along with the inherent beauty of the aircraft among the clouds that
inspires his work.
David Gorski: After high school, David began exploring the arts at
a local community college. This served to whet his appetite for a
more challenging curriculum. Transferring to the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, he fell in love with the art of illustration, honing his skills under the most talented teachers in the
field. Upon graduation, he applied to the armed forces to fulfill his
dream of flight. Due to nearsightedness, he was turned down. Undaunted, he decided to express his love of flying through painting.
Currently, David is working in the advertising field. He has displayed works in exhibits and juried shows.
Vincent Meslet of France is, as he likes to call himself, a weekend
painter. Fascinated by aviation since his childhood, he pored for
endless hours over the aviation art painted by famous illustrators.
In the 1980s he discovered “The Aviation Art of Keith Ferris,” a
most cherished book in his collection. Having spent hours sketching aircraft and producing a few gouache paintings, the idea of
going into painting more seriously came 15 years later. Vincent
produced his first oil on canvas in 1996, a Mirage of the French Air
Force. After that painting, his production has been going smoothly,
but is often limited by his “real job” as an export sales manager in
an aviation oriented French company, giving him the opportunity to
visit air bases around the world. Vincent’s preferred period of aviation is the jet era. His paintings depict mostly French Forces, but
there might be some changes in the near future. He attended his
first ASAA forum in Baltimore. He won the Walt Jefferies award for
the best painting done during the forum, a booster and inspiration.
Associate Members
LaMarr O. Stanford: Hicksville, New York
Artist Member changes
Lou Drendel – Email: [email protected]
Associate Member changes
Joe DeMarco - Email: [email protected] Ralph W. Peterson
- Zip: 32901-2836 Douglas Rowe - Phone (H): (919) 499-8686,
Website: douglasrowegallery.com
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever
walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there
you have been, and there you will always long to return."
Leonardo da Vinci
AER O B R USH WINT ER 2008
11
22nd Annual ASAA Forum
Seattle Museum of Flight
June 16 - 21, 2008
Everything you Need to Know
Location: Seattle Washington, USA
Lodging: Best Western River’s Edge Hotel, 15901 West Valley Highway,
Tukwila, WA 98188 (425-226-1812)
Academics: Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington
International Aerospace Art Exhibition: Museum of Flight
1. Guest Speakers –
• Erik Lindbergh – Erik Lindbergh is the grandson of Charles Lindbergh, pilot, artist, and motivational speaker. Flying solo in a contemporary aircraft, Erik recreated his grandfather’s 1927 flight across the Atlantic. He is a gifted storyteller and an inspiration to many through the serious trials and adversities he has overcome. Erik will speak to the
ASAA for 45 minutes in the Museum of Flight theater. Following this, he will speak as part of the Tuesday evening
Opening Reception.
• Keith Ferris, Robert McCall, William Phillips, and Erik Lindbergh will speak at the Opening Reception about
their art and “The Inspiration Behind the Art.” The Opening Reception guests will be the ASAA forum attendees and
Museum of Flight special invitation VIP and donor guests.
• Juliette Aristides is a classical artist in Seattle and will be our local artist judge for the juried exhibition. She will
also speak to the artists at the forum on Tuesday, June 17th. Juliette is invited to be on hand at the Museum on Friday during the drawing and painting day where she will help with on-site critiques, according to her availability.
2. Opening Reception to be held in the Great Gallery at the Museum of Flight amidst our exhibition. McCormick &
Scmick will be catering the event. Business attire is expected.
3. Academic classes will be held at the Museum of Flight on Wednesday, June 18th. Russell Smith will talk about
the use of historical background as a method of artistic approach to constructing a painting. Steve Andersen will give
a power point presentation with questions and answers. Ann and Charlie Cooper will discuss aviation art books they
have published with artists Andy Whyte, Jack Fellows, William Phillips and Sharon Rajnus. Tom Kalina will present
a power point presentation on his career as a pilot, art and photography, clouds, atmosphere, as well as his visit to
foreign lands. He will also play a one hour DVD movie titled, “Carnauba, A Son’s Memoirs” shown on Hallmark television.
4. We invite all to attend the Group Dinner/Business Meeting at Barnaby’s Restaurant in Tukwila, WA, on Wednesday night. Casual attire is encouraged.
5. Thursday, June 19 is a group-touring day. We have a chartered bus tour to three different sites. The first stop is
the Bob McCall mural on display at the Foundation for the Future site in Bellevue, WA. He will be joining us and will
speak about his work. We will then tour the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Plant. Identification is required
for security purposes, and no cameras of any kind are permitted on the premises. The tour is 1 ½ hours. Lastly, we
1 2 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
will tour the Museum of Flight Restoration Facility. Mike Lombardi, an historian for Boeing, will be on hand during the
Boeing tour and the Restoration Facility tour to answer questions.
6. The Slide critique is scheduled for Thursday afternoon June 19th after the bus tour. This is for artists only. Artists who
wish to have work critiqued will be required to bring a digital image of the original artwork, or a copy of the image may
be emailed prior to the forum to [email protected].
7. On Friday the artists can spend the entire day at the Museum of Flight drawing and painting on their own. For
those artists who are flying in and cannot bring liquids on the plane, mineral spirit solvent will be available on site. Juliette Aristides has been asked to participate during the day to provide critique, if available.
8. Sightseeing in Seattle includes the Underground City, the Space Needle, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Zoo and
Aquarium, Asian Art Museum, Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, Museum of Glass, Experience Music Project, and
many opportunities for shopping and dining. There is a free shuttle from the hotel to downtown Seattle. Brochures will
be included in your registration packages. Sightseeing trips will be planned for the spouses and guests throughout the
week.
9. The Collings Foundation will flying their B-17, B-24, and B-25 WWII restored aircraft at the Museum of flight on Saturday June 21st. Artists will be able to participate in several activities scheduled at the Museum all morning:
a. There will be a mentoring workshop in which ASAA members may participate. Members will sign up at registration
on Monday to either be a mentor or receive mentoring on Saturday at the Museum.
b. The Museum of Flight will host an Artists Panel Discussion at the Great Gallery for guests to speak with invited
ASAA artists, from 1:00-2:30 PM.
c. ASAA artists may volunteer to interact with the public at the Great Gallery to discuss the creation of their work,
showing drawing details, comp studies, etc. This is scheduled to transpire throughout the morning and early afternoon.
d. We are also invited to participate in a Youth Art Class sponsored by the Museum to help encourage young artists
explore their talents. Paul Rendel and Priscilla Messner will head this event with assistance from Juliette Aristides. It will
run from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. Local high school and college age students who are serious about art will be encouraged
to attend. The Museum of Flight will advertise in the local area to attract students, Juliette Aristides will also bring some
of her students.
10. The Awards Banquet will be held at the Museum of Flight, catered by McCormick & Schmick. The keynote
speaker is yet to be determined. Business attire is required.
Nanette O’Neal
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
13
A S A A
D r.
Bonn i e
S E AT T L E
J .
D u n ba r
Our 2008 ASAA Forum Host
A NASA Mission Specialist astronaut and veteran of 5
space flights, Dr. Dunbar has logged more than 50 days in
space. She has served as the Payload Commander on two
flights, including the first Space Shuttle docking mission to
the Russian Space Station Mir.
Dr. Dunbar holds BS and MS degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Washington, and a PhD in
Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering from the University of
Houston. Prior to working for NASA, she was a senior research engineer with Rockwell International Space Division,
where she helped to develop the equipment and processes
for manufacturing the thermal protection system for the
Space Shuttle. Dr. Dunbar is a member of the American Ceramic Society (Fellow), the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers and the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA/Associate
Fellow). She has been awarded the NASA Space Flight
Medal, the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal and the
NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Dr. Dunbar is a registered Professional Engineer, a member of the Royal Society
of Edinburgh, and in 2002 was elected to the National Academy of Engineers.
Biography is courtesy of the Museum of Flight:
http://www.museumofflight.org
1 4 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Er ik
2 0 0 8
Li n d b e r gh
Featured Guest Speaker
Photograph courtesy of www.aopa.org/
Photograph taken on May 7, 2007 by Kari J. Blunck
Photography © 2007 Office of the Secretary of State,
Washington
Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar is currently President and CEO of
The Museum of Flight in Seattle Washington. The “MOF” is
the largest private air and space museum in the world, with
an education program that provides for nearly 100,000 students per year and an aircraft restoration center. Dr. Dunbar recently retired from the NASA Johnson Space Center
where she was Associate Director, Technology Integration
and Risk Management for the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) of the NASA Johnson Space Center. SLSD
is responsible for Astronaut Crew Health, Human Health Research for Space Exploration, Human Factor Design of
Spacecraft, and Life Support Requirements.
F O RU M
A commercial pilot and flight instructor, Erik Lindbergh is
the grandson of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and
serves as chairman and director of the Lindbergh Foundation.
Mr. Lindbergh is also a member of the Board of Trustees of
the X Prize Foundation, works in public relations for Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing, is one of four founding X-Racer
pilots in the Rocket Racing League and is a founding board
member of the Aviation High School in Seattle. Erik is an accomplished artist whose unique sculpture and furniture design can be seen at www.LindberghGallery.com.
A wonderful storyteller, Erik speaks publicly about his journey through the past, and present and into the future of
flight.
“We are fortunate to live in this age of technology when
many of us will be given a second chance at life. I went from
a life that consisted mostly of sitting, and in considerable
pain, to sea survival training and long distance flights. I can
work now, I can travel, and in my own way, I believe I can
help change the world. That gift of hope is truly profound.”
Erik Lindbergh
Biography courtesy of Erik Lindbergh: http://www.eriklindbergh.com
Metamorphosis of Spirit: a sculpture © by Erik Lindbergh
A S A A
S E AT T L E
F O RU M
2 0 0 8
Featured Guest Speakers
Keith Ferris
Robert McCall
William S. Phillips
Keith Ferris will speak about his Air
Force Art and address what inspires
him to create a painting.
Robert McCall will speak about his
NASA art and what inspires him to
create a painting.
Bill Phillips will speak about his
U.S. Postage series which summarizes aviation, include the importance of landscape and background
in his art, and then what inspires
him to create a painting.
ASAA Founder
On Laughter Silvered Wings
© by Keith Ferris
ASAA Founder
© by Robert T. McCall
ASAA Life Member
U.S. Postage Stamp Series ©
by William S. Phillips
DEDICATED TO THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLE!CE A!D PUBLIC
APPRECIATIO! OF AEROSPACE ART
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
15
A S A A
S E AT T L E
F O RU M
2 0 0 8
Ms. Juliette Aristides will be the judge for our 2008 International Aerospace Art Exhibition at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. We can all thank Priscilla
Messner-Patterson for bringing Juliette to our attention.
Juliette has also agreed to give a lecture on the importance of drawing and traditional
methods. She will discuss design systems and patterns found in nature; speak about
the history of art principles; discuss the basics of atelier training; and show works by
some of today’s most accomplished artists in the field of Classical Realism.
Ms. Aristides is the author of two books: “Classical Drawing Atelier – A Contemporary
Guide to Traditional Studio Practice” and the soon to be released, “Classical Painting
Atelier - A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice.”
Juliette Aristides
ASAA 2008 Exhibition Judge and
Guest Speaker
She writes, “Traditional skills are necessary for developing a foundational base for the
artist to work from. It is craftsmanship that opens the door to effective self-expression.”
We look forward to meeting and hearing from Juliette.
Visit Juliette’s website at: http://www.aristidesarts.com/index.htm for
more information about her art and writings.
Academics
Publishing Aviation Art
Books
By Ann & Charlie Cooper
Ann and Charlie Cooper will discuss
the process involved in writing and
producing an Aviation Art Book. Ann
and Charlie have created art books
for ASAA members Andy Whyte, Jack
Fellows, Bill Phillips and Sharon Rajnus.
1 6 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
John W. Clark
Sarah Reading © by Juliette Aristides
A S A A
S E AT T L E
F O RU M
2 0 0 8
Academics
The Final Flight of Kurt Wolff
The Historical background and artistic approach to a painting
By Russell Smith
I will present a historical background and artistic approach to my method of constructing the
painting, The Final Flight of Kurt Wolff. I am currently working on a large depiction of the final
flight of Kurt Wolff. He was shot down while flying MvR’s prototype triplane 102/17. I have
some good historical background for the piece and I am experimenting for the first time with
glazes on this one. I will devote 30 minutes on the historical research and 30 minutes on my
artistic approach.
Approaching a Story, Composition and Lighting in a Painting
By Steve Anderson, ASAA
I will conduct a presentation on setting up a painting starting with, story, composition, and
lighting. With some examples, which I can shoot during the process of my own work, I can
show how these three elements are the backbone of any painting. Color ties in with lighting, because in effect, we are painting light. I will present visuals and dialogue to illustrate
my methods and technique.
Route to Adventure
The story of a corporate pilot’s unique path in aviation
By Tom Kalina
This will be a two-hour long event divided into two parts. The first half will be a speech /
photo presentation about my career as a pilot and how art & photography have been my
companions to record the realm in which I work. I will show the beauty of clouds from
ground level to 45,000 feet and explain the differences of atmospheric phenomena found
at different altitudes and geographic locations. I will mix in a few of my paintings and show
how I was inspired to make them. I will transport my audience to distant lands where few
pilots ever go and show the people and aircraft found there. They will see modern jets and
old WWII Japanese relics rotting away in the jungle. I will take the audience to places such
as Africa, Europe, Asia and South America. We will visit big airports and little ones. The
viewers will go on an underwater search in Indonesia to find the remains of the only known
Sikorsky S-38. They will learn what it is like to be a corporate pilot and become part of an
adventure that will eventually lead them on an expedition to Brazil in a replica S-38. This
is the lead in for the second part.
The second hour will be the viewing of a film titled, “Carnauba, A Son’s Memoirs”. This
movie, which was shown on television via the Hallmark channel, shows the construction of
a replica Sikorsky S-38 and its flight from Racine, Wisconsin, to Fortaleza, Brazil, for the reenactment of a 1935 expedition by the Johnson’s Wax Company. The story is told through
the eyes of the past chairman of SC Johnson & Son, Inc. and uses the expeditionary flight
of the S-38 to tell a story of the relationship between a father and son. The film has many
beautiful flying scenes.
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
17
ASAA Eastern Regional Meeting 2008
by Amy Houle Caruso
I talked with returning guests of Brenda Gehrke (one of the three
presenters for the afternoon): John Mazure and Nicole Junusz.
They, with John’s Dad, Bob Mazure, are members of Trinca Airport
(FAA LID 13N) in Sussex County, New Jersey. John & Nicole told
how they love to see art that brings the facts and numbers of history to life providing a better understanding of those events. When
asked about the ASAA, they both agreed that it is extremely
friendly. There was not one person that they would not just walk up
to, to say “hello” and talk about art and airplanes.
“Van Van De Weghe, Andy Whyte, and Doug Rowe
(All images in this article courtesy of Pat Whyte)
T
he annual Northeast Regional meeting of the ASAA was held
January 19, 2008 in East Hanover, New Jersey. Attendees traveled from as far away as Fort Worth, TX, Virginia, and eastern Massachusetts. With nearly 60 attendees, this regional meeting
certainly demonstrated enthusiasm, interest, and growth in the region for Aviation Art.
As I entered the ballroom area, I was quickly reassured that I was
in the right place as I saw Peggy Ferris and her volunteer crew handling registration and other logistics arrangements for the meeting.
ASAA Founder Keith Ferris was there as well, along with some of
the other members that I always look forward to meeting, greeting,
and catching up with: the Whytes, Cohens, O’Neals, and Siegels,
to name a few. A second look around the room drew my attention
to two gentlemen in uniform: one dressed in a classic WWII Army
Air Corps uniform and the other a current US Marine Corps Major
(Reserves). I knew that we were in for some interesting discussions. (As an editorial note I would like to add – I love the Marines!)
My next conversation was with Associate Member Mike Ryan, a
young man of 22. He is a student at University of Rhode Island
who is taking a year off from school to take better advantage of his
ASAA scholarship. He had traveled to the meeting with his Dad
and the family from Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts.
When asked about his involvement with aviation art, he does not
hesitate to talk about his favorite book, “How to Draw Aircraft Like
a Pro,” a compilation of aviation art and art techniques provided by
many ASAA members, authored by Artist Fellow Andy Whyte and
Associate Members Charlie and Ann Cooper. He eventually
worked up the nerve to call Artist Fellow Domenic DeNardo (also
a Rhode Islander) to discuss aviation art. (Another author’s note:
Dom is quick to blush and modestly admits that it amazes him that
anyone would want to call and talk with him about aviation art.)
Mike appreciates the effort and feedback that ASAA Secretary
Priscilla Messner-Patterson and everyone associated with the
ASAA Scholarship program have provided him. He says, “The
ASAA is a wonderful collection of diverse personalities that have
somehow come together into a homogenous group.” He tells me
that, “it is overwhelming to be in one room with so many noted aviation artists, but that everyone at these meetings is very approachable.” So far he has not experienced any barriers that
prevent him from obtaining important artist resources for honing
and nurturing his aviation art skills.
I had the opportunity to once again meet and talk with the regional
attendees" so off to work I went. Some of my discussion partners
have been attendees for several years; for others this was their first
meeting. Everyone agreed that the ASAA was an organization that
was unique in its approach of getting talented people and the people that love either the talent or the subject matter together.
The first person that I was able to catch up with was Pat Whyte,
Artist Fellow Andy Whyte’s wife. When asked, “Why do you come
to these meetings year after year?” she replied with a resounding
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Pat did recognize that the revitalization of membership drives and the sponsorship activities
have opened the door to a much more diverse association that she
was enjoying very much. Pat also shared with me that since retiring from Sikorsky Helicopter, Andy has expanded his portfolio to include architectural renderings and even commissions that included
pets and horses. We need to be sure to ask Andy about this the
next time we see him.
1 8 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Jan Churchill discusses
her latest book, “From
Delaware to Anywhere.”
Invited guest speaker and ASAA
Life Member, Alex Durr traveled
from Ft. Worth, TX. Alex is a former Marine Corps aviator and has
recently returned from a tour of
duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a
Marine Corp Artist. Unlike the Air
Force Art Program, which sends
civilians on site to create art, the
Marine Corps recruit professional
artists from within their ranks to
document the Corps’ activities. An
Artist Member since 1990, Alex
says that everything about the
ASAA is good. The association
and its meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to learn more
about how to paint realistically and
establish valuable points of contact.
The afternoon presentations by
Brenda Gehrke, A.R. “Van” Van
Alex Durr
De Weghe, and Alex Durr covered
an array of personal experiences in Art and Aviation, Wars, and
Weddings. We finished the day with an after-event dinner at the
sports bar adjacent to the hotel; I had a wonderful conversation with
several more artist members. We continued the theme of the regional meeting with discussions on art and talent as well as creativity and the many forms of expression.
All in all, it was again a wonderful professional and social event that
all enjoyed. Goodbyes were accompanied by expressions of intent
to find the time and funds to reunite again at the 22nd Annual Forum
in Seattle, WA this coming June 16-21, 2008.
a r t r e p s
Nick Lambert
Nick Lambert recently unveiled his latest work of art. It is autobiographical in subject inspired by a photograph he took of his wingman during refueling while returning to Bunker Hill AFB from
Okinawa (Kadena AFB). His painting depicts the first of two refuelings en route and takes place east of Tokyo, Japan. Nick says,
“There were a few B-58 deployments to Guam, Okinawa and return
flights to Indiana during 1965-66. The purpose was to allow ground
crews at Anderson and Kadena to familiarize them with loading
weapons – just in case. We were at each base for three to four
days then returned to Indiana.
Nick used Holbein Acryla Gouache on this painting and was very
pleased with the medium. He recommends it to anyone who enjoys working with water media.
Please turn to page 35 for a larger image of Nick’s painting.
Earl Spiegel, M.D.
F-4 Wild Weasel Desert Storm
An original painting by Earl Spiegel
Nancy and Bob Keith
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
19
A V I AT I O N A RT C O M E S T O S A VA N N A H
S o u t h e r n Wi n g s Av i a t i o n A r t E x h i b i t i o n
O
n Friday, November 9, 2007 the Mighty 8th Air
Force Heritage Museum in Savannah, GA hosted
a reception to kick off the Southern Wings Aviation Art
Exhibition. The exhibit features the work of artists and
ASAA members Russell Smith, Wade Meyers, Jim Balletto and Marc Stewart. This is the second such exhibit
by these four artists - the first was held in 2005 at the
Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA - and it now
looks to become a regularly scheduled event at the the
Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum, with the next
exhibition tentatively scheduled for 2009.
The evening saw an estimated 100 guests in attendance.
The reception was opened with a few brief words by
Doctor Walter Brown, Director of the Mighty Eighth
Museum, and Vivian Rogers-Price, the museum’s curator. Each artist then gave a brief speech prior to the
ribbon cutting which officially opened the show.
Each artist had his own display area
The Southern Wings Aviation Art Exhibition hangs in
the art gallery of the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum until April 13, 2008.
( A special thanks to Thomas Reimer for allowing the
use of his photos.)
Russell and Susan Smith
The Southern Wings Aviation Art Exhibition will hang through April 13,
2008 at the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum
2 0 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
A sampling of Wade Meyers’ work on display
James Balletto shakes hands with visiting
artist Simon Maxwell
Wade Meyers gives a brief talk about
his work
Marc and Robin Stewart
L to R: Dr. Walter Brown, Vivian Rogers-Price, Jim Balletto, Wade Meyers. Russell Smith and Marc Stewart
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
21
ISAP
KINDRED SPIRITS - WORTHY COMPETITORS
The International Society for Aviation Photographers
I
Keith Ferris, ASAA Founder
was introduced to the International Society for Aviation Photography when asked, after fifty years of a life-long career as an aviation artist, to be a speaker at this powerful photography
organization’s Las Vegas Symposium in 2004. I faced a real challenge! I had been competing with photography for aviation accounts for my entire career. What could I say...and how would my
comments be accepted by these folks?
What I found was an organization which closely parallels our own
ASAA in its camaraderie (which seems guaranteed when aviation is
involved) and one in which helping each member succeed with their
photography is the goal. I also found an organization which includes
the world’s finest aerospace photographers, many of whom ASAA
members will recognize as memorable winners in the year-end Aviation Week Photography and Art Special Issue.
Those of you who receive Lockheed Martin’s CODE ONE magazine will also recognize ISAP members such as John Dibbs, Erik
Hildebrandt, and Japan’s Katsuhiko Takunaga for their superb airto-air photography.
Speaking of “Air-to- Air”.., those of you who attended ASAA’s Wichita Forum will remember the presentation by Paul Bowen on airto-air photography. Paul introduced his magnificent photography of
exec-jets stirring up the fog banks below. What can one say when
one finds one’s self in the company of member Clay Lacy, who is responsible for so much aerial filming such as that in “Top Gun” and
the IMAX “Red Flag” film?
I asked my friend, ISAP Founder Jay Miller, renowned aviation photographer, historian, writer and Aerofax publisher, how this organization came about. His response:
“I’ve been an aviation photographer all of my adult life. Photography
was a fall-out from my aviation-writing career, which had started in
the 1960s as aviation editor for my hometown (Odessa, Texas)
newspaper. Over the many years that followed I had the privilege of
meeting and working with some of the best aviation photographers
in the business.”
2 2 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Jay had determined that aviation photographers were a fraternity
unto themselves. They enjoyed the intensity of their profession, they
enjoyed discussing their equipment and most of all, they enjoyed
the camaraderie common to the aviation community.
In 1996, when Jay was hired by American Airlines to serve as Director of the company’s C. R. Smith Museum, he was tasked with
increasing the museum’s attendance, increasing its public exposure, and seeing to it that the facility got more use by community institutions. Among the many ideas to accommodate these goals
were art shows, photographic displays, guest speakers, and local,
state, and national conventions.
ASAA’s Aerospace Art Forum and Juried International Exhibition
had been held at the C. R. Smith Museum in 1994 and then again
in 2000, this time under Jay’s direction.
Jay’s tasking also brought forth the simple idea of calling together
a meeting of all the world’s professional aviation photographers.
In 2000, Jay – having received corporate blessing for the aviation
photographers’ convention – assembled as many world-class aviation photographers as possible for what at the time was viewed by
Jay as a one-time event. To help, Jay brought on board a number
of close friends who were in the business full time. Included was
Chad Slattery, an aviation “shooter” who had acquired a considerable reputation through his work for “Air & Space/Smithsonian”
magazine. Jay also decided that it would be advantageous for ISAP
to “go international”. To accommodate this, he brought his close
friend Katsuhiko Tokunaga on board from Japan. Katsu, as he
prefers to be called, is arguably the most accomplished of all living
aviation photographers; with over 1500 hours of air-to-air photography in his log book, shooting primarily high-performance military
aircraft, he is simply the best. Katsu’s distinctive imagery has appeared in books and publications throughout the world. Virtually all
professional aviation photographers revere him as both friend and
colleague.
That first gathering, under the auspices of the International Sym-
posium for Aviation Photography, took place at the C. R. Smith Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas during February of 2000, prior to ASAA’s
Forum there. It was an unqualified success, with approximately 75
photographers on board, and a three-day slate of presentations and
field trips. It had proved a lot of fun, exceptionally enlightening, and
a grand opportunity for aviation photographers to meet and get to
know folks who for many had only been credit lines next to a photograph.
As aviation artists had learned with University of Virginia’s 1983 Aviation Art Symposium, (Luther Gore’s “Summer Airplane Camp”with ASAA’s Annual Art Forums following by 1986), there was no
way ISAP-I was going to be a onetime event.
By the time ISAP-I had closed and the powerful camaraderie was
evident, the consensus was to do it again the following year. ISAP
has met every year since Fort Worth’s ISAP-I in 2000. Its Aviation
Photography Symposium venues have included Dayton, OH;
Phoenix, AZ (Mesa); Las Vegas and Nellis AFB, NV; Washington,
D. C. (Dulles and Patuxent River Naval Air Station); San Diego, CA
(Air Museum and local Airport); and Pensacola, FL (National Museum of Naval Aviation, Eglin AFB’s Armament Museum, and Hurlburt AFB Special Ops flight line). I have attended all since Las
Vegas in 2004.
and a flight demonstration at Bell’s Plant 6 flight test facility of the
Agusta Bell Model 609 commercial tilt rotor.
ASAA Members will recognize that we artists have much in common with ISAP. Most of us carry digital cameras and can learn
much from ISAP members and faculty. We would all benefit from
personalized input from Canon and Nikon and other presenters.
We each need to organize and control our photography, protect our
creative rights and understand how best to transmit our product digitally. And best of all, we all share the camaraderie of aviation, and
I can testify that ISAP’s venues are priceless!
Jay invites you to visit ISAP’s web site (http://www.aviationphotographers.org/) for more insights and information. ISAP welcomes
new members from all facets of the aviation community at a very
reasonable price of $35.00 per year. You do not have to be a fulltime professional photographer to participate in ISAP. I thoroughly
enjoy my dual membership.
ISAP offers wonderful opportunities for ASAA artists’ additional
close-up exposure to aviation venues and the opportunity to expand our camaraderie with these kindred spirits.
The organization continues to grow reaching 500 national and international members as these words are written. ISAP is sponsored
by Nikon, Canon, Lockheed Martin, Air & Space Smithsonian, the
AOPA, and Delkin Devices, among others.
The 2008 International Symposium for Aviation Photography takes
place in Ft. Worth, Texas at the end of February, and will have a
terrific slate of world-class speakers including Scott Kelby of Photoshop fame; Carolyn Wright of legal and photo copyright fame; and
Vince Laforet of Pulitzer Prize fame, and what is probably going to
be one of ISAP’s best field trips ever. This includes a special photo
session with the F-35A at Lockheed Martin, with at least one famous P-38 (Glacier Girl) and possibly a second P-38 on hand.
There will be a tour of the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation
(where the rarely seen V-173 “Flying Pancake” currently resides);
National Museum of Naval Aviation in 2007
Between the runways at Nellis in 2004
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
23
A Spark of Curiosity - Part 2
(How convoluted thinking and not paying attention can lead to big mistakes)
© J o h n W. C l a r k , A S A A
After completing the drawing of the planet Saturn shown in Part 1 of my article in the previous Aero Brush, I had a gut feeling that something was not quite right. Although I had combined both the orthographic and descriptive geometry (DG) parts
into one drawing, one area caused me concern. It was the location of a ray of light from the F and G rings falling on Saturn
in each of the two orthographic views.
Specifically, where did a ray of light leaving the F or G rings impact on Saturn at different locations? I had assumed in the
first drawing that these light rays always impacted on the limb of Saturn as seen in the top view. I now realized this not to
be true.
As a result, I reconstructed the scene once again (choosing a slightly different view this time), and arranged the top and side
views so that they corresponded to each other in the same orientation (note later in this article how important this point became). I then added a front view to the layout (see Drawing No. 1).
Drawing No. 1
Shadows were plotted orthographically for
each view (those cast by the rings onto
Saturn; the terminator on Saturn; and the
shadow cast by Saturn onto the rings. Drawing No. 2.) Note that the charcoal
drawing of the finished DG plot was added
here and appears on the right side of the
drawing).
It took a great deal of thought to realize
how beautiful the orthographic system
works once you understand the necessary
arrangement of elements.
The key to understanding this is by observing where a light ray leaves the F or G
ring in the side view (see drawing No. 3).
Here one notices two things. The first is
that the ray hits the limb of Saturn at point
“A” and continues to the center of Saturn
as represented by the vertical line “Z-Z1”.
A measurement from the intersection point
2 4 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Drawing No. 2
Drawing No. 3
on Z-Z1 (point B) down to the equator of Saturn will give you
a height measurement for this point as represented in both
the side and top views of the planet. All corresponding light
rays leaving either the F or G rings will be measured in this
manner. Therefore, all the measurements taken in the side
view represent height measurements for points in the front
view.
Drawing No. 4
The second concern was solved in the side view. By observing the horizontal line drawn from point “A” in the side view to
point “C” on line Z-Z1 will give you the “radius” measurement
for that point in the top view. Taking this measurement (with
one point of a compass on the center of Saturn in the top
view), and by swinging an arc with this measurement, it will
intersect a line from the F ring to Saturn (for example) in the
top view. Where these two intersect is the location of that
point in the top view. This solves the second puzzle I was
concerned with and now answers the question of where rays
of light fall on Saturn (Drawing No. 4).
When this is understood, all of my previous questions concerning to location of a point on the planet from a ray of light
leaving the F or G rings and striking Saturn at various locations can be shown.
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
25
Well...once again this all made sense until I ran it by Keith Ferris who replied with the following comments shown on drawings No. 5 and 6.
Drawing No. 5
Drawing No. 6
It became obvious at this point that a complete rethinking of the process was necessary.
Again, I reconstructed the orthographic scene and arranged the top and side views so that they corresponded to each other
in the same orientation. This became a critical understanding of the orthographic system, that is, that all components must
be orientated in the same manner. The mistake I had previously made was to think that the same orientation in the three orthographic views was not necessary so long as the points plotted by DG were correct in each view. If this logic is followed,
one will ultimately realize that the location of a particular point in the side view, for example, will not correspond to that same
location in the top view. In essence, that logic will be false when doing the DG plot. The resulting location of those points
in the final DG view will be incorrect.
2 6 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Again, I thought I had the solution (see Drawing 7) and I sent Keith the drawing once more. He replied by asking me to examine certain areas.
Drawing No. 7
Things have a way of working best when they are kept simple. By viewing the top view of the drawing as a series of slices
(planes) through several sections of the rings and planet, selected points can then be chosen and transferred to both the side
and front views. When this is done, a complete picture of the shadows cast by the rings onto the planet can be drawn.
A descriptive geometry plot was then laid over top of the new orthographic drawing. The final results are shown in Drawing
No. 8).
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
27
Drawing No. 8
Drawing No. 9 shows the finished DG plot. Note how it compares to the NASA Cassini image.
There were many lessons learned during this exercise. All of which adds to that body of knowledge and understanding we
as artists strive to achieve. If at first you don’t succeed...try, try again?
NASA Cassini Image
Drawing No. 9
2 8 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
A v i a t i o n
Australia
Australian Society of Aviation Artists Inc.
Editor: Brian Evans
[email protected]
Canada
Canadian Aviation Artists Association
Editor: Layne Larsen
[email protected]
Website: www.aviationartists.ca
A r t
N e w s l e t t e r s
United Kingdom
Guild of Aviation Artists
Editor: Graham Henderson
[email protected]
United Kingdom
Manchester Aviation Art society
Editor: Ron Leigh
[email protected]
Website: www.mavas.freeola.org
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
29
a r t r e p s
MARC STEWART
It just doesn’t get any bigger or better than this. I’m thrilled!”
Stewart currently has 20 pieces of artwork on display at the Mighty
Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia, near Savannah, as
part of their “Southern Wings” exhibit. That show runs through early
April. Twice his art has earned awards from Aviation Week & Space
Technology magazine. In 2006, his painting “Hell Over the Hadley”
won Best in Show at the National Museum of Naval Aviation’s juried
exhibition. Marc Stewart is an Artist Fellow of ASAA, the American
Society of Aviation Artists, and an active member of the Newnan
Coweta Art Association. His work may be viewed online at www.AviationArtbyMarcStewart.com.
For more information, contact: Robin Stewart · 770-254-1332 ;
[email protected]
Richard Whitney Honored
Dear Friends,
Local Artist to Receive National Honor
Newnan’s Marc Stewart named recipient of 2008
R.G. Smith Award
News release: February 11, 2008
The National Museum of Naval Aviation recently announced Marc
Stewart as the recipient of the 2008 R.G. Smith Award for “excellence in naval aviation art.” The prestigious honor is awarded annually to a single artist. The Museum’s Foundation selects the
recipient.
Upon receiving the news from the Museum, Stewart’s initial reaction
was one of disbelief. “At first I thought it was a mistake,” he laughs.
“Actually, I feel honored to be so recognized for my work. It means
a lot to me.”
Unlike a competition or a juried exhibit that may recognize one piece
of artwork, the R.G. Smith Award is a career honor, similar to a lifetime achievement award. The namesake of the award, Robert Grant
or R.G. Smith contributed immeasurably to the preservation of the
proud heritage and rich history of naval aviation through his 50-plus
year career as an aeronautical engineer and accomplished artist,
according to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Previous recipients include Jack Fellows, Keith Ferris, Roy Grinnell, Stan
Stokes and numerous other artists at the top of the highly niche field
of aviation art. Marc Stewart is pleased to now be counted among
them.
Stewart shares the accolades with his supportive family. “I want to
dedicate this to my Dad, the late Marcus Stewart, and to my Mom,
Marilyn,” the artist explains. Both parents were talented artists themselves. “They’ve always encouraged me artistically. Aside from my
wife, Robin, they’ve been my biggest cheerleaders and biggest fans.
I wouldn’t be in this position without them.” Both Stewart and his father served in the U.S. Navy, which gives the award another dimension of personal meaning.
In May, the Naval Aviation Museum will bestow the award to Stewart at their annual symposium in Pensacola. During the ceremony,
Stewart will present one of his original oil paintings to the Museum
as a donation to their permanent collection. “I’m definitely excited,”
says Stewart. “For an aviation artist, there’s simply no higher honor.
3 0 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
In the November/December 2007 issue of “Fine Art Connoisseur”
magazine, beginning on page 56, is an article on “Today’s Masters”
of figurative painting. Near the beginning of the article is the following paragraph:
“As tempting as it is to highlight them, this highly selective survey
bypasses the giants of the field whose work is so familiar to most
readers: Among them are Harvey Dinnerstein, Daniel E. Greene,
Everett Raymond Kinstler, David A. Leffel, Michael Leonard, David
Ligare, Frank Mason, Philip Pearlstein, Nelson Shanks, Buston Silverman, and Richard Whitney. Having weathered the relatively lean
years of the 1950’s - 80’s, these huge talents have attained varying
degrees of celebrity, inspired several generations of younger artists,
and found their rightful places in museum collections. Several have
been profiled in this magazine already, and others are scheduled
for the months ahead.”
I was astonished and humbled to see my name mentioned in the
same breath as many of the greatest living painters in the world. I
was so excited after I read this that I thought I would share it with
you - my friends, patrons and associates.
I want to thank you so much for your friendship and support over the
years. I could not have done it without you! I am most grateful to
you and wish you a very Happy New Year!!
Most Sincerely, Richard Whitney
Studios at Crescent Pond
100 Chalet Drive
Stoddard, NH 03464
www.crescentpond.com
After an awe-inspiring speech about his life and times, including living three days on the moon, Capt. Cernan was cheered on with a
roar of applause from the audience of eight hundred. Younger members were jumping on their seats.
Mimi
Photographs courtesy of “Aero Club of Washington/P. Cutts”
Mi m i Stu ar t ’s A r t Pa y s Tr i b ute t o
Eu ge ne Cer na n
60th Annual WRIGHT BROTHERS
MEMORIAL TROPHY Banquet
The 60th Annual Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy Banquet was
held jointly by the Aeroclub of Washington and the NAA (National
Aeronautic Association) at Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington,
D.C., December 14, 2007. CAPTAIN EUGENE A. CERNAN,
USN, (RET) – pilot and astronaut, aerospace ambassador, second man to walk in space, and last man to walk on the moon –
was honored as recipient of the 2007 Wright Brothers Memorial
Trophy.
For details, see www.naa.aero and www.aeroclub.org , or read Last
Man on the Moon, by Capt. Eugene Cernan. (Also on www.mimiart.com )
In January 2008, Mimi Stuart attended the Celebrity Sports Invitational in Banff, AB Canada with paintings of Buzz Aldrin and two
musicians; Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers and Canadian pianist William Cunningham. Mimi claims,“It’s an event I do
every year, so I couldn’t possibly back out.” It is a Gala auction to
benefit Waterkeeper Alliance, the worldwide environmental protection group. Mimi’s work, “Light of the Silvery...” is signed by former astronaut, Buzz Aldrin (above). Buzz Aldrin and Mimi pose
together in front of her painting, Light of the Silvery pictured below.
Pictured above is ASAA member and artist Mimi Stuart with
“Collecting Moonbeams,” part of the 5 painting Cernan EOS (Energy of Subject) Collection exhibited at the event to welcome and
pay tribute to Captain Cernan.
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
31
a r t r e p s
W ALT E R “M AT T ” JE FF ER IES
JACK
ELLIOTT
Aviation is a fascinating subject full of incredible achievements from
the Wright Brothers’ first flight to supersonic passenger service.
It’s an activity that has bred more than its share of unforgettable heroes.
Adventures in Flying is a collection of aviation stories, some of which
seem unbelievable.
The book is unique in that it takes a broad view of flying, not focusing exclusively on any one segment of flying. These stories focus in
on every aspect of the world of flight: fixed wing aircraft, gliders, ultralights, balloons, helicopters, blimps and dirigibles. There is even
a chapter on sky diving.
Aviation books seldom discuss the many ways in which aviation
contributes to the welfare of the community and the nation. Adventures in Flying has several chapters which do just that. One chapter
is devoted to heart-wringing stories about Mercy Flights. Another includes a story describing the work helicopters did in rescuing people from a flood. One chapter is devoted to disabled people, some
of whom can’t walk, but they can fly! There is a chapter on how aviation has helped businesses grow and thrive.
The stories in this book present segments of aviation history, some
of which you have never heard or read before because they come
straight from old-timers who were directly involved and never told
their stories before. There are accounts of raw courage, of overcoming incredible obstacles, stories of individuals whose selfless
sacrifices have helped sick people in serious trouble.
It is a blend of adventure, history, pathos, humor, and the indomitable spirit of those who fly. Many of these stories you will want
to reread ... and retell. Visit: http://www.adventuresinflying.net
(Copy courtesy of Jack Elliott, Alexander & Ray Book Publishers)
3 2 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
Legendary aviation artist Walter “Matt” Jefferies (1921–2003) is
best known for his work as art director of the original Star Trek television series—and for designing the most widely recognized
spacecraft of all time, the U. S. S. Enterprise.
In his lifetime, Jefferies worked on set and art designs for over fifteen movies and TV series, including Little House on the Prairie,
Dallas, Father Murphy, Ben Casey, and Love American Style; he
also produced many aircraft paintings and technical designs. His
paintings have been exhibited in museums all over the world.
This beautiful, full-color biography goes beyond Jefferies’s life as
an artist. Jefferies was a charming and genteel Southerner whose
eventful childhood and love of aviation propelled him to become a
high-flying visionary. After his stint in the military, he still found time
to take to the skies, flying his vintage 1935 WACO YOC cabin plane
throughout the rest of his life.
Illustrated with images of his striking paintings, Jefferies’s story is
enriched with a historical backdrop, personal anecdotes, and plenty
of information on Star Trek, aviation, and set design. The unique fusion of art and aircraft is revealed through pages that trace the life
and times of the aviation expert who helped shape the face of science fiction.
Authored by Walter’s brother, Richard Jefferies, the book is due for
release in March 2008. Visit http://www.beyondtheclouds.info/ or
http://www.mattjefferies.com for more information.
(Copy courtesy of Browns Books Publishing Group and Richard Jefferies)
THE AVIATION ART OF LOU DRENDEL
(Copy and images courtesy of Lou Drendel and
Squadron Signal Publications)
Squadron/Signal Publications is producing a new series of Special Collectors Edition books. The first, in this new series, “The Aviation Art of Lou Drendel” chronicles Lou Drendel’s 35 years of
Squadron/Signal Art. The book is an oversized 12” x 9” with a heavier stock cover. Lou states, “More than just pictures, I also tell the
story of how much of the art was created, who I met, where I went,
what and who influenced my artistic career.”
If you are a collector of Squadron Signal books, you are familiar with
the work of ASAA Artist, Lou Drendel. A prolific artist, Lou’s distinctive style and versatility in rendering a broad range of aeronautical
subjects, people, and equipment is richly represented in this fine
publication.
For more information visit Lou Drendel’s website:
http://www.aviation-art.net/
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
33
! A M E T H AT P L A ! E
by Gerry Asher
Photograph courtesy of the Dick Phillips Collection
W
ell, last issue’s subject wasn’t much of a challenge for the
guessers out there (all four of you), and all but one got it on the
first try. Associate John Kiracofe was first under the wire and appears to have had a bit of an ‘inside track’ on his knowledge of the
answer:
“Back in the early Sixties, before my airline days, I had the
pleasure of flying five or six co-pilot trips on an OnMark
converted Douglas A-26. It was a nifty aircraft, and very fast
with its water-injected R-2800s. But bear with me for a moment as I have gotten off the beaten path. The aircraft pictured is a Douglas A-26.”
Give that man a kewpie doll!
In the spring of 1940, Douglas’s Bomber Model 7 had already been
bloodied in the battle of France, and America’s Army Air Forces took
the design as its own under the designation A-20. Before the Havoc
even saw combat in U.S. colors, however, Ed Heinemann, the company’s chief design engineer, was already looking to improve the
product with bigger engines, remote control turrets and a laminar
flow wing for greater speed capability. Still built around the Havoc’s
pilot-and-gunner crew, the XA-26 Invader made its maiden flight on
10 July 1942. Its combat debut took place in the summer of ’44 in the
skies over New Guinea with the 13th Bomb Squadron. Its introduction was anything but laudable, however; chief among the pilot’s
complaints was the poor visibility due to the heavy canopy framing
on the earliest production A-26Bs. General George Kenney, Fifth Air
Force commander, said he had no desire to have the Invader replace any of his present equipment in the Southwest Pacific. So
adamant were pilots of the 13th that when the unit was moved forward to the Philippines, the A-26s were left in New Guinea. The complaints weren’t lost on the gang back at El Segundo, though, and
when the aircraft was deployed to the ETO it had been improved
sufficiently to receive a good deal of praise from Ninth Air Force personnel. The A-26 had greater range than the A-20 or Martin’s B-26
Marauder, better payload capabilities than the Havoc and better handling characteristics than either one.
When Korea got cranked up in 1950, the Air Force had changed the
designation of the Invader from “Attack” to “Bomber” as the B-26,
since the Marauders had been turned into frying pans five years pre-
3 4 WI N T ER 2008 AE RO BR USH
vious. The “C” model added a third crewman as a bombardier with
his Plexiglas office up front replacing a “gun nose.” The A-26B had
gone through its own minor evolution by increasing the weapons
count in the nose gun package from the original six to eight .50 machine guns. A majority of these aircraft flew night interdiction strikes
along Communist supply routes, which were highly successful.
Once the shooting finally died down, some enterprising Americans
contemplated the fact that since “time is money,” the Invader’s phenomenal performance could come in pretty handy in the business
world. On Mark Engineering undertook modification of several aircraft, transforming them into plush executive transports, even designing one variant to incorporate a pressurized cabin (although its
original sleek lines were certainly spoiled with that modification).
With their DC-6 “paddle blade” propellers, custom paint schemes
and wingtip fuel tanks, they were hard to miss at the local airport.
It seems peace never sticks around for long, though, and when Vietnam got cranked up, the Air Force looked at the A-26 (changing
back from that “Bomber” thing, which I assume the Air Force was
saving strictly for jets by then) again. On Mark tweaked their executive transport into a “counterinsurgency” aircraft, and the Invader
served admirably in Special Operations units striking targets along
the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Now you know just enough about the A-26 (or is it B-26?) to make
you dangerous – so I think I’ve done my job for now. Here’s the next
test question, so don’t strap on those thinking caps too tightly. I do
expect a correct, relatively exact designation, so pay attention to the
details" and Good Luck!
Send your guesses (correct or otherwise) to:
NAME THAT PLANE
c/o Gerry Asher
6837 North Park Dr.
N. Richland Hills, TX 76180-2669
Email [email protected]
An original acryla gouache painting by Nick Lambert
AER O B R USH W INT ER 2008
35
“ ” Bo ne
C r u sh er ”
by
L ou
Dr en de l