When I was in school I used to get in trouble for drawing pictures when I was supposed to be listening to the teacher lecture. I took art class in Junior High School and barely passed the class. I could never put art on paper the way the teacher wanted me to do it. I continued to draw all all through High School and actually took some drafting classes which I think helped me in the mechanics of drawing to perspective. While In the air force my roommate encouraged me to paint a mural on the wall in our room. I got approval from the barracks chief and this is what I came up with. This is where it started.
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After I separated from the Active Duty Air Force I started experimenting with Oil on cheap canvas covered boards. It was a great learning experience. I painted three paintings on this style board. These paintings are still rough, but I was learning how to shadow objects and working with 3 dimensions.
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My next project was a keeper. I got serious and started painting on real canvas. I have always been a big fan of the P-51 Mustang. I particularly have a lot of respect for C. E. "Bud" Anderson and Chuck Yeager. I decided to paint the "Old Crow and Glamorous Glen" together. The painting went real well for me and I managed to meet both Bud Anderson and Chuck Yeager at the Aviation Heritage Air Show at Clark County. I showed my painting to both men and they were happy to sign my painting. The painting is very special for me.
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I took my P-51 painting in to work one day and the Avionics Shop owner liked my painting so well that he commissioned me to paint a painting to hang in his Avionics Shop. Bob Volez is a real big fan of the P-40 in Flying Tigers colors. He asked for a painting of a P-40 shooting down a Zero. Here is what I came up with.
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Mr. Volez was very happy with the P-40 painting and commissioned me to paint another painting for him. He asked me to paint a painting of a Zero fighter this time shooting down a P-40. He wanted to hang this painting next to the P-40 painting above in his Avionics Shop.
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Seeing all the painting I was doing, a good friend of mine asked me to paint a painting for him as well. I took the offer and painted a specific setting for my friend Joe Royal. Joe asked me to paint a couple of Corsairs in Formation over a Carrier Task Force being attacked by the Japanese.
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The next painting I did actually came as an accident. I bought a rather large canvas and was getting ready to paint an F4U like the one I maintained at Vintage Fighters. I was so fired up about this painting that I wanted to practice the shape of the F4U on a canvas covered board. The lines of the F4U looked so good that I started throwing some paint down. Next thing you know I have probably one of my best works so far on a cheap piece of canvas board. ;) This is a representation of Roger Hedrick's F4U-1A #17 that he flew in the Pacific during WWII.
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Another good friend of mine got interested in my painting and asked me to paint a picture of a P-47 in action. After thinking about it for a day or two I had a neat idea and ran with it. My friend, Casey Hargadon, seemed very happy with the painting. The painting is totally hypothetical and not based on a real situation.
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My most recent work is a painting of the P-47 Big Ass Bird II formerly owned my Mr. Charles Osborn and hangared at Vintage Fighters. Another good friend of mine commissioned me to paint this painting for him. Craig Sebolt had me paint this painting for his son Jeremy Sebolt. Jeremy worked at Vintage Fighters with us for a while and really loved the P-47. It felt good to do a work like this for someone who really appreciates it.
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