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QUARTERLY<br />
N EWS THE 50TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION<br />
<strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
WWW.GAVA.ORG.UK<br />
A new era starts at IWM Duxford<br />
CONTENTS INCLUDE...<br />
From The Chair - Andrew Latham 3<br />
50th Annual Exhibition 20<strong>23</strong> Report 4-9<br />
50th Annual Exhibition Awards 10-11<br />
President’s Walkabout - Michael Turner 12<br />
Illustrated WW2 Book - Keith Burns 13<br />
Why Don’t You Paint a Spitfire? - Jane French 14<br />
Creating the Walrus - Victoria West 15<br />
Personal Reflections on Responsibility - Phil Hadley 16<br />
A Daunting Commission - Graham Cooke 17<br />
Pat Forrest VPGAvA 18-19<br />
Region Meeting Reports 20-33<br />
Aviation Magazines 34<br />
Caption Competition 34<br />
HQ contact information 35<br />
The Back Page - Wren’s “Oddentification” 36<br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong>
DIARY 20<strong>23</strong> DATES & VENUES<br />
FROM THE CHAIR<br />
Andrew Latham GAvA<br />
<strong>QN</strong> EDITORS<br />
Robert Calow GAvA<br />
David Calow GAvA<br />
Welcome to your Summer <strong>QN</strong><br />
Stunningly warm Summer days over a June<br />
weekend saw the Guild celebrate the 50th<br />
Annual Exhibition and our first ‘live’ one in<br />
four years. Everyone involved in the Annual,<br />
held for the first time at IWM Duxford, should<br />
be congratulated and it all bodes well for a<br />
continuing relationship in the future. It really<br />
was a joint effort by so many people giving<br />
of their time and all helping not only with<br />
the exhibition but also to promote the Guild<br />
at such a high-profile aviation event.<br />
Andrew has now put us all on ‘standby’ for<br />
the 2024 Annual and also the ever popular<br />
‘A5 Surprise!’, which will be happening<br />
again before Christmas. (see Andrew’s<br />
From the Chair).<br />
Our occasional series on major Guild artists,<br />
looks at one of the society’s true stalwarts<br />
and supporters, Patricia Forrest VPGAvA.<br />
We also feature articles on two other<br />
‘Ladies of the Guild’; portrait artist Jane<br />
French GAvA and newcomer and Annual<br />
prize winner Friend Member Victoria West.<br />
We also review a new book on the history<br />
of Second World War by renown military<br />
author James Holland which includes a<br />
stunning collection of work by the Guild’s<br />
very own graphic artist Keith Burns GAvA.<br />
There are some personal thoughts by<br />
Midland Region Organiser Phil Hadley on<br />
becoming a new Full Member and we<br />
would also like to wish Richard Wheatland<br />
GAvA well after stepping down from South<br />
East Region duties. It has always been a<br />
pleasure to work with Richard recording<br />
local events in that region.<br />
Finally, ‘The Back Page’ for this issue shows<br />
that you can find the most surprising – but<br />
very rewarding - items in book shops!<br />
Best wishes to all - and we will now be getting<br />
down to finding suitable A5 subjects….<br />
Robert and David<br />
Midland Region Meetings<br />
Sat <strong>23</strong>rd September<br />
Sat 14th October<br />
Sat 25th November<br />
West Region Meetings<br />
Sat 9th September<br />
Sat 7th October<br />
South East Region Meeting<br />
Sat 2nd September<br />
Statfold Barn, Tamworth<br />
Leicestershire Aero Club<br />
RAF Museum Midlands, RAF Cosford<br />
Aerospace Bristol, Filton<br />
Beaulieu Motor Museum, Hampshire<br />
Gatwick Aviation Museum<br />
GAvA Committee Provisional Zoom Meeting Dates<br />
Mondays - 11th Sept / 20th Nov<br />
Cartoon Corner<br />
A classic Clyde cartoon montage from the archives...<br />
by<br />
...and HS2 is STILL a hot topic<br />
for discussion!<br />
Thanks again from the Eds to Clyde Anderson AGAvA for all his contributions!<br />
Annual Exhibition<br />
It seems a distant memory now and<br />
came on one of the warmest days of this<br />
‘summer’ – our first Annual Exhibition<br />
in real terms for four years and one that<br />
truly celebrated 50 Years. Opened by our<br />
President, Michael Turner FGAvA, in tribute<br />
to his dedication across that time.<br />
While figures are not yet finalised, the 20<strong>23</strong><br />
exhibition at IWM Duxford gained much<br />
positive feedback. While we might always<br />
wish for more, sales were good, visitor<br />
numbers and positive comments very<br />
encouraging, organisation, artist support<br />
and helpers involvement all went as well as<br />
could be expected for a new venture.<br />
All thanks are due to Chris French for the<br />
inspiration and getting the ball rolling,<br />
the team from the general committee<br />
including Richard Thorne and Steve Chard<br />
at the centre of organising and all those<br />
who turned up and gave of their time during<br />
the exhibition, including Rob Hames and<br />
Dianne as welcoming party, and Martin and<br />
Janet on sales and those who promoted the<br />
Guild by painting inside and out, particularly<br />
Paul Couper, David Young, Chris Draper,<br />
John Wynne Hopkins, Graham Cooke, David<br />
Scrutton and Ruth Lewis. Thanks also to Phil<br />
Hadley for organising the name badges which<br />
gave a smart ‘corporate’ look to proceedings.<br />
Some have wondered why it was just three<br />
days. The answer is that the cost of hire<br />
is by the day; day one (Opening Day) was<br />
for invited guests, including many previous<br />
buyers, and Martin worked extremely hard<br />
to fill the room. We realised late on that we<br />
needed to provide all our own refreshments<br />
and are very grateful to Janet and Gina<br />
for organising and collecting them on<br />
the day; days two and three covered the<br />
flying weekend, where footfall through the<br />
exhibition hall was far greater than we ever<br />
had previously. There was interest in the<br />
works on display and in the Guild and some<br />
sales to airshow participants and visitors.<br />
This gained us unprecedented exposure to<br />
a public keen on aviation and indeed some<br />
new members.<br />
This leads us to think of something similar<br />
in 2024. As yet we do not know definite<br />
dates as it will depend on Duxford’s flying<br />
programme. So, artists are encouraged to<br />
get ready in case, for instance, selection<br />
has to happen even earlier than this year.<br />
A5 Surprise!<br />
We will need to supplement income so as to<br />
sustain the finances, so we are proposing<br />
to run the A5 Surprise! again prior to<br />
Christmas. We are indebted to the late Sir<br />
Freddie Sowrey for the idea, and I am sure<br />
with your support it will be a great success.<br />
Details will follow shortly.<br />
However, as a reminder, artists are asked<br />
to draw or paint a small work to fit an<br />
A5 envelope or similar. Participation is<br />
voluntary, the work being donated, and it<br />
does not necessarily need to be mounted.<br />
We will need an image of the work with<br />
title and medium for publicity and so we<br />
know how many to sell. Sales will be online<br />
and once all are sold, the works will be<br />
allocated to the buyers by a random number<br />
generator, so the work they get will be a<br />
surprise! Details of the purchaser will be<br />
sent to the artist for them to despatch their<br />
chosen work at the artists’ expense for UK<br />
sales. We will need the details by the end<br />
of October, so that sales can happen in<br />
November.<br />
Please do not send any works to the Guild.<br />
Producing pictures that size is not so easy,<br />
although it can be a fun exercise. Last time<br />
we attempted this we made almost £4k,<br />
which just about filled the shortfall from<br />
running the live exhibition.<br />
Thank you in advance.<br />
Sketch days<br />
Sketch days have continued throughout the<br />
Summer as you will see later in the <strong>QN</strong>, and<br />
I’d like to thank all the Regional Organisers<br />
for keeping programmes going when there<br />
are many other activities including holidays<br />
to attract members. In particular, thanks to<br />
Richard Wheatland who is standing down<br />
from the SE role. We’re actively working on<br />
finding someone to step into his shoes and<br />
I’m sure there will be an announcement<br />
shortly.<br />
Winners<br />
Congratulations to all winners of prizes and<br />
trophies from the 20<strong>23</strong> exhibition; those<br />
presented on opening day and those judged<br />
during and after the show by a selection of<br />
Full and Associate members. You’ll see all<br />
the results on pages 10 & 11. The Guild<br />
awards and trophies are presented at the<br />
AGM in 2024.<br />
I was very pleased to introduce a new Trophy,<br />
donated by the late Charles Pettit, former<br />
Trustee. It is to recognise imagination and<br />
creativity. An obituary for Charles will appear<br />
in the next edition of the <strong>QN</strong>.<br />
I wish you all a productive and enjoyable<br />
Autumn.<br />
Andrew Latham GAvA<br />
Chairman<br />
2 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 3
THE 50th ANNUAL EXHIBITION<br />
<strong>23</strong>rd-25th JUNE 20<strong>23</strong><br />
OF<br />
AVIATION PAINTINGS THEYEAR<br />
The<br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
Annual Summer Exhibition<br />
<strong>23</strong> - 25 JUNE 20<strong>23</strong><br />
THE CONSERVATION SPACE<br />
IWM DUXFORD AIRFIELD<br />
CAMBS, CB22 4QR<br />
Detail from “Lightning Strikes Twice”<br />
- a painting by Michael Turner FGAvA (President)<br />
Friday <strong>23</strong>rd by invitation only<br />
Open to Duxford<br />
Summer Airshow visitors<br />
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th<br />
T: 03331 3022<strong>23</strong> | E: admin@gava.org.uk | www.gava.org.uk<br />
The 50th Annual - a review by Richard Thorne AGAvA<br />
Thursday - Set up & Hanging<br />
The team arrived early at the site,<br />
with convenient access and parking<br />
alongside the AirSpace building. Inside,<br />
the Conservation Area was a large<br />
space with the imposing Victor at one<br />
end. The exhibition panel supplier soon<br />
arrived and started work on setting up.<br />
Artists arrived from 10:00 bringing in works<br />
which were laid out in accordance with<br />
the allocated location within the Exhibition.<br />
The hanging cord system for the display<br />
of works was soon mastered following<br />
instruction and guidance from Nigel<br />
Bowditch from Bridport Exhibition Services.<br />
The system involved suspending works<br />
using D rings on the backs of pictures.<br />
With plenty of volunteers and with the<br />
usual expertly put together exhibition<br />
plan from John Rosam, the hanging<br />
went quite smoothly although there<br />
were some works that had not had top<br />
corner D rings fitted. These rings were<br />
hastily added and progress continued<br />
with the panel structure finished around<br />
3 pm. Hanging was largely completed<br />
soon after 4:30 pm. Labels were added<br />
to the display boards during the hanging<br />
activity. At the end of Thursday, 303<br />
works were on display from 84 artists<br />
including one artist by invitation.<br />
The sales desk and wrapping area were<br />
set up and equipment checked. All was<br />
ready for Friday’s opening day activitiesthanks<br />
to a wonderful team effort !!<br />
Thanks must go to Phil Hadley for<br />
production of the commemorative<br />
50th Annual Exhibition badges for<br />
participating artists and team name<br />
labels. They looked superb!<br />
Thursday Evening Meal<br />
Thanks again to Phil Hadley for booking<br />
tables at the Square & Compasses in<br />
nearby Great Shelford for those who<br />
wished to join in a very pleasant meal at<br />
the end of a successful set up day.<br />
Friday - Opening Day<br />
Friday saw the team back on site to<br />
prepare for the Opening of the Exhibition.<br />
The all important Lecturn, sound system,<br />
furniture and trophies were organised<br />
and refreshments for the reception<br />
were readied. Judging for the various<br />
Exhibition trophies and awards was<br />
undertaken during the morning.<br />
Buyers, VIPs and guests arrived and were<br />
able to have a look around the Exhibition<br />
before artists and their guest arrived.<br />
By the start of the opening ceremony at<br />
12:30 an impressive number (just over<br />
100) of guests, buyers, artists etc. had<br />
gathered to hear speeches from<br />
Chairman Andrew and Guild President<br />
Michael Turner.<br />
Michael and others presented the<br />
Opening Awards and Trophies with Paul<br />
Couper receiving the Aviation Painting<br />
of the Year prize for his work Tip and<br />
Run depicting RAF Hawker Typhoons<br />
in action. Congratulations Paul! (See<br />
Award and Trophy recipients pages.)<br />
By the end of a busy day, 34 sales had<br />
been recorded (including two sold prior<br />
to Opening) and the Exhibition was<br />
made ready for the public Air Show<br />
days over the weekend. The Cambridge<br />
Science Centre set up their display ready<br />
for the Air Show in the space adjacent to<br />
the Art Exhibition.<br />
Saturday & Sunday Airshow<br />
Early starts were again required on the<br />
Saturday and Sunday Air Show days,<br />
to ensure all was ready for the visitors<br />
arriving when the gates were to be<br />
opened at 8 a.m.<br />
There was a steady flow of viewers to<br />
the Exhibition during the two days with<br />
reduced numbers as expected during<br />
the afternoons when flying displays<br />
took place. Many good contacts were<br />
made, conversations had, and a few<br />
new Friends joined. Several artists gave<br />
live demonstrations and these proved<br />
of particular interest to visitors (and for<br />
one artist that interest led to sale of the<br />
painting !). Those artists working outside<br />
(in the hot conditions !) were able to<br />
advertise the Exhibition to visitors.<br />
Guild Secretary<br />
A number of sales were made over the<br />
weekend with the final total sold at the<br />
Exhibition being 46.<br />
Monday - take down<br />
After what seemed like all too short<br />
a time, it was Monday and time to<br />
dismantle the Exhibition. With spaces<br />
allocated for works in alphabetical order<br />
by artist, pictures were taken down and<br />
set out ready for collection. The display<br />
panels were disassembled and packed<br />
ready for another exhibition. Finally just<br />
six works remained to be collected by<br />
Picture Post, as the team left the site at<br />
lunchtime, knowing that this first live Guild<br />
Exhibition since 2019 at a new venue<br />
and the 50th Annual had been a great<br />
success !<br />
Thanks are due not only to Chairman<br />
Andrew, Chris and the Committee,<br />
members of the Guild and suppliers for<br />
the success of the exhibition but also to<br />
the events team at IWM and not least to<br />
all of the visitors to the Exhibition.<br />
Thank you !<br />
Richard Thorne AGAvA<br />
Secretary<br />
4 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> SPRING 20<strong>23</strong> GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 5
50th ANNUAL EXHIBITION<br />
Thursday 22nd June - Set Up and Hanging<br />
Nigel Bowditch and his wife from Bridport<br />
Exhibition Services building the exhibition stand.<br />
All done!!!!<br />
Hans gets to grip with the orders!<br />
Thursday Evening Meal<br />
All enjoyed the chat and meal at the Square &<br />
Compasses in nearby Great Shelford after leaving the<br />
museum. Owners Hans and Justine Pinkard looked after<br />
the large assembled company making sure we all had<br />
a great time.<br />
6 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 7
50th ANNUAL EXHIBITION Friday <strong>23</strong>rd June - Opening Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th - Airshow Days<br />
The Guild in action!<br />
What a backdrop<br />
for John.<br />
Graham explains...<br />
Chris’s Sally B<br />
A small and dedicated Guild team manned the sales desk on the Saturday and Sunday Airshow and a number of artists were on show<br />
creating their masterpieces and engaging with the visiting public.<br />
Monday 26th June - Take down and checkout<br />
Rob with the brush.<br />
All gone, cleared up<br />
by lunchtime and<br />
ready for a bite!<br />
8 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 9
50th ANNUAL EXHIBITION - AWARDS<br />
The following awards were presented at the Annual Exhibition<br />
The Aviation Painting<br />
of the Year Award of £500<br />
Presented by President Michael Turner FGAvA<br />
Winner Tip and Run<br />
Paul Couper GAvA<br />
Highly Commended<br />
A Sudden Downpour<br />
Chris French FGAvA<br />
HC Sabres at Dawn<br />
Malcolm Root Friend<br />
HC Speedbird Dusk Arrival<br />
Henry Smith Friend<br />
The Jon Moore Best Group<br />
Award of Art Materials of £400<br />
Presented by President Michael Turner FGAvA<br />
Winner Derek Blois GAvA 11-15<br />
HC David Calow GAvA 22-27<br />
HC Lee Lacey AGAvA 170-174<br />
The de Havilland Aircraft Museum<br />
Trophy and Award<br />
Presented by Ian Thirsk, de Havilland A M<br />
Winner Gap in the Clouds<br />
David Young GAvA<br />
HC Classic Wings Airborne<br />
Richard Thorne AGAvA<br />
HC The “Twotter”<br />
John Rosam AGAvA<br />
HC BEA Comet<br />
Chris Tyler AGAvA<br />
The Royal Air Force Museum<br />
Award<br />
Presented by Dr Harry Raffal, RAF Museum<br />
Winner RAF Typhoon<br />
Ieuan Layton-Matthews GAvA<br />
HC Departure<br />
Paul Couper GAvA<br />
HC NVG Practice<br />
Malcolm Reeves AGAvA<br />
The Leonardo Helicopters<br />
Trophy and Award of £500<br />
Presented by Richard Folkes OBE, Leonardo<br />
Winner Rescue at Perranporth<br />
Martin Perman GAvA<br />
HC Juno 04<br />
Robert Calow GAvA<br />
HC Returning From a Shout<br />
Simon Milan GAvA<br />
HC Matterhorn Rescue<br />
Malcolm Reeves AGAvA<br />
HC Helmand Apache Dusk<br />
John Wynne Hopkins GAvA<br />
The Bonham Trophy and Award<br />
of £100<br />
Presented by Graham Cooke VPGAvA<br />
Winner Victoria West Friend 294-296<br />
HC Brian Casey Friend 34-37<br />
HC Stephen Hopper Friend 144-147<br />
The Great War Aviation Society<br />
Award<br />
Presented by Marcus Williams, Trustee TGWAS<br />
Winner Letord Artillery Spotting<br />
Graham Turner GAvA<br />
HC Homeward Tracks<br />
Martin Perman GAvA<br />
HC Captain Albert’s Nieuport<br />
Colin Ball AGAvA<br />
The Sir George Edwards<br />
Memorial Plate<br />
Presented by Desmond Penrose<br />
Winner Scampton Departure<br />
Anthony Nicholls GAvA<br />
HC BEA Comet<br />
Chris Tyler AGAvA<br />
HC Team Trident<br />
Stephen Chard GAvA<br />
HC Helmand Apache Dusk<br />
John Wynne Hopkins GAvA<br />
The Alex Henshaw Trophy<br />
Winner Hatfield Surveyor<br />
Mike Hutchinson AGAvA<br />
HC Birth of an Airline<br />
Graham Cooke GAvA<br />
HC The Wonderful Wizard<br />
Darren Howlett AGAvA<br />
HC Avian Study<br />
Robert Calow GAvA<br />
The Arthur Gibson<br />
Memorial Trophy<br />
Presented by President Michael Turner FGAvA<br />
Winner Sabres at Dawn<br />
Malcolm Root Friend<br />
HC Speedbird Dusk Arrival<br />
Henry Smith Friend<br />
The Charles Pettit Trophy<br />
Winner Mitchell’s Marvel in Metal<br />
Damon Poole AGAvA<br />
HC Over a Blue Planet<br />
Nick Harder AGAvA<br />
HC Indebted<br />
Geoff Marsh AGAvA<br />
HC Evolution of the Moth<br />
Vincent Nevin GAvA<br />
The following awards will be<br />
presented at the AGM in 2024<br />
The John Blake Memorial Award<br />
Winner Outside Classroom No.1<br />
Phil Hadley GAvA<br />
Runner-up Pencil Power<br />
Alan Pearson AGAvA<br />
The Margaret Kahn Trophy<br />
and Award<br />
Winner Silent Flight<br />
Martin Bleasby GAvA<br />
Runner-up Tangmere Twilight<br />
Jack Froelich Friend<br />
The Wilkinson Sword Poignard<br />
Winner Gladiator Study<br />
Benjamin Holmes AGAvA<br />
Runner-up Checking Finals<br />
Alex Hamilton FGAvA<br />
The Hawker Siddeley Trophy<br />
Winner The SE5 Proves its Worth<br />
Graham Turner GAvA<br />
Runner-up Return to Goodwood<br />
Chris Draper GAvA<br />
The Joe Latham Watercolour<br />
Trophy<br />
Winner Rescue at Perranporth<br />
Martin Perman GAvA<br />
Runner-up Cosford’s Komet<br />
Robert Calow GAvA<br />
The Pooley Sword<br />
Winner Blackpool First Airshow 1909<br />
Vincent Nevin GAvA<br />
Runner-up 12000ft Freefallers<br />
Allan Perera-Liyanage AGAvA<br />
The Qantas Trophy<br />
Winner Leaving ‘Soon’ on a Jet Plane<br />
Paul Couper GAvA<br />
Runner-up Once We Were Kings<br />
Paul Couper GAvA<br />
The SBAC Trophy<br />
Winner Sabres at Dawn<br />
Malcolm Root Friend<br />
Runner-up Speedbird Dusk Arrival<br />
Henry Smith Friend<br />
The Light Aircraft Trophy<br />
Winner 12000ft Freefallers<br />
Allan Perera-Liyanage AGAvA<br />
Runner-up G-CEXO at Hangar 3<br />
Emily Coxon Friend<br />
The Jon Moore Best Group Award<br />
Derek Blois GAvA<br />
The Bonham Trophy and Award<br />
Victoria West Friend<br />
The Arthur Gibson Memorial Trophy<br />
Malcolm Root Friend<br />
The Aviation Painting of the Year<br />
Award<br />
Paul Couper GAvA<br />
The de Havilland Aircraft Museum<br />
Trophy and Award<br />
David Young GAvA<br />
The Royal Air Force Museum Award<br />
Ieuan Layton-Matthews GAvA<br />
The Sir George Edwards<br />
Memorial Plate<br />
Anthony Nicholls GAvA<br />
Paul’s Winner - Tip and Run<br />
The Great War Aviation Society<br />
Award<br />
Graham Turner GAvA<br />
The Great War Aviation Society Award<br />
HC Martin Perman GAvA<br />
The Leonardo Trophy and Award<br />
Martin Perman GAvA<br />
The Committee and Members of the Guild of Aviation Artists wish to thank the generous sponsors of the 20<strong>23</strong> exhibition:<br />
Hansen Fine Art, The Clearbrook Group, and L Anthony Edwards BSc MBA CEng FRAeS.<br />
They also thank: The de Havilland Aircraft Museum for the Trophy and Award, Leonardo Helicopters for the Trophy and Award, the late<br />
Jon Moore for the Best Group Award, Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, for the Award, the late Yvonne Bonham for The Bonham Trophy<br />
and Award, the late Eira Gibson for The Arthur Gibson Memorial Trophy, Angela Newton for The Sir George Edwards Memorial Plate, the<br />
late Alex Henshaw MBE for The Alex Henshaw Trophy, the late Walter Kahn MBE for the Margaret Kahn Trophy and Award, The Great War<br />
Aviation Society Award for their Award.<br />
810 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> WINTER 20<strong>23</strong>2022/<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 11
The President’s 50th Annual Exhibition Walkabout<br />
The Second World War James Holland & Keith Burns - the new book<br />
Looking at the exhibition as a whole, bearing<br />
in mind the totally different surroundings,<br />
the overall visual effect was reassuringly<br />
commendable, although we were missing<br />
the number of works by some of the top<br />
artists we are used to seeing.<br />
The lack of space between the screens<br />
also made it more difficult to view work<br />
compared to our customary space in the<br />
Mall Galleries and previous venues.<br />
As an initial impression, many otherwise<br />
notable examples on display were,<br />
perhaps, let down by fairly basic elements.<br />
Use of light and shade, unnatural looking<br />
figures, inappropriate settings and, most<br />
importantly, use of the limitless forms<br />
provided by clouds, when part of a scene<br />
set in or against a sky, could be enhanced<br />
by their considered use to create<br />
atmosphere or visual attraction. The use<br />
of colour can also create attention and<br />
enhance atmosphere where appropriate,<br />
be it dramatic or subtle.<br />
I am reluctant to specify specific works<br />
which deserve positive appreciation, as the<br />
spacing of the screens inhibited my overall<br />
perception, but among the conventional<br />
subjects, Chris Draper’s treatment of the<br />
highly polished silver Spitfire in a hangar<br />
absolutely sparkled. As a contrast, Chris<br />
French showed Stirlings at dispersal with<br />
ground crew seeking shelter from a<br />
cloudburst, a cyclist in the foreground trailing<br />
very realistic spray across the tarmac.<br />
Interesting stories or locations were in<br />
abundance and snow was effectively used<br />
by Malcolm Root who used very believable<br />
tracks in the white stuff leading to a parked<br />
Constellation middle distance. Phil Hadley’s<br />
DH60 turning low over a snowy field had<br />
the added interest of grazing sheep<br />
below, more interested in finding grass to<br />
eat than the passing plane. The fishermen<br />
featured by Lee Lacey casting their lines<br />
by a peaceful river were similarly unmoved<br />
by a Chipmunk passing low overhead. In<br />
a similar vein, Anthony Collins’ Shooting<br />
Stars taking off with intent for a mission in<br />
Korea are contrasted by locals absorbed in<br />
collecting crops alongside the runway.<br />
Albatross CIII he has just dispatched. The<br />
scene at wartime Duxford by Phil Jackson<br />
tells a story featuring the P-51 of Lt Stier, under<br />
scrutiny having landed safely with a battle<br />
shattered tail. One of John Wynne Hopkins’<br />
favourite Sunderlands manoeuvres over an<br />
Atlantic convoy steaming in unmolested<br />
lines below, whereas Michael Daley has low<br />
flying Mosquitos over fishing boats in a windswept<br />
stormy sea.<br />
Ted Runciman uses interesting back lighting<br />
for his F-35 Lightning taking off, and Chris<br />
Tyler attracts with a dramatic view of a<br />
strikingly lit Concord landing. Paul Couper<br />
chooses back-lighting for an impressive<br />
depiction of a Tristar tanker with two<br />
customers lining up to take on fuel and an<br />
impressive wall of cloud as a backdrop<br />
setting. Excellently sketchy but impressively<br />
lifelike figures feature in the depiction of a<br />
fragile looking flying machine displaying<br />
at Blackpool by Vincent Nevin.<br />
There were several portraits to add variety,<br />
with Jane French showing a varied group<br />
of five posed heads, and Alex Hamilton’s<br />
study shows an alert Chipmunk pilot, as<br />
seen from the back seat.<br />
Finally, there were quite a number of<br />
hangar studies resulting from the Regional<br />
sketching days, with some particularly<br />
absorbing semi-abstract compilations by<br />
the Calows; Robert with stylised shapes<br />
backing a side view of Cosford’s Me163,<br />
David with Puma main and tail rotors woven<br />
into a design. For something completely<br />
different, Paul Warrener’s Tornado painted<br />
on an immaculate brick wall was probably<br />
the most innovative idea of all.<br />
As usual, many more works which deserve a<br />
mention, but time constraints have caught<br />
up with me!<br />
Michael Turner P&FGAvA<br />
OF<br />
AVIATION PAINTINGS THEYEAR<br />
The<br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
Annual Summer Exhibition<br />
<strong>23</strong> - 25 JUNE 20<strong>23</strong><br />
THE CONSERVATION SPACE<br />
IWM DUXFORD AIRFIELD<br />
CAMBS, CB22 4QR<br />
Detail from “Lightning Strikes Twice”<br />
- a painting by Michael Turner FGAvA (President)<br />
Friday <strong>23</strong>rd by invitation only<br />
Open to Duxford<br />
Summer Airshow visitors<br />
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th<br />
T: 03331 3022<strong>23</strong> | E: admin@gava.org.uk | www.gava.org.uk<br />
A major new book has been published<br />
on the history of WW2. It is written by<br />
the acclaimed historian James Holland<br />
and lavishly illustrated by our own Keith<br />
Burns GAvA. We asked Keith to give a<br />
background to this large scale project.<br />
Rowland White is a member of the RAF<br />
Club and happened to see my exhibition<br />
there. He is also a creative director at<br />
Penguin Random House. I met him at<br />
Flying Legends and he asked if I’d be<br />
interested in working with James Holland<br />
on a series of 12 Ladybird books on the<br />
history of WW2. Obviously I said yes!<br />
I then met James Holland in 2017 and<br />
over the next five years we worked<br />
through the 12 books covering all the<br />
years and battles of the war. They were<br />
published as part of the ‘Ladybird Expert’<br />
series aimed at adult readership. These<br />
books were then drawn together into one<br />
volume and published this year in a 348<br />
page hardback fully illustrated book by<br />
Penguin Michael Joseph. RRP £30.<br />
Although it’s been a delight to reach the<br />
end, now it’s over, I miss working on it.<br />
With 288 illustrations and little interference<br />
I doubt I shall ever work on anything like it<br />
again. Looking through it I find it interesting<br />
to see how the painting loosens up over<br />
the time it took to complete.<br />
Keith Burns GAvA<br />
Keith’s stunning view<br />
of a silver B17 on a<br />
raid over Germany<br />
is the impressive<br />
cover illustration.<br />
The back showcases<br />
a selection of the<br />
288 illustrations which<br />
feature inside.<br />
Choice of interesting settings was also<br />
used by Pat Forrest to feature a Spitfire and<br />
Hurricane overflying Capel-le Ferne, and<br />
a dramatic view of a Sikorsky helicopter<br />
banking over Mumbles Head as portrayed<br />
by Ieuan Leyton-Matthews was an eyecatcher.<br />
Derek Blois’ Apache helicopter<br />
fills the frame in an intimidating aggressive<br />
pose, whilst more restful was a Bleriot with St<br />
Michael’s Mount beyond, by Simon Milan.<br />
Air combat was featured by Graham<br />
Turner, his simple focus on the two WW1<br />
protagonists clearly records Albert Ball in<br />
his SE5 climbing away from the smoking<br />
Keith’s skill at<br />
depicting all theatres<br />
of war are clearly<br />
shown throughout.<br />
His figurework is also<br />
an outstanding part<br />
of the collection.<br />
Brilliant!<br />
12 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 13
Why don’t you paint a Spitfire?<br />
Jane French GAvA<br />
Creating the Walrus on Clay Board<br />
Victoria West Friend<br />
One of the most familiar faces and<br />
personalities at the Duxford 50th Annual<br />
this year was Guild portrait artist Jane<br />
French GAvA. Your eds caught up<br />
with Jane after the show on the ‘Take<br />
Down’ Monday when we were watching<br />
Spitfires overhead - something which<br />
we found out is very important to her.<br />
The question I’m often asked is, ‘Why are<br />
you a member of the Guild of Aviation<br />
Artists when you’re a portrait artist?!’<br />
A reasonable question and my artistic<br />
journey took lots of twists and turns<br />
before I ended up where I am today.<br />
I’ve always loved art and the only thing<br />
I needed on a wet day to keep me<br />
occupied as a child, was a piece of<br />
paper and a pencil - it was something I<br />
excelled at in school but somehow it got<br />
lost during my training to be a primary<br />
school teacher and once I was teaching,<br />
there was never any time. Then when I<br />
gave up teaching it was tapestry I turned<br />
to and I have a living room full of cushions<br />
I designed and made to prove it!<br />
It wasn’t until nearly 15 years ago that<br />
I went back to my first love of drawing<br />
and painting. Without any formal training<br />
it was a process of experimentation and<br />
often failure. I watched endless videos<br />
and eventually found a way of working<br />
that felt instinctive. There were many<br />
times I felt close to giving up, but there’s<br />
a wonderful quote by Einstein that says,<br />
‘In order to succeed, your desire for<br />
success should be greater than your<br />
fear of failure’ and I’ve thought on that<br />
when I’ve needed the encouragement<br />
to continue.<br />
None of that explains why the Guild<br />
of Aviation Artists! My connection to<br />
aviation is through my father who was a<br />
Spitfire pilot during WW2 though I can’t<br />
say growing up it really meant that much<br />
to me, he was just my dad. It was after<br />
he had retired and I’d given up teaching<br />
that I started spending more time with<br />
him - we would visit museums and talk<br />
to modern day pilots, in particular BBMF,<br />
and it was then I began to realise the<br />
significance of the role he played. It<br />
coincided with a renewed interest in<br />
WW2 and I’m pleased he chose to write<br />
down his experiences and agreed to be<br />
interviewed on film.<br />
In addition, my mother was a Filter Officer<br />
in the WAAF and an expert on radar,<br />
lecturing both British and American air<br />
crew. It was someone I met through<br />
one of the visits with my dad who asked<br />
if I’d like to go to the Guild’s exhibition<br />
one year as he had a ticket and I never<br />
believed for one moment that I would<br />
end up exhibiting there myself!<br />
My first exhibition was in 2014 and I was so<br />
excited I thought I would burst and when<br />
I sold a portrait, I was hooked! From<br />
the first Submission Day, as a complete<br />
unknown and through my time being<br />
a member of the Guild, I’ve always felt<br />
accepted and encouraged and I’m<br />
the artist I am today because of that, for<br />
which I’m very grateful.<br />
Of course the other question I’m asked<br />
is, ‘Why don’t you paint a Spitfire?!’ My<br />
love of Spitfires will never fade, but I shall<br />
leave the painting of them to those more<br />
qualified than me, and stick to portraits!<br />
Jane French GAvA<br />
Jane makes sure the ladies don’t miss out and champions the women in uniform as well!<br />
Another one of the ladies of the Guild making her mark both on sketch days and<br />
now at the Annual, is Friend Member Victoria West. Victoria won the Bonham Trophy<br />
for her duo of pictures at the Duxford Exhibition. Her painting of the Walrus attracted<br />
much attention at a recent Midland Region meeting prior to the Annual and in this<br />
article Victoria shows us how the award-winning picture was created.<br />
For a long time I have worked with oils<br />
on canvas or graphite on paper but I<br />
eventually felt the need to experiment<br />
with new materials and so step outside<br />
of the comfort zone. It was a very difficult<br />
thing to do especially when people have<br />
known me to always produce work using<br />
the usual materials along with the same<br />
photographic style which I will no doubt<br />
continue to use when needed.<br />
1. Using a neutral coloured permanent<br />
pencil, I marked in the basic lines of the<br />
composition remembering not to use<br />
graphite as this can later contaminate<br />
the colours when adding water. To erase<br />
unwanted areas, I used a cotton bud<br />
and a sponge dampened with water.<br />
When happy with the lines, the colours<br />
were added using watercolour pencils in<br />
a diagonal direction keeping the pressure<br />
of pencil on board fairly light. If you press<br />
too hard on the board you will lift off some<br />
of the under layers of pencil. I started with<br />
the highlights first. It’s important to keep<br />
the pencil point sharp.<br />
2. This shows a close-up of the shading.<br />
The light blue area in the top right corner<br />
is masking fluid which I’ll explain later.<br />
I discovered clay board when browsing<br />
through an art supplies catalogue and<br />
after reading the information about it – it<br />
wetted my appetite. When I ventured<br />
into this new territory using good quality<br />
watercolour pencils, the very smooth<br />
surface of the board forced me to change<br />
my style. This proved to be very challenging<br />
and after several frustrating attempts I finally<br />
achieved some pleasing results.<br />
Victoria West Friend<br />
3. Using a fine pointed aqua brush and<br />
working from light to dark, I applied the<br />
water to the pencil in a very tight circular<br />
motion to create an almost stippling<br />
effect. I took care not to over wet the<br />
brush to avoid the colours running.<br />
4. This shows an area on the bottom left<br />
after water was added. Note how much<br />
darker the colour became once the water<br />
had been applied. The masking fluid which<br />
I mentioned a little earlier, well, I would<br />
not recommend that to be used on clay<br />
board. It contains latex which didn’t rub<br />
off very easily and left a sticky residue on<br />
the surface. Luckily however, I managed<br />
to remove it very carefully with white spirit<br />
without any damage to the surface.<br />
5. The completed work!<br />
A word of advice - if one half of you is itching to try something new but the other half is unsure and backs off, grab the bull by the<br />
horns and have a go because with perseverance it can be like a breath of fresh air!<br />
14 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 15
Personal Reflections on Responsibility - from a new Full Member<br />
A Daunting Commission<br />
Graham Cooke VPGAvA<br />
As reported in the AGM article in a<br />
previous <strong>QN</strong>, I have, this year, been<br />
granted the privilege and honour of<br />
being promoted as a Full Member of the<br />
Guild. This unexpected surprise came in<br />
the form of a letter to me from Chairman<br />
Andrew which I received a few weeks<br />
ahead of the AGM.<br />
Contained in his most pleasant and<br />
welcome letter was the sentence:<br />
“it (promotion to Full member) also carries<br />
the responsibility to continue your support<br />
of Guild activities.”<br />
And it was this sentence that started me<br />
thinking about not only my own personal<br />
responsibilities to the Guild, but also the fact<br />
that the responsibility to the Guild is surely<br />
something that applies to us all – no matter<br />
what our individual rank or status is within the<br />
organisation.<br />
Like many of us, I’m old enough to remember<br />
JFK and exactly where I was on the day he<br />
was assassinated, November 22nd 1963 -<br />
(For what it’s worth…..playing on the carpet<br />
in Mum and Dad’s dining room with my<br />
favourite Dinky cars!!)<br />
In his inaugural address back in 1961, JFK<br />
famously included the words:<br />
“Ask not what your country can do for you –<br />
ask what you can do for your country”<br />
Surprisingly, in recent years, a Full Member<br />
of the Guild resigned as he had come<br />
to the conclusion that ‘having looked at<br />
his commitments – he had come to the<br />
conclusion that the Guild did not do enough<br />
for him to justify his annual subscription’……<br />
Surely this has to be the complete antithesis<br />
of JFK’s aspirations.<br />
Of course, JFK’s sentiment can be applied<br />
to anyone in any organisation or company.<br />
For myself, throughout my life, I have derived<br />
maximum enjoyment out of belonging to<br />
an organisation whenever I have put in the<br />
greatest contribution that I can.<br />
Like most hobby clubs, the Guild’s activities<br />
and organisation are carried out for the<br />
benefit of the whole membership and are<br />
arranged and managed by surprisingly few<br />
people. These very dedicated souls give<br />
selflessly of their time and effort –presumably,<br />
like me, because they get most satisfaction<br />
out of ‘doing’.It’s a shame, then, to realise<br />
just how many folk join the Guild only to not<br />
get involved.<br />
As a Regional Organiser, those that know<br />
me are aware of how much I have put into<br />
organising the Midland Region since I took<br />
over the reins from my predecessor in 2017.<br />
We now average 10 -12 Midland Region<br />
weekend meetings in every calendar year,<br />
plus additional weekday meetings on on an<br />
ad-hoc basis.<br />
It may come as a surprise that the notices for<br />
those meetings are emailed out to around<br />
55 members in the Midlands alone. Of<br />
those 55 or so, the response always seems<br />
to come from the same 15-20 people. The<br />
majority don’t even acknowledge receipt<br />
of emails, let alone turn up to a meeting<br />
of the very organization they happily pay<br />
good money each year to be a member of.<br />
I guess a similar thing happens across all of<br />
the Regions.<br />
I do recognise that a certain number of those<br />
I email have, in the past, been very active<br />
Guild members. Some have now reached<br />
quite advanced age or have conditions<br />
which prevent their participation.<br />
I therefore stress that my thoughts and<br />
comments here are not aimed in their<br />
direction, as their contribution has already<br />
been made, but rather in the direction of<br />
those who are young enough and capable<br />
enough of joining in, but sadly choose not to.<br />
Whilst talking about emails and<br />
communication, I know that there are<br />
some areas where we can improve in<br />
how information is disseminated to the<br />
greater membership. But please don’t<br />
forget that communication is a two way<br />
street. If an email is sent out it is nice for the<br />
sender to then receive at the very least<br />
an acknowledgement of receipt from the<br />
addressee.<br />
And if a member has a good idea, a<br />
complaint, a suggestion or simply wants<br />
something clarifying….please get in touch!<br />
Don’t stay silent, or put pointless posts on<br />
social media – but do get in direct touch<br />
with someone ‘in the know’. You’ll find their<br />
contact details are inside the back cover of<br />
every <strong>QN</strong> mag.<br />
I also know full well that some members are<br />
non- artists which is why I want to be clear<br />
that I consider Midland Region get-togethers<br />
as ‘meetings’ rather than ‘sketching<br />
days’. At our meetings we do not have a<br />
requirement for anyone to produce a sketch<br />
or painting, the only requirement is that<br />
anyone attending should enjoy a good day<br />
out at a museum or airfield - in the company<br />
of like-minded fellow members who all share<br />
our common love of aviation and art.<br />
Indeed we have several Midland members,<br />
whose partners/spouses regularly come<br />
along to meetings, so the Guild is not just<br />
an exclusive club for practicing artists. And<br />
to cap it all, one of my predecessors, Chris<br />
Heath, was a non-artist …..and he ran the<br />
Region, being a valuable member of the<br />
Guild, for many, many years.<br />
Of the artist members, I am sure there are<br />
a lot who don’t like working ‘en-plein air’<br />
and who are only comfortable working in<br />
a studio environment. But to them, I would<br />
say, please try coming along, you don’t<br />
have to paint anything on the day, but do<br />
please bring along some things you have<br />
done in the studio. Join in - and share your<br />
experiences, skills, hints and tips. You never<br />
know, you may also go home having<br />
learned something in return. One is never too<br />
old to learn new things.<br />
As we all know, the Guild has a membership<br />
category structure. As one gains more<br />
experience and becomes successful, one is<br />
rewarded with promotion to a higher status.<br />
This is common throughout all organisations<br />
and companies. And with higher status<br />
comes greater responsibility - not less.<br />
Over the past few years, comments have<br />
been heard that in some opinions, the<br />
standard of art depicted at our Annual<br />
Exhibitions has been declining.<br />
Surely then, it is the greatest responsibility of the<br />
most senior ranks to ensure that they contribute<br />
their maximum effort in bringing along,<br />
mentoring and educating the juniors and less<br />
experienced. It is in their power to ensure that<br />
standards are maintained (or improved ) and<br />
it is only with their help and assistance that the<br />
less able will learn and their artistic ability will<br />
grow. And yet there are so many ‘seniors’ who<br />
are never seen and who don’t get involved.<br />
With our current promotion procedure, in<br />
time, some of our existing Associates will be<br />
considered for promotion to Full Membership.<br />
Existing Full Members will then be required<br />
to vote on an Associate’s promotion…Yet<br />
how can a FM possibly consider or judge<br />
somebody who they probably may never<br />
even have met?<br />
I believe the Guild needs to have the<br />
greatest involvement from the most senior<br />
ranks, we need to be led from the top,<br />
and from the front, and that we all have<br />
a shared responsibility to our organization<br />
and our artistic abilities. And those seniors<br />
who are already commendably engaged<br />
and involved need to have more of their<br />
colleagues working alongside them.<br />
The Annual Exhibition aside, the Guild<br />
operates on a Regional basis for a very good<br />
reason. I feel that it is therefore incumbent<br />
on every member to get involved with their<br />
respective Region and to attend as many<br />
Regional meetings throughout the year as<br />
they can.<br />
Without the involvement and commitment<br />
of us all, whatever our rank or status, the<br />
Guild may in all probability inevitably decline<br />
and eventually fail... and in my opinion that<br />
would be really sad…<br />
Phil Hadley GAvA<br />
Midland Region Organiser<br />
Some ten years ago, John Hennessy, a fellow member of the Stamford Model<br />
Engineers Society asked if I would do a painting of his father’s aircraft. He had been<br />
a rear gunner in a Wellington Mk 1C during WW2. Having agreed to do the painting,<br />
he told me the story and described the scene which he wanted me to depict. I was<br />
then filled with dread in that I felt that I did not have the skills at that time to create<br />
what he wanted. It was only this year that I plucked up the courage to make a start.<br />
The Story<br />
On the night of 24/25 July 1941, 25<br />
Wellington bombers including R1369 of<br />
No 3 Group, and 30 Hampdens of No 5<br />
Group took part in a raid on Kiel.<br />
Along with other Wellingtons of 57<br />
Squadron, R1369 took off from Methwold<br />
(a satellite airfield of Feltwell) at 22.20hrs.<br />
During the return flight from Kiel, R1369<br />
was damaged by AA fire and the aircraft<br />
eventually ditched into the sea off the<br />
Frisian Isles, North Germany.<br />
Sgt N D Hennessy, the rear gunner, was<br />
one of only two survivors of the crash and<br />
both were picked up by a German patrol<br />
boat. Moreover, the aircraft floated and<br />
was towed ashore by the patrol boat.<br />
The two aircrew then spent the rest of the<br />
war in a POW camp.<br />
Instructions for the Painting<br />
Aircraft is about to ditch ie, not quite in<br />
the drink. Coastline in the background.<br />
Side view right to left, correct markings<br />
on the A/C and one engine on fire.<br />
Finally, the composition to be based on<br />
the following digital image produced by<br />
John’s son.<br />
The Painting<br />
When accepting a commission, I stress to<br />
the clients that they are not obliged to<br />
purchase the finished painting and that<br />
they will only have ‘first refusal’. This is in<br />
case they are not happy with the finished<br />
work and it takes a lot of pressure off the<br />
client. I am pleased to say that in over 30<br />
years of painting in oils, there has been<br />
only one refusal and I sold it later a local<br />
art society exhibition. Also, I send the<br />
client progress images as the painting<br />
develops and ask if there any changes<br />
needed. The clients are very interested in<br />
seeing the progress and additionally, will<br />
have a record to go with the painting.<br />
Below are the progress images of the<br />
Wellington painting.<br />
The first thing was to build a 1/72 model<br />
of a Wellington Mk 1C and photograph<br />
it in the required position against the<br />
canvas. I always illuminate the model<br />
with a photoflood lamp in order to make<br />
sure that the shadows and highlights<br />
are correct. Fortunately, there would be<br />
some dawn light about that far north<br />
even very early am.<br />
I was greatly relieved that the client was<br />
very pleased with the finished painting.<br />
Although it is a subject which I would<br />
never have thought of painting, it means<br />
a great deal to the client and it is the<br />
client who is in control.<br />
Aircraft in WW2 were not clean and shiny,<br />
they were dirty, damaged, patched<br />
and weather-beaten. The thought of<br />
ditching in the sea that far north would<br />
be utterly daunting and the crew would<br />
be filled with dread. It is that cold and<br />
unwelcome sense of foreboding that<br />
I have attempted to achieve in the<br />
painting.<br />
Graham Cooke VPGAvA<br />
Graham in action at this year’s Duxford Annual<br />
Graham shows the various stages involved in the painting’s development; drawing out,adding<br />
background, sketching the plane in, painting and developing the waves, adding the coastline,<br />
colouring the plane and painting the final details and shadows.<br />
16 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 17
Patricia Forrest VPGAvA<br />
Our occasional series of articles looking at the background and career of major<br />
Guild artists focuses in this <strong>QN</strong> on one of the longest standing and supportive<br />
members of the Guild, Patricia Forrest VPGAvA.<br />
Your Eds were greatly helped in the first years as <strong>QN</strong> Editors by Pat and her beloved<br />
husband Jon Moore who for many years had organised the printing and distribution<br />
of the Quarterly News. Pat was also a stalwart at the Mall Annual Exhibitions including<br />
the all-important job of confirming the panel votes for each painting as registered<br />
on the green and red light machine!<br />
After leaving school, I went to St Martin’s<br />
School of Art in London before going<br />
onto the Royal College of Art, where I<br />
gained a degree in Graphic Design in<br />
1956.<br />
As a matter of interest, during my first<br />
year at the Royal College, I was invited<br />
to work on the College magazine with<br />
the opportunity to become the art<br />
editor for one issue. I was Advertising<br />
Manager to Len Deighton, who was Art<br />
Editor at the time. He was a very affable<br />
and dynamic personality. I was not to<br />
know then that he was to become a<br />
famous author writing novels such as The<br />
“Ipcress File” and “Funeral in Berlin” and<br />
also books on aviation – Fighter Bomber<br />
and The Battle of Britain (for which Frank<br />
Wootton designed the book jacket). I<br />
became Art Editor two issues after Len.<br />
On leaving the College I worked for<br />
a publisher for nine months and then<br />
decided to become a Freelance<br />
Graphic Designer, working for many<br />
publishers and companies including<br />
Cadbury Schweppes and Marks &<br />
Spencer. In 1979 I took up painting<br />
full time producing flowers and<br />
landscapes. I regularly exhibited at<br />
local art exhibitions and also sold my<br />
work through independent galleries<br />
in Surrey. My medium was and still is<br />
predominantly gouache, although I also<br />
enjoy painting in oils and watercolour.<br />
In 1987 my friend Lesley Shelton, who<br />
became a Chairman of The Guild in<br />
1993, suggested that my work would<br />
lend itself to aviation art. I knew<br />
nothing about aircraft but nevertheless<br />
produced my first aviation painting of a<br />
Puss Moth to exhibit at the Guild. To my<br />
surprise Frank Wootton made comment<br />
on it in his report of the exhibition. I then<br />
joined the Guild in 1988 and was made<br />
a Full Member in 1994.<br />
I served on the Committee and was<br />
Sub-Committee Chairman for the 1997<br />
Exhibition and have been privileged to<br />
produce the poster painting for both<br />
the 2001 and 2013 exhibitions.<br />
In the spring of 2000, a new chairman<br />
was needed. I was nominated and<br />
subsequently won the contested<br />
election. My condition for standing had<br />
been that my husband, Jon Moore,<br />
should be on the Committee, however,<br />
this was ultimately refused and so I declined<br />
the position. Stephen Arch eventually<br />
became Chairman (a job he did for a<br />
number of years) and I offered him my full<br />
support, working behind the scenes.<br />
In 2003, I was introduced to the Royal Air<br />
Force Charitable Trust Enterprises and<br />
I spent the next ten years producing<br />
paintings for the RAFCTE for my own<br />
calendars, cards and prints.<br />
My first calendar was of Concorde in<br />
2005 followed by the Avro Vulcan XH558,<br />
the Spitfire’s 70th Anniversary, Bomber,<br />
RAF 90th Anniversary, Icons of Aviation,<br />
Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary,<br />
Fighters, The Golden Age of Flying from<br />
1927 to 1939 and Securing the Skies. This<br />
involved a lot of time and research to<br />
produce!!<br />
Throughout the years, I have been<br />
tirelessly helped by my now late<br />
husband, Jon Moore. He took on the task<br />
of publishing and distributing Quarterly<br />
News in 1996 and I produced and<br />
selected the images in the catalogue<br />
for the Annual Exhibition. These were<br />
jobs that we both did for 20 years. Chris<br />
French’s help was invaluable to me<br />
during this time, as he was responsible<br />
for the photography of the selected<br />
paintings that went through submission,<br />
and for that I would like to thank him.<br />
Jon and I were very proud to be<br />
presented with the Air League Trophy in<br />
2013 and I was honoured to become a<br />
Vice President in 2016.<br />
The special thing about the Guild is<br />
the camaraderie with the membership<br />
at meetings, such as Submission Day,<br />
Hanging Day, Opening and Closing<br />
days, Regional Meeting and of course<br />
the AGM. I have made some wonderful<br />
friendships through the Guild. Since<br />
moving to Wimborne in Dorset last<br />
summer to be near to my two daughters<br />
and son-in-law I have already been<br />
visited by Janet and Andrew Latham,<br />
Martin and Gina Perman, Bob and Susie<br />
Farr and Robert and Nicky Calow.<br />
It’s wonderful that life has returned to<br />
normal and live Guild exhibitions are<br />
back.<br />
Patricia Forrest VPGAvA<br />
Photo:www.thisisalfred.com<br />
Pat painted the poster image for the 2013 Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. Her<br />
stunning artwork depicts one of the distinctively camouflaged Spitfire MKVc defending the skies<br />
above Malta 70 years before. Pat was also the familiar welcoming face on the Sunday sign out<br />
desk for many years at the Annual Exhibition, alongside her work on Submission and Hanging<br />
Day .<br />
Pat and Jon were presented with The Air League Trophy by President Michael Turner in 2013 in<br />
recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Guild of many, many years.<br />
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MIDLAND REGION MEETING<br />
Simon and Andrea fly in with Paul and Victoria!<br />
Shropshire Aero Club<br />
Sleap, Shrewsbury<br />
Saturday May 13th<br />
The Midland Region held its May<br />
painting and sketching day at Sleap<br />
(pronounced ‘Slape’) airfield, in<br />
Shropshire just north of Shrewsbury.<br />
It was released from the RAF in 1964<br />
and is now the home to the Shropshire<br />
Aero club, however it is still used as<br />
a relief airfield for Juno and Jupiter<br />
helicopters from RAF Shawbury.<br />
The members firstly congregated in<br />
a meeting room housed in one of<br />
the original buildings which formed<br />
part of the RAF station. It is also a<br />
small museum displaying artefacts<br />
excavated from crash sites within the<br />
county.<br />
Having been briefed by a member of<br />
staff, the artists dispersed to various<br />
locations within the area of the control<br />
tower. It was a busy day with aircraft<br />
constantly landing and taking off. This<br />
was a challenge as it was difficult for<br />
the artists to decide which subject to<br />
choose for fear of the aircraft suddenly<br />
taxiing away and taking off. It was<br />
commented on by the artists how,<br />
even though this was a live airfield<br />
the staff had a very relaxed and<br />
easy-going attitude. The weather was<br />
pleasant with clear blue skies and a<br />
light breeze.<br />
Although this is a civil airfield there<br />
were a few military aircraft under<br />
private ownership. One in particular<br />
being a North American T28 Trojan,<br />
formally of the US Airforce. This was<br />
the trainer version and when towed<br />
out of the hangar several artists seized<br />
on the opportunity do sketches of the<br />
aircraft before the pilot took it on a test<br />
flight. As expected the pilot started<br />
the Wright R 1820 cyclone engine, the<br />
same engine used in the B17 and the<br />
ground vibrated beneath your feet.<br />
The artists gathered together back at<br />
the meeting room mid afternoon for<br />
the critique which was conducted by<br />
Phil Hadley and Nigel Morris.<br />
Graham Witts submitted two pieces,<br />
the first being a study of the control<br />
tower using two-point perspective to<br />
great effect. The second was a side<br />
view of the T28 Trojan trainer, using<br />
Caran-d’ache couloured pencils.<br />
Ian Smith completed a pencil sketch of<br />
a Vans RV8, using the grey tones of the<br />
pencil and reflections to good effect.<br />
water tower achieving an aged look to<br />
the buildings. The second two sketches<br />
were of the Trojan using an ink pen in<br />
an A5 sketchbook, the extreme of the<br />
tones achieved using the ink pen and<br />
the white of the paper resulting in a<br />
very pleasing sketch.<br />
Victoria West presented a pencil sketch<br />
of the view from the control tower<br />
roof, achieving a good perspective<br />
of the aircraft and the surrounding<br />
landscape.<br />
Stephen Clayton also chose a close<br />
study of the control tower again using<br />
perspective angles to good effect,<br />
using pastel crayons on Pastelmatt<br />
paper.<br />
Vince Nevin<br />
Phil Hadley took advantage of the first<br />
floor of the control tower which gives an<br />
excellent view across the airfield. Two<br />
nice pencil sketches of a Cessna and<br />
Husky were the result from an interesting<br />
elevated angle. His third piece was of a<br />
starboard view of the T28 Trojan trainer<br />
using caran-d’ache coloured pencil<br />
and a fine line pen on toned paper. An<br />
almost completed sketch considering<br />
the short amount of time before the T28<br />
took off for its test flight.<br />
Bob Spendlove presented two pieces<br />
of work both of the Trojan; one a close<br />
study of the nose section in pencil and<br />
the second a side view of the starboard<br />
using crayon on toned Pastelmatt<br />
paper. Both give accurate depictions<br />
of the aircraft and especially pleasing<br />
were the highlights glinting off the skin<br />
of the fuselage.<br />
Nigel Morris embarked upon a rear<br />
port view of the Trojan whilst it was<br />
still inside its hangar using oil on white<br />
gesso board. The lines of the aircraft<br />
were captured very accurately.<br />
Andrea Goodburn chose to do a<br />
coloured pencil study of a leather<br />
flying jacket which was part of the<br />
museum display. Andrea was advised<br />
that more tonal work on the shadows<br />
and creases would have benefited<br />
the sketch, something which could<br />
be worked on at a later time. She also<br />
completed a cockpit study.<br />
Pete Maxwell produced a watercolour<br />
sketch of the control tower and its<br />
ancillary buildings. It was mentioned<br />
that more interesting greys could<br />
have been used in the foreground<br />
which would have complimented<br />
the picture as a whole. The medium<br />
was watercolours on Strathmore multi<br />
media paper.<br />
The day was not without incident as<br />
a Husky tailed over when landing but<br />
the pilot was uninjured and the aircraft<br />
was recovered very quickly.<br />
Grahame Witts<br />
Vince Nevin had a productive day<br />
completing no less than three pieces<br />
of work, the first being a watercolour<br />
study of the original wooden huts and<br />
At the end of the day the artists would<br />
have a journey home by car, some<br />
quite lengthy, but not all. Simon and<br />
Andrea Goodburn along with Paul and<br />
Victoria West flew up from Gloucester<br />
airport in a Piper Arrow P28. A journey<br />
of 33 minutes. Needless to say they<br />
would have a very pleasant return trip<br />
giving the clear calm May weather!<br />
Pete Maxwell AGAvA<br />
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MIDLAND REGION MEETING<br />
Sywell Aerodrome<br />
Northamptonshire<br />
Saturday June <strong>23</strong>rd<br />
Andrew Latham<br />
Normally on this second weekend in<br />
June the Midland Region would have<br />
been visiting RAF Cosford for the pre-<br />
Airshow Day sketching opportunity,<br />
and my report would have been<br />
packed full of the usual info from the<br />
very busy scene when the Airshow is<br />
in its final stages of being set up, ready<br />
for the actual show on the Sunday.<br />
Sadly, with not much time to go before<br />
the big day, our expectations were<br />
dashed when it became apparent that<br />
in order to satisfy regulations, the only<br />
way our visit could be achieved was if<br />
we were all personally escorted for the<br />
duration of our time ‘airside’.<br />
Amongst our party we welcomed to their<br />
first meeting new Friend Members of the<br />
Guild, Clive Halliday and Jim Turley. And<br />
for the second meeting in a row, Andrea<br />
and Simon Goodburn arrived by air in<br />
their Piper PA-28R Cherokee Arrow from<br />
their home base of Gloucester. What a<br />
way to travel !<br />
Clive Halliday<br />
Jim Turley<br />
Jim Turley<br />
Clearly this would be impractical, and<br />
so, reluctantly, I had to send out a<br />
cancellation notice.<br />
Then, behold, wonder of wonders, in the<br />
space of a few hours of my cancelling,<br />
step forward John Hamshere of<br />
AeroExpo.<br />
John wanted to know if we would be<br />
happy to send a party to Sywell on<br />
June 10th to sketch any of the visiting, or<br />
exhibiting, aircraft at AeroExpo.<br />
(The Guild knows of AeroExpo from many<br />
years ago, when this prestigious annual<br />
event was held at Booker and the South<br />
East Region were then regular visitors to<br />
the show.)<br />
Of all the aircraft present, Robert, Clive<br />
and I chose to shelter from the blazing<br />
sun in the shadow of one of Sywell’s<br />
hangars and from there to sketch a<br />
special edition Diamond DA62. This<br />
amazing aircraft being demonstrated at<br />
the show had been specially converted<br />
and equipped with all sort of hightech<br />
equipment …including an under<br />
nose turret containing a high powered<br />
camera with infra- red and goodness<br />
knows what other capabilities.<br />
Ian Smith<br />
Robert Calow<br />
After discussing arrangements for<br />
access and finding out there would<br />
be no admission fee (as we would be<br />
classed as exhibitors) I had to ponder<br />
the invitation for all of five to ten seconds<br />
before accepting !<br />
So there we were, back on for a meeting<br />
on June 10th, only this time instead of<br />
being almost on my doorstep, it was to<br />
be all the way over in Northamptonshire.<br />
The day was forecast to be incredibly<br />
hot and after a welcome coffee sitting<br />
outside the Aviator hotel, the assembled<br />
party of 13 ventured out onto the airfield<br />
to view all of the assembled aircraft and<br />
for those intending to sketch, select their<br />
preferred subjects.<br />
We knew this because after a couple<br />
of hours of sitting there, the camera’s<br />
operator came across to the three of us<br />
to show us a photo of how we looked<br />
in infra-red, all quietly sitting in a row,<br />
sketching his aeroplane!<br />
Shades of ‘Big Brother’ and all that……….<br />
As the afternoon wore on, partly because<br />
several of our party had to leave fairly<br />
early, and partly due to the continuing<br />
searing heat of the sun, we decided to<br />
not hold a formal Crit of the day’s work<br />
and instead escape to the refreshing<br />
coolness of our air conditioned cars.<br />
Vince Nevin<br />
Steve Hennah<br />
And so ended a very interesting and<br />
different day, arrangements for which<br />
were amazingly cobbled together in the<br />
space of ten or so days.<br />
Phil Hadley GAvA<br />
Midland Region Organiser<br />
Phil Hadley<br />
Phil Hadley<br />
Andrea Goodburn drew her Piper PA-28R Cherokee Arrow!<br />
22 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> <strong>23</strong>
MIDLAND REGION MEETING<br />
Hooton Park Trust<br />
Ellesmere Port, The Wirral<br />
Saturday July 16th<br />
On a characteristically blustery July<br />
Sunday, we were invited back to our<br />
latest find, the historic hangars in the<br />
care of the Hooton Park Trust. In a<br />
landscape dramatically changed<br />
over the last century; the former grand<br />
hall and estate of 18th C Hooton Park,<br />
falling into decline and becoming the<br />
site of an RFC station in 1917.<br />
The later RAF station closed in 1957 with<br />
most of the estate being redeveloped as<br />
the Vauxhall motor factory which is still in<br />
operation today. Despite the closure, three<br />
First World War Belfast-truss hangers have<br />
been retained and restored, and have<br />
become home to a collection of vintage<br />
aircraft and vehicles, which provide an<br />
ideal set of subjects for our artists.<br />
This was another occasion on which we<br />
reached out to the periphery of our area<br />
(any further and we would have been<br />
in the sea), but then the Midland Region<br />
is very extensive, and we are used to<br />
travelling far and wide.<br />
Sheltering from the occasional thundery<br />
shower, we stayed quite close together<br />
in the main hangar which was quiet and<br />
comfortable. We were eleven in total, with<br />
two non-sketching guests.<br />
The works illustrated tell an impressive<br />
tale of what can be accomplished in<br />
three hours, and we were particularly<br />
pleased to meet two new, first-time Friend<br />
members, Heather Vernon and Steve<br />
Hopper. Between the nine sketchers, we<br />
chose the Dragon Rapide (3: Heather<br />
Vernon, Grahame Witts, Steve Hopper),<br />
Avro Avian (2: Trevor Colegate and Vince<br />
Nevin), Auster Alpha (Nigel Morris), Tiger<br />
Moth (Ian Smith), Miles Messenger (Phil<br />
Hadley), and the Wallis-Bensen Autogyro<br />
(Robert Calow).<br />
Meeting at 10, we settled down to sketch<br />
at about 11, giving a comfortable 4 hours<br />
until our crit at 3; a period of 4 hours, which<br />
in retrospect seems more than enough to<br />
handle the sketching and have a good<br />
luck around, and a natter.<br />
The question of time management came<br />
up during the crit, ably and sensitively<br />
handled by Phil and Robert, as an essential<br />
tool in the sketching process. We all know<br />
the feeling of ‘where has the time gone?’<br />
and there is nothing like sketching to give<br />
yourself the discipline of saying: outline<br />
sketch in 1 hour, detail in 3, block-in tone<br />
and colour in 3, finesse and detail, 4.<br />
The work produced covered a wide<br />
range of materials including pencil,<br />
coloured pencil, charcoal, watercolour<br />
and oils. The variety and quality showed<br />
well in the images reproduced here.<br />
Once again, the day, and in particular<br />
the Guild’s inclusive critique approach,<br />
demonstrated the value of such meetings,<br />
particularly to new or less experienced<br />
members in not only looking, but listening<br />
to and learning from others. It is the<br />
importance of being dragged out of your<br />
comfort zone!<br />
With special thanks to our hosts, the<br />
Hooton Park Trust. You are firmly on our<br />
radar.<br />
https://hootonparkhangars.co.uk/<br />
Vince Nevin GAvA<br />
Ian Smith<br />
Trevor Colegate<br />
Nigel Morris<br />
Vince Nevin<br />
Phil Hadley<br />
Robert Calow<br />
Heather Vernon<br />
Steve Hopper<br />
Vince Nevin<br />
Grahame Witts<br />
24 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
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WEST REGION MEETING<br />
The Helicopter Museum<br />
Western Super Mare<br />
Saturday April 29th<br />
My trip across the lovely Mendip Hills<br />
had been a misty one, but by the time<br />
I arrived at Weston’s Helicopter Museum<br />
the sun had broken through. Since<br />
our last visit a brand-new extension<br />
containing shop and much needed café<br />
was found by our band of artists. .<br />
A catch up, and coffee to begin with,<br />
and then into the packed hangar full<br />
of helicopters, Leo Marriot and David<br />
Young soon found with paint on their<br />
respective canvas’. David having<br />
travelled the furthest from Cornwall was<br />
given the critique to chair as his prize; so<br />
here is what was created on the day:<br />
Derek Saunders had actually flown in<br />
his chosen subject, the mighty Mil Mi<br />
24; his pencil preliminary sketches led<br />
into a lively acrylic and gouache study,<br />
measured under drawing and dashes<br />
of colour making the helo look rather<br />
dragon like, and certainly purposeful in<br />
an ugly kind of way.<br />
David Young also had the Mi24 in<br />
his sights, and created an acrylic<br />
not unlike a Commando Comics<br />
illustration, with a bold red background<br />
and accentuated tones, looking like<br />
another sleeping dragon. Again, David<br />
is no slouch on these days, covering his<br />
canvas as quickly as the miles along the<br />
A30 no doubt.<br />
Whilst there I handed over Darren’s wellearned<br />
Associate Member certificate<br />
which he had been unable to collect<br />
at AGM time, but Ed’s, feel free to<br />
photoshop in our President instead of<br />
me in the included photo!<br />
David Young<br />
Paul Fuller<br />
Bob Farr<br />
Leo Marriot depicted the big glass nosed<br />
Mi-8 in acrylics; a lively wash background<br />
that said just enough to suggest a sense<br />
of place. With subtle colours around the<br />
prominent darkened transparencies, and<br />
red engine blanks as a counterpoint, it<br />
was a simple but strong piece.<br />
After a look over the shoulders of our<br />
talented bunch of artists, I managed to<br />
sketch a couple of A2 pieces, the MBB<br />
Bo105, and bug like Hughes Cayuse. A<br />
bit of measuring, but a lot more dash<br />
with a Cretacolour artists oil crayon (the<br />
Ed’s did ask what I use) to make up for<br />
lost time and to fill the paper!<br />
Bob Farr<br />
Darren Howlett<br />
Rob Hames<br />
Derek Saunders<br />
Bob Farr went for a double depiction;<br />
the Dragonfly, and Piasecki, both 1950’s<br />
oddities with insect like qualities. His<br />
lively drawings captured their varied<br />
tones, darkened cockpits and lightly<br />
suggested hangars leading your eye<br />
around these Dan Dare like forms.<br />
Paul Fuller had made<br />
the most of the weather<br />
to sketch a fine study of<br />
the Bristol Bloodhound<br />
outside, noting that it<br />
was pointing towards<br />
Bristol Airport just to the<br />
North with the budget<br />
airlines directly overhead!<br />
Plotting out with an H,<br />
and then 2B and 6B<br />
graphite sticks for tones,<br />
Paul captured the light upon the dark<br />
missile’s angular flanks with aplomb.<br />
Darren Howlett sat near the nose of<br />
the MBB Bo105 producing a painterly<br />
acrylic study that captured the bold<br />
camouflage, transparencies, and<br />
workmanlike qualities of this little antitank<br />
‘copter very well.<br />
Again it was a warm welcome from<br />
our hosts at THM. With their burgeoning<br />
building work progressing to house<br />
more Bristol built types, there will be<br />
room for more rotors by the time of our<br />
next visit for sure.<br />
Rob Hames GAvA<br />
West Region Organiser<br />
Leo Marriot<br />
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WEST REGION MEETINGS<br />
Jet Age Museum<br />
Gloucestershire Airport<br />
Saturday April 22nd<br />
On Saturday 22nd April new Associate<br />
Member Darren Howlett travelled up from<br />
Torquay to attend the Jet Age Museum<br />
at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton<br />
who were running a special open day<br />
to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the<br />
Gloster E28/39 Whittle’s first flight.<br />
Darren volunteered his services after Phil<br />
Jackson had asked for Guild members<br />
to attend a ‘join the artist’ event at a<br />
couple of venues, and handed me<br />
some notes afterwards about the day.<br />
With ex Red Arrows pilot Dan Simmons<br />
giving guided tours, and resident Jet<br />
Provost, and Vampire T11 displayed<br />
taxiing ‘over the fence’ of the adjacent<br />
airport, a busy day ensued.<br />
I was joined by several children, (from<br />
age five upwards) throughout the<br />
day, as I painted the museum’s Glos.<br />
Javelin. They drew a variety of aviation<br />
subjects with much enthusiasm, and<br />
seemed very pleased with their results,<br />
So perhaps some future aviation artists<br />
amongst them?<br />
With double the anticipated visitors<br />
attending, the museum hoped to stage<br />
another such event in the future. What<br />
a great way for the public to have a go<br />
themselves whilst seeing our artists at<br />
work.<br />
Thanks to Phil Jackson GAvA our East<br />
Anglian organiser for the heads up on<br />
this event, to Jet Age for hosting the<br />
Guild on the day, and to Darren for<br />
flying solo, and waving the Guild flag!<br />
Wallop Wheels & Wings<br />
Army Flying Museum<br />
Saturday July 1st<br />
An early start for myself and Martin<br />
Perman to be on site at 07.00, but having<br />
just done a stretch of these for the Guild’s<br />
Annual at Duxford we were both ready,<br />
and looking forward to coffee and<br />
brownies after set up!<br />
The car packed with paintings from<br />
regional members fresh from the<br />
Annual, and with Michael Garner<br />
joining us early to help out, we looked<br />
forward to another busy day promoting<br />
the Guild. Barry K Barnes also travelled<br />
down from Tetbury to swell the ranks,<br />
as the show is now attracting a larger<br />
crowd each year, and we welcome<br />
any members who can attend to help<br />
spread the load on the day.<br />
The Wheels & Wings event saw some<br />
glorious weather with a good deal<br />
of participating automobiles and<br />
aircraft. Aston, Bentley, Maserati, and<br />
VW, to Auster, Avro, and DeHavilland.<br />
With flypasts by the BBMF Lancaster,<br />
Navy Wings Swordfish, and Rolls Royce<br />
Heritage Spitfire and Mustang, we<br />
had the chance to see some classic<br />
warbirds overhead again.<br />
We had a steady and appreciative<br />
audience through our one-day<br />
exhibition being handed Guild<br />
<strong>QN</strong>’s, flyers, Annual catalogues, and<br />
countless questions answered about<br />
artworks and the Guild in general. One<br />
young chap, who amazed us with his<br />
aircraft recognition skills, asked how old<br />
you had to be to join the Guild as he<br />
was only 9. I told his mother if she wished<br />
to bring him along to a sketching day<br />
that would be fine, as he just wanted to<br />
draw planes!<br />
Thank you to all the artists who exhibited<br />
with us on the day; Barry K Barnes, Paul<br />
Bennell, Patricia Forrest, Jack Froelich,<br />
Laurence Hemmings, Darren Howlett,<br />
John Wynn-Hopkins, David Young, and<br />
of course myself and Martin Perman!<br />
Overall, and so soon after our Annual<br />
Exhibition, a smaller but just as successful<br />
event for promoting the Guild to an air<br />
minded public.<br />
Rob Hames GAvA<br />
Rob Hames GAvA<br />
West Region Organiser<br />
The excellent collection of Gloster aircraft is the real attraction of the Jet Age Museum.<br />
Your Eds always lookout for the replica Hurricane though, as it was a mock up built for<br />
the Battle of Britain movie back in 1968!<br />
28 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 29
EAST ANGLIAN REGION MEETINGS<br />
Vintage Fabrics<br />
Audley End Airfield<br />
Saturday April 24th<br />
Norfolk & Suffolk<br />
Aviation Museum<br />
Saturday May 21st<br />
Everyone had a great day at Vintage<br />
Fabrics and the East Anglian Region was<br />
joined by the YES group of Air Scouts<br />
happily showing off their artistic skills<br />
(with a little help!)<br />
The weather was excellent again at<br />
Audley End for sketching and as usual<br />
some really nice work was produced by<br />
the Guild members and the YES group.<br />
Andrew Latham<br />
produced another<br />
of his trademark<br />
hangar views of<br />
the Bf 108 Taifun<br />
in watercolour.<br />
We all had a really enjoyable weekend<br />
at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation<br />
Museum. The event promised a flypass<br />
from a Spitfire which was a joy to watch!<br />
We set up a small Artwork Exhibition in the<br />
main hangar and most of the attending<br />
members offered some work to display.<br />
YES (Youth & Education Support) is a UKwide<br />
group and the Youth Education<br />
branch of the Light Aircraft Association<br />
(LAA). Working together with them,<br />
leading industry companies, local<br />
education authorities, schools and<br />
universities and many others educate,<br />
encourage and inspire young people<br />
to take part in all sorts of activities<br />
connected with aviation.<br />
Photo: www.aviationmuseum.net<br />
Congratulations to Bill Smith who’s sketch<br />
of Willie’s RV “The Joker” was bought by<br />
him on the day.<br />
Some good work was produced by a<br />
small number of us who managed to<br />
claw our way from other activities there.<br />
David Fosh’s Westland Whirlwind was<br />
one to note and the colour tones were<br />
spot on in his pastel style.<br />
Martin Bleasby’s prints of his paintings<br />
I would like to add a big thank to all<br />
members who attended on the day and<br />
for their continued support. Thanks also<br />
to Gary Stebbings (Acting Chairman)<br />
and all the staff and volunteers at the<br />
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.<br />
Chris French demonstrated his skills in coloured pencil crayon with his excellent rear view<br />
sketch of the Bulldog under wraps.<br />
Phil Jackson GAvA<br />
East Anglian Region Organiser<br />
Paul Millett got<br />
stuck into a nice<br />
watercolour of<br />
the Yak.<br />
Many thanks to everyone who joined us,<br />
including Chairman Andrew and Chris<br />
French (who conducted the crit for us),<br />
Stewart Luck and all the organisers. A<br />
special thanks as always to Clive, Linda<br />
and Pete.<br />
David Fosh<br />
It was also nice to end the day with a<br />
good pint and curry at the local! Thank<br />
you for the invite Stewart and Pete...see<br />
you all next time.<br />
Phil Jackson GAvA<br />
East Anglian Region Organiser<br />
The assembled YES Air<br />
Scouts enjoyed their<br />
day out at Audley End<br />
alongside the Guild<br />
members.<br />
Chris Impey<br />
David Scutton’s watercolour Tiger<br />
30 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 31
EAST ANGLIAN REGION MEETING<br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
HQ NEWS... HQ NEWS...<br />
Shuttleworth<br />
Saturday July 22nd<br />
Members of the East Anglian Region<br />
had a great sketching & painting day<br />
at Shuttleworth again. It was a really<br />
windy and wet day but fortunately it<br />
didn’t spoil the artistic activity from the<br />
members present.<br />
David Smith chose to draw the Hucks<br />
starter vehicle in pencil which was very<br />
fine effort.<br />
Will Williamson used pencil to do a<br />
superb duo of the Lysander and Spitfire<br />
which with the tonal structure, gave it an<br />
excellent perspective.<br />
David Fosh used his controlled pastel<br />
style on the Ryan STM 2.<br />
Will Williamson<br />
Photo: www.shuttleworth.org.uk<br />
Get Ready for 2024!<br />
Having put on a physical exhibition at IWM Duxford in June (the first since<br />
2019), we intend to stage an annual exhibition again in 2024.<br />
This will be in the Summer and submission of works will again be online.<br />
With this in mind, please start thinking now about getting some paintings done ready to submit in late Spring<br />
next year. We were unable to give this much notice last year and this made it difficult for some artists to<br />
submit due to workload or time available to get work prepared.<br />
As soon as there is definite information about the venue and date, we will let the membership know but for<br />
now, get planning - and get painting!<br />
Chris French FGAvA<br />
David Heaton chose to combine the SOE<br />
car “Violette” with the Lysander behind.<br />
A perfect combination!<br />
Phil Jackson Well! I had a go at Debbie<br />
Land’s pride and joy Citroen “Violette”<br />
as well. I was quite pleased in the way it<br />
turned out but looking closely, I thought<br />
it had the characteristic of an Austin Six!<br />
I think I forgot my usual start up sketch of<br />
‘looking at it from a distance’ to get the<br />
shape right but what great fun!<br />
My thanks again to Shuttleworth and<br />
of course to all the GAvA members for<br />
their support. Apologies to members I<br />
haven’t included.<br />
Phil Jackson GAvA<br />
East Anglian Region Organiser<br />
David Heaton<br />
David Smith<br />
David Fosh<br />
32 36 GUILD GUILD OF AVIATION OF AVIATION ARTISTS ARTISTS QUARTERLY QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> NEWS 20<strong>23</strong> AUTUMN 2022 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 33
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
HQ NEWS... HQ NEWS...<br />
AVIATION ARTISTS SOCIETY MAGAZINES<br />
Other aviation artists’ societies<br />
issue quarterly magazines<br />
Colin Taylor has sadly informed us that with only<br />
a handful of active members and no material for<br />
inclusion they have decided to discontinue the<br />
MAVAS magazine, scale back activities and relocate<br />
to the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford.<br />
The website details of AERO BRUSH, the<br />
journal of the American Society<br />
of Aviation Artists, AERIAL VIEWS,<br />
the Canadian Aerospace Artists<br />
Association and CROSS & COCKADE<br />
are shown. It is interesting to see what<br />
our fellow aviation artist societies are<br />
getting up to throughout the year.<br />
www.asaa-avart.org<br />
www.aviationartists.ca<br />
www.crossandcockade.com<br />
CAPTION COMPETITION <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
YOUR REGIONAL ORGANISERS<br />
East Anglian Region<br />
Phil Jackson GAvA<br />
07484 302051<br />
philjacksonart@btinternet.com<br />
Midland Region<br />
Phil Hadley GAvA<br />
01743 860404<br />
07876 222485<br />
midlandregion@gava.org.uk<br />
Northern Region<br />
Paul Warrener AGAvA<br />
01309 673606<br />
paul@griffon.uk.com<br />
South East Region<br />
Richard Wheatland GAvA<br />
01293 885430<br />
richardwheatland@aol.com<br />
evenings - weekdays<br />
(7.00 to 9.00pm) and weekends<br />
West Region<br />
Rob Hames GAvA<br />
07976 102955<br />
rahames@hotmail.com<br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS<br />
GENERAL COMMITTEE<br />
Andrew Latham GAvA Chairman<br />
07711 652152<br />
chair@gava.org.uk<br />
Chris French FGAvA Vice Chairman<br />
01376 551869<br />
Richard Thorne AGAvA Secretary<br />
secretary@gava.org.uk<br />
Janet Latham VP Hon Treasurer<br />
treasurer@gava.org.uk<br />
07778 068563<br />
Stephen Chard GAvA<br />
07722 845412<br />
Ken Farmer GAvA Membership<br />
01825 722061<br />
membership@gava.org.uk<br />
Simon Mumford GAvA Website Co-ordinator<br />
01372 844586<br />
Martin Perman GAvA Administrator,<br />
Commissions and Sales<br />
can be reached via Guild phone number:<br />
0333 130 22<strong>23</strong><br />
and admin@gava.org.uk<br />
Robert Calow GAvA<br />
David Calow GAvA<br />
Rob Hames GAvA<br />
Paul Warrener AGAvA<br />
Anita Hole Bookkeeper accounts@gava.org.uk<br />
NEXT QUARTERLY NEWS DATE FOR 20<strong>23</strong><br />
Issue Autumn 20<strong>23</strong> Copy to Editors Sept 20<strong>23</strong><br />
Est Dispatch October/early Nov 20<strong>23</strong><br />
State of the art Soviet air<br />
force?<br />
Another of<br />
No entries arrived for this pic... so a couple from your<br />
Eds...<br />
Ryanair have just opened their new jet liner - themed<br />
hotel in Greece.<br />
Elon Musk has moved the X (formerly Twitter) HQ to<br />
smaller premises!<br />
Opinions expressed in this newsletter are not<br />
necessarily those of the editors, the Guild or its<br />
officers or committee. No article may be copied<br />
or reprinted in any form without the permission of<br />
the editors.<br />
Editors: Robert Calow/David Calow<br />
75 Severn Road, Oadby,<br />
Leicester, LE2 4FW<br />
07825 537649 (Robert)<br />
07825 537647 (David)<br />
PLEASE NOTE OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES!<br />
robert@calowcreative.co.uk<br />
david@calowcreative.co.uk<br />
Please Note that the email<br />
address used for all <strong>QN</strong><br />
correspondence is:<br />
robert@calowcreative.co.uk<br />
PLEASE NOTE THE NEW GUILD ADDRESS<br />
Guild of Aviation Artists<br />
Studio 100<br />
161 High Street<br />
Ruislip HA4 8JY<br />
Tel: 0333 1302 2<strong>23</strong><br />
Email: admin@gava.org.uk<br />
34 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> 35
THE BACK PAGE<br />
E. A.‘Chris’ Wren - aircraft Oddentification!<br />
While on a recent trip to Suffolk your Eds<br />
visited many of our favourite bookshops and<br />
this time found a real gem. “RAF Parade” is<br />
a 1944 collection of RAF themed cartoons<br />
by the great artists of the wartime era,<br />
including the legendary Giles. Amazingly,<br />
the book was also the personal copy of<br />
Chaz Boyer, the well known writer of over 40<br />
books about the RAF.<br />
One of the cartoonists whose work<br />
appealed straight away was E.A.“Chris”<br />
Wren (1909-1982) and his series of aircraft<br />
cartoon ‘profiles’ called Oddentification.<br />
E. A. “Chris” Wren was a well known<br />
freelance aviation cartoonist in the UK.<br />
During WW2 aircraft identification became<br />
essential for the Armed Forces after 1941,<br />
when political pressure was applied to<br />
save Allied lives from ‘friendly fire’. Wren<br />
portrayed caricatures of aircraft, entitled<br />
Oddentification, which then highlighted<br />
salient aircraft characteristics as an aid<br />
to identification. The quirky style added<br />
humour to the individual aircraft profile,<br />
gave them ‘character’ and made the<br />
shapes easier to remember.<br />
Wren regularly appeared in Aeroplane<br />
with his column Wroundabout and the<br />
aerodynamic animation of his aircraft<br />
caricatures, (which somehow looked more<br />
real than the originals), and his wartime<br />
Oddentifications won him an enormous<br />
international aviation fan club.<br />
The Empire Test Pilots School mess is<br />
apparently filled with his drawings of the<br />
countless international pilots who have<br />
attended it over the years. Wren died at the<br />
1982 ETPS annual dinner (an occasion he<br />
would never miss) at a youthful 73 and at<br />
the height of his powers.<br />
The little yellow Oddentification book is<br />
now a real collectors’ gem and features a<br />
barrel-like Brewster Buffalo on the cover!<br />
David Calow GAvA<br />
1944’s ‘RAF Parade’<br />
featuring a colour<br />
Giles cartoon on<br />
the cover.<br />
Every Oddentification had a rhyming poem<br />
about each aircfraft<br />
36 GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS QUARTERLY NEWS <strong>SUMMER</strong> 20<strong>23</strong>