The year started moderately well, affected by weather and bad event dating… one of the best shows we usually have was not on a bank holiday weekend this year, but the weekend after! Derr!! Thankfully, we have experienced the best ever Duxford Flying Leg-ends, and Waddington. With post show business still coming in it will take some beating next year.

We have a new greeting card out on the market now, ‘The Tail Chase’. To date this is one of my most successful images, and seems to be appreciated for its new take on the White Cliffs of Dover. It has been commented the opposing tilt of the wings suggests a rapid change in direction of flight that suggests movement in the image. I release them out at £1.80, so I think the price is quite competitive.

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The underwater painting is complete. It was very tempting to add many more fish into the Coral Reef area, but I think this would have introduced too much interest in that part of the painting, and created a two half image. I was supplied with a CD full of coral/fish photos, the choice was confusing I didn’t know where to start.

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The Still Life celebrating the life of Sir Sydney Camm, is also complete now, and seems to have drawn,(scuse the pun,) a lot of attention. The blue print took an absolute age to do, but I think it was worth it. I had to interperate what is known as a Dye Line Print into the blue print you see. A Dye Line print being basically a drawing of dark lines on a white sheet of paper. It illustrates a rather complex drawing of one of Camms most iconic designs, the Hawker Hart. The canvas also shows his drawing equipment including a vintage slide rule which was very kindly lent to me for the purpose. Camm was awarded the Guggenheim medal for his services to aeronautical design and innovation, the certificate of which is placed discreetly on the table.

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I am in the process of having a test piece jig saw puzzle produced to see how popular that will be, so if things work out ok there could be a selection to choose. The subject I have chosen for a starter puzzle is ‘Two Boys…One Dream’. They are of superb quality, produced from 3mm thick timber and presented in a beautifully designed box. A wonderful gift for any aviation enthusiast.

One of the special features that just make them a little special, are the ‘Whimsy’ shapes. These are specially shaped pieces that reflect the nature and subject of the puzzle. For example, if the subject was a cobbler scene, several of the pieces would be suitably shaped eg one would be a
shoe, another would be a hammer etc. I am not sure what the company has got lined up for my subject, can’t wait to see!

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Having previously mentioned in my last News Letter, we are now doing coasters with my work printed on them. An example is shown below. The subjects we have produced are- ‘The Tail Chase.’ ‘Too Low…Too Slow.’ ‘Letters From Home.’ ‘Sunset Saviours.’ ‘Preparing for Action.’ They are selling well and will be a good stocking filler for Christmas. We are selling them at £3 each, or £2.50 each if 4 or more are bought. They measure 115 mm. x 90mm. and have a lovely gloss finish.

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We have been invited to attend the Lincolnshire Lancaster Association do at RAF Conningsby on Sun. 26th Sept. I am looking forward to that as we will be having most of my screens set up for a good show. Still on Conningsby… I was approached at the Lincolnshire Show by a BBMF chap and the boss of Tattershall Castle with a view to producing a painting depicting the BBMF flying over the Castle. I did however suggest that an image depicting the aircraft actually flying past it would yield a more fruitful result, rather than looking right down on the Castle. There is a possibility that if it goes ahead, which I think it will, my prints and cards will be available and for sale at both Conningsby Visitors Centre, and the Castle visitors Centre.

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I have been commission to paint a picture of the Dams run at Derwent Dam Derbyshire. This would be part of a collection of my work showing the preparation of the Dams raid, from experiments to practice runs right through to the actual raid. The last one in Mr Butlers collection, was the Chesil Beach test drops, my image depicting the prototype that actually burst into lots of pieces as it struck the water.

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Just a quick note to end the letter for this time. We discovered the other week after looking through some old documents, that we are living in the house that my great grandfather lived in! He was the miller for the windmill in Grimoldby where we live. It doesn’t exist any more, but that is obviously why the lane is called Mill Lane. How odd is that. We both felt this house loves us very much and seems to look after us. I don’t think my great grand father John Smith would recognise it now though!

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Hope you found all that of some interest and look forward to showing you some progress, even completion in the next newsletter.

Speak soon, Robin.

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If you require more information about ordering prints please telephone 01507 327681 or email robin@robin-smith-art.co.uk