Carrying on with the theme from last month regarding my model aeroplanes, I have one more example of my model building. The Sopwith Camel  is 1/3 scale. A beautiful model until I wrapped it round a tree in the garden while running the engine in between a long spell when I was not able to fly it. Although I have all the patience in the world for building models, I haven’t the patience to repair them, so after the crash I sold it, and since then after repair work from it’s new owner it has won many awards at modelling events around the country.

In the May newsletter I included a photo of a painting in progress, “The Grand Slam”. While working on other canvases (I usually have three on the go at the same time) I have been able to progress significantly with this one, enough to show you the painting to date, which you may like to compare for yourself by just going back to the May newsletter. I have really enjoyed the challenge of this painting with lots of research on the bomb trolley which included a trip to Hendon Museum for a close up study.

I will be building up the composition by adding some trees to the right of the Lanc. These will be quite significant trees as I want to get away from the as yet level line of aircraft and trees on the left and build up some interest in the sky.

This year for the first time in four years I was able to have a painting ready to enter in the Guild of Aviation Artist Annual Exhibition at the “Mall Gallery” London. This event usually catches me out as I have to have the painting ready for the selection day in May ready for the actual exhibition July 21st . This year by chance I had a canvas to submit, I entered “Air Test” (image shown in last month’s newsletter) and I am pleased to say it sold. I hope next year I will get the opportunity to enter more.

At the time of writing this newsletter I have just completed the first of my new series of pencil sketches, A Spitfire mk I signed by aces Colin Gray and Bob Spurdle, this can be seen on the Original Art section of the website. Colin Gray was the highest scoring New Zealand Ace of the war, a very rare and sort after signature.

By the end of September I hope to have extended the range of products available on the website. With the greetings cards I am putting together a gift section, the aim is to have some less expensive and smaller items available. As these items are smaller, they will be available mounted in a presentation pack, or framed ready to hang on the wall.

In this range will be my painting video / DVD “The Art of Aviation”. This is a production by Scarborough-based “Intelligent Television and Video” which is renowned for its work with major airlines. The filming took six weeks in total and it shows the process of this painting “At the Going Down of the Sun” from a blank white canvas to the final stage. Along the way you will see many of my painting tips, so even if you are not interested in aircraft there are plenty of art tips to glean from in this production. It’s not all painting though, there is a trip round The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, introduced by Captain Nick Stein, with cameo interviews with BBMF aircrew and casts his eye in detail over the much loved aircraft.

Continuing the methods of applying paint onto the canvas, I will reveal the good old feather. This method is particularly useful when rendering such things as long grass and scrub land, such as shown in the image ‘Robin Hood’s Bay’ and ‘Two Boys, One Dream’. The later subject has a much more subtle rendition of grass as it is in low light conditions.

The ideal feather as shown, is the leading edge feather of a largish bird like a pigeon where the needle elements of the feather are tight and straight as on the lower edge. This is then drawn through the lump of paint prepared on the palette and laid, (not brushed) onto the canvas. This actually prints the line onto the painting and eliminates any hit and miss brushing action. The grassy area on the left of the Grand Slam painting was done like this as shown:

Note also the ‘Splodge’ initial application of the paint here as mentioned in the previous news letter!

More next month.

Meet Robin and see his work: