Hawker & Me

Posted: January 3rd, 2010 | Filed under: Equipment, Recent Work

Duncan Aviation, Battle Creek, MI
There was a black bellied plane with tan pin strips that I found interesting. In particular, I liked all the reflection I was seeing in the black engine cowlings. This canvas was smaller partly because I didn’t want to attempt a larger piece that I might not be able to complete in the time I had given myself for the project. While the Dassault painting was primarily white, this painting would be nearly all black. The composition for the Hawker would be even more abstract than the Dassault piece. I chose a cropping composed almost exclusively of the engine cowling which shows its black underside when opened. Beyond the open black cover you can see the white upper part of the engine cover and part of the airplanes body. If you weren’t familiar with aircraft, I am not sure most people could identify what the composition represents.

In the open cowling cover, which covers more than half of the canvas, I set out to explore a convex reflection. In the reflected image I can see myself standing alongside the easel and behind me is the expanse of the hangar, other aircraft in for servicing and the network of overhead florescent lighting. Read the rest of this entry »

Dassault, 79

Posted: January 2nd, 2010 | Filed under: Equipment, Recent Work

Dassault Stage 1Duncan Aviation, Battle Creek, MI
…I had casually mentioned during a discussion about possible subject matter that I would love to paint aircraft sometime. My friend Laura offered that she knew the general manager of Duncan Aviation. Laura said that she would try to put me in contact with her friend Bill. Over the late summer, introductions were made and emails were exchanged. I invited Bill to view some of my work online so he could see and understand more about my work and methods.

On my first visit to Duncan Aviation’s facility, I walked through the building and down the hallways and I noticed the ample collection of paintings, prints and sculpture displayed at nearly every turn. It was explained to me that the Duncan family were avid art collectors. I had no prior knowledge of this but felt that the company, via it’s founders, would be more inclined to participate and host my proposed activities given their own personal interests. Read the rest of this entry »