Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 16, 2005 0:36:54 GMT 12
I have been thinking, back in the 1990's there was a very good aviation artist who put out a lot of work with RNZAF and NZ civil aviation as his themes. He was Ron Fulstow. Does anyone know if he is still around and working?
There have not been too many NZ aviation artists, which is surprising considering this country's passion with flight. I guess one of the most significant was the late Maurice Conly, the RNZAF's artist for over five decades.
I knew a sergeant in the RNZAF, Trevor Platt, who became official base artist for Wigram for the final months before the base was wound down, to capture the place on canvas. His work was stunning. He gave me one of his paintings once too, of a sparrow.
The aviation author James Sanders did artwork for his RNZAF books and also for Errol Braithwaite's 'Pilot On The Run'. Nice work but not up to Conly or Fulstow's standards.
Other than these three, the only chap I can think of doing aviation art for commercial or purposeful reasons in NZ was someone in the 1970's who's work often fetured in NZ Wings magazine. His name was Rex something. I dear say he's long gone now.
Anyone else you can think of? And who's your favorite? Or a favourite painting of a NZ topic.
My favourite is probably Conly, because he was actually there as it happened, and usually did his paintings based on something he saw for real, in the field.
However I do love Fulstow's work too.
My favourite paintings by Conly are possibly the following covers of Contact (see links)
March 1942 (pilots in bomber)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201942.htm#MAR42
April 1942 (Harvards over Woodbourne)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201942.htm#APR42
March 1943 definately my No. 1 (Hudson, Vincent, Baffin...)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#MAR43
April 1943 (ADU member)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#APR43
October 1943 (WAAF, just something about it strikes me)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#OCT43
January 1944 (Hudsons again!)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#JAN44
April 1944 (First Tiger Moth Flight)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#APR44
May 1944 (based of a favourite RNZAF photo)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#MAY44
June 1944 (Dauntless!)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#JUN44
November 1944 (Looks just like a 1980's Iron Maiden poster!! ;D)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#NOV44
April 1945 (Corsair servicing)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Apr45
August 1945 (Bombing up a Ventura)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Aug45
December 1945 - says it all, doesn't it?
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Dec45
There have not been too many NZ aviation artists, which is surprising considering this country's passion with flight. I guess one of the most significant was the late Maurice Conly, the RNZAF's artist for over five decades.
I knew a sergeant in the RNZAF, Trevor Platt, who became official base artist for Wigram for the final months before the base was wound down, to capture the place on canvas. His work was stunning. He gave me one of his paintings once too, of a sparrow.
The aviation author James Sanders did artwork for his RNZAF books and also for Errol Braithwaite's 'Pilot On The Run'. Nice work but not up to Conly or Fulstow's standards.
Other than these three, the only chap I can think of doing aviation art for commercial or purposeful reasons in NZ was someone in the 1970's who's work often fetured in NZ Wings magazine. His name was Rex something. I dear say he's long gone now.
Anyone else you can think of? And who's your favorite? Or a favourite painting of a NZ topic.
My favourite is probably Conly, because he was actually there as it happened, and usually did his paintings based on something he saw for real, in the field.
However I do love Fulstow's work too.
My favourite paintings by Conly are possibly the following covers of Contact (see links)
March 1942 (pilots in bomber)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201942.htm#MAR42
April 1942 (Harvards over Woodbourne)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201942.htm#APR42
March 1943 definately my No. 1 (Hudson, Vincent, Baffin...)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#MAR43
April 1943 (ADU member)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#APR43
October 1943 (WAAF, just something about it strikes me)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201943.htm#OCT43
January 1944 (Hudsons again!)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#JAN44
April 1944 (First Tiger Moth Flight)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#APR44
May 1944 (based of a favourite RNZAF photo)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#MAY44
June 1944 (Dauntless!)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#JUN44
November 1944 (Looks just like a 1980's Iron Maiden poster!! ;D)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201944.htm#NOV44
April 1945 (Corsair servicing)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Apr45
August 1945 (Bombing up a Ventura)
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Aug45
December 1945 - says it all, doesn't it?
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Contact%201945.htm#Dec45
