Ron Fulstow - aviation artist - RNZAF A4K Skyhawk
Apr 5, 2019 13:41:01 GMT 12
Dave Homewood, 11SQNLDR, and 1 more like this
Post by seakingsam on Apr 5, 2019 13:41:01 GMT 12
Hi, I saw a recent post kindly tabled an obituary for Ron Fulstow, the RNZAF artist at one time, who had died in 2015. I was saddened to learn of his death, and wanted to record my appreciation for a dedicated and wonderful artist.
I was fortunate to spend a good deal of time with Ron at his home in Wellington in 2002-2005 as I had personally commissioned two large oil works to commemorate the A4K Skyhawk in RNZAF service, reflecting my responsibility at the time of managing the international process to divest the Air Combat Force.
I found Ron to be a superb aviation artist, and an extraordinarily pleasant person with whom to spend any amount of time - a true gentleman, full of enthusiasm and opinion, and professional to the core as a pre-eminent aviation artist. Ron engaged instantly and enthusiastically on the commissions, working closely with the ACFDU at Ohakea to ensure weapons and pylons fit, weapons and airframe markings, colours etc were perfect, particularly as both works were destined to hang in the Ohakea Officers Mess, before a deeply knowledgeable and discerning audience, for an extended period.
The first work depicted the A4K barrelling up the side of the hill at Waiouru range on the last day of active operations in RNZAF service - 450 knots and wingtip seemingly metres from the hillside, capturing the awe-inspiring low-level capability (I recall the Argentinian Navy at their Armada Argentina headquarters at Bahia Blanca wet themselves over that particular piece of video). I showed Ron photos and video of that remarkable last day on the Waiouru ranges, and Ron wouldn't agree to replicate a photographed scene. We argued and discussed for several days before he found the key which allowed him to unlock the composition. It is a remarkable piece. Ron slaved over the composition for fully 3 years to get that painting just right, and was constantly calling and advising he was starting again, as the light wasn't quite right, or the pylon was wrong, or the condensation above the wing wasn't the right shape ..... When finally completed, the painting had a mild dark patina which we found was a function of Ron's deteriorating eyesight at the time. The painting today hangs on my wall at home, and that patina means Ron the man is there every day.
The second piece was reflecting the flight in the dawn's early light on 1 January 2000 around a smoking Mt Ruapehu. Two A4Ks, one with an air-to-air weapons fit, and the other air-to-ground, capturing the two primary roles of the A4K in RNZAF service. "Why the mountain?", I asked. Ron said he was drawn to the Ruapehu region as the natural backdrop of Ohakea, and he loved the suppressed violence of the Skyhawk capability against the suppressed violence of the natural world. Again, capturing the dawn's light on the mountain and the shadows across the airframes took months to get just so - to meet his requirement, not mine - and I remember he was deeply concerned the weapons fit were all warshots, not training rounds. Ron was learning, though, and this work took about 2 years to complete.
When I was posted overseas for an extended period I had to find a home for these two paintings, and where better than the Gold Room in the Officers Mess at Ohakea. I bought them home when I returned to NZ in 2013, and Ron's compositions still bring forward little details and my memories of the man and the artist.
I'd be happy to post photos of the paintings on the forum if I could work out how to do it !
I was fortunate to spend a good deal of time with Ron at his home in Wellington in 2002-2005 as I had personally commissioned two large oil works to commemorate the A4K Skyhawk in RNZAF service, reflecting my responsibility at the time of managing the international process to divest the Air Combat Force.
I found Ron to be a superb aviation artist, and an extraordinarily pleasant person with whom to spend any amount of time - a true gentleman, full of enthusiasm and opinion, and professional to the core as a pre-eminent aviation artist. Ron engaged instantly and enthusiastically on the commissions, working closely with the ACFDU at Ohakea to ensure weapons and pylons fit, weapons and airframe markings, colours etc were perfect, particularly as both works were destined to hang in the Ohakea Officers Mess, before a deeply knowledgeable and discerning audience, for an extended period.
The first work depicted the A4K barrelling up the side of the hill at Waiouru range on the last day of active operations in RNZAF service - 450 knots and wingtip seemingly metres from the hillside, capturing the awe-inspiring low-level capability (I recall the Argentinian Navy at their Armada Argentina headquarters at Bahia Blanca wet themselves over that particular piece of video). I showed Ron photos and video of that remarkable last day on the Waiouru ranges, and Ron wouldn't agree to replicate a photographed scene. We argued and discussed for several days before he found the key which allowed him to unlock the composition. It is a remarkable piece. Ron slaved over the composition for fully 3 years to get that painting just right, and was constantly calling and advising he was starting again, as the light wasn't quite right, or the pylon was wrong, or the condensation above the wing wasn't the right shape ..... When finally completed, the painting had a mild dark patina which we found was a function of Ron's deteriorating eyesight at the time. The painting today hangs on my wall at home, and that patina means Ron the man is there every day.
The second piece was reflecting the flight in the dawn's early light on 1 January 2000 around a smoking Mt Ruapehu. Two A4Ks, one with an air-to-air weapons fit, and the other air-to-ground, capturing the two primary roles of the A4K in RNZAF service. "Why the mountain?", I asked. Ron said he was drawn to the Ruapehu region as the natural backdrop of Ohakea, and he loved the suppressed violence of the Skyhawk capability against the suppressed violence of the natural world. Again, capturing the dawn's light on the mountain and the shadows across the airframes took months to get just so - to meet his requirement, not mine - and I remember he was deeply concerned the weapons fit were all warshots, not training rounds. Ron was learning, though, and this work took about 2 years to complete.
When I was posted overseas for an extended period I had to find a home for these two paintings, and where better than the Gold Room in the Officers Mess at Ohakea. I bought them home when I returned to NZ in 2013, and Ron's compositions still bring forward little details and my memories of the man and the artist.
I'd be happy to post photos of the paintings on the forum if I could work out how to do it !
