ARTIST STATEMENT

    My goal is to produce paintings of aircraft that would appeal to those who are aviation-minded.  Aviators, history buffs and any person who enjoys special feelings towards flying will derive pleasure from viewing and/or owning good aviation art.

 

Inspiration comes from years of reading about, viewing and flying aircraft.  My goal is to paint a scene that is historically accurate while attempting to emulate a style similar to famous aviation artists such as Bob Bradford, Robert Taylor, William Phillips and Roy Grinnell, to name a few.

    

email contact :   bottinga@shaw.ca

 

Member of the Canadian Aviation Artists Association.    http://www.aviationartists.ca

Member of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society.     http://www.cahs.ca

 

Click on images to enlarge


MacBRIEN MUSTANG

North American P-51D Mustang, 9252 piloted by S/L George Stewart of 424(F) squadron RCAF (Aux).It was the 12th of April 1953 during the “MacBrien Trophy Shoot” at the ConseconRange near Trenton, which the squadron proudly won. 

(18” x 24” Oil on board)

 

 AVRO CF-100

Mk 5 Canuck with 416 Lynx squadron, circa  1958.  This painting of 18759 is dedicated to the memory of F/O Joe Gulyes.  759 is presently on display at Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. 

(18” x 24” Oil on board)


Kittyhawk III

This Curtiss P-40M, FR350 of No. 260 Sqn depicted here flown by 

Flg Off ‘Stocky’ Edwards RCAF, Libya, North Africa, January 1943.    

(18” x 24” Oil on board)


Coastal Goose

Grumman Goose C-FIOL (s/n B107) of Pacific Coastal Airlines, Port Hardy, B.C. 

 Still serving the West Coast of British Columbia 

 (18” x 24” Oil on board)  SOLD


Andy's Merlin

 

Fellow Aviator Andy Gustafsson flying his Merlin home built Advanced Ultralight aircraft.  Depicted here with his skis during the winter of 2008.  

(18” x 24” Oil on board)  SOLD



Crazy Formation

“The Goldilocks” a Moose Jaw Harvard Aerobatic Team circa 1962-63.These North American Harvard 4’s were manufactured by Canadian Car & Foundry starting in 1951.The Instructor Pilots are reported to have said “this formation depicts how our students tended to fly in formation”.

(Oil on board 24 x 18 inches.)

 

Turbo’s Voodoo Shot

Twilight take-off of a 416 Squadron CF-101B Voodoo showing the distinctive shock cones with afterburner at full bore.  Crewed by Euan Black and Harry Redden, November 1975. Painting from ‘Turbo’ Tarling’s photo taken from the accompanying Voodoo in the formation take-off.

(Oil on canvas board 24 x 18 inches.)

 

Barker’s Camel

Sopwith Camel B6313 flown by William Barker V.C. with No. 28 Sqn. RFC as it appeared in October of 1917.Barker went on to become Canada’s most decorated war hero.B6313 served Barker operationally an amazing 379 hours and 25 minutes!

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.) SOLD

 

Halifax ‘Bambi’

This Mk. III Handley Page Halifax bomber of 424 Squadron RCAF (QB-B) MZ 813, piloted by a 21 year old Jack Dundas, began operations in June of 1944.As depicted here ‘Bambi’ is showing 30 missions flown.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.) SOLD


Hornet

In 2003, the Canadian Air Force in Cold Lake, Alberta painted a CF-18 to promote the “Tiger Meet of the Americas”.The event features squadrons from around North America named after tigers or other felines.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)

 

Mosquito KA 114

This Canadian made De Havilland Mosquito Mk. 26 as it appeared flying into Vulcan, Alberta in May of 1945.The aircraft went into storage and has finally found it’s way to New Zealand where it is being totally rebuilt including all new wooden fuselage and wings.Jerry Yagen of the Fighter Factory in Virginia is financing the total restoration of the only flyable Mosquito left in the world.Perhaps in 2010 we will see it in flight.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.) SOLD


Sabre 6

Canadair (North American) Sabre Mk.6 (F-86) as it appeared in 1962 with 439 Squadron.This European NATO assignment displayed the glory of the RCAF and the superior performance of the Sabre 6.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)

 

Silver Star

This Canadair (Lockheed) T-33 as it appeared in 1966.In Canadian service from 1952 to 2002 the magnificent T-Bird gave many wonderful memories to all who drove her or watched it in the air. Canadair produced 656 under license.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.) SOLD

 

Audet Spitfire

This Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXe depicts Richard Audet from Lethbridge, Alberta in action in Northern Europe.December 29, 1944 Richard was leading a flight of 411 Squadron Spitfires and during this attack, his first opportunity to fire his guns, in anger, he shot down five German fighters.Richard vaulted into the ranks of Canada’s fighter aces in a single bold stroke.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)

 

DC-3

The most famous of all aircraft is the Douglas DC-3.Here we have an example flown by Canadian Pacific Airlines, depicted during the late 1950’s.The aircraft served across Canada and in the North during the DEW line construction.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)

 

Corsair V.C.

Re-creation of Hammy Gray’s Chance Vought Corsair IV starting the attack on the ships in Onagawa Bay, Japan.On August 9, 1945, Lt. Hammy Gray of Nelson B.C., pressed home his attack sinking his destroyer target.He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD

 

418 Mosquito

This 418 Sqn. R.C.A.F. (City of Edmonton) De Havilland Mosquito VI was flown by Russ Bannock DFC.The aircraft received the nose character “Hairless Joe”, an Al Capp cartoon character from the “Li’lAbner Dog Patch” series.Russ Bannock was credited with 25½ victories and 418 was the highest scoring Canadian Squadron during WWII accounting for the destruction of 178 enemy aircraft.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD


The Concorde

The British Airways’ Concorde shown ‘at altitude’!  A transport aircraft cruising at 60,000 ft. and Mach 2 (1,300 mph) would impress anybody. Sadly all 25 Concordes have been grounded, never to fly again.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)SOLD

 

Starfighter

AETE’s ‘704 near Cold lake, Alberta, 1983.The Canadair (Lockheed) CF-104 Starfighter was a sleek, timeless design some called the “missile with a man in it”.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD

 

Super Universal

Depiction of the Fokker Super Universal CF-AAM on floats in the N.W.T. during the 1930’s.Painted for Clark Seaborn who restored and flew this aircraft for many years before returning it to the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD

 

Hudson escorting Kittyhawks

Lockheed Hudson, Mk. I, ca. 1942, 13 O.T.U. Squadron, R.C.A.F., based at PatricaBay (Victoria), B.C., leaving as escort for 12 P-40E Kittyhawks of 111 Squadron to a posting in Alaska.  My Dad was in the second seat of that Hudson as a wireless gunner.

(Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD

 

Mars

The Martin Mars Water Bomber in action.  Based on Vancouver Island to fight forest fires, this painting depicts ‘Hawaii Mars’, one of only the two surviving feisty dowagers.

(Acrylic on canvas 18 x 14 inches.)  SOLD

 

Soaring Gold

A flight of the magnificently flown Canadair F-86 Sabre Jets of the RCAF Golden Hawks display team.From 1959 through 1964 the famous team thrilled Canadians across the country.

(Acrylic on canvas,23 x 19 inches framed vertical)

 

ARROW

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was an outstanding achievement in aeronautical engineering.  The most advanced of all the fighters of the 1950s, was as impressive and successful as any aircraft in history.  But late in the decade it ran into a conflict of interests of a wholly political nature that were at once idiotic, traumatic and tragic.

(Acrylic on canvas18 x 14 inches”)  SOLD