New Release of P-47 Pisanos print!

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

In time for the holidays is a new print release featuring the P-47 flown by Steve "Spiro" Pisanos. This exciting new print release by aviation artist Brian Bateman depicts the P-47D at its absolute best - strafing and wreaking havoc on ground targets - in this case a German BR52 locomotive having stopped at small clearing in northern France in early 1944.

Affectionately called the “Jug” by pilots because of its massive size and weight for a fighter, depicted we see Col. Steve “Spiros” Pisanos (ret), 334 FS 4th FG, as he and his wingman make there initial pass firing at tree top level as they wreak havoc on the supply train. Strafing targets of opportunity was exhilarating yet an extremely dangerous business, which Steve pointed out to me during  the creation of this piece. He stated that from his RAF training days after the initial run you never pulled up but stayed as low as possible until safe to gain altitude, making yourself less of a target to flak gunners as you make your strafing run. 

Original sold. Retail price is $95.00 plus shipping and handling. Print size is 14' x 20", a smaller size for those with less wall space. Shown is a picture of the actual print. For more information call me @ 1-760-331-3944, reply via e-mail, or go to www.brianbatemanavart.com.

Brian

Latest Mini painting- "Dawn Cats"

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

My latest small painting is an 11" x 14" oil on panel board featuring F6F-5 Hellcats of the USS cabot on an early morning sortie in early 1945. Searching for the Japanese positions as the day begins, the men have time to enjoy the warm humid air as they fly into the brilliance of another Pacific sky.
Available for purchase either framed or unframed. Buyer pays shipping cost. See me for details on pricing. Quite affordable so please ask!

Blue skies!

Brian

Pacific Theatre - James Tapp P-51D

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Latest pencil and the first of my new "Signature Series" has James Tapp of the 78th FS, 15th FG based on Iwo Jima in mid 1945. Depicted is Tapp as he and his wingman race at high speed through two N1K "Georges" over Japan during a VLR mission. Tapp scored hits on the engine and left wing of one of the Georges, breaking off the Shiden-Kais wing after the pass with it going down. Tapp wnet on to score a total of 8 confirmed kills and was one of the leading aces of the 15 AF.

Available for sale and comes with a cut signature of Jim Tapp. A must have for Pacific enthusiasts!!
More to come in this series. Please check back in for more details on who I will be depicting within the USAF and Luftwaffe.

Thanks for looking!

Brian

Spec drawing for major publisher

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Recently I did a figure drawing looking at the series of books that Osprey Publishing puts out. These books are really well done and a few of my acquaintances have been lucky enough to partake in their many subjects. Thinking that some of the figure work could use something different I rendered a Tuskegee pilot from late 1944. This was done with colored pencil and acrylic and was sent off to Osprey for consideration.
Well, unfortunately they said they were going to stick with what they currently have. Although I disagree with some of the artwork that they feel is their "standard",  I suppose one moves on to other publishers in the search for work.  Now who is their competition?? Nothing more gratifying than succeeding with a style from a previous turn down.

It was fun doing this one though. I will just choose other companies and see where this type of work goes.

Book pencil drawing

I recently have done this little pencil drawing of Urban "Ben" Drew's P-51D Mustang "Detroit Miss" for a friend who built a model for Ben of his crate. Recent photo of Ben above who is now 88 years old. This along with a CD of Ben's story which by the way is really great story telling from Ben in a way only he could tell it! Still many available @$25 so visit this blog a few pages back or contact me via www.brianbatemanvaart.com.

Steve Pisanos Ace Series Pencils - New!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Here we have 4 pencils done a few weeks ago for Cranston Fine Arts. Please remember that I am available for commissions on any drawing at any size and I have many price points for ones budget.

Anyway, back to the meat and potatoes. The first 4 in the series depict Steve's first kills which involved the P-47. Plus I could not resist having him flying his beloved Spitfire during his time with the vaunted "Eagle Squadron".

Comanche!! New Mini work

I have done my next mini and wanted to do a helicopter as my wife likes these babies and after searching for my favorite I decided upon the awesome Comanche!! What a kite this is- stealth and powerful and loaded with festivities for the party!!
Overall size is done on an 8"x10" panel board with frame included.A nice little piece for those out there who are into the chopper war! This was done fairly loose yet controlled as I try to focus more o the painting aspect without losing detail on the main subject.

Oil on panel board. Available for sale @$150. Please e-mail me for details if interested. Buyer pays shipping.

Luftwaffe Night Fighter Ace Peter Spoden-New Work!

Forgive me! I have been nice and busy with many projects that I am or have been working on. I will try to be better about  blog updates but please remember that my main page now is www.brianbatmanavart.com. Please bookmark it and visit periodically.

Here are some of the latest pieces, one a commission and one for many recent art shows that i have been participating in trying to build my brand recognition and name.

First up is a piece which was a commission for my friend and client Ken Jarvis across the pond. His description of what he was looking for in his descriptive brief was a piece done regardingPeter Spoden's first kill during the Peenumunde raids. Using Google Earth I could use the terrain around the area and get a pretty good feel of the coast in and above that area. I chose an area a bit northwest from the actual  raid site per the description in Spoden's book and that actual RAF logs of losses that night including valuable resources available online where the Lancaster hit the ground. Google Earth is priceless as a reference tool as it gives the artist a good representation of terrain and I have used this on my past three paintings along with other references that are around during my historical searching.
Here is the final drawing sent to Ken and his photo of how he will frame it. This is going to look great once framed and finished! Thank you Mr. Kenny Jarvis!

In the collection of Ken Jarvis

"Because of Who I am"

Monday, April 16, 2012

I have finished up a painting recently that has family ties to history. During research of our family tree we found that there were a few of my relatives that lost their lives during this horrible time in world history. In honor of them, and for those many millions who also perished, I have done this painting entitled "Because of who I Am'. This is done from a photograph kept at the Holocaust Museum in Auschwitz. Manny of these photos were taken as they came in and lost their freedom. Men, women, and children. They were, at the time, being fed and just beginning the long horror that awaited them.
Oil on canvas.

I will be framing this piece with a rusted piece of barbed wire on the lower quarter and will post this once it is finished.

New website release and address

We have now released our new website and it is now live. Please log on to www.brianbatemanavart.com and review the site. Please bookmark the page and visit frequently!

Thank you.

Brian

Two new pencil drawings

Thursday, February 23, 2012

"Eyes of the Eighth"
Recon Spitfire above the clouds over Germany. 7 1/2" x 12".
$65

Two recent pencils finished up this week. Both available for sale Please contact me for more information.

"Bugs in a Lamp shade"
Freidrich Karl Mullers Me-109G-14 sneaks
up from underneath on an unsuspecting
RAF Lancaster illuminated by fires and searchlights from the ground.
Includes a cut signature of Hajo Herrmann. 16" x 26"  $175

Ken Taylor/Pearl Harbor action

Thursday, January 26, 2012

This is a 9" x 12" oil sketch on canvas of Ken Taylor and his action on Dec 7th, 1941 depicting Taylor as he locates and dives into a formation of Vals heading towards the already battered fleet in Pearl Harbor on that fateful morning of December 7th.

Ken Taylor and George Welch took off from isolated Haleiwa airfield in western Oahu to take on and shoot down a number of Japanese aircraft. Ken was slightly wounded during the action, with George helping save Ken from being possibly shot down during the scuffle with Welch covering his tail. Both pilots claimed to have shot down 3 each. This is considered by many to be the first action of the US in WWII. The AVG were in service before the attack and had a number of volunteer American pilots fighting the Japanese, but technically the US was not at war and therefore this claim may be made.

In the collection of Cranston Fine Arts.

Final painting "Devastating Thunder"

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hi all.

Well the painting is completed and this was a good push for me as it was one of the most complex compositions that I have done to date. Lots of details and areas interacting with one another to watch out for, and though overall I did fairly well, there are areas that I am not totally in love with but need to learn from this one and move on. Most folks probably would not see what I am referring to, but an artists' eye may.

This art is dedicated to Col. Steve Pisanos (ret.), and his days flying the P-47 over France in early 1944. To all those boys who never came home, and to those that did. Thank you!

Below are the quick pictures taken with my cheapie camera of the work with a few detailed pictures for those who like to see details. Professional photos will be done for future reference for my files.

Moving forward I have another German night fighter drawing, and a couple of small paintings to wrap up. Then  on to another project that I have been asked t do.

Thank you for visiting and blue skies!

New pencils!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

I have finished up a couple of new pencils that I wanted to pot here for those who enjoy pencil plus I have not been updating over the past two weeks as I have been nice and busy.

Ok, here we go. The first is a small pencil done of Wolfgang Schnaufer's night fighter Bf 110 as he climbs into the night sky to begin the defense of the Fatherland. I did this on drafting vellum and I really liked how it held pencil but also how I was able to manipulate the cloud with a few techniques used previously.

The second is the final pencil study for Col Steve Pisanos' P-47 as he and his wingman make a pass at a German locomotive in early 1944 over France. Painting ready for its work over and I look forward tot his one! Not only do I like the final composition with all the action and added interest, but it seems that I am finally showing the "Jug" at what it really did the best - destroy targets of opportunity!

Have a great week and thank you for visiting.

Brian

New pencil drawing! "Der Nachtjager"

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I have finished my most recent drawing on dark blue/gray Canson paper entitled "Der Nachtjager" (The Nightfighter). The piece measures 19" x 17" and done in pencil/colored pencils.

Depicting a Luftwaffe night pilot as he slowly and methodically climbs into his cockpit of a Me-110 for another grueling night mission.

Regarding the paper, I really like the texture as it gives a great surface to work on, though if you would like a smoother surface the other side is also highly receptive. I have done drawings on both sides now, and usually on the smoother side. But on this one I wanted to have a rough sketchy feel to it, so the tooth worked out well for me here.

Thank you for dropping by!

Brian

F-4B Phantom Pencil Sketch

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Just finished this pencil/mixed media of CDR Lou Page and RIO LT John Smith's aircraft during June of 1965, credited with the first confirmed kill of the Vietnam War, shooting down a MIG-17 over North Vietnam.

8.5" x 11" pencil, colored pencil, and acrylic on light gray blue Canson paper.
Thanks for checking in!

Working on the Steve "Spiro" Pisanos piece, a P-47 strafing a train in northern France! Preliminary pencils are in the works and I will post once it gets more concrete.

Blue skies!

Brian

Promotional photos

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Hello all-

Keeping it on the light side first...

with the Marine Night Fighter Corsair

Photo 1

Here is a few promotional photos that we took while I was a guest at the annual open cockpit event at the Flying Leatherneck Museum in miramar north of San Diego. A fun time and very knowledgeable folks there. If in the area please drop by and give them a look. Well worth it. One of the coolest attractions there is the actual CH-46 chopper used to make the last flight out of the embassy in Saigon, which was pretty cool. She is in great shape and some bullet holes are still able to be identified.

On another work note several commissions from the night fighter piece have been ordered and I am nice and busy, with a waiting list of orders. I like!

 Also, on the Steve Pisanos piece, this will be his P-47 Razorback strafing a German train in northern France in 1944. The final pencil will begin soon so look for this in a few weeks. The model for the initial concept pictured below.

Thank you for checking back in and I will post  progress once I have something under way.

Brian

Something different

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Hi there.

As I have been nice and busy of late receiving three commissions from the below Wide Sau mixed media/pencil drawing, I have to also get ready for the August 20th show at the local gallery. For this, I have been doing a series of portrait work. Bellow is a 9"x12" oil entitled "Wise Old Chinese Woman".

A change of pace, and enjoyable. I have three portraits finished, and am currently working on a fourth- a Civil War soldier, since I have always had an interest in the Civil War and it is the 150 anniversary of this terrible conflict, which needs to be remembered. Rightfully so....

Luftwaffe night fighter scene

Monday, July 25, 2011

The update for this week has me posting a drawing of Friedrich Karl Muller in his Me-109G-14 "Green 3" as he adds another Lancaster bomber to his tally of night kills in late 1944.

Overall drawing is on gray blue stock with mixed media consisting of pencil, acrylics, and colored pencils. This was a fun one to do and it turned out as I had hoped with me using the paper as the main background color  for tonality and mood, then adding the details with pencil and then highlights with the previously mentioned mixed media.

Overall size is 24" x 17" and comes with a cut signature of the inventor of Wilde Sau, Major Hajo Herrmann.

$150

Thanks for looking!

"Shooting Swallows" final painting.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

I have finished this one. The final painting matches closely the pencil concept, but you be the eyes and see what was changed from concept to final.

Images include the overall image, and a couple detail pictures on Drew's P-51 "Detroit Miss"

Have a great day!

B