New painting

Russell Smith · 5 March 2009, 11:46 AM

This one has been finished about a week, but I just got it scanned and color corrected. I kept the palette slightly muted on this one. There is so much going on here between the aircraft, the figures and that $%^&* lozenge pattern that I didn't want the image to turn into a circus with a bunch of bright colors.

Spoils of War
28" x 15"
oil on linen

The WIP thread is here:
Another new study - Fokker DVII

The Armistice of 11 November 1918 required Germany to surrender 1,700 aircraft to the Allied Armies. Thanks to the generosity of American and British authorities, a large number of these ‘war trophy’ aircraft were allocated to Canada. Spoils of War depicts a typical scene during August 1919 at Toronto’s Leaside Aerodrome after the arrival of these trophies. During that summer,

William George Barker and William Avery (Billy) Bishop, the two surviving Canadian airmen awarded the Victoria Cross during the Great War, joined together in a private business venture. Pilots from Bishop Barker Aeroplanes Limited (BBAL) used surrendered Fokker D.VIIs for regular displays of formation aerobatics and mock dogfights in the skies over Southern Ontario.

In the foreground, two men examine one of the six Fokkers assembled and flown by BBAL. Fok. D.VII (OAW) 8609/18 was surrendered to the American Expeditionary Force directly from the Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke factory before it had received rudder or fuselage markings. The aircraft werke number, which had not yet been applied at the factory, is written in chalk on the side of the fuselage.

To the right and behind the tail of 8609 is another of the BBAL assembled Fokkers. Barker flew this aircraft, marked with ‘50’, in the Toronto to New York Air Race. Next to the aircraft, Barker, in his RAF service dress, is speaking to the proprietor of Leaside, F.G. Ericson, about the D.VII.

On the left, another BBAL pilot is examining Fok. D.VII 5924/18 (‘RK’) outside the hangar. The Canadian Air Force had flown this machine in England, but as with most of the trophy aircraft it was not assembled in Toronto. Inside the hangar are two of the most famous World War One aircraft that survive into the 21st century - Barker's Sopwith Snipe and the "Knowlton" DVII. Fok. D.VII (Alb.) 6810/18 was allocated to the Brome County Historical Society in 1920, and remains on display in the town of Knowlton. Barker was flying Sopwith Snipe E8201 when he earned the VC. He was reunited with the fuselage of this aircraft in Leaside, and today it is on permanent display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Laserlloyd · 5 March 2009, 12:55 PM

Hi Russ:

You keep amazing me with your work, another great job...

When you did your research on this subject did you find out what planes the Canadians received?

Lloyd...

Russell Smith · 5 March 2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laserlloyd

When you did your research on this subject did you find out what planes the Canadians received?

Thanks Lloyd. I actually didn't do the research on this one. All of this information was passed on to me by Ed Soye (who also happens to be the owner of this piece), so I'll let him answer that.

greatwarpilot · 5 March 2009, 01:36 PM

Thanks Russ.

Lloyd,

In answer to your:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laserlloyd

When you did your research on this subject did you find out what planes the Canadians received?

The short answer to your question is yes. Canadian authorities in England were given upwards of 75 German aircraft and 36 of them actually made it to Canada. While doing the research for my Master Thesis, the particulars (a/c types and individual serial numbers) of all these machines were uncovered. I hope to publish a book with all of the specifics some time in the next year.

An article with a sample of my findings can be found in CCI Vol. 39 No. 3. A related piece is schedule for publication next summer in OTF.

I'm in complete in agreement with your comments about the painting - Russ certainly does amazing work.

Cheers,

Laserlloyd · 5 March 2009, 01:45 PM

Thank Ed.

The reason I ask is that I have the small list of the Dr.I's that the US had received and was wondering if there was any Dr.I's on the Canadian list.

Thanks.

Lloyd...

greatwarpilot · 5 March 2009, 01:51 PM

Lloyd,

According to my research, there were no Fok. Dr.Is amongst the aerial trophies allocated to Canada. A whole lot of D.VIIs and a D.VIII, but no tripes.

Cheers,

AAC Cadet Leader · 5 March 2009, 02:51 PM

wow, russ! your best one yet! truly skillful painting! and, ed, way to go, too. the world needs more art patrons.

Kilian · 5 March 2009, 03:20 PM

Great Job!! To paint this lozenge patterns must have been really difficult.

Russell Smith · 5 March 2009, 03:29 PM

Thanks so much, everyone!

Killian, that lozenge is a pain in the A*** to paint, but after doing it a few times I've figured out a good approach. Once the pattern is in place the hard part is striking the perfect balance of hue and saturation so that the colors look correct in relation to each other. throw such variables as shadows and reflections into the mix and THEN it really becomes a challenge!

In this piece, the lozenge consists of 3 coats of paint - a base coat, a finish coat, and glaze. Each step moved the colors closer to where they needed to be.

Russ

Albatros_Ace · 5 March 2009, 05:04 PM

Great Piece of art Russell