ASAA Annual Exhibition Winners

ONEALM · 14 June 2010, 09:12 AM

Gents -

The ASAA held it's annual exhibition in San Diego last week and the competition was very stiff.

There were 66 works in the show and a few WW I subjects, two of which by our own Russell Smith took top honors.

"Starting Line" Russ's 94 Aero SPAD lineup took the James V Roy Award the top prize and "By the Dawns Early Light" took "Best of the Best" from the Aviation Week and Spece Technology Awards, also their top prize.

By any measure, a giant success !!

A link to the winning images in all catagories is here:
Exhibit - 2010

Congrats Russ - well deserved....

Mike

Bruno Stachel · 14 June 2010, 09:31 AM

Very good Russ!

RAGIII · 14 June 2010, 05:15 PM

Congrats Russ! I hope you kicked Gerry Ashers butt! My former, a long time ago, room mate. Although he generally does WW2 and Blow torches

RAGIII
PS: Just kidding as Gerry and I are still on excellent terms.

Gregvan · 14 June 2010, 05:59 PM

Congratulations, Russ! Very, very well deserved. I'm glad WWI aviation art is getting recognized...

Greg

Russell Smith · 15 June 2010, 03:18 AM

Hey guys. Thanks so much! I am really honored to be given these awards. The competition was VERY stiff and frankly there were several works in the show that I felt were just as good, if not better than mine.

I should add that our pal Steve Anderson took home the Award of Distinction (2nd place), but not with a WW1 piece. His award winner was a depiction of a Doolittle B-25 and was one of my favorite works in the show.

Rag, that's so funny that you know Gerry! Gerry is not only a great guy, but he's quite a character as well. He's out unofficial bartender at every forum, although this year the hotel insisted that they provide their mown bartender, so he was an "honorary" bartender.

At this year's forum we did an exercise where Gerry dressed in a flight suit and spent an hour telling the story of a fictional WW2/Korean War pilot. He told it from first-person point of view and our goal was to create thumbnail sketches of the story as he was telling it. Gerry got into character and delivered the story so well that many of us simply stopped drawing and just listened. He definitely has a talent for story telling!

RAGIII · 15 June 2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell Smith

Rag, that's so funny that you know Gerry! Gerry is not only a great guy, but he's quite a character as well. He's out unofficial bartender at every forum, although this year the hotel insisted that they provide their mown bartender, so he was an "honorary" bartender.

At this year's forum we did an exercise where Gerry dressed in a flight suit and spent an hour telling the story of a fictional WW2/Korean War pilot. He told it from first-person point of view and our goal was to create thumbnail sketches of the story as he was telling it. Gerry got into character and delivered the story so well that many of us simply stopped drawing and just listened. He definitely has a talent for story telling!

Russ,
Yeah, Gerry can certainly BS with the best

. By the way, as bartender has he ever grabbed a Mike and gone into the Top Gun/Tom Cruise thing? He also has been known to sing Irish Drinking songs at Pubs!
Again congrats, you are amongst the best there is!
RAGIII
PS: back in the days when Gerry only did pencil work he used my 3 year old son, now 30, in conjunction with a Jenny for the Pentagon Art program. I still have a copy! May be the only WW1 ish thing he has done.

JohnReid · 16 June 2010, 12:55 PM

Russ, that is sooo cool!!

You are a great artist up there with the best.I am so happy for you,couldn't happen to a nicer guy.Continued success! Cheers! John.

Terrencejones · 17 June 2010, 02:28 AM

Well deserved Russ, fantastic painting, well done mate

Terry

Rittmeister · 17 June 2010, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEALM

Gents -

There were 66 works in the show and a few WW I subjects, two of which by our own Russell Smith took top honors.

"Starting Line" Russ's 94 Aero SPAD lineup took the James V Roy Award the top prize and "By the Dawns Early Light" took "Best of the Best" from the Aviation Week and Spece Technology Awards, also their top prize.

By any measure, a giant success !!
Mike

Great going Russ !!! It's so terrific to see such a fine person and a true talent recognized and rewarded for their hard work. We all applaude you.

I looked also at Steve's Doolittle painting and can understand your high regard for that one also. Way to go Steve!

Was wondering if Jim Dietz participated?

Russell Smith · 17 June 2010, 08:07 AM

Thanks guys. Jim didn't participate in the exhibition, but Mike and I did get a close-up look at a couple of his originals while we were out there in San Diego.