John D. Jones :: Aviation : Airfix : Vintage Motor Racing : Landscape Artist

First Steps

Kenneth McDonough - caught in the act

I was accepted as a member of the Guild of Aviation Artists after going before a selection committee who decided that they like my early watercolour work. One of the people who was on the selection panel was Kenneth McDonough, a person whose work I admired. His main interest is in paintings of the earlier years of aviation so perhaps it was fitting that of the two paintings that I submitted, the one that I was accepted on was a 1^st World War scene. That was in 1975, I exhibited successfully with the Guild of Aviation Artists for some eight years before having to bow out of the Guild due to work and personal commitments. It was a time I enjoyed immensely during which I met people whose work I admired such as David Shepherd, Michael Turner, Frank Wootton, John Young, and Kenneth McDonough. But during my time with them I was elected to the committee in 1979 and this gave me a fascinating insight into how a special organization, such as the Guild is run. Not only that it did give me a chance to meet people whose work I admired also on a purely social basis.

The first painting I ever sold while with the Guild was at the their annual exhibition – a quite

Mike Turner & Yvonne Bonham - the then secretary - of The Guild Of Aviation Artists.

prestigious event. Attended by luminaries from military backgrounds, civil aviation and many well-known figures from the aviation industry past and present this is a quite daunting place to exhibit your work. I was most proud, however, when Sir George Edwards who was then chairman of what is now British Aerospace bought my painting "Spitfire 1940" for the princely sum of £45! I can remember well John Young coming to tell me that he had bought it. I was so nervous my knees started shaking! Being in such illustrious company was proving daunting enough, and to have someone such as Sir George like my work enough to buy made me feel in turn very proud and nervous!

Over the next eight years I had work accepted for the annual exhibition every year and sold paintings there regularly. I also had work exhibited where the Guild had a year round exhibition wall in RAF Museum in Hendon, the Fleet Air Arm in Yeovilton and also at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire. I sold work from both Hendon and the Fleet Air Arm Museum. One painting being purchased by a representative from the Chilean Embassy in London, also a Spitfire subject.

Frank Wootton pictured left.

During the time I was involved with the Guild I was also getting more involved with the Southport Palette Club and my involvement carries on until today. This isn’t a club in the truest sense of the word, but simply a committee with the responsibility of organizing an annual exhibition of works by local artists from the Southport area. I was elected to the Council of the Palette Club in 1986 and now I participate in the selection process for the exhibition, which usually takes place each year around February time. The Palette Club has been in existence since 1921 and I am proud to be a part of keeping this alive for the people of Southport. Even though I am not living in the area now I am still a part of this event and will continue to be so. I find the exhibition to be most enjoyable, and while not always selling work there, it is nice to have work on show and to receive feedback.

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