After seeing Wade's recent painting, I wanted to share one of mine. I am not the artist, it was painted by Joe Tomasic, a retired airline mech probably best known for his airliner paintings. This particular painting is one I saw at a gallery for Joe in Prescott, AZ while I was pursuing my undergrad degree. It was my favorite painiting at the show, because it was different. Most people depict an aircraft flying, while this one shows maint, also it is not an aces plane, nor a D model. It focuses on the task, personnel changing an engine. It was the only painting not for sale. In 1994, I graduate and move on with life. Four years later I would return to Prescott to recieve my Master's degree, I still remember the painting, and track Joe down. He tells me the painting is still not for sale, because he did this work for himself as he was an engine mech, we strike a cord as I tell him I was an engine mech on Tomcats in the Navy. After working him over he still won't budge, not for sale! After, the ceremony Joe his wife, my folks and my wife's parents go to dinner. Joe brings the painting, my Parents have arranged with Joe to purchase it as a graduation gift. He also hands me an envolpe, and states you might want this too. It was the award he got at Oshkosh for this painting, I am flabbergasted. It has been the pride of all my aviation collectables. Lets say if my home is on fire, my prioties are family, pets and this painting. He also had a painting of a corsair sitting in a field, all weather beaten, fabic torn...it was pretty cool, just spoke to you. Istill wish I had bought that one too. Years later when my dad bought his stearman from Lefty, we called up Joe to have a painting done. Joe told us he was tired of painting aircraft and he was now doing southwestern landscapes. He told us he would only paint his stearman if he had full artistic license, just send a picture of the plane. My dad was pretty unsure, but we convinced him to go for it. We all waited for the painting to arrive, and were pleasantly surprised to find that he painted the stearman inverted at the apex of a loop with a scattered cloud layer beneath. At the time I think we had not done any acro, but afterward
Here's to artists like Joe and Wade !
"Time for a Change"
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