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Richard Taylor
From an early age, young Richard Taylor had shown an exceptional ability to draw. Not surprising perhaps, having been brought up in a family where fine art drawing, painting, print publishing, gallery receptions and art exhibitions pervaded daily life, but in his case a quite unusual talent was obvious to all who saw his work. A future somewhere in the world of art seemed undoubted, though exactly where didn't become clear to Richard until he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design at Bath Spa University College. He excelled during his academic years, producing a remarkable body of creative illustrative work that was clearly leading him towards the world of fine art painting. Under the watchful guidance of his father Robert, Richard's skills were fast maturing to a standard where local galleries started exhibiting his paintings and drawings and he found himself immersed in commissions for friends, and soon, friends of friends, depicting images ranging from automobiles to wildlife. No matter what the subject area, like any determined young artist, Richard took it all in his stride. But deep down, his heart always lay with his passion for aircraft, and things mechanical - as his father says it must be in the genes. Richard Taylor is a young talent not to be ignored. His abounding enthusiasm for painting aircraft, and the distinctive natural flair of this young professional artist is clearly demonstrated in this, his very first aviation painting to be issued as a limited edition. |
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| Richard Taylor Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings |
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The Sleeping Giant Awakes by Richard Taylor. Pearl Harbor - Monday December 8th, 1941. On Sunday December 7th, 1941, the free world had been stunned into disbelief by the treacherous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Giving no formal declaration of war, the devastating Japanese assault on the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet had left over two thousand American servicemen dead, most of her battleships destroyed or damaged, and the remains of nearly 200 American aircraft lay in tatters. America reeled from the shock and sheer incredulity. But for Admiral Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the success of victory left a bitter taste. The main targets of his carefully orchestrated plan had been the US carriers but, as fate would have it, they were all at sea. Yamamoto knew in his heart that he would have to face those carriers one day, and when he did they would be the platform upon which America would unleash the brunt of her power against him. At 12.30 the following day President Roosevelt began his address to Congress, calling for the declaration of war on Japan. By 4.10pm America was formally at war, and five thousand miles away the first of the carriers, USS Enterprise, was returning to Pearl Harbor. Richard Taylor's painting depicts the Enterprise as she approaches Ford Island and the smoldering ruins that had been the Pacific Fleet. As ships still burn and the thick smoke hangs in the air, ever alert F4F-3A Wildcats of VF-6 fly an overhead patrol. Throughout the night the carrier will refuel and re-arm, and at dawn she will return to sea with a steel resolve and a new mission, to avenge Pearl Harbor. The Japanese failure to destroy the US carriers was a fateful mistake and, six months later, the Enterprise finally got her chance at the Battle of Midway, as the US carriers delivered one of the most decisive victories in the history of naval warfare, paving the way for victory in the Pacific. |
Thunder in the East by Richard Taylor. In Europe the tide of war was changing. The Allied invasion of Normandy had thrown the Germans back and the push to Berlin had begun, but in the Far East another invasion had taken place - this time by the Japanese. The fighter pilots of the RAF had become masters of the sky over Burma and after weeks of bitter fighting, air superiority was complete. The Japanese invasion had run out of steam and slowly, but inexorably, the Allies drove them back, fighting through the rains and floods in arduous conditions, strafing supply dumps and airfields, and divebombing enemy concentrations in unequalled precision strikes. One such strike was the operation to secure the Japanese-held Mingaladon Aerodrome near Rangoon on 20 October 1944, when a composite air force, made up of P-47 Thunderbolts from 261 and 146 Squadrons, carried out a low level attack on the vital Japanese stronghold. Richard Taylor's fabulous new painting, Thunder in the East, expertly captures all the fury of this bitter engagement. After completing his bombing attack Warrant Officer Thomas 'Lucky' Carter flying his distinctive P-47 'Pistol Packin' Mamma', engages Nakajima Ki-43 Oscars and Ki-44 Tojo's along with other Thunderbolts of the unit. In commemoration of the men who flew and fought in Burma, joining artist Richard Taylor in signing the whole edition are three RAF veterans that fought in the campaign, two that flew Thunderbolts in Burma and one of the vital ground crew that prepared the P-47s for this actual mission. A fitting tribute to all those that fought in the 'Forgotten War'. |
Wounded Warrior by Richard Taylor. Like many other missions they had undertaken in the summer of 1944, this one had been particularly cold, tough and dangerous for pilot Harry Seip and the crew of B17G Silver Meteor. The First Lieutenant and his men had set out on that morning, 11th July 1944, from a peaceful Framlingham, on another arduous mission to Munich. With their bomb load dropped the crew headed for home, but the battle-scarred Fortress had been hit more than once, leaving the inner port engine shot out and Silver Meteor had steadily dropped behind the fast-disappearing bomber stream. Things were not looking good for Harry and his crew as the Luftwaffe fighters circled like sharks, closing in for an easy kill. Luckily the enemy pilots were not the only ones that had spotted the ailing Fortress. The P-51s of two of the best Aces in the Eighth Air Force - Bud Anderson and Kit Carson - had also seen the danger and came tearing out of the blue sky into the action. Within minutes the German pilots had fled and the crew of Silver Meteor could breathe a sigh of relief. With these two legendary Aces guiding them home, Harry and his men would survive to fight another day. Harry Seip is now the last surviving member of the crew of Silver Meteor. This remarkable event has lived vividly in his memory since the war and he has always been thankful to Bud Anderson for saving his life and those of his men. Unfortunately, these two outstanding heroes have never been able to meet, but thanks to this new edition both can finally come together to add authenticity to this remarkable story by personally signing this poignant edition. |
Out of the Dragon's Den by Richard Taylor. It was the morning of Monday, 18 April 1942 and, taking a final look at the carrier rapidly disappearing into the distance, the B25 Mitchells headed west on what each of the five man crews knew was a one-way ride. With luck they might make it to Nationalist China but first they had an important mission to complete - destination Tokyo! Four months earlier the Japanese had launched their blistering unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor leaving America reeling. As setback followed setback, America needed retribution and the man chosen for the task was Lt Col James Doolittle. Planning one of the most audacious raids ever undertaken, Doolittle and his chosen band of raiders would attempt the impossible - a direct strike at the heart of Imperial Japan. It was what the enemy least expected. Richard Taylor's powerful painting Out of the Dragon's Den depicts the scene immediately after the Raiders had carried out their mission. One of the last B-25 Mitchells, having successfully bombed its target, makes its escape towards mainland China. As the navigator sets the new course, their path takes them close to targets hit by other Raiders, dark columns of smoke rising rapidly from the burning oil and carnage below. Issued with a copy of Richards pencil print, USS Hornet, every one of these historic two print portfolios is personally signed by Doolittle Raiders and a crew member of the USS Hornet during the raid. This could be one of the final opportunities to acquire a limited edition signed by the last surviving veterans of the legendary Doolittle Raiders. |
Tropical Duties by Richard Taylor. On Wednesday 22nd June 1938 a new sound was heard over the humid streets of Singapore as four Bristol Pegasus radial engines heralded the arrival of the RAF's newest flying-boat. For the men of 230 Squadron gathering on the slipway at Seletar, the approaching aircraft looked formidable and even from a distance, they could spot the powerful array of .303 machine guns it possessed. 230 Squadron had been chosen as one of the first units to be re-equipped with the world's most advanced flying boat - the Short Sunderland. Richard Taylor's painting is a tribute to the outstanding Sunderland and the men who flew it in the Far East. As the sun beats down on tropical island anchorage a Mk III Sunderland from 230 Squadron unloads essential supplies at a forward base on an archipelago deep in the Indian Ocean. A second aircraft, breaking a patrol, prepares to land. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
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