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Opening Sky by Robert Taylor.
With the morning sun glinting on their fuselages, P-51 Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group cross the Dutch coastline far below, as they head back towards their base at Duxford, England at the end of a long sweep east of the Rhine crossing, Spring 1945. The final months of the war in Europe lie ahead, and for the P-51 pilots victory is within sight. Finally, after years of toil, the sky was theirs. |
| | AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself! | | Item Code : DHM1845 | Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. - This Edition | |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | | PRINT | Limited edition of 300 prints
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item! | Paper size 27.5 inches x 17 inches (70cm x 43cm) Image size 21 inches x 8 inches (53cm x 20cm) |  Anderson, C E Bud
East, Clyde B
Fiedler, Arthur C
+ Artist : Robert Taylor
Signature(s) value alone : £140 | £50 Off!
 | Now : £125.00 |
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| EXCLUSIVE website offer from Cranston Fine Arts - FREE art print(s) supplied with the above item! | 
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Exclusive Offer for Online Orders Only
FREE PRINT : Guardian Angel by Anthony Saunders.
This complimentary art print worth £50
(Size : 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 20cm))
has been specially chosen by Cranston Fine Arts to complement the above edition, and will be sent FREE with your order.
This item can be viewed or purchased separately in our shop, HERE
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| Other editions of this item : | Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. | DHM1845 |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | ARTIST
PROOF | Limited edition of 75 artist proofs
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item! | Overall matted size 31.5 inches x 19 inches (80cm x 48cm) Image size 21 inches x 8 inches (53cm x 20cm) | Mahurin, Walker Bud 
Blakeslee, Don (matted)
Olds, Robin (matted)
Pisanos, Steve
Hill, Tex (matted)
Cummings, Donald
Goebel, Bob
Gabreski, Gabby (matted)
Green, Herky (matted)
Steward, Lowell
Peterson, Richard Bud (matted)
McColpin, Carroll W (matted)
Carson, Leonard Kit (matted)
Burdick, Clinton DeWitt
Drew, Urban
Coleman, Wayne L
Johnson, Robert S (matted)
Conlin, Raymond T
Skara, John
Karr, Robert A
Hurlbut, Frank D (matted)
Ilfrey, Jack M (matted)
Bond, Charles R (matted)
Brown, Gerald (matted)
White, Clint
Walsh, Kenneth A (matted)
Allen, Bill
Berg, Russ (matted)
Brooks, Jim
Anderson, C E Bud
East, Clyde B
Fiedler, Arthur C
+ Artist : Robert Taylor
Signature(s) value alone : £1450 | £80 Off!
| Now : £450.00 | VIEW EDITION... | | PRINT | P-51 Tribute edition of 175 prints
SOLD OUT | Paper size 27.5 inches x 17 inches (70cm x 43cm) Image size 21 inches x 8 inches (53cm x 20cm) |  Mahurin, Walker Bud 
Pisanos, Steve
Cummings, Donald
Goebel, Bob
Steward, Lowell
Burdick, Clinton DeWitt
Drew, Urban
Coleman, Wayne L
Conlin, Raymond T
Skara, John
Karr, Robert A
White, Clint
Allen, Bill
Brooks, Jim
Anderson, C E Bud
East, Clyde B
Fiedler, Arthur C
+ Artist : Robert Taylor
Signature(s) value alone : £685 | | SOLD
OUT | VIEW EDITION... |
| | General descriptions of types of editions : |
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| Extra Details : Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. | | About all editions : | Detail Images :
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| The Aircraft : | | Name | Info | | Mustang | The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. |
| Artist Details : Robert Taylor | | Click here for a full list of all artwork by Robert Taylor |
Robert Taylor
The name Robert Taylor has been synonymous with aviation art over a quarter of a century. His paintings of aircraft, more than those of any other artist, have helped popularise a genre which at the start of this remarkable artist's career had little recognition in the world of fine art. When he burst upon the scene in the mid-1970s his vibrant, expansive approach to the subject was a revelation. His paintings immediately caught the imagination of enthusiasts and collectors alike . He became an instant success. As a boy, Robert seemed always to have a pencil in his hand. Aware of his natural gift from an early age, he never considered a career beyond art, and with unwavering focus, set out to achieve his goal. Leaving school at fifteen, he has never worked outside the world of art. After two years at the Bath School of Art he landed a job as an apprentice picture framer with an art gallery in Bath, the city where Robert has lived and worked all his life. Already competent with water-colours the young apprentice took every opportunity to study the works of other artists and, after trying his hand at oils, quickly determined he could paint to the same standard as much of the art it was his job to frame. Soon the gallery was selling his paintings, and the owner, recognising Roberts talent, promoted him to the busy picture-restoring department. Here, he repaired and restored all manner of paintings and drawings, the expertise he developed becoming the foundation of his career as a professional artist. Picture restoration is an exacting skill, requiring the ability to emulate the techniques of other painters so as to render the damaged area of the work undetectable. After a decade of diligent application, Robert became one of the most capable picture restorers outside London. Today he attributes his versatility to the years he spent painstakingly working on the paintings of others artists. After fifteen years at the gallery, by chance he was introduced to Pat Barnard, whose military publishing business happened also to be located in the city of Bath. When offered the chance to become a full-time painter, Robert leapt at the opportunity. Within a few months of becoming a professional artist, he saw his first works in print. Roberts early career was devoted to maritime paintings, and he achieved early success with his prints of naval subjects, one of his admirers being Lord Louis Mountbatten. He exhibited successfully at the Royal Society of Marine Artists in London and soon his popularity attracted the attention of the media. Following a major feature on his work in a leading national daily newspaper he was invited to appear in a BBC Television programme. This led to a string of commissions for the Fleet Air Arm Museum who, understandably, wanted aircraft in their maritime paintings. It was the start of Roberts career as an aviation artist. Fascinated since childhood by the big, powerful machines that man has invented, switching from one type of hardware to another has never troubled him. Being an artist of the old school, Robert tackled the subject of painting aircraft with the same gusto as with his large, action-packed maritime pictures - big compositions supported by powerful and dramatic skies, painted on large canvases. It was a formula new to the aviation art genre, at the time not used to such sweeping canvases, but one that came naturally to an artist whose approach appeared to have origins in an earlier classical period. Roberts aviation paintings are instantly recognisable. He somehow manages to convey all the technical detail of aviation in a traditional and painterly style, reminiscent of the Old Masters. With uncanny ability, he is able to recreate scenes from the past with a carefully rehearsed realism that few other artists ever manage to achieve. This is partly due to his prodigious research but also his attention to detail: Not for him shiny new factory-fresh aircraft looking like museum specimens. His trade mark, flying machines that are battle-scarred, worse for wear, with dings down the fuselage, chips and dents along the leading edges of wings, oil stains trailing from engine cowlings, paintwork faded with dust and grime; his planes are real! Roberts aviation works have drawn crowds in the international arena since the early 1980s. He has exhibited throughout the US and Canada, Australia, Japan and in Europe. His one-man exhibition at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC was hailed as the most popular art exhibition ever held there. His paintings hang in many of the worlds great aviation museums, adorn boardrooms, offices and homes, and his limited edition prints are avidly collected all around the world. A family man with strong Christian values, Robert devotes most of what little spare time he has to his home life. Married to Mary for thirty five years, they have five children, all now grown up. Neither fame nor fortune has turned his head. He is the same easy-going, gentle character he was when setting out on his painting career all those years ago, but now with a confidence that comes with the knowledge that he has mastered his profession.
More about Robert Taylor
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