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The
Painting
depicts a scene of two off duty pilots travelling along the country lanes
of southern England in the quintessential pre-war sports car, the MG
Midget. A flight of Spitfires returning from a combat patrol ‘buzz’ the
car on their way back to base and are cheerily waved along by their fellow
pilots.
The car
featured is a 1935 MG PA Midget, which was produced during what can be
described as the golden era of MG between 1929-1936 when the Triple M
types were made. Triple M, meaning the Midget, Magna and Magnette range of
cars. Flowing wing lines and attractive bodywork make the P-Type arguably
one of the most attractive of all the pre-war MG’s. Production of the
P-Types ended in 1936 and with the arrival of WW2 all remaining MG
production ceased as the countries manufacturing industries turned their
attention to the production of military hardware.
The aircraft
featured are Mk VB Spitfires of 609 squadron, operating from Biggin Hill
in the summer of 1941. The MkV was originally produced as a stopgap
variant but went on to be produced in large numbers and served in all
theatres of operation.
The painting
overall is fairly self-indulgent and could be classed as my signature
painting as it contains all the elements I enjoy painting, such as
aircraft, sky, the English countryside and cars. I like to think the image
has some humanity about it rather than merely portraying machines. |
