Limited Edition 12" by 18" Print Signed by the Artist and Co-signed by Tinnerman Trophy Winner 1947, Cook Cleland
ERNIE BOYETTE
Ernie was born to poor parents on a sweet potato farm in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The family raised chickens, rabbits and agriculural foods. The last of seven children, his father died when he was two years old. Growing up, Ernie always helped his mother and encouraged her in her self-taught wildlife painting. When she passed away in 1985, she left him her art supplies and some blank canvasses.
Bored with a job he disliked, he decided to figure out how to paint one night in 1986. He pulled out his mom's "art stuff" and started. Never having an art lesson in life other than what he was taught in public school, Ernie did about ten paintings over the next several years. Trained in marketing, in June 1991, he decided to try art as a business. Convinced he had talent, he swore he would be making his living from his artwork, writing and photography.
Not knowing what he wanted to paint, he liked airplanes and military so he tried that. He started painting one airplane after another. In the spring of 1993, he received his first commission from an F-18 Squadron stationed at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida. Commander John "Lites" Leenhouts employed him to do a black and white Limited Edition of their squadron aircraft.
In 1994 he started his series "Famous American Aviators". His first prints were his heroes, George Gay and Robert "Bob" Scott. Between January 1991 and December 2000 he painted no less than 150 paintings. From March 1993 to September 2000 he published 42 Limited Edition prints along with 36 poster prints. In the fall of 2002 he was commissioned by Cook Cleland's family to paint all three of the F2G Corsair racers that he flew in the late 1940's at the Ohio Air Races. Cook won the Thompson Trophy in 1947 and 1949. Ernie had worked with Cook in 1997 with a print of the SBD dive-bomber he flew in WWII.
In March of 2003 Ernie was officially knighted as a “Knight of Vision” for his efforts in telling the stories of Great britain's famous aviators. Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette now signs all his original paintings as Sir Hamilton.
His artwork is now marketed nationwide in aviation museum gift shops including the Smithsonian. In November of 2006 his artwork was selected by the new Pearl Harbor Museum, Hawaii, to be sold in their gift shop. Ernie's artwork has also appeared in the Aviation History magazine and his prints are marketed worldwide.
Ernie Boyette S/N Print "Cook Cleland's F2G-1 Corsair #57"
F2G Corsair, Tinnerman Trophy Winner 1947, Owner Cook Cleland
Cook Cleland has done many things. He was a dive-bomber pilot and ace in WWII, a fighter pilot in the Korean War, and an award winning air racer. None of these accomplishments have been a small feat for the two-time Thompson Trophy winner. Cook Cleland with his positive attitude, skill, and with the right opportunities has achieved much in his lifetime.
The most powerful Corsair ever built was the Goodyear F2G powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major engine. Impressed with the brute strength of the Goodyear F2G, the primary test pilot Don Armstrong dubbed the Corsair "Homesick Angel".
Cook purchased his fourth and final Corsair F2G-1 illustrated above from Navy surplus. Cook intended to use the Corsair for spare parts to service his other two racers #74 and #94 in the 1949 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleland however gave teammate Ben McKillen Jr. the honor of flying this aircraft in both the Thompson Trophy in which he won 3rd place and in the Tinnerman air race taking 1st place that year.
Cleland's engineer, Lenny DeFranco was responsible for painting #57. The racing number 57 that was assigned to the racer ironically was the same number that was used by the famous three-time Thompson Trophy winner Roscoe Turner in the 1930's. Respectfully DeFranco wanted to do something different with the number to make it totally different from the style used by Roscoe Turner. DeFranco recalled that late one night at 2:30AM, he and Art Barker were eating hotdogs at Cleland's Air Services. Before them sat a bottle of Heinz 57 ketchup. While chewing on their hotdogs the thought "That's it!" came to DeFranco and the number 57 was painted like the 57 on the ketchup bottle.
1949 proved to be the last year of the Cleveland National Air Races. Cook Cleland flew #57 one more time in 1950 in an air show over his own airfield in Willoughby, Ohio. Cook preformed marvelous aerial maneuvers for the spectators before landing and parking the aircraft for his last time. Cook's air racing came to an end as the Korean War drew him back into flying Corsairs in combat for the United States Navy.
By 1995, #57 changed hands a half-dozen times until Bob Odegaard purchased it. Odegaard spent over 12,000 hours to restore the Corsair as it is today. Corsair #57 won Odegaard the prestigious Rolls Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy in 1999 at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
Corsair #57 has been described as the most beautiful of the post war racers. This Goodyear F2G-1, #57, has been reborn to its past glory to relive today. Odegaard flies this Corsair at many national air shows and millions have had the unique opportunity to hear the roar of the huge Pratt & Whitney as Bob flies for the spectators. Its beauty and grace, along with its brute strength will inspire all and hopefully inspire a young man or woman to follow into aviation and carry on the inspiration that Cook Cleland beheld and lived in his rich life as an American Naval Aviator and a famous air racer.
All artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.
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