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 Limited Edition Print "F4U Navy Corsair Ace, Guy Bordelon"
Limited Edition 12" by 18" Print Signed and numbered by the artist and co-signed by F4U Navy Corsair Korean War Ace, Guy Bordelon
At the midpoint of the Korean War, Guy Bordelon was transferred to Composite Squadron Three at Moffett Field, California. VC-3 was the only Pacific based Navy All-Weather fighter squadron. The assigned aircraft was the famous Chance-Vought CORSAIR F4U-5N. Carrier based on the USS Princeton with five pilots and aircraft, Bordelon’ s Team "Dog" carried out the most dangerous mission of any other air unit. Their missions involved nightly interdiction actions against Communist supply trucks and trains using mountainous routes through North Korea. Armed with 20MM cannon with High Explosive incendiary shells, and 250lb. bombs under their wings, Team "Dog" pilots destroyed anything that moved down the precipitous mountain routes.
During this time, the U.N. forces were being harassed at night by North Korean aircraft, which were bombing supply depots. Over 15,000,000 gallons of aviation fuel had been destroyed by these attacks and they had to be stopped. Bordelon and his VC-3 pilots were transferred to Pyongtaek Airfield 30 miles south of Seoul to intercept these aircraft.
Bordelon’s first night kills were on a bright moonlit night. He was vectored to incoming unknowns flying in from the north. Acquiring an aircraft with radar, Guy closed to visual range and found himself at point blank range with a YAK-18. The enemy’s rear gunner opened fire and Guy replied with his 20mm cannons. The enemy plane banked hard left and Guy pulled in firing another burst into the plane, which exploded into flames. Moments later, Guy was vectored to another YAK-18. Guy pulled in close and fired into the enemy sending it to the ground in flames.
The next night Bordelon was patrolling over the Imjin River and was directed to two incoming aircraft. Using his onboard radar, Guy closed in on the bogey until he could visually identify them as Lavochkin fighters. Pulling up on the rear plane, Guy opened up with his 20MM cannon. The plane’s wing crumpled on fire sending the aircraft to the earth. The lead aircraft turned to avoid Guy and flew over Communist Anti Aircraft batteries for protection. Guy pulled in close and once clearing the ground fire fell back some and opened fire into the enemy aircraft making it his fourth kill.
Guy’s final victory came three weeks later when a fellow pilot, Lt. Ralph "Hoppy" Hopson lost aircraft radar while closing in on an enemy target. Guy was then vectored to the enemy with the help of the ground controllers. After making contact, Guy was ready to fire when the enemy began frantic evasive maneuvers leading Guy back into the Communist Anti Aircraft batteries. Guy pulled in close and stuck with the enemy and as before fell back and fired a long burst from astern. The enemy rolled hard right and exploded. Bordelon was momentarily blinded. Turning on his preset autopilot, Guy was able to regain his eyesight and returned to base as the only Navy Ace of the Korean War and the last prop Ace.
Guy and his fellow pilots proved that in the right hands, even in the Jet Age, the rugged and reliable CORSAIR could perform the most dangerous tasks and bring back the pilot safely.
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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