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 "P-51 Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown"
A Limited Edition 12" by 18" Print Signed and numbered by the artist and co-signed by the Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown
Roscoe Brown received pilot training and his wings at the Tuskegee Army Air Base. Brown was sent to Italy assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. His Squadron was flying the P-51 Mustang painted with the distinctive red tails that were becoming legendary with the bomber groups they escorted into battle. His first mission was to escort bombers to the heavily defended Ploesti oil fields in Romania in August.
By March 24th, 1945 Lt. Brown had been in Italy eight months and had flown 60 missions. On that day his group was sent on a mission escorting B-17’s that were to bomb Berlin. This was to be the longest escort mission of any 15th Air Force squadron. The Tuskegee Airmen flew sixteen hundred miles round trip.
Brown was flying as the Squadron Commander. Brown scanned the skies looking for incoming enemy aircraft. Bomber groups had been experiencing attacks by the new Messerschmitt Me 262 jets over Berlin. They were expecting another encounter that day from the Luftwaffe.
Roscoe Brown became one of the first 15th Army Air Force pilots to down one of the German Jets. The Red Tailed Mustangs of the 332nd would claim a total of three of the jets during this escort mission earning them the Presidential Unit Citation.
On March 31st, during a sweep of the Munich area targeting German railways and other targets of opportunity, Lt. Brown received credit for downing one Fw 190, and the destruction of one locomotive.
Roscoe Brown was promoted to Captain in April 1945 and Commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron. He finished the war flying 68 combat missions with two aerial victories, three enemy aircraft on the ground and 13 plus locomotives to his credit. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Eight Oak Leaf Clusters and the Presidential unit Citation.
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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