"Pappy" - Jim Laurier - F4U Corsair VMF-214 Black Sheep Aviation Art

Artist Jim Laurier is a native of New England, growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating work on a variety of subjects over the years. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut from 1974-1978 and has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration since graduating with honors from that school.

Jim prefers to work in oils on linen or canvas, with realism in his paintings being the goal. A long time aviation enthusiast and pilot, one of his favorite subjects is aircraft. He combines his love of history with his flying experiences to create some of the most realistic and historically accurate aviation paintings seen today. He is widely known for his technical accuracy and attention to detail, which have become the trademarks of his work.

Jim's paintings have been displayed at various museums, air bases, and art shows since 1992 including one man shows at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia (2000) and The Franco- American Society in Manchester, New Hampshire (2001). He has art work hanging in The Pentagon and other work on permanent display at Military bases and from the Eastern U.S. to Hawaii.

Jim has won awards at juried art shows including two Par Excellence Awards from the Experimental Aircraft Association, an award from the U.S. Naval Air Museum, The Hooper Award for Editorial Excellence, and an award from the Simulflite Training Center in Dallas, Texas. Jim has also become a prolific illustrator of military subjects and his work can be seen in many books, magazines, and calendars.

As he moves into the future, Jim will continue to paint and illustrate military subjects, but he will also complete new work in different areas such as maritime art, wildlife and landscapes, and other subjects of his personal interest. He believes it is important to explore other themes to grow and excel as an artist. The challenge for an artist should be to consistently strive to improve his or her work and to always seek new knowledge towards that end.

Jim Laurier Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Print "Pappy"

Major Greg Boyington was the enigmatic leader of Marine Squadron VMF-214 during World War Two. VMF-214 adopted the name "Black Sheep" squadron because it was originally comprised of unassigned pilots. Many Black Sheep pilots called Boyington "Gramps", but somehow the nickname "Pappy" was introduced, and once the press and American public heard it, the moniker stuck.

When Pappy was "encouraged" to leave the Marine Corps early in his career, he joined the American Volunteer Group (A.V.G.) a.k.a. The Flying Tigers. After serving with that group in China briefly, he quit and returned to the U.S. to try to fly with the Marines again.

Pappy was initially given command of Marine Squadron VMF-122 at Guadalcanal. Then, on Sept 7, 1943, under Pappy's command, VMF-214 officially began it's first combat tour at Munda, on the island of New Georgia. He led this squadron on two successful tours until he was shot down in January of 1944. Pappy Boyington was an aggressive and competitive individual and often liked to challenge others to a wrestling match or some other form of competition. He smoked a lot of cigarettes, and sometimes drank to excess and for a good part of his life he struggled with the consequences of these vices. Black Sheep pilots respected Pappy's natural ability as a fighter pilot and felt confident when they flew into combat with him. In the air he seemed to possess an uncanny sense of timing and his situational awareness gave him a great advantage in dogfights. He was officially credited with 26 aerial victories and was awarded the Medal Of Honor.

He was shot down on January 3rd, 1944 in an uneven battle against numerous Mitsubishi Zero fighters and he spent the remainder of the war in a Japanese prison camp. After the war, his fortunes swung from high to low and back again, but he seemed to always land on his feet, ready for another fight. In 1976 Hollywood made a television series about Pappy and VMF-214 called "Black Sheep Squadron" which aired 36 episodes. He was loved by many, disliked by some, but respected by all who knew him, including his Japanese captors, who afforded him the privileges reserved for honorable warriors. He was an individualist, yet he cared deeply for the men who served with him. He was one of the most unconventional Marines in the Corps, a distinction that earned him yet another title - "Black Sheep One".

Greg Boyington passed away on January 11, 1988 at the age of seventy-five. What makes him so memorable is not so much his 26 combat victories, but his character and his brash approach to life. He was daring, stubbornly independent, and beautifully defiant. He embodied many of the ideals that have made America's history so rich and unique. He is truly unforgettable.

This 23" by 31" overall size print, limited to 400, is signed by the artist and co-signed by up to nine Black Sheep pilots.

This print is also available in the following format:

With Remarque - Add $75.00

All Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered (S/N) by the artist. Limited Edition prints are restricted to a certain number. For example, if 400 prints are made from an original painting, once they’re gone, that’s it. There is no limit to the number of open edition prints of a particular painting. That’s why Limited Edition prints are more expensive — and more valuable to collectors — than "open" edition. Rare objects are more valuable.

An Artist’s Proof (AP), generally, is the first 5 - 10% of the Limited Edition prints that come off the press. If the Limited Edition is 400 s/n, there would be 20 -40 APs. Collectors prefer APs because their value increases even more than a Limited Edition as time goes by.

A remarque is a pencil drawing done in the white border area of an art print. The subject of the remarque can be decided by the print buyer or the artist. Each remarque is piece of original art which adds to the value of the print by making that particular print unique and exclusive from the rest of the prints in the edition.

All Limited Edition 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.