"The Sword and the Shield" - Jim Laurier - P-51 Mustang 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 "The Sword and the Shield"

After the D-Day landings at Normandy, the Allies drove relentlessly towards Berlin. From the West and South came the Americans, British, and other allies. From the East, the Russians. By 1945 the Luftwaffe was crippled by the lack of supplies and fuel but their presence was still felt on occasion with attacks on allied air and ground forces.

During the last months of the war, Col. Richard Asbury was flying P-51 Mustangs in the 354th Fighter Group of the 9th Tactical Air Force. Previously assigned to the escort role with the Eighth Air Force, they were now tasked with providing ground support for General George Patton's Armored Divisions in the push towards Berlin. On April 14, 1945, Col. Asbury spotted a single Focke-Wulf 190 strafing one of Patton's armored columns near Gusten, Germany. Approaching from above and the rear at about the 7 o'clock position, Asbury fired a long burst into the Fw-190 at close range, striking the left wing root. The German aircraft began to billow black smoke and headed towards a field of yellow flowers in an attempt to crash land but the aircraft exploded in the air before it reached the field. Col. Asbury finished the war an ace with five German planes to his credit.

This 28" by 24" overall size print, limited to 900, is signed by the artist and co-signed by ace Col. Richard Asbury.

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.