“Aviation was my first artistic love,” says William S. Phillips, “but my true, enduring love remains my Christian faith, home and family. So it is my pleasure to combine all of it in my work. The historical aviation subjects, I research; the contemporary and nostalgic subjects, I live.”
Phillips grew up loving art but never thought he could make it his livelihood. At college he majored in criminology, and he had been accepted into law school when four of his paintings were sold at an airport restaurant. That was all the incentive he needed to begin his work as a fine art painter.
Bill Phillips is now the aviation artist of choice for many American heroes and the nostalgic landscape artist of choice for many collectors. Bill’s strengths as a landscape painter are what gave him an edge in the aviation field: respect and reverence for a time and place. When one sees his aviation pieces, thoughts are about the courageous individuals who risked their lives for our freedom. In Bill’s nostalgic works, the viewer understands fully what that freedom is... the precious values that make life worth living.
After one of his paintings was presented to King Hussein of Jordan, Phillips was commissioned by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. He developed sixteen major paintings, many of which now hang in the Royal Jordanian Air Force Museum in Amman. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum presented a one-man show of Phillips’ work in 1986; he is one of only a few artists to have been so honored.
In 1988, Phillips was chosen to be a U.S. Navy combat artist. For his outstanding work, the artist was awarded the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Sergeants Association’s Americanism Medal. In 1991, three of Phillips’ works were chosen as part of the top 100 in “Art for the Parks,” the prestigious annual fund-raiser for the National Park Service, and one painting received the “Art History Award” from the National Park Foundation.
William S. Phillips Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Anniversary Giclee Canvas "A Christmas Leave, When Dreams Come True"
The American Homefront Series, an episodic look at home life during World War II, comprises some of artist William S. Phillips’ most popular and sought-after works. In this Anniversary Edition of A Christmas Leave, When Dreams Come True, it’s 1943 and the young soldier from the first painting, If Only in My Dreams, is home on leave. “This is one of the fortunate few who got a Christmas leave during World War II,” says the artist. “I wanted a more peaceful feeling in this painting, so the soldier is driving into the sunset. The colors are warmer and the mood is more festive.” There are still shadows on the horizon but the path to victory seems clear.
Look closely at each painting in the Homefront Series to find a plane in the sky. The DC-3 in this painting (known in its wartime version as a C-47) is now a passenger airliner. The dog that waited patiently for his master’s return sits beside his owner on the way to a family reunion, to play cards with the boys or maybe to visit his girl. Tonight on the radio they might even hear, “When Dreams Come True,” immortalized by Count Basie and his Orchestra.
This 32" by 16" Image Size Anniversary Edition Giclee Canvas, edition size 175, is signed by the artist.
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.
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.
Not logged in
Login Status