LIONEL THOMPSON

DC3

SEASCAN

ZEPELLIN

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ARTIST PROFILE: LIONEL THOMPSON
Gooseberry Hill, WA

My interest in aircraft started at the age of four on a South African Airways Constellation between Johannesburg and Nairobi. This occurred despite an innate talent for being airsick. Home for the next eleven years was to be a diamond mine at Mwadui in Tanzania. It was an isolated company town for which transport by company aircraft was the easiest way of getting around for any extended distance.

My earliest memories of drawing were of aeroplanes. Thus DH Doves and DC3's became my first drawing models and remain two of my favourite subjects to this day, - as do Constellations, Comets, etc Someone in the aviation department of the town noticed this and started feeding old Flight International magazines to me. Suffice to say this fuelled the romance and it's still going strong.

The isolation in Mwadui required attendance at boarding school in Nairobi for progressively higher grades. The trusty DC3's were our transport to and from school, and crossing the Ngong Hills just south west of Nairobi was one of the roughest parts of the trip. This was a pity because the Rift Valley falls away from the western slopes of Ngong. It is truly spectacular country, but airsickness has a knack of grabbing one's attention at the most inconvenient times. I have long wanted to do a painting of the DC3 crossing the Rift, but lacked the topography reference of that area. But now we have access to Google Earth, so there are no further excuses.

On arrival in Australia my aviation interest grew from purely aesthetic into a technical interest as well, and I hoped to make a career of aviation. For a number of reasons this was not to be, so I settled for the art and the technical interest. Regrettably, despite a love of drawing I was persuaded not to do art at school. This led to me being self-taught which can be a pity if you can't shake off any bad habits. My style has evolved to be highly illustrative rather than art. I regard it as my next challenge to overcome this tendency in paintings. Nevertheless, I still enjoy illustration and pursue this via my computer graphics work.

I have exhibited aviation subject matter successfully on some occasions but it does have limited appeal in general art exhibitions. This has not proved to be a deterrent, as it is the love of the subject that drives the creativity. Commissions have been more fruitful: Amongst others, I have completed commissions on subjects ranging from Sunderlands to Wirraways to Hornets to Graf Zepellin for private clients.

It's a well worn phrase that aviation has come a long way. We are fortunate to have an opportunity to capture part of that journey.

Lionel Thompson. Sept 2006