John Young Biography

John Young Biography

 

John Young was born in England in 1930 and went to the Royal Grammar School in Buckinghamshire and the School of Art in High Wycombe. Inspired by a visit to "Sir Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day", an aviation exhibition in a field near his home in Chesham, his love affair with flying machines began.His interest and historical knowledge were further enhanced by seeing the American 8th Air Force's B-17 and B-24 flying from nearby Bovingdon during World War II.

John Young developed his talent beginning in 1950 initially with illustrations for publishers, advertising agencies, aviation companies, airlines and air forces. This diverse body of work helped Him translate His interest in aviation into a painting style that exquisitely combined portraiture of aeronautical objects with elements of the natural environment. His vivid coloring combined with beautiful landscapes have become his John's trademark over the course of ten years. He has worked as a freelance painter since 1960, combining his artistic skills with his love of aviation in many of his works. John Young's original paintings are an integral part of the exhibitions of the Guild of Aviation Artists (GAA), of which he is one of the founders and has just completed a period as Chairman. In 1983 he was awarded the GAA medal and, among numerous other prizes, he was the first artist to win the Flight International magazine prize for the best aviation painting by a professional artist three times. John has won awards at many exhibitions over the years and his paintings are often a permanent fixture in the exhibitions of major aviation museums as well as private collections. The Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, for example, has exhibited 45 of his works.

John has flown in more than 60 different types of civilian and military aircraft during his life to date, which undoubtedly gives his artwork an "I've been there" feel. His accuracy in painting aircraft is almost unparalleled. What does aviation art mean to John Young? "Aviation adds a third dimension to traditional landscape and marine painting - the sky. Nature has given the sky a truly awe-inspiring beauty. The artist can only strive to capture a visible moment, immortalize it for an aviator's memory, or give someone who has never flown an idea of a world unknown to them. Add to this the functional beauty of a flying machine and the artist has a challenge that can last a lifetime".

John Young Art Prints