Ross Buckland Short Biography
Like many other boys, Ross Buckland, who was born in Calgary, Canada, was infatuated with aviation and spent countless hours building model airplanes. However, his models usually remained unfinished; "I found this tinkering rather boring and frustrating - a sense of excitement didn't set in for me."
These initial efforts were the beginning of Ross' aeronautical artistry and through support from his family and friends, he began to focus on improving and developing his aeronautical artistry. Although Ross attempted to expand his talent in school by taking classes in art, his teachers were more interested in modern interpretive art and showed no interest in the subject matter or style Ross was trying to develop. Ross therefore had to rely on his own sources to try out his technique and develop it by studying and analyzing artists he admired.
It is not by chance that one sees aviation expertise in the artwork Ross created. Painting airplanes alone was not enough for him; he wanted to fly. He began taking flying lessons and received his pilot's license sooner than his driver's license. He continued flight training, however, and before high school graduation he was a flight instructor himself.
Aviation art competes with photographs and therefore each painting must be more than just a picture. Ross' subjects are detailed and clear, but also give the impression of vivid surroundings and movement. In his creations, he strives for perfection based on accuracy and authenticity.... Many hours of research precede the first brushstrokes on the canvas. "My art is a way to transmit the feelings of flying, sometimes experiences, sometimes fantasy, and to appreciate and preserve the fascination and history of aviation."
At the first Association of American Aviation Artists show in 1987, Ross received the gold medal for best painting for his work "One-O-Wonder" (a CF-101). His originals can be found in many private and corporate collections, as well as the RCAF Memorial Museum. Still an active pilot, Ross lives in Cambridge, Ontario, with his wife Cindy and their two children.
Text © 1998, Jörg Kiekebusch
