Whether buying for yourself or a fellow aviation enthusiast, consider gifting art inspired by flight. Let this list inspire you to purchase from one of these artists or discover an artist local to where you live.
The Art of Aircraft
Abstract painter Frank Martin creates colorful collages, from paintings showcasing specific models (he has two devoted to King Airs) to works focusing on historical and military aviation or turbine and instrument details. Prints of his original paintings are available on fine art paper or canvas. Three hyper-grain black and white photographs of King Air details are among Steven Greenwald’s “The Shades of Aviation” collection.
The artists also offer art consultation and take custom art projects through their South Carolina-based company The Art of Aircraft. Aircraft owners provide photos, keepsakes, quotes, charts, favorite airports for the artists to incorporate into a custom painting.
theartofaircraft.com
Plane Pieces
Since 2004, RT D’Onofrio has designed hundreds of products ranging from lamps and clocks made with WWII-era radial engine pistons to jewelry crafted using small unairworthy scrap airplane parts. He started with a treasure trove in the warehouse of the Connecticut-based propeller company his father and grandfather ran for six decades and now sources globally.
He melds genuine aircraft relics with modern design through his company Plane Pieces. Blades from the King Air 90, 200 and 300 series are polished up and sold as sculptures with or without custom paintings, along with table lamps made from the propeller cylinders. He also has one-of-a-kind finds like a Curtiss HS-1 Flying Boat propeller (left).
aviationart.com
Wyldebyrd Art
Capturing the emotional connection between art and flight drives Lance Lockhart, a fulltime airline captain based in Mesa, Arizona, with history flying the Beech 1900 and Beech 99. His passion project is Wyldebyrd Art (a mashup of his sons’ middle names), which he calls the world’s largest genuine part aviation art store.
He turns reclaimed aviation parts and materials into industrial art, wall art, jewelry and functional pieces such as furniture and luggage tags. Retired seats become office chairs, galley carts are converted to side tables for your home or office, and engine blades are cleaned up to become key chains or pendants.
wyldebyrdart.com
MotoArt
This California-based workshop handcrafts one-of-a-kind functional office and home furniture using salvaged structures from decommissioned airplanes. In business since 2001, MotoArt has several desks and tables featuring Beech 18 tail assemblies, vertical wing stabilizers and wing flaps. Glass tops showcase the vintage details, which can be left raw or polished and powder-coated.
MotoArt’s artists also create PlaneTags, oval-shaped mementos hand cut from the skin of retired aircraft, stamped, shaped and individually etched. They have a general aviation line, though no King Airs yet. Some enthusiasts collect these, others use them for IDs on luggage, keychains and more.
motoart.com
Factory Direct Models
The talented team of artisans at Factory Direct Models, pilot owned and operated for more than 35 years, create miniature works of art customized to replicate your airplane. Their handcrafted tabletop models are made using manufacturer blueprints and your photographs so they can match paint scheme, logos, registration number, antennas and all the details that make your airplane unique. There’s also an option to personalize your model with an interior that matches seats, seat colors, instrument panel and all other fine interior details. The company is based in Mesa, Arizona, and has a showroom at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
factorydirectmodels.com
Tin Tail Numbers
Pilot Mitch Osowski owns a sheet metal fabrication company and wanted to help a friend remember a beloved airplane by creating a replica of the side of the plane’s fuselage. The concept launched Tin Tail Numbers, and now you can send the Minnesota artisans a photo of an airplane for them to create a replica body panel to display.
Material for each curved 16-by-30-inch sign is chosen to best match the plane, and then it is personalized by hand with the paint scheme, tail number and other markings. These are perfect memorials of aircraft significant to you or a loved one.
tintailnumbers.com