Article by Rich Thistle ©
NERVOUS ENERGY BY Rich Thistle© Nervous energy. For the actor it's the smell of the grease paint, the noise of the crowd. It's the pure excitement which lends its energy to the on-stage performance. Periodically, as an aviation artist, I need to have close contact with aircraft. I need to feed my senses. I need to experience. I need to store up memories. I need to charge the battery right up to the top.As an aviation artist, I carry my cameras at all times when attending air shows or aviation events. Even though I rarely paint directly from a single photograph, once in a while I come upon a scene which simply begs to be painted, almost as is. One such scene confronted me at the 1995 Muirkirk air show as I wandered among the vintage aircraft and war birds doing some soaking. I was stopped dead in my tracks by the sight. It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a definite "aaahah" experience of the highest order.
I knew immediately I wanted to paint it. The visual impact was more than I can explain in words. The colors were amazing, the reflections dazzled. The machine was exquisite. I experienced a treasure hunter's rush of excitement upon discovering a pirate's horde. Since in my mind I had already decided to paint it, I spent some time carefully contemplating the composition through the camera. I bracketed my exposures. I under-exposed for dramatic color.
The resulting painting, titled NERVOUS ENERGY, after the P-51's name Nervous Energy, has created a stir wherever it has been on display. Somehow viewers respond easily to the realism, the reflections and the color. Somehow it conveys my original sense of the excitement of discovery. As a painting it is a fine example of why I seek out these periodic, stimulating excursions.