"A World's First for Rodewald"   Lot no. 3744

Born in Santa Barbara, California, Roy loved to draw airplanes from his earliest days. When he was not drawing them, he was building plastic models, a hobby he passionately enjoyed throughout his life. When Roy graduated from Santa Barbara High School, he decided to join the Navy where he was stationed in Guam. Thereafter, he attended the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles where he graduated with honors. He moved to NYC where he was an Illustrator on Madison Avenue for several years. Later on, he decided to become a freelance artist. This decision led him in several interesting directions!Roy enjoyed a diverse and varied background in the arts, and his unique talent gave him an incredible opportunity to express himself in his paintings whether the subject was aviation, western and Native American art, wildlife, illustration, impressionism or realism. When you view Roy's art, you will be amazed at the versatility he displayed.As the Official Artist and Honoree of the American Fighter Aces Association, Roy completed 51 original paintings for the AFAA, accurately portraying the aerial combat of aces from WW1, WW2, Vietnam and the Korean War. These paintings are based on the oral history of the aces involved, and are as close as they can be to what really occurred, as if someone was taking a photograph of the action.Roy won numerous art awards in both aviation art and western/Native American art. As a western artist, he was invited to join the Cowboy Artists of America.  Roy was the proud recipient of the R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art in 1999 at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.  Roy's original paintings are displayed in many museums (listed in the Museums menu), the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, and in the private collection of George Lucas