Kristin Hill, ASAA President

Kristin Hill specializes in aviation art, concentrating on fine art oil paintings and custom commissions. Her works depict both the man-made aspects of aviation and the natural environment encountered during flight. Kristin draws upon her formal education in fine arts, a lifetime in a family aviation business and broad diversity of flight experience to paint the richness of flight in the skies we explore. Her firsthand research includes flights in contemporary military fighters, refueling and transport aircraft; World War II fighters and bombers; contemporary, antique, corporate, aerobatic and soaring aircraft; hang gliders, balloons and the parachute canopy. She has been an active participant in the Air Force Art Program since 1980. More than 250 of her original works are included in museum, corporate, private, foreign and U.S. Air Force collections.

Bill Kluge Vice President

After spending four years working on Marine Corps "slow movers" - helicopters and OV-10s - Bill entered Virginia Commonwealth University's commercial art program. Graduating in 1982, he immediately went to work as a full time illustrator and graphic designer for NASA. In the nearly twenty years since then, he has created conceptual and documentary illustrations for such projects as the Space Shuttle, Space Station, High Speed Civil Transport and Blended Wing Body, as well as designing hundreds of program logos. An Artist member of ASAA since 1991, Bill's works are on display in the Virginia Air and Space Center, the Hampton Virginia Airpower Park and the Oshkosh Aviation Museum, as well as the NASA Langley Research Center, where he presently works. Painting primarily in alkyds from his home studio, he divides his time between aviation and (flying) wildlife subjects.

Priscilla Messner-Patterson Secretary

Priscilla Messner-Patterson and her husband have lived in Kodiak since 1983. While her primary focus is on aviation, she also paints still life and landscapes. Her original paintings in oil or watercolor are in private collections including the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, and she has many works in print. In addition to being an Artist Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists, she is also a member of the Canadian Aviation Artist Association, the Alaska Watercolor Society and both the Coast Guard and Air Force Art Programs.

Mike O'Neal, ASAA Treasurer

    Focusing on the earliest periods in aviation history from the dawn of flight to the end of WW I, wood and fabric airplanes dominate Michael’s paintings. While still in high school, Michael began compiling a complete list of biographies of WW I pilots who hailed from his home state of New Jersey. The lasting impressions created by his interviews with several veterans, all them well into their 80s, focused his energies on the World War period 1914—1918. An ASAA member since 1992, Michael’s art instruction has come primarily through the ASAA forums and its members. In 1997, his painting “Sharks,” won the James V. Roy, Jr. Award as best in the show by an ASAA member at the annual ASAA exhibit and “Sons of Albrecht,” was judged “Best of Show” at the 5th annual CAE SimuFlite/Flying Magazine Horizons of Flight exhibition in Dallas, Texas.

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Keith Ferris, ASAA Founder

Keith has had a 50 year career in aviation art. Active in the Air Force Art Program over 40 years, with 53 major paintings in the collection, he has traveled worldwide with the Air Force and flown in and documented the missions of most jet aircraft types in the inventory. He is a founding member and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists. He’s best known for two 75 foot murals at the National Air and Space Museum Fortresses Under Fire and The Evolution of Jet Aviation. Original Ferris paintings are owned and exhibited in galleries and museums world wide. Keith is an Honorary Daedalian, Honorary member of the USAF Thunderbirds, 1992 inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame of NJ, and Honorary Doctorate from Daniel Webster College in 1995. His painting Real Trouble was selected as Best of show at the ASAA Annual Exhibition in 1995, First Trap in 1996, Rolling Thunder in 1999 and Nowhere To Hide in 2000.

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Robert McCall, ASAA Founder

Renowned NASA artist Robert McCall's diverse visual canon varies in scale from his classic "Decade of Achievement" U.S. Postage Stamp Series to the six story mural "The Space Mural, A Cosmic View," which is viewed annually by an estimated 10 million visitors to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. A modern master once described by Isaac Asimov as "the nearest thing to an artist in residence from outer space," Bob used his incisive skills to chronicle our space program from the early Mercury flights to the space shuttle, which granted him inside knowledge of such red letter achievements as the first moon landing, controlled space travel and the high tech galactic explorations of modern times. In addition to a litany of famous murals on permanent exhibition at space and research centers nationwide, Bob has supplied conceptual paintings for movies such as The Black Hole, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek and many others. His 19 x 60 foot canvas entitled "The Prologue and the Promise" is a commanding and popular presence in the Horizons Pavilion at Walt Disney's Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. In partnership with his wife, Louise, McCall has successfully executed a number of creative projects popular with Arizonans, including stained glass windows at Valley Presbyterian Church and at Sky Harbor Airport, as well as a mural in the Arizona Industrial Commissions Building in Phoenix. Robert is a founding member of the American Society of Aviation Artists.

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John W. Clark, ASAA Joe Kotula Founder's Chair

At the age of six, John Clark became interested in airplanes. From his home in Chicago, he spent many hours watching them fly overhead on their landing approach to Midway Airport. He often wondered how do airplanes turn? His conclusion was that the wings rotated; left for a left turn; right for a right turn. At that time he was not aware of ailerons, elevators and rudders. This interest in airplanes expanded to include spacecraft and the astronomical universe they explore. By the 1960s, Mr. Clark had served in Southeast Asia with the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft mechanic. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting. For thirty years his efforts have been directed toward commissioned works for Astronomy magazine, NASA and the U.S. Air Force Art Program. Mr. Clark is a past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists.

Gil Cohen, ASAA Ren Wicks Founder'sChair

Gil Cohen, member of the American Society of Aviation Artists and twice winner of the Society's prestigious 'Best of Show' award, ranks among the world's leading aviation artists. While Gil's paintings reflect his profound interest in history, it is his sensitive portrayal of the human element - the nuances of facial expression and body posture - set against the background of wartime airfield activity, which brings each canvas to life.

Paul Rendel, ASAA R. G. Smith Founder's Chair

Paul Rendel considers himself a story teller, using strong shapes and color to tell both the facts and the emotion of an event. The research that goes into each of his works is extensive. His aviation paintings have been featured at museums and shows in both the United States and Europe. Paul in an Experimental Aircraft Association Master Artist, and has won awards from the Pensacola Naval Air Museum. He is an Artist Fellow member and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists.

Sam Lyons Trustee at Large

Sam Lyons is a native and resident of Atlanta, Georgia. His interest in aviation was prompted at an early age by his father, who was a B-24 pilot during WWII. Sam always had a fascination for art. In the fall of 1985, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a full time artist, and he has since developed his own unique super realistic style, which he continues to perfect daily. Prints and paintings can be found at military bases, museums, gift shops, and collections both nationally and internationally. He has produced over 60 Limited Edition prints. Several of his works are featured in the ASAA "coffee table" book titled, "Aviation, A History through Art." Sam enjoys flying and obtained his sail plane license while in college. Today, he still loves flying and has flown with the Air Force in the F-15 Eagle, and F-16 Falcon, and with the Navy in the Blue Angel’s F-18 Hornet. He currently owns a classic Stinson 108 and a Piper J-3.

Norm Siegel Trustee at Large

Graduate of The Cooper Union in NY, Norman went into advertising design, graphics, and marketing while a free-lance illustrator. As his advertising responsibilities grew, (Crest Toothpaste, Continental Airlines, Volvo), illustrating became a serious R&R outlet. He has always maintained a love for all things aviation and space. In 1989 he started a virtual advertising agency with two partners. Their first client, and still their client, is Discovery Communications. (The Discovery Channel, TLC, etc.). They are also retained by high tech and e-commerce companies. All this while he was still illustrating. Now that his business runs with his marginal participation, he has rededicated himself to do more and more illustrating.

Charles Thompson Trustee at Large

Charles styled automobiles for Ford Motor Company for thirty-seven years. He is an ASAA Artist Fellow, winning “Best of Show— British Artist” in 1991, “Founder's Awards” in 1993, and 1996, “Merit Awards” in 1995, 1996, and 1997, and the prestigious “James V. Roy Award” for the best painting in show in 1999. He is a Full Member and Past Chairman of the British Guild of Aviation Artists, Founder Member of the British Guild of Motoring Artists, Master Artist of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and competition winner of several SimuFlite aviation art contests, in Dallas, Texas.

His interest lies in exhibiting work in the above societies and non-aviation venues like the prestigious Royal Institute of Oil Painters annual exhibition in London. His artwork has been published in numerous publications, including his own book, Wings, by Pan Books. His paintings are held in private collections worldwide. His number one aims is capturing light in all his work.

Art Lumley Trustee at Large

After serving on active duty as a Navy pilot for 11 years, Art retired as a Commander with 20 years of service in 1969. He was hired by United Airlines in 1965 and flew with them for 26 years. He started his art training in 1964 at San Diego State College where he majored in industrial arts and minored in art. In 1993, he completed a year long, 14 hour a week, commercial art course. A member of ASAA since 1990, he has attended 13 forums where he learned more about art than from any other source. In 1999, Art accepted the position as executive secretary, then moved to membership secretary in 2002. His favorite subjects are taken from 50 years of flying experience. He is a member of the Coast Guard Art Program.