…But don’t have the talent to make it come true! I photographed a couple more A-10 doors yesterday and it got me thinking, if I had a door what would I like on it.
I work for HQ/ACC DRA10, and as such, work issues for all Active, Guard, and Reserve units. I would like a mural, which would have elements from every A-10 squadron, past and present. Now how could I do this and still keep it small, to fit on a ladder door or say an 8X10 print?
My dream (vision) is a “Conan” era scene set on a rocky hilltop overlooking a battlefield. In the background are jagged snowcapped mountains and it’s either late afternoon or early morning and the scene is heavy with orange and red tones. Half the sky (and scene) is filled with a massive thunderstorm with twin lightning bolts (thunderbolt II) striking the far mountains and lighting the valley below. There is a battle raging with the “good guys” trying to storm a “doom” style castle and the sun is huge and smoke and arrows fill the sky.
Standing in the center of the hill is Horatio Hog (The A-10 mascot) all buffed out and wearing some type of Conan style garb, carrying a GAU-8A cannon. Blood trickles from small cuts on his arms and chest, and maybe little clouds of condensation floats from his nostrils. I would like Horatio to have the same look as he does on this door…
<img src="http://www.warthogpen.com/art_files/doorart49.jpg" border=0>
Standing around Horatio is servile creatures each an active A-10 unit mascot, and each drawn in the same Conan style. He could be holding a spike-studded lease with Davis-Monthan’s 354th FS Bulldog straining at the end. A massive dragon (357th DM squadron) taking-off headed for the battle.
A shiny black panther with glowing yellow eyes and rippling muscles (representing the 81st out of Spangdahlem AB Germany) stands on a rock to one side and on the other side is Pegasus, in full war gear, pawing at the ground (51st Osan AB Korea). Hovering above this group is an awesome Flying Tiger with claws and teeth bared (23rd Pope NC.).
Add a few more creatures to the scene to capture all the active units like a caveman to represent the “icemen” from Eielson AB Alaska and a “Tigershark” for the 75th FS Pope AFB.
I would love to be able to capture all units, squadrons, past and present. I know to do this all elements could not be equal and that could be part of the fun. Imagine the scene I described above (or close to it) but with only a few large detailed creatures to represent the major commands, and all the squadrons, units, past and present, “inside” the mural itself. Half the fun would be to find and identify and the mascots within the painting!
Just a few examples are, the now deactivated 70th FS “White Knights”, Moody AFB GA. There would be a white knight somewhere within the scene. A small buffed-out bumble-bee to represent the 47th FS Barksdale AFRB LA. This would be a cool “lets find Waldo” type painting that covers the entire A-10 fleet, past and present!
O’well I don’t have the talent and it would be a massive undertaking but it would be COOL!! I’ve taken enough of you time already so as I said in the beginning… I have a dream!”
Ugly but well hung!
http://www.warthogpen.com