The Naval Aviation Collection
by Russell Recchion
Russell Recchion spent thirty years painting portraits of governors, executives, and philanthropists before a former Navy pilot walked into his studio as a student. That conversation became a friendship, and that friendship became the Naval Aviation Collection, four original naval aviation art pieces honoring the aircraft, the ships, and the servicemen and women who have dedicated their lives to excellence.
In this collection, Russ started with the oldest U.S. Naval Aircraft Carrier in service today, CVN-68 USS Nimitz, or "Old Salt". The naval aviation art collection has since expanded to F/A-18 Super Hornets and the legendary F-14 Tomcat.
CVN-68 USS Nimitz — "Old Salt"
This iconic Nimitz-class supercarrier has been in service for the U.S. Navy Fleet for more than four and a half decades. In this magnificent oil painting, Russ's masterful use of color and light captures the tremendous mass of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier at sea. His precise rendering demonstrates a commitment to accuracy throughout the painting, down to the white stars on the Nimitz's blue navigation pole.
F/A-18E Super Hornet — "Crossing The Ramp"
The second painting in the series beautifully captures a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet the split-second it crosses the edge of an aircraft carrier flight deck. The contrast between the aircraft's cool shadow, the steel-gray flight deck, and the deep blue ocean dramatizes the moment right before landing. This image may be the closest one can get to landing a 40,000-pound naval aircraft on a moving runway at sea.
F/A-18F Super Hornet & Catapult Officer — "Launch 'Em!"
The third oil painting adds another dynamic image to the series. The contrast between the bright yellow of the "Shooter's" jersey and vest against the cool blues and grays of a Super Hornet adds a vibrancy to this painting and highlights the choreographed moment of a carrier launch.
F-14 Tomcat — "Star Wars On Earth"
The fourth and newest painting in the collection — and the first to feature the legendary Navy F-14 Tomcat. In 1982, F-14 pilot CJ "Heater" Heatley III took an iconic cockpit photograph of Tomcats in formation over the South China Sea. Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer called it "Star Wars on Earth" and it inspired the movie Top Gun.
Working closely with Heater for over a year, Russ transformed that photograph into a masterful 40" × 60" oil on canvas, including authentic cockpit details only the pilot himself could visualize. It is the largest and most ambitious work in the Naval Aviation Collection.
Each work in the Naval Aviation Collection is a fine art original, available as a hand-signed and limited-edition print. Once an edition closes, it won't reopen.