Ron Cole's Zanesville, Ohio Art Sponsorship Program

About Ron Cole

Ron Cole is a professional artist, designer, and businessman from Los Angeles, California. His accomplishments from a young age include co-hosting a nationally syndicated television program, working as the staff artist for a global magazine, and designing photo-etched industrial products - all while still in high school. In Los Angeles, Ron worked for many years in the film industry as a model maker, character designer, and artist. Ron also designed and constructed working models and prototypes for the toy industry, most notably for Mattel's 'Hot Wheels' and 'Barbie My Scene's' lines. Working in the aerospace industry, Ron built both scale and full size working models for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), McDonnell Douglas, and other large companies. As a 3D modeler and 2D artist, Ron helped bring to life many resorts and high rises in Las Vegas, including the High Roller Ferris wheel at the LINQ. Before going into business for himself, Ron was a senior director with Pittsburgh's Davison Design's 'Inventionland'. In 2008, he founded HiDef Design and Cole's Aircraft art. Choosing to focus primarily upon his fine art experience, by 2015, Cole's Aircraft had grown into the world's largest single-artist 'aviation/historical art' web store with over 35,000 followers on Facebook.      

Shortly after finding a new home in Zanesville, Ohio in 2012, Ron opened his first brick-and-mortar gallery in the city's historic downtown Masonic Temple Building. In 2016, he opened Gallery Luminaria in the same building. Renovated to 'bring a little LA' to the location, the new space focuses both upon his own work and provides a bright and inviting place for other area artists to display their work. Events are held regularly, including participation in Zanesville's First Friday Art Walk, where there is always music, food & drinks, and a good crowd. 

Sponsorship Program (Gallery Luminaria)

Besides the running of his business, Ron Cole hopes to provide opportunities to new and aspiring artists in the Zanesville, Ohio area. His gallery provides a large, bright, space in a central location, just off Interstate 70 and located between the county courthouse and city hall. 

Ron's Gallery Luminaria sponsorship program is unique in Zanesville, as Ron not only provides space in his gallery but also promotes the sponsored work of others online. "I show people how to create a brand; how to look professional, create a Facebook Page, sponsor ads, reach their audiences, design logos and stand out." Ron also photographs and professionally retouches images, and scans and digitizes 2D artwork from which Giclee' prints can be created or shared online. "I create all of my own prints in-house (up to 24x48 inches, on paper or canvas). I offer that as a service, part of my program, to the artists I sponsor. I also frame some of their favorites to show." Nobody else offers so much, and the cost to the sponsor is nothing. "If one of my sponsored artists sells a framed piece of theirs that I made for them, in my gallery or elsewhere, I'll only ask to be compensated for the cost of the frame."

The Gallery Luminaria program is intended to help launch new careers for its participants, and doesn't stop at one gallery showing or single event. "There is so much talent here, and I don't know how many times I'll talk to someone, see their work, and know they could be doing something more with it if that's their true desire. 

In the near future, Ron plans to add new perks to his program, including an online store devoted to selling the works of other area artists - both original paintings and prints - following the business model of his own stores. 

Contact

If you are interested in talking to Ron Cole about his art or his gallery program, feel welcome to call or email at any time, and all are welcome to visit and experience Gallery Luminaria every first Friday of every month in the Masonic Temple Building - from 5:00 to 8:30 pm - on the 4th floor. 

More about Gallery Luminaria 

Email Ron Cole

Call: 330.883.2493

Ron Cole's 'Cole's Aircraft' Web Store

Gallery Luminaria on Facebook

My Sentimental Journey; Flight in the World's Best Preserved B-17 Flying Fortress

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) had offered me a cross country flight on their B-29 Superfortress 'Fifi', but I would have been gone a week and on the hook to get myself back home again. I groaned. I couldn't do it. When you run a business that's grown by over 100% in 12 months, being away from it for more than a day is not an option - even for a lifetime opportunity like that. So, the matter was more or less shelved for awhile. Then, out of the blue (literally), an aircraft with which I'd had a long history with came to me. I'd toured the CAF's B-17G 'Sentimental Journey' as a kid with my father, back in 1987. It was a real highlight of my life back in those days. This email popped into my inbox:

'Hi Ron, I wanted to contact you to let you know that we have made arrangements for you to ride on our B-17 “Sentimental Journey” while we are in Wheeling, WV.  All courtesy of Adam Smith with CAF Headquarters in Dallas.'

You don't pass that up! 

All of this had come about thanks to my aviation artwork, which is my business and my living and my joy. I'd been commissioned by the CAF to paint a few of their aircraft over the preceding years:

  

Their gracious offer to give me a flight in one of the most historic aircraft in the world, that was never a part of any formal agreement or in payment for anything, is indicative of what is special about the warbird community today. There really is a uniquely genuine sense of hospitality, appreciation, and a common spirit among everyone involved - even though we often have very different backgrounds. When we can do something to support each other, we do it. When we can help one another out, we don't hesitate. And it all comes around. These are the best people I've ever worked with. 

With only a week notice I scrambled to get things in order. My wife couldn't come with me, so I asked around for a trip companion. Jana Pryor, a great friend and professional photographer, took me up on my offer. She couldn't get on the plane for the flight, unfortunately, but she was thrilled just get access to such a machine and in such a unique setting. The tiny airport in Wheeling was restored to its 1946 standard, replete with hardwood, beveled glass, marble and various period-appropriate displays of aviation history. Even the bathrooms were as they were in the 1940s. And no TSA security. No metal detectors. No big obtrusive fences. When we arrived there were only a half dozen cars in the parking lot. The only aircraft on the tarmac was Sentimental Journey. 

I wanted to livestream the flight on Facebook, but the signal wasn't strong enough. Jana streamed it from the ground perspective, but I took video of most of the flight and have uploaded it here. 

What a thrill!

See Livestream Video of Startup & Takeoff from the Ground

The whole experience lasted two hours, the flight itself roughly 45 minutes. As a pilot myself, I was actually amazed that the B-17 was as relatively quiet as it was. Sentimental Journey is one of only two Flying Fortresses in the world that still uses her superchargers, and that cuts down on the audible engine noise quite a bit. And she flew as smoothly as a 737. I can only imagine flying at 40,000 feet, however, where temperatures are often 50 degrees below zero. The B-17 gets a lot of wind blowing through her fuselage in flight, and is not pressurized. Now I know why so many bomber crews during World War II experienced frostbite. The flight up and down the Ohio River was breathtaking. Our landing was so perfect that, were it not for the screech as each tire met the pavement, I wouldn't have detected the moment. I was free to move about the aircraft in flight, too, enjoying the scenery from many different vantage points. It was hard not to park myself astride one of its swivel-mounted .50 Browning machine guns, however. And you quickly learn to get your 'sea legs' while negotiating the aircraft in the air. Nothing inside the B-17 is soft or forgiving!

It was everything I'd hoped it would be, and I'm grateful to the CAF team who put all of this together. I will do this again!


- Ron Cole

 

Ron Cole's Art Gallery in Downtown Zanesville, Ohio

Ron Cole's Gallery Luminaria

Located in the historic Masonic Temple Building in downtown Zanesville, OH

38 North 4th Street - Rooms 420 - 422

Ron Cole's painting of the Zanesville, Ohio Masonic Temple Building c. 1926

While over 90% of my sales and business is conducted online through my stores and social media, I opened my brick & mortar art gallery in downtown Zanesville, Ohio in 2014. Not a commercial venture, it's nevertheless the only place to physically view my work that is on permanent display, and I do offer my limited edition prints and many of my World War II aircraft relic displays for sale on site.

Mostly, however, my gallery is a cozy and atmospheric place for people to gather and enjoy a pleasent evening among art, photography, music and drink. In recent months I've surrendered most of my wall space to new and aspiring local talents who seek to display and sell their work. The first Friday of every month is always a terrific time, as my gallery participates in the local art walk and I always go overboard by bringing in new work and hosting some amazing musical talent. It's the one evening a month when I can leave the business of my business at home and just have a good time with friends and family.  

First Friday Art Walk event in Ron's gallery

Doctor Laura Schumann performing in Gallery Luminaria for a First Friday event

The photography of Carrie Turner on display

In early 2016 I began a sponsorship program that was intended to help local artists get some exposure and see if a professional career in their field was something they wanted to pursue. I wasn't the first established artist to offer such support, but I took it several steps further by offering my printing and framing services at no cost, and providing online marketing within social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Since then I've sponsored many talents, most of whom had never displayed their work before and were so excited to sell their first pieces through my gallery. It's also been nice to provide other established professionals with a new outlet to show their alternative works in a setting such as I've been able to provide.

If you are able to visit Zanesville for a First Friday Art Walk event - don't miss out on the opportunity. Not only is my Gallery Luminaria always open (from 5 until 8, though usually open later), but most every gallery in our building is also showing and part of the festivities.

The 'B-25 Bomber Bar' serving drinks during a gallery event

My gallery is permanently located in downtown Zanesville, Ohio in the historic Masonic Temple Building (38 North 4th Street) on the 4th floor. My hours are currently by appointment (Phone: 330.883.2493) and I'm open from 5 pm until 8 pm every first Friday of the month. I'm always looking for new local artists to sponsor. If you're from Zanesville or the surrounding area, visit my Gallery Luminaria Program page online for more information about what I offer, or contact me via email.

- Ron Cole

An Aviation Artist Ventures Elsewhere

The Masonic Temple Building in Zanesville, Ohio c. 1926, by Ron Cole

I love painting airplanes, and it sure is nice that I can make a decent living painting them. Yet it's easy to get stuck in a specific genre' that almost never allows for exploration outside of it. I see that with a lot of artists who paint professionally; you become known for one thing and you get commission after commission to keep painting it over and over, like you can't paint anything else. Even when you love the subject, it can get a little redundant after a while. Since I also sell my own work in my own stores, and it's not unusual to sell fifty pieces in a week - I have even less time to branch out as an artist.

But I do force myself, sometimes. And it's nice when I can do it.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 in Paris, by Ron Cole 

These excursions into uncharted territory usually no not reap immediate rewards in terms of commercial success. How does an aviation artist, who markets aviation art, suddenly advertise and sell a car painting or a landscape? The thing about selling your work in a brick and mortar store or online is that you really need a critical mass of work within a genre' that you can build a following around. Car people look for a car artist and search among his or her work to find that one piece that speaks to them - and they might buy it. If you have a hundred car paintings, you're in business. If you have two, like I presently do, odds are you won't sell much and marketing those couple of pieces will not pay for the effort. I personally think that my Ferrari 275 (above) is my all time best work, and it actually has been pretty successful commercially. But most people won't buy a painting based upon its visual merit alone. They have to be interested in that particular subject to want to put it on their wall.

'Spring Break' German Panzer 35t on the Eastern Front, by Ron Cole

These artistic adventures do, however, raise the quality of the work that is within an artist's commercially known genre' like nothing else can. It always amazes me how I've often subconsciously avoided certain compositional elements in a painting because I simply have not painted them before. The same is true when it comes to an overall style. My Ferrari proved revolutionary to me because, since it was not intended to be a commercial piece and wasn't a commission, I could free myself to, for lack of a better phrase - go nuts. The background is blurred and almost impressionistic. It mostly lacks the detail I'm typically known for, but it works so well. Those are things that I've been able to incorporate into my more commercial work.

General Robert E. Lee, by Ron Cole

My painting of Robert E. Lee similarly opened up a new world to me. He was actually a commission; one that came to me as a result of my childhood best friend having a book published about the Battle of Gettysburg. He asked me if I could paint portraits. I did not know, but probably, was my reply. I plunged into it, and from that time forward my airplane paintings suddenly started including more people in them than before.

Very close cropped detail of Ron Cole's Masonic Temple painting

There's a pretty good chance that I will always be 'an aviation artist' and I doubt I'll change the name of my business from Cole's Aircraft to something more inclusive. But, never say never. Paint what you love. Paint what you know. Paint what you know will sell if you wan't to make a living off of your work. But don't forget to explore when you have the time to do so. Keep churning over the soil. Keep reinventing. Keep it fresh. 

- Ron Cole

Ron's online gallery and store: Cole's Aircraft

        

Turning Point Midway

Turning Point Midway - Revised Version, by Ron Cole

So, sometimes this happens: A client will say over the course of months that they want one thing, and then as soon as a painting is completed that one thing will become something different. Sometimes that happens days before a deadline. Sometimes hours. But that's part of being a professional and I don't get annoyed over it at all. It's a new challenge to overcome, and when I pull it off I might use the exercise to justify a new Blog post.

In this case I was commissioned to paint the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi during the Battle of Midway. There were few specifics imparted to me besides this: Show it right before it sank and show "tragedy". This was for a Japanese client I'd worked with many times before and the language barrier necessitated our keeping communications simple. I explained that Akagi was actually scuttled near dawn on the day after she was bombed, when it was feared she might fall into the hands of the US Navy. Up to that point, because her damage was mostly limited to above her waterline, it was hoped that Akagi might be towed back to Japan. Thus I suggested showing the carrier late in the day of the American attack, as she quietly burned, her aircraft circling before ditching and her remaining crew gathering forward on the anchor deck. It hadn't been done before, and with the benefit of new research I could show the scene with unprecedented accuracy: a far distant sister ship (it was believed to have been the carrier Kaga) burning on the horizon, Akagi's decks clear of aircraft. A haunting and, from the standpoint of any seaman irrespective of nationality, sad scene of tragedy.

The Original Details of Ron Cole' Turning Point Midway

I liked it, but I don't work for me! My client wanted more action. I pointed out that depicting Akagi 'before sinking' and yet also while under attack was to depict two different events that were many hours apart. I was also arguably past deadline; he needed the painting in Tokyo, and a yet un-started Pearl Harbor piece, by the end of July. It was then the 23rd!

Those are the times when I pop an emergency Ativan (Please don't judge. I live a stressful life at times), sit back in my chair, and stare at a piece once finished that had suddenly digressed.

The revisions were many. I had to get the ship moving. That meant all of my port side reflections would change. I'd lose the crew. They were Japanese. No one would have been thinking of jumping ship at that point. All of the Zero fighters would have been in the distance, as they'd been drawn away from the carrier by the previous torpedo bomber attack. Obviously I had to add some American SBD Dauntless dive bombers. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would be striking - no pun intended.

Details of Akagi amidships. The carrier was directly struck by only one American bomb, but its detonation in the hangar deck was enough to start uncontrollable fires that doomed the ship over the ensuing hours.  

After a few hours of uninterrupted painting: Mission accomplished.

It's interesting to me that the Japanese don't shirk from acknowledging their defeats - at least in my experience. I'd previously painted the bombing of Hiroshima for a Japanese client who specifically told me that he wanted to show the shock waves destroying the city. As an American I can only imagine wanting a painting of 9/11, which I certainly would not want. Yet there seems to be an agenda in Japan that runs deep when it comes to remembering these tragic events - be it the enshrinement of national sacrifice or statements about war in general. All of these pieces of mine are on permanent display in a Tokyo museum. I hope that they serve their intended purpose well.

Ron Cole
 

Aviation Art: Painting Zeros, by Ron Cole

My painting of two A6M3 Model 32 Zeros of the 252nd Kokutai being led home by searchlights. The Japanese usually removed the radios from their aircraft to save weight, and their Pacific island bases were often hundreds of miles apart.

Everybody has a favorite airplane. It might be 'that big one' that took you to Key West two years ago - but that's still a favorite. For me it's a Japanese Word War II fighter: the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. It has been my favorite since I was a little kid. Why, is probably an amalgam of various theories: I'm genetically built like a Zero: thin, light and maneuverable. The Japanese were the underdogs of World War II, as was I, at least in grade school, for the aforementioned reason (I was skinny). My favorite book as a kid was a biography of a Zero fighter Pilot - the great 'Ace' Saburo Sakai. I know. Why be a conformist?

As a forty-something year-old professional aviation artist, I paint the airplanes I get paid to paint, or focus upon the popular subjects that will sell the most limited edition prints. But when I have time I go out of my way to paint the Zero. Objectively, it's a pretty airplane; graceful and elegant with lots of French curves. As a machine, it was extremely well designed and meticulously manufactured; like a Swiss watch. Even under the stress of war, each Zero was hand built and polished to a high sheen like a race car. Like all of their weapons of war, from the Samurai sword to their battleships - the Japanese knew how to make them well. Now they just do it with cars.

The Zero fighter is not completely extinct today, though it is one of the rarest of all World War II aircraft. Only one is flying in the world that is mostly original. The few others utilize mostly new components and American-made engines (the original Nakajima-built radials are too rare and parts are impossible to find). Of the few survivors, all suffer from some kind of fault that makes them less than perfectly authentic. I've seen it as my job to bring the 'original' Zero fighter back to life; not only in terms of its accurate portrayal in every detail and color, but also in its authentic wartime surroundings.

My painting of an A6M3 Model 32 Zero during the interception of Louis Zamperini's B-24 'Super Man' in 1943. I detailed this aircraft accurately down to the correct flat head screws and tiny red alignment marks.  

My painting of an A6M5 Model 52 Zero defending Iwo Jima during pre-invasion attack by US Navy F6F Hellcats. 

 

My first ever Zero painting: A6M5s of the 262st Kokutai leave Iwo Jima under the cover of darkness on their way to Saipan.

I was lucky to be commissioned to paint several Zero compositions by Legend Flyers of Washington between 2013 and 2015. They were restoring an A6M3 model that had been brought over from the Pacific island of Taroa by my friend John Sterling in 1992. The aircraft was too deteriorated to make airworthy on its own, but the shop was building most of it from scratch using the original parts as templates (few factory drawings remain of the aircraft). Even though roughly six million dollars had already been invested in the project (or maybe because of that), they were short of money. They wanted to trade me original Zero parts for artwork. I certainly jumped at that amazing opportunity!

Some of the A6M3 Zero parts obtained in trade from Legend Flyers in exchange for my artwork.

One of my later paintings for Legend Flyers of their A6M3 Zero that they are restoring to flying condition.

Another Zero painting for Legend Flyers: This is the same aircraft depicted above, but as she appeared in late 1943. Earlier that year, the Japanese Navy issued an order for all of their aircraft to be camouflaged by their units in the field.

Ron Cole's Big 40x60 Gallery-Wrapped Canvases

The genre' of aviation art is changing dramatically. In my personal opinion it's all for the better. New technologies are opening up new processes that are empowering more artists to share their visions with others. That can only be good. And what fans of our art expect from us is changing, too. Realism, drama, mood and the size of a composition are seeing limits pushed to the edge of what's possible. That's exciting, and challenging as an artist. All good. 

I've always been seen as a bit 'nuts' when it has come to including arguably unnecessary detail in my own creations. I did it as a builder of scale models and it's equally true of my paintings. Can anyone really see the pattern of the dress the woman is wearing inside the open door of my Boeing 314 Clipper? Certainly not when being viewed as a 13x19 or even 24x36 Giclee' print; certainly not on any computer screen short of full-resolution with a zoom feature. But it is there, though rarely appreciated. Details like that are within every one of my 100+ compositions. They're time consuming to include, but they're part of my style. 

It recently became in vogue to make huge prints and wall art a part of modern home decor. Everyone has seen the big online 'art' clearinghouses advertise them. But no photography and virtually no art was ever created with sizes like these in mind. Look at them closely in person, as opposed to those tiny ad images on Facebook, and there is fuzzy pixelation everywhere! They're terrible. And the companies that sell such junk don't care, since by the time it's obvious you've already bought it and unpacked it. 

Only the size is impressive when a composition, meant to be printed as a 20x30, is blown up to twice that size. 

Fortunately, at least in this particular case, I'm nuts. I've always exceeded the need when it came to sharpness and detail. What was probably a waste of time in years past is now a great asset and presents an opportunity. Now there is a popular and usually practical size that I can offer people that really shows off my work and sets it apart from anything else out there on the market: the 40x60 inch gallery-wrapped canvas. 

The rivet detail on my Amelia Earhart Lockheed Electra really pops when seen as a 40x60 

Unlike all of my other offerings that I produce in my own studio, these 40x60s are outsourced to an incredibly reliable and quick-to-ship company that specializes in these pieces. That makes them expensive for me to have made, but I'm happy to make less myself in order to share my work this way. The canvas is gloss, and somewhat to my surprise it creates a beautiful depth to the image - especially with saturated colors. The canvas is wrapped around an extra-thick and solid wooden frame. The thickness of the frame creates a natural stand-off from the wall, giving the piece a three-dimensional look. The edging of the wrap is gloss black, which amplifies that effect even more.

These days folks are much less inclined to want to buy art, wait to receive it, then take it to a framer, pay more money for wrapping or matting, then wait more, and finally receive something that they can hang on their wall. My 40x60s (and indeed all of my work in all of the sizes I offer) come ready to hang with a variety of hardware to accommodate anyone's needs. Take them out of the (admittedly big) box and hang them. That's it. Instant gratification! 

 

All of my 100+ compositions are still available in this size, though a few of my most popular pieces are close to sold out. 

Shop my store, or just enjoy taking a look at what I have to offer: Cole's Aircraft

- Ron Cole 

Ron Cole's All Time Best Sellers

PAA Boeing 314 Yankee Clipper, Aviation Art Print
by Ron Cole

My classic 314 remains my all-time best seller among over 150 aviation art compositions that I've painted in recent years. There seems to be something about it; a nostalgia and a mood. Everyone has a place in their heart for this period of pre-war history and innovation. I've been told I captured both in this piece. Originally a commission, it led to a series of classic PAA airliners and a full calendar for the Pan American Airlines Historical Foundation in 2015.

P-51D Mustang & Messerschmitt Me 262, WWII Aircraft Relic Display
by Ron Cole

I'm probably best known for my unique WWII aircraft relic displays that combine my artwork with pieces of aluminum skin from the historic combat aircraft depicted in my paintings. The parts I include come from all over the world; from archaeological digs in Europe to restoration shops and museums. I don't acquire pieces unless their history is documented. All of this is blended together in wall-hanging displays that I sign and number. Each is unique. My 'Axis & Allied' 13x19 display combines two famous aerial opponents: the Me 262 jet fighter and the P-51 Mustang. I've released over 40 different series of displays covering all theaters and most aircraft types of World War II.

Visit Ron Cole's Online Store

SHOP NOW: Cole's Aircraft Online Store

P-51 Mustang 'In All its Glory' Painting, by Ron Cole

I love painting obscure historical subjects. As a professional artist, that can be a real vice. Anyone familiar with this aircraft from the early 1930s?

Yes! It's the vaunted Mitsubishi Type 10 giant carrier-based triplane torpedo bomber. The Japanese built a few of them in concert with Sopwith before realizing it was too big to operate from aircraft carriers. It's weird and ugly. I love it. I painted it. I've never sold a print. 

Thankfully, from a business point of view, I also love painting beautiful things. Somewhere along the line, after having painted over 100 compositions in 8 years, I realized that I'd never covered the most popular and historically significant subject within my genre' - the P-51D Mustang. It was hard to work it into my busy schedule between commissions, but I wanted to do it and do it right; with an unusual attention to detail. From the start I knew I wanted to focus on the natural beauty of the machine, without being distracted by unit markings and fancy nose art, so it would be a 'naked' bird as it would have appeared fresh from the factory in 1944, and with a bit more reflectivity across its aluminum skin than would have been common in reality (Maybe someone at North American had some time on their hands, and polishing compound). Put her in a beautiful environment and let it bounce off of her elegant lines. 

And that's what I did. 

  

I think it's wonderful that these aircraft were hastily built under pressure. They're imperfect. Too often artists paint them (and scale modelers construct them) displaying Swiss-watch-like precision. Panel lines wavered. Sheet metal wrinkled. Rivets didn't line up. And all of those quirks are magnified when everything is polished. It's also harder to render an imperfect surface than it is to pretend all was smooth and uniform. How do I get it right when I do get it right? By studying the real thing and photographs of the real thing. A fastener distorts the metal surrounding it in a very specific and predictable way. Two rivets close together will effect each other while two more distant rivets won't. For me it helps to have pieces of these aircraft lying around - but you get the idea. 90% of the process is observation. The remainder is painting what you saw.  

   

Having converted this composition into the digital realm, and since this aircraft was rendered without unit markings, I saw an opportunity to create variations based upon the original work. Very often I get requests for specific aircraft flown by specific pilots, or aircraft belonging to certain units. I can't always accommodate those requests, but I could here. Here are a few that have been born recently:

I hope you enjoy my work! Limited edition prints and open edition posters are still available for some of these renditions. Visit my web store: Cole's Aircraft

- Ron Cole