The art of Jim Laurier------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The exhausted crew of the B-24, Utah Man, has just returned to base near Benghazi, Libya, on August 1, 1943, after bombing the oil refineries at Ploesti. The pilot, 1st Lt. Walter Stewart is seen describing his mission to operations officer Maj. Ramsay Potts, who had returned earlier that day. </font></font>

* screen colors may vary from print colors

Print Size: 18" X 27"

"Leiston Legends"
by Jim Laurier

January 14, 1945 was a big day for the 357th Fighter Group. It was also going a memorable day for two 357th pilots in particular - Bud Anderson and Chuck Yeager. It was their last mission, having reached the end of their second tour of duty. Anderson was the Squadron Operations Officer, so he scheduled himself and Yeager as spares that day. There was little chance of contact with the Luftwaffe by that time, so the two decided they would leave the formation after takeoff, if they weren't needed, and go off on a little aerial sight-seeing tour. They dropped their wing tanks on Mt. Blanc and strafed them, buzzed a hotel on Lake Annecy, and did a few other things that could have brought court martial charges against them. They were the last two Mustangs to land at Leiston that day, having flown over a thousand miles.

There was a lot of excitement evident at Leiston as Yeager and Anderson taxied their Mustangs to their hardstands. The two were thinking the crowd had gathered to celebrate the two pilots completing their tours of duty. Instead, they learned that the 357th had had it's most successful air combat of it's history on that day, claiming 56.5 enemy aircraft destroyed. The figure was officially revised to 55.5, which stands as a record for one day's action in the Eighth Air Force. Yeager and Anderson had entirely missed the "Big Day" for the 357th. Leiston Legends depicts Bud Anderson in "Old Crow" and Chuck Yeager in "Glamorous Glen III" as they lift off from the main runway at Leiston on the morning of January 14, 1945, a date that legends were made

MAIN EDITION :
Signed by Gen. Chuck Yeager, Col. Bud Anderson and the artist.
750 Signed and Numbered Prints
$235.00 + FREE SH (PA residents please add 6% sales tax)

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Artist Jim Laurier is a native of New England, growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating work on a variety of subjects over the years. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut from 1974-1978 and has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration since graduating with honors from that school.

Jim prefers to work in oils on linen or canvas, with realism in his paintings being the goal. A long time aviation enthusiast and pilot, one of his favorite subjects is aircraft. He combines his love of history with his flying experiences to create some of the most realistic and historically accurate aviation paintings seen today. He is widely known

for his technical accuracy and attention to detail, which have become the trademarks of his work.

Jim's paintings have been displayed at various museums, air bases, and art shows since 1992 including one man shows at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia (2000) and The Franco- American Society in Manchester, New Hampshire (2001). He has art work hanging in The Pentagon and other work on permanent display at Military bases and from the Eastern U.S. to Hawaii.

Jim has won awards at juried art shows including two Par Excellence Awards from the Experimental Aircraft Association, an award from the U.S. Naval Air Museum, The Hooper Award for Editorial Excellence, and an award from the Simulflite Training Center in Dallas, Texas. Jim has also become a prolific illustrator of military subjects and his work can be seen in many books, magazines, and calendars.

As he moves into the future, Jim will continue to paint and illustrate military subjects, but he will also complete new work in different areas such as maritime art, wildlife and landscapes, and other subjects of his personal interest. He believes it is important to explore other themes to grow and excel as an artist. The challenge for an artist should be to consistently strive to improve his or her work and to always seek new knowledge towards that end.