. Q. What is Aviation Art? A. Aviation art is a visual record of and tribute to man's adventures in the air. It celebrates the eternal quest for flight and portrays the history of that quest in a special and satisfying way. The best pieces by top artists seem to impart the feeling of flight as no photo can! Aviation fine art means an original piece of artwork such as a painting or high quality reproduction on paper, known as a "print" or "lithograph" with an aeronautical theme. Widely collected and increasingly popular, aviation art prints are an affordable way to enjoy and collect the works of the world's top aviation artists. The original paintings are carefully researched for accuracy by the artists and historians. The prints made from them are often personally autographed by the pilots who flew the aircraft depicted and made history. Their achievements are preserved for posterity in this beautiful, collectible art form. Q. What are Limited Edition Aviation Prints? A. The most widely collected form of aviation fine art are limited-edition prints by "name" artists. Limited-edition prints are very high quality reproductions of original paintings or drawings, produced in strictly limited quantities by specialty printing firms under contract to a fine arts publisher. The edition is printed, with input and final approval by the artist, on high quality acid-free archival paper. Each individual print is hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Often it is also "countersigned", or personally autographed, by the pilot or air crew depicted or by someone figuring prominently in the history represented by the piece. Each limited-edition of prints is issued by a publisher and sold to collectors through the publisher's dealers at a specific preset retail price called the "issue" price. The length of time it takes for an edition to sell out varies, the more popular the artist and subject, the quicker the edition will sell. Signatures of famous pilots like Chuck Yeager, Jimmy Doolittle and Günther Rall can cause an edition to sell out in a few months. When all prints in a limited edition are sold, continuing demand usually causes the print value to appreciate - often substantially. The publisher of a limited-edition supplies a Certificate of Authenticity with each print, certifying the number of prints in the edition, giving historical information on the subject and confirming that the plates and negatives used in printing the edition have been destroyed and no more prints will ever be produced, thus making the edition limited. An edition of 500 prints would be considered relatively small; an edition of 1,500, large. Q What does the term "The Aftermarket" refer to? A. Once an edition is "sold out", the only way to acquire a print from that edition is on the secondary or aftermarket either from a collector or from a dealer who may have one in inventory or be able to locate one. A print purchased on the aftermarket will usually cost considerably more than its issue price so it is best to acquire prints before sellout. Some editions by English artist Robert Taylor that were issued in the late 1980's at $250.00 are now trading on the aftermarket for over $1,000.00. This appreciation has caused investors and speculators to move in increasing numbers into the aviation fine art print market. Q. What are "Artist's Proofs"? A. Artist's Proofs are a group of prints separate from the prints in a regular limited-edition, traditionally the first few dozen off the press when the edition is printed. They are signed and numbered separately from the regular edition. In the early years of print making when reproduction was by stamping, they were prized by collectors because the images were sharper than those of successive prints in each edition. With modern print making technology that is no longer true, though the artist's proof remains highly collectible and generally commands a higher price than prints in the regular edition. Q. What are "Open Edition Prints"? A. An Open Edition, unlike a limited-edition, has no set numerical limit on how many may be produced; it is printed by the publisher on an ongoing basis as long as there is continuing demand. The prints are not individually signed and they may or may not bear the artist's signature. They are not countersigned by pilots or air crew. Some, but not all, open editions are printed on good quality acid-free paper. IMPORTANT NOTE: For these reasons, an "open edition" print will never appreciate in value and cannot be considered a true collectible or investment piece. Q. What Are "Fine Art Posters"? A. Fine Art Posters are attractive reproductions of original art, usually also incorporating a bold, mat-like colored margin and feature the artist's name in large, stylized lettering. Fine art posters often have a promotional theme - an art exhibit or special anniversary, or the artist themself. The paper is good, but not of archival quality like a print. Fine art posters are not signed and numbered and do not appreciate in value. They are considered decoration, and are a low-cost alternative to prints. Q. What Are "Pilot Signed Prints"? A. Many of the aircraft, themes and personages depicted in aviation fine art prints are historically important and these prints are often personally autographed by people who were part of that history. Pilot signature prints, although somewhat more expensive at issue price, generally show better appreciation on the aftermarket. Limited-editions of famous World War II aircraft, events and battles - many signed by the airmen who were there are particularly strong now that we have passed the 50th anniversary of America's entry into that conflict. Sadly, the number of surviving pilots and air crews available to sign such prints is dwindling at an increasing rate-as time takes its toll. Also popular are depictions of classic aircraft of the 1920's and 30's, World War I subjects, aerospace and experimental themes. Q. What about "Bronze Aviation Statuary" A. Several artists have perfected the difficult process of sculpting and casting aircraft in bronze. These marvelous sculptures are among the most painstakingly crafted works of art. To create a "bronze", the artist first creates a finished sculpture of clay, wood and aluminum. He then works with a foundry, which utilizes the "lost wax" process to cast a finished reproduction in bronze. This ancient process was originally used more than 2,500 years ago in China, and has been employed by great bronze artists including Remington. Each casting is carefully made and finished by a master foundry craftsman and is unique. Q. What about "Original Aviation Paintings"? A. In addition to prints, and sculpture, we also have access to the original paintings of both regional and top internationally recognized aviation artists like Robert Taylor, Nicholas Trudgian, John Young, Jim Dietz, and many more. Many of these originals have been reproduced as well known print editions, for instance, "Beach Head Strike Force" by Robert Taylor and "Gold Cup Roll" by John Young. We maintain a list of originals currently for sale. If you are interested in purchasing an existing original or commissioning a new one... call us at the Framing Fox Art Gallery.. Q. Why Own Aviation Art? A. There are many good reasons to own aviation fine art: to build a collection of a particular artist's work or of a particular aircraft, pilot or historical period... to acquire beautiful decor for home or business setting... to own a unique, personalized piece of history...as a hedge against inflation. It is best to purchase aviation art from a reputable dealer who is knowledgeable about art, aviation and history, and who has a solid guarantee on their merchandise. Your dealer can advise you on purchases, locate hard-to-find pieces and buy or sell prints on the aftermarket for you. He can also properly conservation-frame your prints to preserve and attractively display them, or advise you on how to properly store them if you don't wish to frame them. He can also keep you appraised of upcoming editions you may wish to add to your collection, before they sell out.   CALL 1-252-635-6400 BETWEEN THE HOURS OF: 10am - 5pm Monday-Friday(EST) 10am - 4pm on Saturdays (EST)... TO ORDER AND/OR CHECK ON THE PRICE & AVAILABILITY OF ARTWORK FOUND ON THIS SITE, OR TO LEARN ABOUT ANY OTHER ARTIST'S WORK YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN....CALL 252-635-6400 We accept Cash, Checks, Mastercard, Discover, & Visa. All sales are final and there is a no return policy. LEAVE A MESSAGE ON OUR ANSWERING SERVICE ANYTIME! Please Include: Your Phone Number Your Email Address Your Special Request The Best Time Of Day To Reach You & Someone From The Framing Fox Gallery Will Get Back To You By The Next Business Day... ************************************************************************************** FRAMING FOX ART GALLERY LOCATION & MAILING ADDRESS: 217-Middle Street, New Bern, NC 28560 ************************************************************************************** LOCAL PHONE: 252-635-6400 ************************************************************************************** EMAIL: framingfox@me.com ************************************************************************************** WEB SITE: www.framingfox.com ************************************************************************************** © Original Artworks, Paintings, Limited Edition Prints, Photographs. All The Paintings, Prints, Sculptures, Photographs, Web Site Designs, and Original Art Concepts are in Tangible Form and are fully Copyrighted by the individual Artists, Publishing Houses, Groups, Business, & Private Individuals represented in this site. They may not be reproduced, or used in any form, or any manner, or be displayed on any other website without the express written consent of their owners... ************************************************************************************** Thank You & Enjoy Your favorite Art... Sincerely, F. Butch Miller Owner Framing Fox Art Gallery... **************************************************************************************