KeithFerrisArt.com
Title
Keith Ferris Aviation Art, Gallery and History
Contact
- Keith Ferris
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- Morris Plains NJ
- United States 07950
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- NA
Description
The little four year old boy leaning on the Hamilton Standard propeller of a visiting Douglas Y1B-7 of the 7th Bomb Group's 31st Squadron, is the artist seen across the street from his home in May of 1933. Keith Ferris was born into the U. S. Army Air Corps, the son of a career Air Force pilot who served his country from 1925 through 1955. The artist grew up on the grass flying fields of the 1930s and matured on those of the 1940s in the midst of the massive effort that fielded the huge air forces that were to bring down the Axis Powers of World War Two. It never occurred to Keith that he would never serve as a pilot in the Air Force.While an aeronautical engineering student at Texas A&M, he moved to enter the Air Force as a flying cadet. He found that an allergy to some of the required inoculations had effectively ended that dream. He changed his career goals and, putting to work his life long experience drawing aircraft, he immediately joined the Air Force's Training Publications Unit at Randolph AFB as a civilian apprentice artist.
Keith had chosen art as his way to stay close to the Air Force and his beloved flying machines. The dawn of his art career coincided with the 1947 establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate service. He left Civil Service to serve with Cassell Watkins Paul, a civilian art studio in St. Louis under contract with Air Force Publications. When the Air Force ceased its outside publications contracts, Keith moved to the New York market as a freelance artist to serve the advertising, public relations and historical documentation needs of airframe, engine and avionics manufacturers and their advertising agencies, aviation trade publications, the military and aviation museums. He continues to serve this clientele.
Becoming a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York in 1960, Keith was introduced to its Air Force Art Program. He has served on SI's Air Force Art Committee for most of the years since. He served on SI's Board of Directors as Government Services Committee Chairman for over 15 years, as SI's Executive Vice President for two years, and continues as Honorary Government Services Chairman.
