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Derek Blois – GAvA (Guild of Aviation Artists) FIEA

Derek Blois - Member of the Guild of Aviation Artists
Derek Blois - Member of the Guild of Aviation Artists

Derek Blois (GAvA)

I was born and lived my early years on the coast of Essex, England. After leaving school and serving in the Essex Constabulary for a time, I felt the call of the creative urge and spent the next five years at Art Schools in Colchester and Brighton where gaining a BA (Hons), I then moved to London to work in various Design Agencies. A few years later along with my family we packed our bags and travelled up the M11 to North Norfolk where we co-founded Adept Design, a design and creative agency.

After 30 years in the creative business with my wife Liz and with our two sons all grown up, we decided to call it a day,  sold up the business and concentrated on my painting (and a few other things).

Due to my special interest in military maritime and aviation, I has often been commissioned to paint military scenarios, one such commission was of the successful Libyan campaign involving British forces, the Royal Navy’s HMS Ocean and the Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopters.

Another commission from The Army Air Corps, was to paint a representation of The Battle of Brega, which was also part of the Op Ellamy campaign in Libya. This painting now hangs in the Officers’ Mess at Wattisham.

To celebrate 25 years of unbroken operations of the Tornado at RAF Marham, I was commissioned to produce a painting for the WO and Sgts Mess at RAF Marham, where it now hangs.
I was commissioned to produce a series of 10 large paintings for various Regiments and Squadrons of the Army Air Corps, focusing on ground crew and troops, to celebrate their 60th anniversary.
The Aden Room at Wattisham Officer’s Mess now shows a painting to commemorate the first British helicopter to fire live rounds in 1967. This is my largest painting to date (except murals)
RAF Leeming now has a painting hanging over the fireplace in the Officer’s Wardroom profiling their Hawks T1 and T2.
Middle Wallop flying station asked me to produce a painting celebrating 80 years of fixed wing and rotary aviation.

Numerous other commissions have followed from both within and outside the military, some of which can be seen on the website and are available as quality prints. See also Facebook: Paintings by Derek Blois. A current one for this year is for the Royal Artillery at Larkhill and for Special Forces at Mildenhall.

I regularly exhibit at the Guild of Aviation Artist’s Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London and am a Full Member of the GAvA. I am now a Fellow of  the Institute of East Anglia Artists (IEA) and a Council Member. I do not currently exhibit in the UK but do so in The Argosy Gallery in Maine US where some of my maritime paintings are on show.

 

Please refer to my Terms and Conditions for further details.

My aviation art and maritime Paintings Awards

2015
GAvA:
1. Best Painting Arthur Gibson Memorial Trophy
2. HC Bonham Trophy Award
3. HC Westland Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award

Awarded Full Membership IEA

2016
GAvA:
1. HC Westland Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award
2. HC John Moore Best Group Award

2017
GAvA:
1. HC Westland Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award
2. HC John Moore Best Group Award
3. HC Bonham Trophy Award

4. Argosy, Maine, United States:  Best Painting Maritime Sailing Award

Awarded Associate Membership for the GAvA

2018
GAvA:
1.  Best Painting Leonardo (Westland) Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award
2. HC  Royal Air Force Museum Award

3. In Bar Harbor. Voted as Best Painting in Large Section by the public in Maine US

4. Award for Excellence Coin from Colonel Chris Bisset AAC Commander AHF

2019
President of the Institute of East Anglian Artists

GAvA:
1. HC Best Painting in Show
2. HC Best Painting Leonardo (Westland) Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award

2021
Made Fellow of the Institute of East Anglian Artists
GAvA:
HC Best Painting Leonardo (Westland) Helicopter Rotary Winged Flight Trophy Award

2022
Awarded Full Membership of GAvA (Guild of Aviation Artists)

2023
Awarded Jon Moore Best Group of Paintings Award at GAvA (Guild of Aviation Artists) annual exhibition at Duxford