CLEARING AND COLDER (Canvas Print)
by Jack Olson

In May of 1985 Boeing Aircraft held a 50 year celebration of the origin of the B-17. It was held at the old Boeing Field in Seattle, and as part of the celebration, Boeing instigated and funded the production of sixteen original paintings involving B-17 history. Jack Olson, one of the 16 artists commissioned for the paintings, asked Ted Johnston, a veteran from the 398th Bomb Group for some guidance.

Ted gave him a photograph taken in the winter of 1944 of a 398th B-17 sitting in the snow at Station 131 with a ground crew member clearing the snow from its wings. The B-17 was a 601st Squadron plane, serial number 43-38658. Thus, Jack Olson created Clearing and Colder. Jack used his imagination with the setting, adding ten B-17 crew members walking towards the plane and bringing the control tower into clearer view. The painting was instantly well received in the 398th Bomb Group community and adopted by the 398th Bomb Group Association as their official artwork.

Until recently, this artwork was only available from the 398th Bomb Group, but Merlin Aviation Art have been given exclusive permission to help raise funds for the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum, by selling copies of this painting.

Professionally printed on canvas, the artwork will come pre-stretched onto a wooden frame.

PLEASE NOTE: These special edition canvases are printed on demand and may take slightly longer to arrive than our normal products.

This canvas print is currently only available to our UK customers, but we are hoping to make it available to the US and European markets in the very near future. Please contact us if you reside in the US, or Europe and we will ensure you are informed as soon as it is available to be delivered to your address.

Canvas size 120 cm by 80 cm