Early Work

Early Work
Early Work Miniatures Landscapes

PC  

As a schoolboy growing up in the 1950/60’s, my ambition had been to become a fighter pilot. On leaving school I declined my father’s suggestion of a career in the bank in the hope that something else would turn up. It did. A neighbour, Bob Marsh, Head of the Project Office at Hawker Siddeley, invited me to join the company. This was the firm that made the Harrier Jump Jet – the world’s first vertical take-off aircraft. You could say I jumped at the opportunity!

At first I was stationed at Dunsfold Aerodrome where I soon familiarised myself with cockpit layouts and aircraft instrumentation. Having the chance to take the controls of a twin-seater Hawker Hunter one afternoon – it was being towed down the runway to the Engine Testing Bay – whet my appetite for my first flight.

But alas, my flying career never got off the ground. I failed a medical (fear of heights) and was posted to the Drawing Office at Kingston. Here I learnt draughtsmanship and the discipline of line ___

  Leading Airdraftsman

DRAWING OFFICE INSIGNIA

The pencil sharpener denotes
proficiency with traditional pencils
(as opposed to mechanical or
propelling pencils)

Scribble

During tea breaks I would work on my own ideas. Everyone had something on the go. These private jobs were called ‘Homers’.

HOMERS
Early Work

FANTASTIC SPRING COIL ROCKET
THINGY ON A LIGHT BLUE
BACKGROUND

1971

Hawker Pup

HAWKER PUP

Low level, ground attack
office dog
1972

Conversation Outside Factory Interrupted by Air Raid

CONVERSATION OUTSIDE FACTORY
INTERRUPTED BY AIR RAID

(Careless Talk Costs Lives)
1971

Treehogs

TREEHOGS

1970

Riot Mug

RIOT MUG

and Rebellious Toothbrush Set
1971 / 2009

Tube Trains

TUBE TRAINS

1971

The Riot

THE RIOT

1971
(Presented as a poster for a proposed retrospective in 2009)

The Riot Jigsaw

THE RIOT

Jigsaw
1971

The Sod, Botanical Study

THE SOD

Botanical Study
1972

As the ‘Homers’ developed, an inevitable conflict of interests arose, and after several years in the drawing office, it seemed appropriate to leave.

Rejection Seat