Official Artist U.S. 8th Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation
Keith Hill was born and brought up in Northamptonshire, England, from
where he still lives and works.
In 1956 (aged 6) he was taken, by his Father, to an 'Open Day' and flying
display at RAF Molesworth. It was this event that sparked off his livelong love
of aviation. On leaving school he trained as an engineer with a company
producing components for hte aircraft industry. On completing his
apprenticeship he worked for a subsidiary of Westland Helicopters in its
quality control department.
In 1974 he took a complete change of career by joining Northamptonshire
Ambulance Service where he spent the next eighteen years as an
Emergency Medical Technician. It was during these years that he developed
a love of painting. By 1992 what had started as a hobby hoad developed into
a part time business and it was during this year that Keith, with the backing
of his family, took the decision to become a full time artist.
Although he paints other subjects, including railways, military, motorcycles
and maritime, it is for his aviation work that he is perhaps best known. In
1984 he started work on his '8th Air Force Collection'. This is a collection of
sixty-one paintings, representing each of the 8th Air Force combat units that
flew from England during WWII, and which are now on permanent loan to the
prestigious 'Mighty 8th Heritage Museum' in Savannah, Georgia. A collection
of reproductions of hte paintings hangs in the E.A.A. 'Eagle Hangar'
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For his work ' helping to perpetuate the memory of the
8th Air Force' he was appointed 'Official Artist' to the '8th Air Force Memorial
Museum Foundation' and was, in 1991, invited to exhibit his work at the 8th
Air Force reunion in Las Vegas that was attended by over 2000 veterans.
Keith's work can be seen hanging in military establishments throughout the
world including the Pentagon and Ministry of Defence. His work has
appeared on magazine covers as well as being featured in leading aviation
and military publications. Four of his paintings were included in Roger
Freeman's book 'The Mighty 8th in Art'.
In 1992 he had the privilege of being commissioned, by the U.S. Air Force, to
paint the incidents for which the only five 'enlisted airmen' have been
awarded the 'Medal of Honour'. Today the paintings hang in the 'Enlisted
Heritage Hall' Gunther Air Force Base, Alabama. Recently Keith was
commissioned to complete the sixth in the Medal of Honor series by 'The
Elmenorf PME Center', Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
In 2000, Keith was commissioned by the 'Daily Mail' to produce a painting of
a Spitfire, 'Tribute To The Few', which they reproduced as a limited edition
print in order to raise money for the 'Battle of Britian Memorial' to be built on
the Thames Embankment, London. All 2000 copies of the print sold out
within twenty hours....raising £20,000 for the fund.
A permanent collection of his work can be seen in 'The Glenn Miller Museum'
at Twinwood Airfield near Bedford. Much of the work being specially
commissioned by Twinwood Events Ltd.
His proudest moment was in Sept. 2000 when he was made an 'Honorary
Member' of the 303rd Bomb Group Association.
In May 2005 Keith's paintings of a Lancaster and a Hurricane were chosen
as the 'Daily Mail's' official VE/VJ Day paintings and reproduced as
Wedgewood plates.
In honour of the 60th Anniversary of VE Day, Keith was an active member in
organising the Rushden, 'Party in the Park' commemorative weekend. This
'party' culminated in a service to thank the soldiers of WWII, both British and
American and a dedicated ceremony to name the new Rushden bypass
'Liberty Way' in memory of the 1600 American servicemen who lost their
lives from the bases surrounding the town.
Keith currently resides in Rushden, Northamptonshire with his wife Alison,
son Phillip (28) and daughter Kathryn (23).
Keith Hill was born and brought up in Northamptonshire, England, from
where he still lives and works.
In 1956 (aged 6) he was taken, by his Father, to an 'Open Day' and flying
display at RAF Molesworth. It was this event that sparked off his livelong love
of aviation. On leaving school he trained as an engineer with a company
producing components for hte aircraft industry. On completing his
apprenticeship he worked for a subsidiary of Westland Helicopters in its
quality control department.
In 1974 he took a complete change of career by joining Northamptonshire
Ambulance Service where he spent the next eighteen years as an
Emergency Medical Technician. It was during these years that he developed
a love of painting. By 1992 what had started as a hobby hoad developed into
a part time business and it was during this year that Keith, with the backing
of his family, took the decision to become a full time artist.
Although he paints other subjects, including railways, military, motorcycles
and maritime, it is for his aviation work that he is perhaps best known. In
1984 he started work on his '8th Air Force Collection'. This is a collection of
sixty-one paintings, representing each of the 8th Air Force combat units that
flew from England during WWII, and which are now on permanent loan to the
prestigious 'Mighty 8th Heritage Museum' in Savannah, Georgia. A collection
of reproductions of hte paintings hangs in the E.A.A. 'Eagle Hangar'
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For his work ' helping to perpetuate the memory of the
8th Air Force' he was appointed 'Official Artist' to the '8th Air Force Memorial
Museum Foundation' and was, in 1991, invited to exhibit his work at the 8th
Air Force reunion in Las Vegas that was attended by over 2000 veterans.
Keith's work can be seen hanging in military establishments throughout the
world including the Pentagon and Ministry of Defence. His work has
appeared on magazine covers as well as being featured in leading aviation
and military publications. Four of his paintings were included in Roger
Freeman's book 'The Mighty 8th in Art'.
In 1992 he had the privilege of being commissioned, by the U.S. Air Force, to
paint the incidents for which the only five 'enlisted airmen' have been
awarded the 'Medal of Honour'. Today the paintings hang in the 'Enlisted
Heritage Hall' Gunther Air Force Base, Alabama. Recently Keith was
commissioned to complete the sixth in the Medal of Honor series by 'The
Elmenorf PME Center', Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
In 2000, Keith was commissioned by the 'Daily Mail' to produce a painting of
a Spitfire, 'Tribute To The Few', which they reproduced as a limited edition
print in order to raise money for the 'Battle of Britian Memorial' to be built on
the Thames Embankment, London. All 2000 copies of the print sold out
within twenty hours....raising £20,000 for the fund.
A permanent collection of his work can be seen in 'The Glenn Miller Museum'
at Twinwood Airfield near Bedford. Much of the work being specially
commissioned by Twinwood Events Ltd.
His proudest moment was in Sept. 2000 when he was made an 'Honorary
Member' of the 303rd Bomb Group Association.
In May 2005 Keith's paintings of a Lancaster and a Hurricane were chosen
as the 'Daily Mail's' official VE/VJ Day paintings and reproduced as
Wedgewood plates.
In honour of the 60th Anniversary of VE Day, Keith was an active member in
organising the Rushden, 'Party in the Park' commemorative weekend. This
'party' culminated in a service to thank the soldiers of WWII, both British and
American and a dedicated ceremony to name the new Rushden bypass
'Liberty Way' in memory of the 1600 American servicemen who lost their
lives from the bases surrounding the town.
Keith currently resides in Rushden, Northamptonshire with his wife Alison,
son Phillip (28) and daughter Kathryn (23).
The Artist: Keith Hill
8th Air Force Museum
| Daily Mail article |
Daily Mail Lancaster Plate
Veterans with new road sign
Town Mayor with Colour Party
Town Mayor with Colour Party
Phone:
(+44) 01933 350283
Fax:
(+44) 01933 311516
Email:
keithhillstudios@aol.com
Contact Form
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(+44) 01933 350283
Fax:
(+44) 01933 311516
Email:
keithhillstudios@aol.com
Contact Form
Order with
confidence
using PayPal
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