WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND COUNTRY   THE ARTIST - Rich Thistle   RICH THISTLE is a multi-disciplined, Canadian, visual artist respected for his aviation art, watercolor and acrylic landscape paintings of Canada's lake country, automotive art and portraits.

 He spent thirty years as a visual art educator and consultant while developing a full-time career in art. Rich studied at the Ontario College of Art & Design, earned a BA (Visual Art Major) from the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of Stratford Teachers' College. His original paintings are in the collections of the Canadian War Museum, Jersey Museum in the Channel Islands, HRH Prince Charles, 431 (AD) Squadron Snowbirds, Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, Bombardier/Canadair and numerous other corporate, military, public and private collections. 

Rich has been profiled on national television and radio and his images appear on the covers of Canadian, American and British aviation books, magazines and in television documentaries. One of his paintings is depicted in bronze in the Royal Canadian Mint's Canada Remembers medallion set commemorating the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

Over the years Rich has given numerous, slide-illustrated presentations, featuring his paintings and his career as an artist with particular focus on the Canadian history behind his many aviation images, to service clubs, historical and community clubs, aviation associations and veterans groups. Rich has created commemorative, aviation posters for veterans' associations and various annual or special aviation events. He has written a number of articles about the aviation history represented in his paintings for the American magazine Aviation History and 33 monthly columns for Canadian Flight, the national publication of COPA, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association.

Rich Thistle Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Print "Final Victory"

Fokker Dr I triplane and Sopwith Camel, WWI, Apr. 20, 1918, Manfred von Richthofen's last victory... a miniature cameo of Rich's graphite portrait drawing of von Richthofen is printed in the bottom white border.

On the evening of April 20, 1918, Manfred von Richthofen, Rittmeister and Geschwader commander led six of the pilots under his command into a clearing sky. Previously grounded by bad weather, they were anxious to shake off the gloomy mood which had settled on their forward airfield near Cappy, France. Anticipation of aerial combat and even more victories buoyed their spirits. The "Flying Circus" (so called because they moved from airfield to airfield on trains just like circuses) had been a highly successful unit. Confidently, behind their highly-respected leader, they set out to add to that success. But in fact, that evening would witness the final two victories achieved by Germany's legendary "Red Baron". Two quick victories over arguably the best British fighter of the war would put the cap on his meteoric flying career.

The final two adversaries of von Richthofen's flying career were both flying the Sopwith F-1 Camel, generally conceded to be the best British single-seat fighter of the war.  Unfortunately, for Maj. Raymond-Barker, commanding RAF Squadron No.3 on that fateful April evening in French skies, the sometimes demonstrable superior flying characteristics of the Camel over the Dr .I proved insignificant. His Camel caught in the sights of the famous red triplane, the Squadron Leader quickly paid the ultimate price, coming to earth in a fiery crash. Then, almost immediately, von Richthofen attached himself to the tail of young 2nd/Lt. D.G. Lewis. After a desperate but fruitless attempt at evasive maneuvering, Lewis achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the final victim of the famous German flyer. His Camel riddled by the machine guns of the Dr .I, the cloth-covered fuselage beginning to burn behind him, the nineteen year-old RAF pilot force landed within sight of the burning wreckage of his commander's Camel.

This 16.5" by 22" image size print, open edition, is signed by the artist.