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James Dietz (Helldiver Pilot)
DOB: Unknown
Mini biography: (from jamesdietz.com) Jim Dietz has gained international recognition in aviation, military and automotive art circles for his unique approach to these genres. "The people, settings and costumes are what make early 20th Century history exciting and romantic to me." It is this feeling that makes Jim Dietz and his artwork so different from his contemporaries. Rather than simply illustrate hardware, Jim prefers to portray human involvement, to show in his paintings the interaction between man and machine-after all, he says, 'it is the people who make machines great-by design, by operation and by dedication.'
A native of San Francisco, Jim graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1969 and began a successful illustration career in Los Angeles. The subject matter varied from automobiles to action scenes to romantic book covers. A steady flow of work from New York clients enabled Jim and his wife to move to Seattle in 1978, where he began to fulfill his dream of specializing in historical aviation, automotive and military art. His clients have included Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Federal Express, Allison, Cessna, Flying Tigers, the Indianapolis 500, BMW, the National Guard and many U.S. Army organizations and associations to include the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army Rangers, Ranger Training Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division, 4th Division, 29th Division, 28th Division, 37th Division, 41st Division, 11th ACR, Field Artillery Association, 173rd Brigade, and Special Forces.
Jim is a charter member of the World War I Aviation Historical Hall of Fame, an Artist Fellow of the American Society of Aviation Artists and a board member of the Automotive Fine Artists of America. He had a one-man show of 44 original paintings at the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1998.
Jim lives in Seattle with his wife, Patti, son, lan and his Australian Shepherd, Tazzy, who is seen often in Jim's paintings. His studio resembles a World War I aviator's bar, filled with flying and automotive memorabilia, wooden props and model airplanes.
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