The art of Sharon Rajnus will be featured in the EAA Museum this year (Click to enlarge)

Mission Aviation Moments: A History Through Art – In keeping with the AirVenture 2009 “Fly for Life” theme, award-winning artist Sharon Rajnus has created a series of paintings depicting historic moments in mission aviation to debut July 2009 at Oshkosh. From the Andes to Oshkosh, the artist will tell the stories behind these paintings.

Name:    Sharon Rajnus
Company/Organization:    American Society of Aviation Artists
Sponsor of Series: Quest Aircraft Company
Website:     www.rajnusart.com
Biography:
Sharon has won awards from EAA, National Museum of Naval Aviation, Aviation Week and Women in Aviation, International, and others. She has piloted Stinsons, Maule, C-120 and Helios to out-of-the-way places.
Presentations:    Wednesday, 7/29/2009 – 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM – 027 Vette Theater – Museum Lower Level

Here is an example of the exceptional work by Jim Rendell. Click to enlarge.

For as long as he can remember, Jim has always loved airplanes! He grew up in northwest Nigeria where his parents were missionaries with SIM (Serving in Mission) for 35 years. Before he was even in grade school he was building model airplanes with his two older brothers. Their uncle who was back in the States owned a hobby shop and kept them supplied with model airplane kits to build and fly.

Growing up in a remote area meant that Jim and his siblings were 500 miles from the mission boarding school. Flying home in the small mission plane was always an exciting event! That early interest in aviation turned into a lifetime passion and he went on to train as a missionary pilot and mechanic at Moody Aviation in Elizabethton, TN. In 1973 he returned to Africa to fly for the SIM mission in Niger, the country just north of Nigeria.

Back in the mission boarding school Jim’s teachers noticed his talent for drawing and encouraged him to develop it. Later in high school Jim asked the pastor of his church what he thought about him going to art school or to flight school for mission aviation. His answer was, “Fly now while you are young and you can draw later when you’re old!” Jim took his advice and once he had the training went back to Africa. Over the years he’s enjoyed drawing as a hobby and when he learned about the Fly4Life theme for the Air Venture show at Oshkosh this year it afforded an opportunity to do something he had wanted to do for a long time. That was to draw a series of airplanes representing those used by mission aviation around the world. This IAMA 2010 Fly4Life calendar is the result.

Jim has a commercial pilot’s license with instrument and multi-engine ratings and an A&P mechanics license. He has been with SIM for 36 years and has 33 years and 10,000 hours of flying experience in West Africa. He is happily married to Sandy. They have three grown children, Jason, Crystal, and Scott with daughter-in-law Stephanie.

Click on the link below to visit the SIM On-line Bookstore and order yours today (Note: scroll to the bottom of the store page):

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Jim is an AOPA and EAA member and can be

contacted at jim.rendel@sim.org.