"Pacific Lone Star" Tom Freeman Artist Proof - USS Texas Bombards Iwo Jima 1945

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Tom Freeman
Tom Freeman passed away, unexpectedly, on June 16, 2015. A brilliant artist, he will be missed by so many around the world.
Tom Freeman was born in Pontiac, Michigan in 1952. He was the third child of James and Doshia Freeman, (3rd of 5 children). The Freeman's lived in Michigan until Tom was 12 years old when the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland.
Tom never had any formal art training and had always considered his talent as a God given gift. In fact school was of very little interest to him. Tom joined the U.S. Marine Corp Reserve in 1970. He later transferred from the Marine Corps Reserve to the regular Army. His military service extended from 1970 to 1977.
Tom's professional art career started when he left the military. He would visit the U.S. Naval Institute and would take samples of his work to them. Finally, he asked what it would take to get his artwork on Proceedings Magazine. A gentleman by the name of Dell Kaiser showed Tom the artwork of Carl Evers. Tom contacted Carl and to this day considers Mr. Evers the master of watercolors. "Carl was very supportive, he told me to look closely at the art and that I would figure it out on my own." Finally, Proceedings used one of Tom's paintings for their cover. This started Tom on the path of success.
Tom started taking 35mm slides of his work and sending them to various book publishers. The first publisher to contact him and offer him a cover was G.P. Putnam & Sons. Tom has worked with most of the large publishing houses such as Dell, Jove, Bantam, and Berkley. Tom's work has appeared on many magazines such as Readers Digest, Popular Mechanics, Boating, Yachting, Business Week, and even the TV Guide. His work has been placed on porcelain plaques and plates for Franklin Mint and the Hamilton Group.
Tom's artwork has been exhibited in many galleries Kirsten, Greenwich, Mystic, and the Grand Central Gallery. He has done work for the National Parks Service and many corporations throughout the world.
In 1986 Tom was asked to hang his original paintings in the West Wing of the White House. Currently, there are 8 original paintings hanging there along with several of his limited edition prints.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tom produced a collection of 42 paintings now on permanent exhibit at the Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii. Tom completed 12 paintings, which were on exhibit at the Naval Museum in Washington, DC. commemorating the 60th anniversary of the attack.
One of Tom's paintings was donated to the State of Israel; it hangs in the Immigration/Clandestine and Naval Museum in Haifa.
On April 10, 2002 Tom had the honor of giving one of his paintings to the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II in Vatican City, Rome. The painting is hanging in Pope Pius IX museum in Italy.
The White House Historical Association commissioned Tom for 4 years to produce cover art for the Association's annual Christmas card.
Tom was awarded the Department of the Navy Superior Public Service Award on April 3, 2003.
On September 3, 2003 Tom presented a painting to President George W. Bush depicting the President's landing aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. The painting was presented to him in the Oval Office.
Tom won the 2003 Gold and Platinum Ozzie Award in the category of "Best use of illustration for a single article," Popular Mechanics Magazine, The Hearst Corporation.
Tom also won the SILA award for the 42nd Society of Illustrators Los Angeles annual contest; winning the silver award for Editorial Artwork.
Tom had been selected as the first artist in residence to the United States Naval Institute.
Tom Freeman Limited Edition Artist Proof "Pacific Lone Star"
The U.S.S. Texas, BB-35 bombards Iwo Jima, 1945
The U.S.S. Texas (BB-35) was launched on May 18, 1912 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia. The Texas was commissioned on March 12, 1914.
Texas is the only surviving dreadnought of her time. She served in World War I as part of the Atlantic Fleet hunting German ships of war.
With the entry of the United States into World War II, Texas provided escort duty to convoys in the Atlantic and shore bombardment during the invasions of North Africa, Normandy and southern France. After refit at New York, she headed her bow to the Pacific Theater. Texas was involved with the assault on iwo Jima and okinawa. At the end of the war, Texas returned to the United States where she was decommissioned and striken from the navy.
In 1948, the Texas was given to the State of Texas. She is moored at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park.
19" x 27 1/4" image size print,
24" x 31 1/4" overall size, limited to 75 - 0
All Limited Edition prints are numbered and include a Certificate of Authenticity. Limited Edition prints are restricted to a certain number. For example, if 400 prints are made from an original painting, once they’re gone, that’s it. There is no limit to the number of open edition prints of a particular painting. That’s why Limited Edition prints are more expensive — and more valuable to collectors — than "open" edition. Rare objects are more valuable.
An Artist’s Proof (AP), generally, is the first 10% of the Limited Edition prints that come off the press. If the Limited Edition is 400 s/n, there would be 40 APs. This status is noted on the print. Collectors prefer APs because their value increases even more than a Limited Edition as time goes by.
All Limited Edition artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain current as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.
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