
Custom Hand Painted Jackets & Patches |
The golden age of “nose art” was during WWII, examples of which include shark faces painted on the noses of the P-40s flown by the Flying Tigers to pin-up girls and cartoon characters adorning the noses of the B-17 & B-24 bombers of the 8th AF. Although this artwork was unofficial, the practice had the tacit approval of commanders and boosted the pride & morale of pilots & aircrews. Our renowned resident artist Jim Harley, a lifelong student & enthusiast of WWII, is dedicated to keeping the tradition of the WWII nose art era alive by channeling his amazing talent into creating nostalgic & wearable works of art that honor the spirit of that era. In addition to being an outstanding artist with decades of experience and clients worldwide, Jim is a former pilot for the Collings Foundation and flew B-17s, B-24s, B-25s, & P-51 Mustangs. Jim will be painting historic & custom Nose Art onto leather jackets and leather patches using only the highest quality paint which will never chip or peel, ensuring that your leather jacket or patch will become a personalized hand painted masterpiece and a treasured heirloom. Custom hand painted jackets are a collector’s item and a great way to show off WWII nose art, a company logo, or any other design you specify on your leather jacket. Customers can select a jacket from US Wings, like our new US Wings Cooper Original WWII-style Russet Antique Cowhide A-2 (shown, also available in a Russet Antique Bison version), or send us one of your own for painting. For more information and to see samples of Jim Harley’s work, please visit our Handpainted Nose Art Jackets page or our Handpainted Leather Patches page. |