JAGO STONE - THE AMERICAN CONNECTION - PART TWENTY

This 20th American Connection post is winging its way through cyberspace to celebrate the publication of Jago Stone's biography on Thursday March 5 in the UK and a couple of months later, in early May, in the US and Australia. I wanted to create a blogpost that would be of specific interest for those with Upper Heyford connections back in the 70s and 80s - but also of value to others. A couple of days ago, I published my blogpost announcing that 'The Remarkable Life of Jago Stone' - my biography of the artist - is appearing in bookshops and available online in early March. Here's a couple of links, if you are interested - one to that blogpost, the other to the American Amazon website:

 https://robdonovan.blogspot.com/2020/02/jago-biography-arriving-in-bookshop.html


https://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Life-Jago-Stone-Burglar/dp/191269042X/



Now for matters connected with Upper Heyford. Here's an image that may bring back memories:

Flyer print - Jago Stone (c.1976) - my thanks to Marie 'Mazy Cooper for gifting me this image

I have been gifted several copies of this work of Jago Stone during my research.

Flyer print - Jago Stone (c1976) - my thanks to Robin Kroyer-Kubicek for gifting me this image

In November 2017, via Facebook, Robin Kroyer-Kubicek from Oregon sent me a copy, with images of a couple of watercolours that his mum had commissioned during their tour (1979-80). Here's one of them:

Turweston Church - Jago Stone (1980) - Robin Kroyer-Kubicek Family Collection

Also in 2017, I came across this image as a submission by Duane Park (1976-8), now an UH web/guy. Duane writes:

'This was a black and white print measuring about 21"x16" published back in 1976 by Jago Stone, a popular English artist. I wasn't able to buy one at the time as they were always sold out, but before I left I took this picture of it.'

Curt Lenz, Assistant Webmaster added his own commentary which you can read below. I am unclear which people Curt is referring to in his speculation about the origin of the poster. Can anyone shed any light? Do please leave a comment or contact me directly on my website address.

I discovered this whilst trawling websites in 2017 

I have been lucky to have been the recipient of so much generosity from those who served at Upper Heyford or Croughton, got to know Jago Stone and commissioned paintings from him - and then shared images of that art-work, across the Atlantic. Chapter Seven of my biography of this remarkable artist tells the story of this American Connection.

To conclude, here are various of those images that have been transmitted some thousands of miles from the USA to my computer here in my study in St Ives in Cornwall - all the work of a talented artist who lived a remarkable life - and I've squeezed in a picture of the artist himself from a source here in the UK:

Untitled palette-knife - Jago Stone (1976) - Keith and Joan Goodenough Collection (a rare instance where there is no direct UH or Croughton connection; Keith and Joan spotted this in an art auction in Virginia in August 2017. I wonder who brought it back across the Pond and where it was stored or hung for those missing decades.

Jessica Raber from Bloomington, Indiana is an American artist. Her parents were stationed at RAF Bicester on their tour; Jago painted the five-year old Jessica in the downstairs window - 

Blencowe Close - RAF Bicester - Oxfordshire - Jago Stone (1984) - Pue Family Collection

The artist himself - in 1976 - celebrating the publication of his autobiography - from a newspaper cutting gifted me by David Mitchell in the UK

Banbury Cross - Jago Stone (1973) - Nick Michas collection

An Old English Country Cottage - Warwickshire - Jago Stone (1976) - Suzanne Fuhrmeister and Pat Petty Collection

Tysoe Fire Station - Jago Stone (1976) - Jenny Janzen Collection with thanks to Kristi Moore, the photographer 

England's Smallest Pub - Godmanstone, Dorset - Jago Stone (1976) - Bob Pahl Collection

Many thanks to all my American sources - you have done Jago proud.