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WWII BOMBER ARTIST R.T. FOSTER: Drafted to create "Grand Logo" and original "Nude and Clothed Recline logos" Thank you R.T your artwork has led us into a new age in baseball. One that can look back and remember how things were and how the game was meant to be played. We here at Naked Bats Salute you!
 Artist Biography
R.T. Foster, Winner of Oklahoma 1987 and 1991 Waterfowl Stamp, is known for his acrylic, pencil, and watercolor paintings. The wide ranging subjects of his paintings vary from historical aviation to Civil War battle scenes, from portraits to north American wildlife, and much more.
The versatile self-taught artist began his professional career by doing freelance artwork and is currently employed as a visual information specialist at Tinker Air Force Base. His works are in several private and corporate collections throughout the state, country, and abroad. Some of his larger aviation murals are on permanent exhibit at Warner Robins of, Wright Patterson Air Logistics Headquarters, the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum, and Tinker AFB.
In 2001 and 2000, R.T. was honored to paint tributes to Oklahoma’s military heritage featuring ace pilot Robert Johnson and the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma The large canvas paintings are on permanent display in the Oklahoma State Capital building. In 1997, Foster designed and painted artwork commemorating the U.S. Air Force 50th Anniversary celebration at Tinker AFB. R.T. enjoys working closely with local organizations such as the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Department, Aerospace America Inc., the National Biplane and Tulsa Fly-in Associations, and the Confederate Air Force. In 1996, R.T. was honored when his artistic design was accepted to be the official artwork for the 18th World Aerobatics Championship event poster, an event not held in the United States for sixteen years. In 1995 he was proud to be selected to design and draw the Arts Festival of Oklahoma Poster. Throughout the nineties projects for the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Department have included: Oklahoma’s first Neotropical Songbird Poster, All four Wildlife Conservation Auto License Plates, and the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001-2003 Oklahoma Non-Game Habitat Donor Patches.
Dedicated to aviation history R.T. Works closely with many aviation organizations by providing T-shirt designs or limited edition prints to be used as fund raisers. Some of R.T.’s recognized historical works include portraits of the B-24 ‘the Lady Be Good”, the B-25 “Miss Mitchell”, the B-26 “O’Riley’s Daughter”, George Gay’s TBD, and a tribute to the Marines at Khe Sanh.
In addition, R.T.’s tribute to former President George Bush’s Air Group 51, “The Last Full Measure”, as well as, a B-29 tribute “Night Over Nagoya”, are in several aviation museums across the country, including the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and San Diego Air and Space Museum, the Confederate Air Force Museum , and others.
Perhaps most of all,R.T. enjoys the opportunities he has had to meet many of his personal heroes, the veterans of America’s Armed Forces, and share their life experiences. Foster, who served 2 1/2 tours in Vietnam, one with the First Marine Air wing, believes art pays special tribute to those experiences. He hopes that his art can play a part in that tribute and remembrance, and looks forward to future endeavors with many historical aviation associations. Fosterlives in Oklahoma City, with his wife and three daughters.
In recent news,R.T has been selected as the official artist for the 60th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. The Raiders will celebrate the event over five days, April 17th – 21st, 2002, in Columbia, South Carolina. R.T. will be present for the event, but meanwhile is busy designing a limited edition print and much more to celebrate the valor of the Doolittle Raiders.
NEW AGE PIN-UP ARTIST SUSAN HEIDI: Drafted to create 4 new logos for our bats that will reflect upon actual active duty WWII bombers. Through this these men will live on as long as Naked Bats is around. The re-creation of these images was in respect to the originals. I asked Susan to keep the themes and message in tact while putting her artistic take into each piece. She does a wonderful job and we could not be happier to have her abord.
Susan Heidi was born to Frank and Elvira Brzozowski and raised in a suburb of New York City. Her mom introduced her to the glamour of a bygone era with annual trips to see the Rockettes at Radio City Musical Hall and a treasure trove (at least to Susan) of gloves, hats, hat pins, stockings, and other accoutrements from back in the day.
Susan began drawing figurative works at age five – fascinated by the ability to create a likeness on paper, this quickly became a passion. Using a box of soft pastels given to her by her father, Susan began working in pastels as a teenager rendering pop icons of the day (Brooke Shields, Joan Jett, and other ladies who graced the pages of fashion and lifestyle magazines).
Constantly told by her father Frank Brzozowski that she was capable of doing anything she set her mind to, Susan dedicates this website to his memory. Like many men of the “Greatest Generation”, Frank served in WWII at the young age of seventeen. As a rifleman in an infantry unit he saw combat in the Allied Campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Frank was awarded three bronze stars for valor. His was the generation of the original pin-up girl. Today's heroes face the same perils and like Susan's father are proud to serve to uphold the freedoms that Americans enjoy.
Whether a painting is rendered in watercolor or acrylic paints, the aim is always to create an image that comes alive. This is accomplished by layering many thin washes of paint applied first with a brush and then an airbrush. Paints include Winsor & Newton watercolors and a variety of acrylics. Substrates are either illustration board or watercolor paper. Susan will be posting step-by-step instructions and images of her creative process.
A self-taught artist, Susan has sought more formal instruction recently in the form of workshops taught by the photo-realist Dru Blair. Other artistic influences include the renaissance masters Adolphe William Bougereau, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Leonardo DaVinci, and pin-up artist Alberto Vargas.
About Mark Wasyl and Drop Dead Sexy
Drop Dead Sexy was born in 2004 when Mark Wasyl placed his unique stamp to his obsessions for Pinups, Street Culture, Anime & Comics, Tattoos, and Rock inspired graphics. Mark's ever evolving style is Vector based and can be characterized by his clean lines, bold colors, sensuous curves, and dark-sexy graphics.
The mass appeal of Mark's work is made evident by the groups who have embraced him...from Kustom Kulture to Street culture... Headbangers to Goths... Tattoo enthusiasts, to the lovers of modern pinups and all things cute. Once you've experienced Mark's devil girls, tattooed gun toting hotties and his graphic embellished chicks and hot rods, you too will be infected by his Drop Dead Sexy style.
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