Ready Room!

 

Victor Juhasz laying down the scene in the Ready Room on USS Bataan 16 September 2016

 A sketch artist should always be prepared--- sketch book in hand and pencils sharpened-- ready to go when duty calls....
If only we had a room in which to get ready, and to focus on the task before us... a "ready room" so to speak (Oh wait, I guess that's what a studio is, really!).

Aviators also must be ready to go, available to take off at a moments notice. There is a place set aside for this on board navy vessels. The Ready Room on an aircraft carrier (or other aviation-capable vessel such as an LHD) is a combination office, conference room, lounge, in which pilots fellowship as well as train and prepare mentally as they stand by for missions.

I got to sketch again in the Ready Room on USS Bataan along with a couple artists in our group.
We were allowed to come in and watch a briefing being given to some of the pilots of VMM-365  (Rein) -- a class on the IFF transponder (exciting subject to be sure).  We sat and sketched while the pilots sat in rapt attention:

Sketching with Victor Juhasz on board USS Bataan

While on USS Bataan, I was with a group of civilian and military war artists, our goal being to "wander about smartly" and sketch whatever scenes of interest we might find.

One of the great scenes we had the pleasure of witnessing and sketching was LCAC operations at the stern of the ship, aft, on the fantail, overlooking the well deck of the ship.

Victor Juhasz, a well-known and accomplished illustrator, courtroom artist, and war artist, was there as well, and we sketched the aft lookouts as they stood watch. We also sketched and video taped the comings and goings of the behemoths-on-air, the LCACs (Landing Craft Air Cushion) as they embarked and debarked the ship. What a site, what sounds! Sea and spray, fans and air jets! It was a wet and wild experience it was.
Victor draws the aft lookout, Seaman James Carr:

My sketches while on the fantail:

LCAC approaching the USS Bataan during LCAC Operations September 16th, 2016

Aft Lookout on USS Bataan, September 16th, 2016

Seaman James Carr, Aft Lookout on USS Bataan, September 16th, 2016

Here's a cool video of one of the LCACs coming up to enter the well deck of Bataan:

And one of the LCACs disembarking the well deck of Bataan: