Red Flag

Description: Jim Burns was born in Cardiff, South Wales in 1948. He developed a passion for drawing - in particular for creating strange, imaginary scenes, weird lifeforms and futuristic machinery whilst still at primary school - a passion which has never left him. In terms of a career however, his first inclinations were towards flying, aeroplanes... ( +expand to view full text )

Description: Jim Burns was born in Cardiff, South Wales in 1948. He developed a passion for drawing - in particular for creating strange, imaginary scenes, weird lifeforms and futuristic machinery whilst still at primary school - a passion which has never left him. In terms of a career however, his first inclinations were towards flying, aeroplanes probably being an even greater passion than drawing during those teenage years and with this in mind he successfully applied to the Royal Air Force to train as a pilot in 1966. Despite eventually soloing on jet trainers he proved to be a less than inspired pilot, the RAF demanding nothing short of the absolute best of its trainees and with some heaviness of heart elected to leave the service (rather than stay on in some other non-flying capacity) and apply to Newport School of Art for a year's foundation course.