Lonnie Ortega
Encyclopedia
Lonnie Ortega is an American
artist specializing in aviation
art.
and is one of six children. He graduated from Western High School in Anaheim, California
in 1964 and continued on to Cerritos Junior College in Cerritos, California
to study art
.
In 1966, Lonnie enrolled at Cypress Junior College in Cypress, California
to play baseball. During his time at Cypress Junior College, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
. In 1967, he was offered a full athletic scholarship to play baseball
at Chapman College in Orange, California
. However, in the summer of 1968, Lonnie's baseball playing days ended with a serious knee injury.
dreams shattered, Lonnie chose to concentrate on his art
.
Lonnie was hired in 1969 to work for the McDonnell Douglas
Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California
(now known as The Boeing
Company after a merger between the two companies in 1997). He completed his art
education while working for the company and was the understudy of famed aviation
artist
Robert Grant (R.G.) Smith, who worked for the company as a design engineer
. When Smith died due to complications related to Parkinson's disease
, Lonnie was asked by Smith's daughter to do a portrait of her father - he was honored to do so for his famous mentor
.
Lonnie retired from The Boeing
Company in May 2002 to pursue his art
career full-time. He is a member of the Commemorative Air Force
and is part of Air Group One, which is stationed out of El Cajon, California
. Each year, Lonnie contributes his time and money to the ongoing projects within the group by selling his artwork at the Gillespie Field
Air Show and donating a percentage of the proceeds to Air Group One.
He and his artwork can also be found at various other air shows in the Southern California
area and throughout the United States (i.e. the Oshkosh Airshow
and Reno Air Races
).
with his wife Julie and their two children, Megan and John.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist specializing in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
art.
Background
Lonnie Ortega was born in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and is one of six children. He graduated from Western High School in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
in 1964 and continued on to Cerritos Junior College in Cerritos, California
Cerritos, California
Cerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956...
to study art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
.
In 1966, Lonnie enrolled at Cypress Junior College in Cypress, California
Cypress, California
Cypress is a suburban city located in the northern region of Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 47,802 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to play baseball. During his time at Cypress Junior College, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. In 1967, he was offered a full athletic scholarship to play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at Chapman College in Orange, California
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
. However, in the summer of 1968, Lonnie's baseball playing days ended with a serious knee injury.
Career
The injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise - with his baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
dreams shattered, Lonnie chose to concentrate on his art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
.
Lonnie was hired in 1969 to work for the McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
(now known as The Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Company after a merger between the two companies in 1997). He completed his art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
education while working for the company and was the understudy of famed aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Robert Grant (R.G.) Smith, who worked for the company as a design engineer
Design engineer
Design Engineer is a general term that covers multiple engineering disciplines including electrical, mechanical, industrial design and civil engineering, architectural engineers in the U.S...
. When Smith died due to complications related to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, Lonnie was asked by Smith's daughter to do a portrait of her father - he was honored to do so for his famous mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
.
Lonnie retired from The Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Company in May 2002 to pursue his art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
career full-time. He is a member of the Commemorative Air Force
Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force , formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at airshows primarily throughout the U.S. and Canada...
and is part of Air Group One, which is stationed out of El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
. Each year, Lonnie contributes his time and money to the ongoing projects within the group by selling his artwork at the Gillespie Field
Gillespie Field
Gillespie Field is a county-owned public-use airport located 10 miles northeast of the central business district of San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States....
Air Show and donating a percentage of the proceeds to Air Group One.
He and his artwork can also be found at various other air shows in the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
area and throughout the United States (i.e. the Oshkosh Airshow
Oshkosh Airshow
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is America's largest annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States....
and Reno Air Races
Reno Air Races
The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA...
).
Personal
Lonnie lives in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
with his wife Julie and their two children, Megan and John.