London’s Air Ambulance, 2018.

Flight and Lifelines: Jeremy Houghton’s Residency with London’s Air Ambulance. 

In 2018, Jeremy Houghton—widely recognised as the UK’s foremost artist-in-residence—was invited to take on a new and uniquely vertical challenge: to become the first official Artist in Residence with London’s Air Ambulance, one of the capital’s most vital emergency services. Based atop The Royal London Hospital on the iconic helipad, Houghton sketched and painted the frontline of airborne emergency medicine as helicopters launched and landed against the ever-changing skyline of London. It was a residency that brought together many of the themes that have long characterised his work: flight, movement, precision, and service.

This commission was no coincidence. Houghton’s career is steeped in the study and celebration of flight—from the graceful aerial formations of flamingos to the power and discipline of the RAF Red Arrows, the Battle of Britain commemorations, and the Falklands 40th anniversary. His artistic interpretations of aviation range from the historical to the humanitarian, always underpinned by a fascination with speed, rhythm, and navigation.

“Painting helicopters at work in a modern city was both a technical and emotional challenge,” Houghton reflects. “But I found a parallel between the life-saving medics of today and the battle-hardened servicemen of the past. Many of the lessons learnt in wartime—triage, swift evacuation, trauma care—are the foundation of what these crews deliver in minutes across London. It’s not just about flying; it’s about courage under pressure.”

London itself, with its deep ties to aviation history, provided a fitting canvas. The city has long celebrated its contributions to flight—from the pioneering aviators of the early 20th century to the Spitfires that once defended its skies. Artists such as Terence Cuneo, Frank Wootton, and John Tunnard immortalised scenes of aircraft soaring above London or preparing for battle in nearby airfields. In that tradition, Houghton’s work bridges the heroic past with the living present, capturing helicopters not as machines but as lifelines suspended between urgency and grace.

This residency was also informed by Houghton’s earlier experience as Artist in Residence at Goodwood, an estate famed not only for its motor racing and equestrian heritage but also for its celebration of classic aviation. At the Goodwood Revival, vintage aircraft from across the decades are showcased in flight—a spectacle of speed and engineering that sharpened Houghton’s sensitivity to how movement can be both mechanical and emotive. That same aesthetic—the dynamic tension of stillness and speed—runs through the Air Ambulance series.

As always, Houghton approached his subject with his signature balance of spontaneity and structure. Sketching from the helipad high above the city, he captured snapshots of urgency: the blur of rotor blades, the focus of medics in action, the controlled chaos of take-off. His loose, expressive style gave viewers a sense of the real-time heroism unfolding at altitude. It was, quite literally, art on the edge.

The resulting collection was unveiled at Gallery 8 in Mayfair, where art lovers and supporters of the charity gathered for an exhibition that doubled as a fundraising event. A generous 25% of all sales were donated by the artist, raising vital funds to help keep this essential service airborne. As the charity noted: “This event was a chance to explain our charitable mission to a whole new audience. Jeremy’s work told our story better than we ever could.”

This series joins Houghton’s growing canon of flight-focused works—spanning from the Queen’s racing pigeons and RAF flypasts to migrating birds in Africa. Whether sketching a flamingo gliding across the Kalahari sky or a helicopter circling above London’s East End, Houghton has a unique gift for turning movement into metaphor.