The original painting, Take Off, was one of a series commissioned by London Underground as part of the Art on the Underground campaign. It was painted by Glaswegian born artist Wilson McLean in 1986 who based himself in the US. The poster publicises the new Underground station at Heathrow, Heathrow Terminal 4. In the poster, a paper plane is pictured in flight above an idealised countryside of sheep and rolling hills. The plane is made from a folded Tube map. Wilson McLean designed posters for London Transport in 1986. Wilson McLean is a Scottish illustrator and artist who had no formal training but took a sign-writing apprenticeship. In 1966 he moved to New York. He generally works in oil on canvas and has won many awards in USA where he is regarded as one of the top illustrators working primarily in the field of advertising. Clients have included Esso, The Post Office, Time Magazine, Holland America (Shipping) Line and Barclaycard Visa.