Return to Space
by AnnaJo Vahle
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Dimensions
22.000 x 30.000 inches
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Title
Return to Space
Artist
AnnaJo Vahle
Medium
Painting - Watercolor On Paper
Description
We live exactly eight miles from the Kennedy Space Center. My sons grew up used to seeing the Space Shuttle and other Rockets launch. We usually took time out of our days or nights to watch the launches. We went to the Space Center to watch them up close and personal a few times. We all watched the Challenger Space Shuttle blow up in the skies above our home. I did an acrylic painting of that experience, too.
The Shuttle program was grounded for a couple years after that disaster. We were out running various errands when the Discovery finally lifted into space on September 29, 1988. We pulled to the side of the road and watched from there. We were on Merritt Island near Port Canaveral. I did several paintings during their childhood of them watching various launches from various locations.
This is a full sheet watercolor painting of my sons. It is deckled edged heavy duty and is 22 inches by 30 inches. The people in the background are a figment of my imagination. There were actually many more people along the edge of the road but I chose to keep the focus on my sons. For that reason, I kept the composition simple.
We had waited in our back yard to watch the launch but it was delayed for more than an hour and a half. We had to get out and run those errands. That is why we were on the road when the shuttle finally launched. The waiver of wind conditions allowed the resumption of the launch.
I was especially interested in showing hope and overcoming obstacles. I couldn't resist painting the wonder of discovery and innocence. The important step in history was also irresistible.
The space shuttle is the "world's first reusable spacecraft," launching like a rocket, orbiting like a spacecraft, and landing like a plane.
Space shuttles could carry satellites, space probes, and other cargo into orbit around Earth on both commercial and non-commercial missions.
The space shuttle system was made up of three components:
- Two solid rocket boosters. They provided 80% of the launch thrust.
- The external tank, which provided fuel to the space shuttle main engines during launch.
- The orbiter. It acted as the crew's home during the flight.
All of the components were reused except for the external fuel tank. It burned up in the atmosphere after launch. There were five orbiters in the shuttle program's history: Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavour.
On July 8, 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. ET. This was the space shuttle program's final mission. The Discovery is now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. I photographed from Satellite Beach as it left here for there.
Uploaded
August 28th, 2014
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Viewed 1,074 Times - Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 03/29/2024 at 8:11 AM
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Comments (47)
Gary F Richards
Revisiting this amazing piece! Outstanding uplifting hopeful composition, lighting, shading, lovely color and artwork! F/L voted
Bonnie Mason
Beautiful watercolor painting, AnnaJo! Our kids loved sending up rockets they built with their dad and it reminds me of that :) LF
Gary F Richards
We remember these days when our boys were little and we watched the same thing many times! You capured this scene perfectly!! Fl
Jacqueline Athmann
Surprise & Congratulations!! Your photo has been featured on The Art Shoppe Cafe group homepage! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work with us! F/L
Marvin Spates
This is so cute AnnaJo!!! I have always wanted to do this, but it is a long drive and space shots don't always go when they are suppose to! L/F
AnnaJo Vahle replied:
Thank you, Marvin. You are right about the drive and the way that the launches don't always go off as scheduled.
Anne-Elizabeth Whiteway
You're so very, very talented! Annajo, this is charming and delightful. Another fave. LF
Alec Drake
Congratulations AnnaJo on your feature in "Life Is What Happens". We are pleased to share this marvelous example of your work with the group members and visitors. fav
Melissa Osborne
thius is gorgeous love the way you've captured the light... can almost feel the warmth
Steven Poulton
Wow Jo :-) you are so talented and in tune with yourself to be able to create such a moving and inspired piece. Words cannot express the enormity of this, truly wonderful art :-) Lf