“ MIGHTY M106”
Lucy West’ s
Artistic Explorations of the Cosmos
By Lucy West
becoming a Space Artist
When I was a kid, I knew at an early age that all I wanted to do was be an artist. I started out as most young artists do, by first sketching in graphite, colored pencils and then progressing to acrylic paints. By the time I was fifteen years old I was taking on commissions painting naturescapes and wildlife for people— and at seventeen, I turned my art into a small business. That same year I broadened my skills to incorporate airbrush, prompting me to
24 LET’ S GO AEROSPACE move from my hometown in Kentucky to Daytona Beach, Florida to work in the tourist industry as an airbrush artist. I painted everything from fine art to t-shirts to motorcycles to huge wall murals. How amazing it felt, to have become a professional artist at such a young age!
The move to Florida was during the height of the Space Shuttle era and I spent 16 years watching rocket launches that sparked my passion for space and astronomy.
Soon,“ all things space” appeared in my art, and I dreamed of creating space art for a living. One day, in 1990, someone from NASA discovered my work, leading to my first of many commissions. That lucky connection opened doors to meeting astronauts, mission teams, and even a few Moonwalkers!
Chasing my dream led me to living it!
“ PLEIADES- DANCE OF THE SEVEN SISTERS”