Yuri Gagarin 1934 -1968
On April 12, 2012 it would have been 51 years since Yuri Gagarin successfully orbited the earth and became the first human in space. The flight lasted 108 minutes.
Yuri Gagarin’s achievement kick-started the space race between the US and the USSR. This eventually led to the ultimate goal of landing a man on the moon and successfully returning him to earth.
Coincidentally, I had just finished a large acrylic painting of Yuri sitting in his space craft prior to his historic launch.
To celebrate the anniversary, Chabot Space center in Oakland California had a special one day Yuri Gagarin event and I had the opportunity to display this painting in their beautiful center. See photo of myself, my wife Leia and Yuri.
As a young boy I watched on live TV, all the Apollo missions, including the first lunar landing. This exciting era left an indelible impression that has lasted to this day.
This painting is a one of a collection of images from that pioneer age of space travel.
To see more of my space art paintings, please check out my website.