Space Art Gallery – Frank Hettick

NSS Space Art Gallery

frank hettick portrait

The entire universe is the subject for Frank Hettick’s photo-realistic depictions of distant planets, moons and alien landscapes. His first “outer space” art paintings were done in oils during his high school years in Tillamook Oregon in the 1950’s. Currently his mixed-media works grace the covers and pages of magazines, books, CDs and international TV specials, and cause interest among genre art collectors worldwide.

Frank paints in a style that allows him “to recreate the look and feel of those early magazine and book illustrations that first drew my interest”. He personally prints each piece on archival canvas in editions of 25 giclée prints – then enhances, signs and numbers each piece by hand to make it a “one-of-a-kind” work.

His very recognizable approach to space art has won him 1st Place awards in both The Mars Society and The Planetary Society-European Space Agency international competitions. The 2009 International Year of Astronomy offered Hettick a two-month long one-man show at Flagstaff Observatory and with his being recognized as ‘one of the best known space artists of our day’ he was also selected that same year to appear in another two-month long show, ‘Out Of This World’ at Hearst Art Gallery in California.
One of his more popular pieces, ‘Martian Storm’, was selected for the “Artist’s Universe”, a prestigious exhibit of astronomical and space art touring worldwide and sponsored by the International Association of Astronomical Artists, of which he is a member.

Although the artist’s home and studio are in the high desert of Central Oregon he does travel extensively to exotic locations to study the earths’ geology and gain inspiration for his unusual art pieces.

Attention to the lighting and use of detail in his works cause many viewers to believe his “other-worldly” paintings are fine photographs – but the subjects Frank renders have never been seen or photographed by anyone before. His goal through his art is to encourage today’s viewers to have the same enthusiasm for space exploration and other worlds as he had in those early days before the Moon missions – when he was growing up.

Artist’s Web Site (previously at): www.skyhighgallery.com

Click on a thumbnail image for a larger image and descriptive text.

View of Home
Titan Touchdown
Toward Home
View From Mars Hill
Impending Departure