Beautiful original painting by noted space artist Russ Arasmith, accomplished in acrylic on 22.5 x 23.75 Crescent illustration board, which depicts the Apollo 9 Command/Service Module Gumdrop docked with the Lunar Module Spider high above the Earth, with LMP Rusty Schweickart spacewalking around the exterior of the Spider and CMP Dave Scott preparing to perform a standup EVA from Gumdrop’s hatch; the Schweickart artwork has been neatly cut to shape and applied to the painting. Signed in the lower right corner in white paint, “Arasmith, 69.” The reverse bears a Los Angeles Times “Six Column Picture Order” label that lists the title as “Space.” In very good to fine condition, with tack holes and minor blemishes to the mount. Accompanied by a glossy photo of the artwork, as well as 11 other photos with images of Arasmith’s space art.
Arasmith worked for the Los Angeles Times for thirty-two years and served as Editorial Art Director for seventeen of those years. He did all the space drawings for the Times. The drawings were the result of extensive briefings he attended at various NASA centers. All were done before the fact on the same schedule with the individual missions involved. The articles and the drawing were run in the Los Angeles Times on the day the actual event occurred. The Times Syndicate then distributed the artwork to 300 newspapers all over the world. Arasmith retired from the Los Angeles Times in 1992.
