posted 05-27-2018 10:28 AM               

"Reaching for the Stars," "In Flight," "The Dream" and "Apollo 13." I love the ones that where signed by the astronauts (and film stars).

posted 05-27-2018 12:24 PM               

My wife Cheryl and I found this print when we drove to Hutchinson, Kansas to be at the opening of the new wing to the Cosmosphere space museum there. We arrived the day before the event and while we were wandering through the gift shop I saw this print in its framed condition hanging on the wall just outside the shop. The price sticker on this print was very inexpensive for an Alan Bean print and I assumed it was for the print only (which would still be a good buy) and that the framed print shown was for display only.

I found Cheryl and brought her over to see it. She looked at it for a moment and said she thought it was a very cool print as well and did I think I wanted it. I of course said absolutely and with that she snatched it off the wall and heading to the check out, all the while me trailing trying to tell her that this could not be the price for the framed copy as the print itself was underpriced, in my opinion. This made no difference to her as the next moment she had it on the counter asking the clerk it indeed was the price shown for the framed edition.

One clerk looked at the other clerk and asked the same question and received a shrug as a replay they both asked each other where the supervisor was. One clerk said "we have not sold much this week so let it go for the price shown." That was when we bought it and out the door we went. Once we got back to the rental car and unloaded and reloaded it to get this print in she said "Let's get out of here before they change their minds and come looking for us."

Off we went and once on the road I had time to thank her for her efforts in obtaining what was our first Alan Bean print and in turn, autograph. It was then when she told me why she thought we must have this particular print; beside the fact it was a bargain, and Cheryl was all about a bargain. Cheryl looked at me and said "I saw us in that print. If we were to go to the moon together I would think that is how we would be out there together helping each other side by side and having fun at the same time. Besides we are always giving each other 'Helping Hands' because we are in this life as a team together forever."

That was the summer of 2005 and as many of you are aware Cheryl went home to Jesus in December of 2007. I trust she now is sharing that story with Captain Bean even now.

posted 05-28-2018 12:49 AM               

Alan is holding a Gene Cernan signed "Last Man on the Moon" print. Gene had written "Too Beautiful..." on the print. Alan said, "Gene must have meant me when he wrote Too Beautiful." He was right.

posted 05-28-2018 02:31 AM               

On canvas:

• Armstrong, Aldrin, and an American Eagle
  
• The Eagle is Headed Home
  
• Fender Lovin' Care
  
• A Giant Leap
  
• First Men - Buzz Aldrin
  
• A Most Beautiful Moon
  
• Mother Earth
  
• Distant Celebration - Planting Our Colors
  
• Distant Celebration - Rendering Honors
  
• Some Tools of Our Trade
  
• One Lucky Guy

• The Hammer and the Feather
  
• Heavenly Reflections
  
• In Flight

posted 05-28-2018 07:07 AM               

The next day I got nerve enough to call, and asked him the cost. He said his smallest original was $18,000 and increased with size (about $1000 per long side inch). He also mentioned that he had prints that started at less than $500. I told him I'd get back with him.

In talking with a coworker, I was convinced that since I currently had a company car, I should just get a loan for the painting and pay it off like I would a car payment. So, I called him back and scheduled a visit to his home the next time I was in Houston for business.

Captain Bean and his wife lived in a modest and bright-lit townhouse. He had mostly prints of his paintings hanging for permanent display on his walls (saying he couldn't afford to keep the originals). At the time, he had two paintings in-progress; he also kept a series of QC paintings... so if he did a great flag, he would copy it to a Masonite board so he compare his current work to his previous best.

The highlight for me was when we discussed the composition of the painting that I wanted. It was a scene from his mission from the perspective of the unmanned Surveyor III lander, showing Pete and Al with Earth above them. It's called "Please Take Me Back Home." Conrad and Bean did take the Surveyor camera back to Earth and you can find it in the National Air and Space Museum on the mall in DC.

Anyhow, as we discussed the composition of the painting, Captain Bean took an unused piece of Masonite and clamped it to a tripod, tilted it, and placed a scale model of the Surveyor on the board and shined a spotlight saying: "This is about the angle of the crater containing Surveyor, here's about how high the sun was." Then he grabbed an astronaut "action figure" and gave me one, saying "okay, you can be Pete, we walked down this way." So, I got to play astronaut with a guy that walked on the moon. Obviously, a lifetime highlight for me.

Last year I happened across this article on Hurricane Harvey that briefly mentioned Captain Bean. "A Lesson Named Harvey — One Texan's Experience,"" by John Alexander Oberman for the Express-News, published Sept. 16, 2017.

Michael and I helped many people to safety that day, the second to last of whom happened to be a man named Alan Bean — a former astronaut and the fourth man on the moon. When towing Mr. Bean in our small boat with his wife and two small dogs, he shouted out to me with a smile on his face, while putting his head back to rest in interlocked hands. "This is first class!" he said. Mr. Bean was the epitome of the Texan spirit that day.

posted 05-28-2018 03:37 PM               

I have quite a few of his prints but there are still many more that I wish I had.

• How it Felt to Walk on the Moon
  
• The Fantasy
  
• Straightening Our Stripes
  
• Helping Hands
  
• Fender Lovin' Care
  
• Feelin' Fine
  
• Is Anyone Out There?
  
• Moon Rovers "The Plain at Hadley, July 1971"
  
• Heavenly Reflections
  
• Hello Universe
  
• The Eagle is Headed Home

posted 05-29-2018 05:02 AM               

It was a wonderful experience to discuss what we wanted painted. Once we figured that out over several phone calls, we spoke on the phone with Alan about once a week during the 3 months he worked.

When the painting was complete, we visited his studio to see the finished work where it was created and then had a wonderful spaghetti dinner with Alan and his wife Leslie.

We continued to speak to Alan several times a year on the phone and at the various events over the seven years since.

posted 05-29-2018 05:41 AM               

1. Without doubt number one: "First Men: Neil A. Armstrong" – huge textured canvas. This scene shows Neil Armstrong taking the icon picture of Buzz Aldrin, colors, palette and ductus is influenced by Monet.
   
   
2. "One Lucky Guy" – smallwork canvas edition. This small picture shows Alan Bean moving relaxed in a 1/6 g on the rim of a crater. Fresh and quick painted selfie...

3. "A Most Beautiful Moon" – smallwork canvas edition. The target of the Apollo Program – ductus influenced by Monet.

4. "Our World at My Fingertips" — View from a heavenly body back to Earth. The Earth is as great as the gloved thumb. The Omega Speedmaster and the checklist are shown in detail at the wrist. The perspective is influenced by Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel: creation Adam's – the finger contact). First realistic creation in a picture showing earth and artifacts from a human body in outer space.
   
   
5. "The Fantasy" - paper print. Well known – the perfect trio of comrades in front of the LM.

6. "The Source of Intelligent Life" – textured canvas. The view back to earth – what humankind learned from Project Apollo

7. "Armstrong, Aldrin and an American Eagle" – smallwork canvas edition. This small picture shows the first designed spacecraft in action. The burning flame is influenced by George de la Tour. What a candle.
   
   
8. "The Hammer and the Feather" – paper print. Shows Dave Scott during his lecture of Galileo Galilei's experiment.
   
   
9. "In Flight" – paper print. Shows Alan Shepard during his golf shot: miles and miles and miles.

10. "SSSSS" – paper print. The last crew on the moon: Senator Schmitt Samples Subsurface Soil assisted by Gene Cernan.

posted 05-29-2018 06:43 PM               

The original painting is titled "John Young in the Mountains on the Moon." You can read about Alan and the painting at this link. The painting also has a piece of his moon dust coated spacesuit patches as well as a piece of Kapton foil and some dust from the heat-shield of the Apollo 12 command module the "Yankee Clipper." I did get one of the paintbrushes that Alan used on the painting. Alan signed and dated the brush and I had the brush attached to the frame surrounding the painting.

I have an original drawing that was a study for a human being in an A7L spacesuit.

When I bought the Apollo 12 crew signed book, "APOLLO" back a long time ago, I also received the crew signed print "Kissing Earth."

Then I bought an artist proof print of "In Flight" from Edgar Mitchell. Edgar had inscribed crew signed print "The first lunar caddie" with an arrow pointing to him on the surface in black sharpie. He also inscribed, in pencil, to me that the ball really didn't fly "miles and miles."

I have "In the Beginning" and "Reaching for the Stars."

When I purchased Bean's "Painting Apollo" book. Two canvas prints of Neil and Buzz on the Moon were part of the deal. I was at Alan's studio when he was painting the Neil and Buzz works. He asked for my thoughts on a title for those paintings. I am sure I had some smart answer, but I can't remember it now. During Al's exhibit at the NASM in 2009 an astronaut with me saw both paintings and asked me if Buzz took any pictures of Neil. Then he smiled a huge grin.

Recently, I purchased as artist proof signed by Alan of "Monet's Moon." The painting was one of my favorite paintings of Alan's due to it simplicity and color. Wish I had the original, but the artist proof on canvas was really well done. Novaspace did a great job on that print's production.

The one thing I will remember is how self deprecating Alan was about his art. And yet, I remember attending, by invitation, the openings of both of his one man art shows at the Butler Institute of American Art and the National Air and Space Museum. We discussed Monet and he mentioned that he would never be on a par with the artist that coined the term, "Impressionism." I mentioned that Monet would probably envy Alan, especially when Claude was eating paint as a substitute for food during his career. Alan was the epitome of a successful artist who was contented with his work.

posted 05-29-2018 07:44 PM               

My favorite print is either "A Most Beautiful Moon" or "In Flight" (love the use of Bean's colors in the moonscape of that one [look closely], also I'm a golfer).

I enjoy owning one of Alan's paintbrushes from years ago because I fantasize about little specs of moondust that might be on the brush hairs from one of his originals. (Please don't shoot me down on that one — I want to keep my fantasy going!)

Lastly, I have a good friend who owns an Alan Bean original. I never had THAT kind of money but it was great to see the beauty up close and "face-to-face" so to speak.

I got to see the 2009 Alan Bean Artwork exhibit at the Smithsonian for the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. Some of the best two hours of my life, wandering through that exhibit. So, so cool.

posted 05-31-2018 09:37 AM               

• Conrad, Gordon and Bean: The Fantasy
  
• Reaching for the Stars
  
• Houston We Have a Problem
  
• Is Anyone Out There? 30x40 canvas

posted 05-31-2018 07:15 PM               

In case you're interested, my best guess is that Alan's smallest original space painting was 7 x 10 and called "Moon Hammer."