Apollo 16 is based on a NASA photo of the rocket’s launch in 1972, two years before I was born. Keeping with my theme of shared nostalgia, this piece is reminiscent of my childhood as the generation before me created the media we consumed as kids. While reminiscent of Hanna-Barbera cartoons like Jonny Quest, the launch from Cape Canavera in Florida also references familiar motifs like Southern trees and foliage.  

I really love the colors of this piece, especially the blue of the sky and the olive-green of the palm trees. The sharp edges of the grass and palm fronds contrast against the turbulent flood of smoke and clouds rolling upward from the rocket’s engines.