Peter Thorpe - How Does An Artist Endeavour To Inspire People To Embrace Space?

Can an artist inspire people to embrace space? This is what illustrator Peter Thorpe has been doing since the mid-1980s. Peter has typically worked as a book cover illustrator, but he has also done logos, magazine covers and posters. With a 20-year span as the Space Frontier Foundation’s Creative Director, Peter has had an impact on the space industry. How has this unusual career and impact come about?

Peter Thorpe on Being an Artist in the Space Industry

Host Jason Kanigan asks Peter:

Art can be a tough subject to convince others that you can be successful with as a living, let alone yourself. How did you encounter this and commit to the Illustrator profession as a young man?
From the data points it seems you had no trouble moving around the country as a young person. Do you believe this was necessary for your career?
With today’s “location-free” roles and computer-driven skills (that, I stress for our younger viewers & listeners, were not options available in 1980!) do you feel you would not have felt the need to move close to the work if you were starting out now?
You mentioned to me that you attended the very first adult Space Camp in 1985. What was that experience like? What stands out in your memory about it?
Tell us about the Space Frontier Foundation: its purpose, activities, and your involvement 88-08.
You mention “visual research” as part of your cover art design process in a recent text interview. Share with us how you go about designing a cover.
Let’s discuss “How an artist endeavors to inspire people to embrace space”. What is your point of view on this concept, and how has it developed over the years?
What do you especially want your art to accomplish in terms of impact upon people?

Useful Links:

Google Drive folder of some of Peter’s art images (these are already available to the public, and were provided by Peter): https://coldstarproject.com/s02e82peterthorpeartwork