PSyche inspired
September 2020 – May 2021
Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from any discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works.
My greatest source of creative inspiration is outer space. I have a deep interest in space travel, exploration, and the incredible scientific discoveries being made by NASA today. It has been an honor to take part in the Psyche Inspired internship, as it has allowed me to be involved with an extraplanetary research mission in a way that I have aspired to for years. Contributing creatively to the Psyche mission is profoundly meaningful and exciting for me; and it has been a great opportunity to apply my passion for astronomy and space exploration.
Heart of gold
November 9, 2020
The Psyche asteroid is hypothesized to be the remains of a protoplanet formed in the early solar system that underwent collisions that shed it of its outer layers, leaving exposed core material behind. The Psyche asteroid was named after the titular figure in Greek mythology – the goddess of the soul. I was inspired by the name and the story of the asteroid’s creation – the idea that Psyche is the exposed heart of a long-vanished planet. This illustration shows the luminous metal core just after the moment of impact, when its light first breaks through a cloud of debris.
Psyche light
February 3, 2021
This is a light, or mood lamp, made from cork and clear-cast resin. The base is laminated cork that has been sanded smooth with a natural finish. The dome is sculpted to mimic the cratered surface of the asteroid Psyche. The texture is double-layered: both the outer and inner surfaces were cast from heavily sculpted molds. The outside is finished with a hard-set clear coating, and the inside is frosted to reduce transparency. The shifting, translucent surface of the dome diffuses a soft orange light, which flickers gently at the heart of the form.
For this project, I was inspired to create a representation of Psyche’s potential as a source of knowledge and discovery. There is still much that remains unknown about the asteroid, and there is opportunity there to learn more about the universe, and about ourselves. The light of this little lamp represents that journey of discovery.
PSyche on tour
March 3, 2021
For this piece, I was inspired by music tour posters – the kind that would be used to advertise an artist traveling the world to perform. I decided to create a tour poster for the mission to Psyche. I wanted the color and pattern to be bright and exciting, to catch the eye of the viewer, and to invite the viewer to join in the anticipation for Psyche’s launch. I tried to emulate a psychedelic art style, similar to that of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. This illustration was drawn by hand and colored digitally.
Molten Cradle
May 8, 2021
A colorful woven tapestry mounted with copper piping. The tapestry depicts Psyche as a white ovular shape with rings of yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue radiating from the center. The yarn is piled on the edges of these rings to create a thicker, irregular texture. Thin yarn in accenting colors and metal beads of various sizes are woven in various places to create the image of dust and molten debris.
