Grandfather, 18" x 24", Mixed-Media, Acrylic, and Ink on Canvas, 2010, by Nova Hall. Provenance: Original Flying Over Time Art Collection. Exhibited at the Challenger Space Center, Tempe galleries, ASU, and Phoenix First Friday.

Grandfather mixed-media painting by Nova Hall. An 18x24 inch acrylic and ink canvas highlighting the naturalist and conservationist life of Donald A. Hall Sr., designer of the Spirit of St. Louis. Created under Leandro Soto, this Arte Povera and Robert Rauschenberg assemblage utilizes original 1920s vintage photographs of Hall in nature. Exhibited at the Challenger Space Center, Tempe, and ASU. Essential for aviation archives and biographical fine art collectors. — Grandfather, 18" x 24", Mixed-Media, Acrylic, and Ink on Canvas, 2010, by Nova Hall. Provenance: Original Flying Over Time Art Collection. Exhibited at the Challenger Space Center, Tempe galleries, ASU, and Phoenix First Friday. · Nova Hall

Shattering the one-dimensional stereotype of the obsessive, drafting-room engineer, Grandfather is a deeply personal 18-by-24-inch homage to Donald A. Hall Sr.’s profound love for the natural world. Floating against a topographical, fluid background of teal, blue, and silver is a highly stylized, almost childlike rendering of the Spirit of St. Louis—a deliberate stylistic choice encouraged by mentor Leandro Soto to access untethered imagination. Bordering the aircraft are authentic, black-and-white archival photographs of Hall hiking, camping, and exploring the wilderness. Fusing ink and acrylic with Robert Rauschenberg’s collage techniques, the piece connects the mechanical genius of the 1927 flight with the quiet, grounding spirit of a lifelong conservationist.