David A. Hardy is the longest-established living space art

Space art

Space art is a general term for art emerging from knowledge and ideas associated with outer space, both as a source of inspiration and as a means for visualizing and promoting space travel. Whatever the stylistic path, the artist is generally attempting to communicate ideas somehow related to...

ist, having illustrated his first book in 1954.

He started his career as an employee in the Design Office of Cadbury's, where he created packaging and advertising art for the company's confectionery. His first science fiction art was published in 1970, but he has gone on to illustrate hundreds of covers for books, and for magazines such as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact. His work also appears regularly in magazines such as Astronomy

Astronomy (magazine)

Astronomy is a monthly American magazine about astronomy. Targeting amateur astronomers for its readers, it contains columns on sky viewing, reader-submitted astrophotographs, and articles on astronomy and astrophysics that are readable by nonscientists....

, Sky & Telescope

Sky & Telescope

Sky & Telescope is a monthly American magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including the following:*current events in astronomy and space exploration;*events in the amateur astronomy community;...

, Astronomy Now

Astronomy Now

Astronomy Now is a monthly British magazine on astronomy and space. It features a mix of articles ranging from how to observe the night sky to the latest discoveries in the Solar System and in deep space. The first issue of Astronomy Now was published in April 1987 by Intra Press, initially as a...

 and Popular Astronomy, for which he also writes articles.

He is European Vice President of the International Association of Astronomical Artists

International Association of Astronomical Artists

The International Association of Astronomical Artists , is a non-profit organization whose members implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects, promote education about space art and foster international cooperation in artistic work inspired by the exploration of the...

, and Vice President of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists

Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists

The Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, ASFA, is a non-profit, educational association, whose membership is made up of amateur and professional artists, art directors, art show managers, publishers and collectors involved in the visual arts of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology and...

.

He has been Artist Guest of Honour at a number of science fiction convention

Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

s, including Stucon, Albacon

Albacon

Albacon is the Albany science fiction convention, held each autumn in the Albany, New York area, also called the Capital District.Albacon is the largest "Con" in upstate New York. It is hosted by LASTSFA, or Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association, a local science fiction fandom...

, Armadacon, Novacon

Novacon

Novacon is an annual science fiction convention, usually held each November in the West Midlands, UK. It is now the annual convention of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.-History:...

, the 2007 Eurocon

Eurocon

Eurocon is an annual science fiction convention held in Europe. The organising committee of each Eurocon is selected by vote of the participants of the previous event. The procedure is coordinated by the European Science Fiction Society. The first Eurocon was held in Trieste, Italy, in 1972. Unlike...

, and Illustrious

Illustrious

Illustrious may refer to:* HMS Illustrious, five ships in the Royal Navy* Illustrious , a 2008 hip hop album by Big Noyd* Illustrious class aircraft carrier, a class of aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy...

, the 2011 Eastercon

Eastercon

Eastercon is the common name for the British national science fiction convention. From 1948 until the 1960s, the convention was held over the three-day Whitsun bank holiday at the end of May. Since then it has been held over the four-day Easter holiday weekend...

.

Major books

• Challenge of the Stars (with Patrick Moore
  Patrick Moore
  Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
  
  ) (1972), revised as New Challenge of the Stars 1978
• Galactic Tours (with Bob Shaw
  Bob Shaw
  Bob Shaw, born Robert Shaw, was a science fiction author and fan from Northern Ireland. He was noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980...
  
  ) (1981)
• Atlas of the Solar System (1982/1986)
• Visions of Space (Dragon’s World, 1989)
• Hardyware: The Art of David A. Hardy (text by Chris Morgan]; Paper Tiger UK/Sterling US 2001)
• Aurora: A Child of Two Worlds (novel; Cosmos Books, 2003)
• Futures: 50 Years in Space (text by Sir Patrick Moore, AAPPL/HarperCollins 2004), (Paperback 50 Years in Space AAPPL 2006)

Awards and honours

• 1979 Nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist
  Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist
  The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
  
  .
• 1987 Won 'Best European SF Artist' award.
• 2001 Won the Lucien Rudaux
  Lucien Rudaux
  Lucien Rudaux was a French artist and astronomer, who created famous paintings of space themes in the 1920s and 1930s.A crater on Mars and the Lucien Rudaux Memorial Award were named in his honor.-References:...
  
   Memorial Award.
• 2003,2004,2005 Best cover art, readers award, Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
• 2005 FUTURES was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Related Book.
• 2005 FUTURES Won the Sir Arthur Clarke Award
  Sir Arthur Clarke Award
  The Sir Arthur Clarke Award is a British award given in recognition of notable contributions to space exploration, particularly British achievements. It is owned by the Space Education Trust and is independent of and separate from . Founded in 2005, the awards are an annual event. They take place...
  
   for 'Best Written Presentation'.

Asteroid 13329 Davidhardy

13329 Davidhardy

13329 Davidhardy is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 20, 1998 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.It is named after British astronomical and science-fiction artist David A. Hardy .- External links :*...

, discovered 1998 by Spacewatch

Spacewatch

Spacewatch is a project at the University of Arizona led by Robert S. McMillan that specializes in the study of minor planets, including various types of asteroids and comets...

 at Kitt Peak

Kitt Peak

Kitt Peak is a mountain in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the location of the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The radio telescope at the Observatory is one of ten dishes comprising the Very Long Baseline Array ....

has been named after him.

External links

• David A. Hardy/AstroArt website : Books, prints, originals, and a Music/Art DVD. (Link is defunct as of 28 Aug. 2011)
• Hardyware: The Art of David A Hardy (Review by Ron Miller)
• See also this unusual entry on YouTube! (Link is defunct as of 18 June 2009)