MOONLIGHT INTRUDERS
$495.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
There is a hush to this scene that feels almost like waking—soft early light pressing the edges of cloudtops into gold while deep blue shadows hold the lower sky. The lone Consolidated PBY-5A drifts through that liminal space, small against a vast atmosphere yet unmistakably present: its clean silhouette and subtle highlights give it a calm, purposeful dignity. Craig Kodera has arranged color like a quiet story—warm amber on the towering cumulus suggests the first rays of morning, while the cooler indigos beneath provide a still, expansive counterpoint that makes the aircraft feel both isolated and steady in transit. Look closely and you notice the careful balance between mood and clarity: the plane is rendered with enough detail to lend identity and scale, while the clouds are painted with sculptural mass and soft edges that emphasize light and distance. The overall feeling is one of watchfulness and patience—a solitary moment before action, carrying a restrained sense of hope and resolve. As an image, it suits a space that benefits from contemplative energy and a reminder of presence amid wide skies.
The Artwork
About LOOKING FOR NAGUMO
LOOKING FOR NAGUMO. This Piece has been Hand-Signed by Craig Kodera
It is the third of June, 1942. It's first light over Midway. The American Navy had been decoding the secret transmissions of the Japanese. The last message intercepted before the enemy changed its codes was what amounted to the full battle order and operations plans for the Japanese attack on Midway. The long and the short of it was that the U.S. knew roughly where they were going to be, at about which time but it was a pretty large area. "Roughly" is the key operating word.
The Navy sent up planes in a fan operation from Midway where there was a detachment of bombers, torpedo bombers, scout airplanes and patrol airplanes. Of all the aircraft that went out for a couple of days in a row, only one finally stumbled across the Japanese fleet. This Consolidated PBY-5A had taken off from Midway at about three in the morning and Jack Reid, the commander, spotted the fleet at about 10 a.m. Reid's crew radioed ahead and this enabled the combined forces to engage the fleet and conduct the Battle of Midway in such a way that the Allies won.
Collector Details
What to Know About This Piece
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About the Collection
Craig Kodera is a renowned aviation artist, celebrated for his realistic aircraft paintings and historical flight artwork. With a background as both a pilot and illustrator, his work captures the precision, power, and beauty of aviation from a uniquely informed perspective. Specializing in military aviation art, commercial airliner illustrations, and vintage aviation scenes, Kodera’s fine art aviation prints are sought after by pilots, collectors, and aerospace enthusiasts. His ability to blend technical accuracy with artistic storytelling makes his work a stunning tribute to the world of flight.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Craig Kodera.
Authorized Source
Authenticity & Documentation
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Limited-edition artwork includes a Certificate of Authenticity when one is issued by the artist, publisher, studio, or authorized source. Open-edition pieces may not include a certificate; this does not affect their authenticity. The Collection Shop sources artwork through artists, publishers, authorized distributors, galleries, and other approved channels. Any additional documentation included with this specific piece will be noted above.
Aviation is this artist s living. Painting is a joy and a choice; not his career. Craig Kodera career is as an airline pilot, so each of his paintings reflect an intimate knowledge of how it feels to fly and what it looks like out the cockpit. "I paint what I see," he says,"and my office window is at 35,000 feet." An appreciation of aviation came easy, since Kodera was raised in what he terms an "aviation family," which included an uncle who flew with the famous Doolittle Raiders during World War II. At an age when most teens were trying to ace the driver s test, Kodera had earned his private pilot s license. A love of painting also came early. Kodera started seriously studying it at fourteen. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communications and spent a year as a commercial artist before joining the Air Force Reserve, where he was assigned to the Air Rescue Service and then the Strategic Air Command. There his knowledge of air war history grew while he logged literally thousands of hours flying. Eventually Kodera left the service and joined American Airlines. When he isn t flying, he s usually painting. His artwork is part of the Smithsonian Institution s National Air and Space Museum permanent collection and hangs in many museums. He is also the charter vice president of the American Society of Aviation Artists, a member of the Air Force Art Program and serves with the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators.
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