michaelwhelan.bsky.social
Fine artist of Imaginative Realism. Retired illustrator of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Winner of 15 Hugo Awards. Inducted into the SF Hall of Fame in 2009.
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A composite of the two paintings were used for the cover of THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA, an updated edition of THE GUNSLINGER published by Donald M. Grant. 3/3
www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/gu...
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Roland and the Man in Black don't come in sight of each other until they're out of the desert, so I split the line into two paintings. This is the closest I've come to what I think Roland looks like—dogged, grim, with an indomitable sense of mission. 2/3
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The “Faded Star” on the right is a frequent symbol in my work, a representation of life’s unfulfilled ambitions or desires; it is in moving past such hollow corridors that one seeks to discover clarity and peace. 3/3
www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/ou...
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All of the Passage works use the dream-object of the lighted bubbles—symbols of spirit or unfettered consciousness—to convey the idea of movement from one state of mind to another, a transition to a more open and lighted place; a release. 2/3
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This small original is available in our shop while it lasts. 4/4
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Inspired by the surrounding colors and shapes, a futuristic cityscape emerged with the ship now directing traffic, allowing the "pedestrian" to float across. 3/4
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When the time came to replace the mat board, I cut this piece off and kept it for later embellishment. The rest of the scene fell into place more recently as I filled in the background. 2/4
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😊😂🙏
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The figure is an oblique reference to myself as a child, trying to peer into a wondrous yet mostly indiscernible future.
www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/te...
4/4
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The moon missions ended with Apollo 17, so orange signs go from the near disastrous mission 13—the sign is bent and askew—to the final one 17. That seventeenth mission left on December 14th, 1972 when I was 22. 3/4
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As a young boy I never imagined that by the new millennium we would not even have a base on the moon yet!
This painting references the space program, specifically the manned missions to the moon and beyond. Clues abound, all related to what Laurie Anderson has termed the “Post-Lunar Period.” 2/4
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😃🙌
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😀🙌
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Alas, in spite of those insights, it’s so easy to just go up to my studio and fiddle with whatever is on my drawing board, forgetting any other considerations.
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you any different.” —Kurt Vonnegut
9/9
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If it's something different from what I find myself doing now, how can I get there? What do I need to do to facilitate those changes? 8/9
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The main thing my illness projected onto me was a question: (given the grace to continue living) five years from now, what will I look back and say I wish I had been doing? 7/9
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But it often happens that with time one’s "default mode” comes back to the fore and assumes control over your life…and you just, well, keep going on. Perhaps having repeat psychedelic experiences would help fix a more cosmic outlook which would resist such normalization. I can’t say. 6/9
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But concerning the return to the mundane, I’ve read the same thing about people taking psychedelics: that for a while things have a new shine and one’s perspectives are altered. 5/9
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It wasn’t until just before going home that I did get one flash of an idea, which I drew on the back of the slender ”Guide for patients" booklet they gave me before leaving.
That sketch, that visualization, was for the painting that became “Lumen 9”. 4/9
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I thought that being on a morphine drip would give rise to a plethora of wild fantastic painting ideas. But truth be told, the opposite occurred. It deadened any creative drive I felt. 3/9
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That being said, it’s true that I did embark on a fruitful number of large personal works which might not have been done had I not had that health crisis. 2/9
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...but it’s likely that when I thought “cool car” then it was going to have some of the smooth curves and reflections one can see in his work as well.
Being such an admirer of his excellent style, I'll take your query as a compliment! 😊🙏
2/2
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Glad you're enjoying the posts here. 😀🙌
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Cover illustration for ON A PALE HORSE by Piers Anthony (Del Rey) 5/5
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However there was one hitch...the crystal in the transmitter was set on a frequency that allowed interference from local CB traffic, and at times my airbrush would mysteriously sputter into life and begin spraying on its own! 4/5
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The most interesting trick though was devised by my good friend John Crawford, who is a top-notch engineer. John masterminded a radio-controlled, solenoid-operated airbrush for me, which allowed my left hand to work the air brush strapped to the cast on my right arm! 3/5
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I took a paintbrush to the doctor's office so the cast could be molded around my hand holding the brush. That way I could still paint large areas with that hand. Then I relearned how to paint with my left hand. Although I am not ambidextrous, I had done left-handed artwork before and managed. 2/5
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😂
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And before anyone complains that you have to subscribe to participate in the poll, you can unsub when you're done.
But consider that our fantastic content is free—just like all our daily posts here. Both Michaels put a lot of effort into this and appreciate all your interaction. Thanks so much!
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It's a great story. Thanks for sharing! 🙌
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It’s almost unavoidable that, occasionally, one’s influences shine though one’s work in spite of the attempt to put a new spin on things. “There’s nothing new under the sun” is a common saying for good reason. 5/5