Posts by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
(DIR) Post #B2JJvvNrH7eMwxnvVo by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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ENLIGHTENMENT (2006)Oil on Panel - 36” x 24”In the Portals paintings, enlightenment is found only when one gets beyond the architecture of established formal belief systems. 1/2 #personalvisions #imaginativerealism #portals
(DIR) Post #B2JK0nNGTwcPYZqiW0 by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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The wisdom comes from engaging in the effort personally—no one can do it for you. 2/2https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/enlightenment/
(DIR) Post #B2LS8OISn6am2wejoG by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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THUVIA, MAID OF MARS (1979)Acrylic and Gouache on Illustration Board - 20” x 25”Here was another one of the Barsoomian beasts that was basically an Earthly one with more legs. 1/5#sciencefiction #illustration #edgarriceburroughs #barsoom #delreybooks
(DIR) Post #B2LSCLkyB3y9KIsSky by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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To portray the banth (Barsoomian “lion”) in all his fierceness without having him look silly, I curved his body around in such a way as to make his multileggedness less apparent. 2/5
(DIR) Post #B2LSEsACeyqWPjsokK by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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I also had to be careful in doing Thuvia herself, as everyone on Barsoom goes nude, and yet full-frontal nudity was unacceptable for the cover. 3/5
(DIR) Post #B2LSJpzCBR376n6NLk by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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By turning her away from the viewer, I thought I had this problem solved, but Lester Del Rey had me add the G-string just to be on the safe side. The rest of the painting is in acrylics, but I did that G-string in gouache in case I ever get the urge to wipe it off. 4/5
(DIR) Post #B2LSNuRbY9VY5sKccK by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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Cover illustration for THUVIA, MAID OF MARS by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Del Rey) 5/5https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/thuvia-maid-of-mars/
(DIR) Post #B2NLQQ7KS0NBXf1ALQ by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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TRUST (2016)Acrylic - 12” x 16”The masonite board I had been using became a painting that fits a theme begun with LEAP OF FAITH and runs through WINGING IT and other paintings. 1/3#leftoversandpalettegremlins #personalvisions #fadedstar
(DIR) Post #B2NLWmebZZ6BAxcIue by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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I took na photo of the board on my drawing table before I started to transform it. I turned it upside down and decided to use the diagonal line as my starting point. 2/3
(DIR) Post #B2NLbCGIIySTkuLl3o by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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As it developed, I liked how it was turning out and decided to finish it to a level that would allow me to add it to the pieces that will be in my show at the Tree’s Place Gallery that summer. 3/3https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/week-28/
(DIR) Post #B2PrxZmv6LXfwPFHCy by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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In this week’s newsletter, we reveal a brand new Elric painting done on the sly last year, a “sequel” to the cover for BANE OF THE BLACK SWORD. 1/2https://theartofmichaelwhelan.substack.com/p/return-of-the-king-of-the-dead
(DIR) Post #B2Ps24MfMPJnvm6kWO by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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RETURN OF THE KING OF THE DEAD (2025)Acrylic on Gessobord - 12” x 9”https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/return-of-the-king-of-the-dead/2/2
(DIR) Post #B2RWBK0kkMgAO9miW0 by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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THE DARK TOWER (2004)Acrylic on Panel - 30” x 40”After illustrating THE GUNSLINGER back in 1981, it seemed only natural that I return to close this epic series that spanned three decades. 1/3#fantasy #illustration #stephenking #darktower #rolanddeschain #donaldmgrant
(DIR) Post #B2RWGIhz1AGdnQNaeu by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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Roland finally reaches the tower and I place him there lit by the setting sun for his final portrait. 2/3
(DIR) Post #B2RWNbNlzEGXjvPLY8 by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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Cover illustration for THE DARK TOWER by Stephen King (Scribner) 3/3https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/dark-tower/
(DIR) Post #B2TakWxFP4mOng6pn6 by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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ASYLUM (2001)Acrylic On Panel - 22” x 28”Another double entendre title—for “asylum” can infer both confinement and security. But is she really attaining both?https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/asylum/#fineart #personalvisions #imaginativerealism
(DIR) Post #B2Vlz9WcHeT4I4kPdQ by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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MYM (1986)Oil on Panel - 32” x 20”My fourth cover for Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony. Following the formula of the other books, a mortal is called upon to serve as a supernatural force. 1/3#sciencefiction #fantasy #illustration #piersanthony #incarnationsofimmortality #delreybooks
(DIR) Post #B2Vm45E5h5T8PEQwF6 by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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In this story, an Indian prince named Mym takes up the Red Sword to become Mars, the Incarnation of War. 2/3
(DIR) Post #B2Vm7aXliH9AP6JDXc by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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Cover illustration for WIELDING A RED SWORD by Piers Anthony (Del Rey) 3/3https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/mym/
(DIR) Post #B2XlVwqQjruGsh0e1o by MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art
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DREAMSEEKER (2016)Acrylic - 24" x 18"The first of a possible series of paintings exploring my disillusionment with the "progress" of society. The stars represent the hope she's looking for on the horizon.https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/dreamseeker/#fineart #personalvisions #imaginativerealism